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Unit 2 Portrait

WEEK 2-PORTRAIT ANALYSIS

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ARNOLD NEWMAN 

The image below was taken by Arnold Newman in 1963 and is a very well known image because of the message the image conveys.

Context 

The image was taken in 1963  due to industrialist Alfred Krupp contacted Newman for a portrait image on him. Newman planned to take the images of Krupp and while doing so discovered that Krupp transported materials to assist the Nazi’s during the second world war, and after finding out Newman was Jewish, Krupp refused to see Newman again. However, Krupp was persuaded through Newman’s very impressive portfolio to allow Newman to take the images. Because of the situation where Krupp didn’t want to see Newman anymore because of his religion, Newman used this to his advantage and made Krupp look sinister in the most weird way as revenge for Krupp’s influence in the prosecution of Jews.

 

Emotional response 

When first looking at this image i quickly saw the ‘ old white man’ placed in the center of the photograph which  drew me in due to the shadowing on the mans face due to the light above him. I feel as if the eye contact he gives the camera shows a dark personality and add a sinister feel to the image. I also noticed the lack of bright lights in the image which helped to contrast with the little colour in the image adding a cold and again sinister feel to the time.

I also found that the way the man presented himself with his hands together and sat in a suit suggests that he is a business man and he is of high class.

Visual 

The image is very interesting to the eye due to the very busy background of the image in  contrast to the dark lighting and the subject of the image which is the man. At first i though that the background of the image was just a random set scene. However, after researching about the image and finding out that Krupp helped transport materials for the Nazi’s in WW2 i realized the the place he is in is his underground transportation station. This instantly made me feel unconformable as i questioned why he would want to be photographed in this place and why he was proud of it. This again dded to the sinister feel of the image.

Technical

The first technical aspect of this image i noticed was the use of the texture shown through different objects found within the location of the train station. The texture is shown due to the rust on the objects which also signal that the objects are old and have been used for a long time. The background is also very busy which and there is a lot of movement shown which shows that it is a fully operating station. The depth of field of the image is large and the man being close to the camera instead of within the scenery adds a long depth of field due to us being able to see the whole background. The man also being in sharp focus suggests that he is the subject of the image.

Conceptual Response 

The facial expressions that the man is making suggests that he is up to not good and has something evil planned, the location he is in also suggests that the image is very old however him being in a suit suggests he could be an owner of the location. This image is very up to debate..

 

 

 

 

 

 

AO2 Explore Ideas, Homework, Unit 2 Portrait

12. Claude Cahun X Clare Rae:

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Claude Cahun:

Claude Cahun was a lesbian , Jewish-French Photographer. She was born on October 25th 1894 and moved to Jersey in 1937.

Cahun is best known for her part in the surrealism movement. She worked with self-portraits, which often displayed her in various poses and places with her face, more often than not, covered up.

With her work, Cahun was very political and aimed to use her photos as a way express herself during a time when lesbians and the Jewish were prosecuted for who they were.

Clare Rae:

Clare Rae is an Australian photographer who recently took residence in Jersey for a short time. She wanted to study, take inspiration from, and respond to the work of Claude Cahun.

CCA gallery visit:

On Friday 14th September, my photography class visited an exhibition at the CCA gallery in St. Helier to look at the work of Claude Cahun and Clare Rae’s response and interpretation of her work.

I thought that the exhibition was really well layed out and it was easy to know which photographer’s work I was looking at as the two were  nicely separated without making them look like separate exhibitions.

By looking at the photos in the exhibition is it easy to see where Claude Cahun has influenced Clare Rae’s work. I noticed that Rae wasn’t wearing any foot wear in her photos and upon further inspection, I noticed the same thing in Cahun’s photos. Another similarity between the different photographers is that they are both taken in similar places. Interesting structures and ares of nature are both common to each pieces of work. Both photographers use their surroundings to give a certain feel to the photos that is often calming, chaotic or miserable.

This image by Claude Cahun was one of my favorites. The image shows Cahun hiding behind a large rock with her arms sticking out through the holes in the object. To me, this shows that Cahun is, in a way, apart of the object. However, the stretched out actions of her hands suggests that Cahun is trying to reach out and escape. This could be a reference to the German Occupation of Jersey as that was similarly something that Cahun was apart of, but wanted to be free of.

This photo by Clare Rae has a very similar style to Cahun’s work as the image shows Rae with her back to the camera and her face hidden, which is a common occurrence in Cahun’s work. The dark walls of the cave give a feeling a being trapped and isolated. This was likely how Cahun felt during the Occupation due to being a Jewish lesbian. It is clear that Rae has tried to recreate this in this image.

Unit 2 Portrait

Environmental Portraits – Homework 1

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Environmental Portraits

An environmental portrait is a portrait taken of a person or people in a situation that they live in and a place that says something about who they are. It is often a place of work, rest or play.

Here are some examples of environmental portraits:

To take these portraits I decided to go into town and try to photograph people in their workplace or natural environment. I wanted to have a wide angle so I could get their environment in the frame, also having eye contact was important for me because this shows that the person is engaged in the photo you’re taking.

Firstly, I went into the local  market as it is quite a traditional place in Jersey and the vendors have been there for a long time. I spotted an old man selling fruit and vegetables, I thought he looked interesting. I asked him if I could take some photos and he agreed, although I did ask him to look in the lens I don’t think he was entirely comfortable with it. So I only took a couple shots and almost all were with no eye contact.

 

Next I went to visit my mum at work and take photos of her. At first the photos weren’t turning out very well because the lighting was very yellow toned and harsh, then I opened the blinds and turned off the lights and it improved instantly. I wanted the photos to be  neutral and not that posed. However this didn’t work very well as my mum wouldn’t stop smiling.

This is a small gallery of the photos I took of my Mum.

These turned out the best in my opinion:

 

AO2 Explore Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Environmental portrait photography 2

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Arnold Newman Biography:

  • Newman was noted for the portrait photography of politicians and Artists. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images.
  • Born in New York City on 3 March 1918, he grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
  • In 1936, he studied painting and drawing at the University of Miami. Unable to afford continuing after two years, he moved to Philadelphia to work for a studio, making 49-cent portraits in 1938.
  • In 1945, Newman opened his own portrait studio in Miami after three years earlier looking after this other studio.
  • in 1946 Newman relocated to New York and opened up his own studio called ” Arnold Newman Studios” and from then on he worked as a freelanced photographer for magazines such as  Fortune, Life, and Newsweek.
  • he focused on photographing personalities of different people. He managed to maintain this even though some were lost or unknown, the photographs had to still be exciting and interest the viewer.
  • he was often credited for being the first environmental portrait photographer. Newman captured his photos in familiar using visuals and representations to show their profession and personalty.
  • Arnold Newman told a magazine in an interview  “The surroundings had to add to the composition and the understanding of the person. No matter who the subject was, it had to be an interesting photograph. Just to simply do a portrait of a famous person doesn’t mean a thing.”
  • Newman’s most famous photographs were in black and white even though he photographed in colour. His 1946 black and white portrait of Igor Stravinsky seated at a grand piano became his signature image.
  • After this Newman taught  photography at Cooper Union for many years.
  • Newman died on the 6th June 2006 in New York City, New York after recovering from a stroke.

Images:

 

Arnold Newman

This is my favourite image by Arnold Newman as it is very simple and i like how the light has been reflected in the back so that it hits the seats , also he has got the person to do a emotionless face so that it makes us feel nothing, also as it is in black and white this then makes the image more sinister than before as usually the dark makes us feel that bad is going to happen whereas a the picture was in colour then you would think that it was happy mood. I think that he didn’t use flash and that instead he used a alternative light source.

Here is some of my examples of environmental portraits:

I found when I took these photos that they didn’t come out the way I wanted, for example It looks like i have done a double exposure, I didn’t want this, the problem with this is because the shutter speed was too slow meaning that it din’t capture the picture in detail.

For these picture I found that They came out more clearly than my other attempts. However I found after that one image was slightly over exposure while the other one was under exposed, to solve this problem I increased the exposure on the under exposed image to get a little more light and I have increased the colour intensity. This is my outcome:

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Arnold Newman – Portrait Analysis

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The image below was taken by Arnold Newman, of Alfried Krupp in 1963. This photograph is one of Newman’s well known images due to hidden message and ideas that can be taken from this environmental portrait.

Arnold Newman’s Photography

I have annotated this photograph in order to show how Newman has used leading lines, to move viewers eyes around the frame. As well as the use of the rule of thirds within this image.

Emotional Response

When I first looked at this image my eyes where immediately drawn to the mysterious man located in the center of the frame. He is an ‘old white man’ which can be seen through his grey hair and wrinkles on his skin. He is giving direct eye contact with the camera and has his head looking slightly down whilst doing this, creating a sinister and mysterious look. It makes us question what he is doing and why. His hands are joined together and place underneath his chin, resting on the hands. Due to this it also adds to the idea that the subject is up to no good. Krupp is found in a suit, showing his high status during the time. He is found sat at a working train station which seems to run down. This makes us question why Krupp is at the train station

Technical Response

The image is presented in color which allows rust/dirt in the station to be more visible. Moreover, it almost makes the picture come to life and allow us to create more ideas about the man in our mind. The background is busy, which informs us that it is a busy train station. The use of leading lines is presented by the ceiling lights. It is used to help direct the viewers eyes around the frame of the photograph, taking in all the details helping us to form an opinion and concept about the image. The man seems to be framed by the walls, which shows segregation between Krupp and what is happening behind him. It also reminds us the status that he is and presents the idea that he is the reason for why what is happening behind him is happening. The clear formal elements which are presented through this image is line, through the trains and ceiling/building structure. Texture can be seen through the rust and different objects which are found within the train station. The depth of field found in this image is large as well as the aperture is high, as nothing seems to be completely out of focus in the image. However, there is a sharper focus on Krupp, which suggests his importance to the setting and situation. The lighting found within the station is quite dark and the image is under exposed which shows how run down and bad the environment of the station was. However, Krupp is lit up also illuminating his importance compared to the station. The image seems to have used a quick shatter speed as no intended blur can be found within the image. In  addition, a little noise can be found due to the lighting suggesting that the ISO is likely to be slightly be high but not too high.

Newman’s Photograph Annotations

Contextual Response

Newman wanted to capture Krupp as a part of his environmental series in 1963. Krupp was an industrialist. However, Krupp was found to be transporting weapons and materials during the second world war. In contrast, Newman was Jewish and did not agree with the same viewpoints as Krupp. Newman still wanted to capture Krupp and managed to persuade him through his portfolios. When capturing the images of Krupp, Newman attempted to portray Krupp as an evil person. This can clearly be seen through the image above.

Conceptual Response

The intended message trying to be presented in this photograph is that there is a man located in this run down train station, who can potentially be the owner of the company. Due to his facial expressions and positioning it makes it seem that he is up to no good and is planning something evil. Many more interpretations can be made about this image, however I believe that this is the most prominent.

AO1 Develop Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Environmental portraits

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An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings.

By photographing a person in their natural surroundings, it is thought that you will be able to better illuminate their character, and therefore portray the essence of their personality, rather than merely a likeness of their physical features. It is also thought that by photographing a person in their natural surroundings, the subject will be more at ease, and so be more conducive to expressing themselves, as opposed to in a studio, which can be a rather intimidating and artificial experience.

 

Environmental portraits mood board
AO1 Develop Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Portrait analysis of Alfred Krupp

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Arnold Newman, Portrait of Alfred Krupp, 1963

Alfred Krupp was an armanents manufacturer who used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis. When finding out that Newman was a jew, Krupp refused to let him take the photograph. Newman insisted to have Krupp look at his portfolio before making a final decision and after seeing Newman’s portfolio he accepted. On July 6th, 1963 they both went into a delict factory in Essen which belonged to Krupp, where Newman decided to make Krupp look as evil as he can under the eerie, demonic lighting of the factory. When Krupp initially saw his portrait he was furious. Newman said “as a jew, it’s my own little moment of revenge”. Krupp in this image is in an elevated position which is important because it shows his declaration that he is the highest authority within these premises, he is the man responsible for all that happens. Krupp is situated in the centre of the image and the lens mostly focuses on his face rather than the background;This emphasises his facial features and gesture. Krupp is slightly leaning forward and clasping his fingers together under his chin. He is staring directly at the camera in an eerie, sinister way with a sort of grin on his face. He’s also wearing a suit and appears to be in a formal position. In the background you can see his factory which gives the impression that Krupp is in charge. The fact that the background is lighter than the foreground makes Krupp appear evil since he seems to be surrounded by darkness. This image makes me feel on edge since he looks like he’s done something  evil. It seems like he’s staring right into the depth of your eyes which makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The whole image seems wicked which is mostly created through the eerie lighting and his facial features.

AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Portraiture – Mood Board

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Emotional portraits:

  • cracks
  • asymmetrical
  • dull colours enhance facial features
  • textures: smooth, sharp, frosted, cloudy, clear
  • central
  • sense of emotion
  • posing (set up)

These portraits seem to show some kind of emotional provocation, eg. fear, anger.

The face is slightly distorted yet in all of these images through the use of reflections, focused face with frosted backdrop or objects hindering full view of the face.

Neon Light Portraits:

  • sharp focus
  • coloured lights
  • party scene
  • fun and vibrant colours
  • reflection
  • blur

These images all show lights and reflections of light creating a fresh and pastel feel.

The sharpness and contrast of the images with the highlighted areas create beautiful cool toned compositions.

UV Paint Portraits:

  • vibrant colours
  • neon
  • spots/stripes/random
  • close up and intimate
  • psychedelic effect

Extremely vivid and vibrant colours of the UV paints contrasted by the dark tones of the skin.

The colours in the images connote some sense of psychedelic experience.

AO2 Explore Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Environmental Portrait

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What is a environmental portrait photography:

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.

By photographing a person in their natural surroundings, it is thought that you will be able to better illuminate their character, and therefore portray the essence of their personality, rather than merely a likeness of their physical features. It is also thought that by photographing a person in their natural surroundings, the subject will be more at ease, and so be more conducive to expressing themselves, as opposed to in a studio, which can be a rather intimidating and artificial experience.

Examples of environmental portrait:

 

Heres a video to create environmental portrait photography:

 

 

AO2 Explore Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Unit 2 Portrait

Arnold Newman – Case Study

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Arnold Newman was an american photographer who primarily worked in portraiture however also occasionally created abstract still life composure’s. More importantly however he coined the phrase and is the founder of environmental portraiture. This usually features a subject looking directly into the camera with the background being pivotal to either their identity or livelihood. There are however photos which don’t follow this pattern and his photos rarely include action shots. These photos are a great way of portraying ones personality and/or interests and the facial expressions are a good way of showing whether or not they enjoy their work/home life and so even a lack of emotion in a photo is able to portray strong emotions.

Due to the time period of his photography most of his work is done with film, although he had access to high end film cameras and so had the benefits of high quality images and glass while still having the subjective ‘benefits’ of film photography such as the light Gaussian grain in darker areas and interesting interactions with light when using a large aperture. The use of film also results in small imperfections in the image which I believe gives the photo more character as these markings are near impossible to accurately replicate digitally and are unique to the image. The majority of his images are done in black and white. I believe this allows for greater use of contrast and tones and results in images that look more structured and sharper. This creates a strong sense of drama in his images.

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