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TASK 1

You must introduce your new topic : PORTRAITS

Remember… your images must include a caption…this is especially important if they belong to someone else (copyright etc), and helps clarify which images are yours for assessment.

Try adding hyperlinks to use websites / blogs / video URLs or embed relevant YOUTUBE clips to help illustrate your key points

CREATE A VISUAL MOOD-BOARD 

1. Choose a range of portraits / self portraits to develop a grid of images (minimum of 9) to show your understanding of what a portrait can be…
2. You must include a range of approaches to portraits in your mood-board…
3. Define what Contemporary Portrait Photography is…

CREATE A MIND-MAP

We will be studying the history, theories and concepts of portrait making…their purpose and role in our day to day lives too.

1. Design a mind-map / brainstorm / spider-gram / flowchart of portrait based ideas
2. Think about the ways in which we use portraits, and what they can say about us / reveal / conceal
3. define what a portrait actually is
4. Add your mind-map to a blog post

We will begin the unit by looking at ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS, which depict people in their…

• working environments
• environments that they are associated with

“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”

Here are some examples…

Look at these influential photographers for more ideas…

• August Sander (1876 – 1964)
• Paul Strand (1890 – 1976)
• Arnold Newman (1918 – 2006)
• Daniel Mordzinski (1960 – )
• Annie Leibovitz (1949 – )
• Mary Ellen Mark (1940 – 2015)
• Jimmy Nelson (1967 – )
• Sara Facio (1932 – )

Key things to consider with formal / environmental portraits…

• formal (posed) and informal / candid / natural
• head-shot / half body / three quarter length / full length body shot
• high angle / low angle / canted angle
• colour vs black and white
• high key (light and airy) vs low key (high contrast / chiarascuro)

Technical= Composition / exposure / lens / light

Visual= eye contact / engagement with the camera / neutral pose and facial expression / angle / viewpoint

Conceptual= what are you intending to present? eg :  social documentary? / class ? / authority ? / gender role ? / lifestyle ?

Contextual=add info and detail regarding the back ground / story / detail / information about the character(s) / connection to the photographer eg family / insider / outsider

Photo-Shoot 1

1. Take 100-200 photographs showing your understanding of ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS
2. Remember…your subject (person) must be engaging with the camera!…you must communicate with them clearly and direct the kind of image that you want to produce!!!
3. Then select your best 5-10 images and create a blog post that clearly shows your process of taking and making your final outcomes
4. Remember not to over -edit your images. Adjust the cropping, exposure, contrast etc…nothing more!

Remember to show your Photo-Shoot Planning and clearly explain :

• who you are photographing
• what you are photographing
• when you are conducting the shoot
• where you are working/ location
• why you are designing the shoot in this way
• how you are going to produce the images (lighting / equipment etc)

Candid / informal Portraits

Candid portraits tend be more natural, flowing, unplanned and may even be a form of street photography at times. You should aim to capture the essence of the person you are photographing, say something about them or the moment they are caught in…

Photo-Shoot 2

1. Take 100-200 photographs showing your understanding of CANDID PORTRAITS
2. Remember…your subject (person) DOES NOT need to be engaging with the camera and this kind of photo should not be staged or “set-up”
3. Then look to create a contrast between your environmental portraits and candid portraits…try photographing the same person / people and then juxtaposing the images (to compare and contrast)
4. Then select your best 5-10 images and create a blog post that clearly shows your process of taking and making your final outcomes

Follow this 10 Step Process and create a series of blog posts to ensure you tackle all Assessment Objectives thoroughly :

1. Mood-board, definition and introduction (AO1)
2. Mind-map of ideas (AO1)
3. Artist References / Case Studies (must include image analysis) (AO1) re : environmental and candid portraits
4. Photo-shoot Action Plan (AO3)
5. Multiple Photoshoots + contact sheets (AO3)
6. Image Selection, sub selection (AO2)
7. Image Editing/ manipulation / experimentation (AO2)
8. Presentation of final outcomes (AO4)
9. Compare and contrast your work to your artist reference(AO1) and show analysis of at least 1 of your images
10. Evaluation of your images, process and Critique of your final outcomes(AO1+AO4)

Photoshoot Deadline = Wednesday 20th November

Keld Helmer-Petersen

WHAT IS PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY?

Portrait or portrait photography is a photograph of a person or a group of people, capturing the personality of the subject in the image. Aspects such as lighting, backdrops and poses can influence the mood of the portrait, to further portray certain emotions and feelings.

There are many different types of portrait photography, however each photograph can be altered by composition, whether its a head-shot, half body, three quarter length, full length body shot, or whether the photograph is taken at a high angle, low angle, or canted angle. These can all manipulate the mood of the portrait.

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MAIN TYPES OF PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY INCLUDE:

• formal: Portraits taken in formal conditions refer to taking photos usually for an occasion such as wedding or school photographs, where the subject is arranged to pose under effective lighting conditions, the rule of thirds and depth of field.

• informal: informal portraits are simply the opposite of formal portraits, with a rather casual and relaxed mood to the image and show the personality of the subject. These types of portraits are usually not taken in a studio like formal portraits are, but is still aware of lighting conditions, the rule of thirds and depth of field.

• candid: This is a taking photos of people when they have no idea that you are taking the photograph, being able to catch someone in the act, creating naturalistic and ‘in the moment’ photographs that often reflect the true emotions of the subject

• environmental: This type of portrait is taken in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings.

OTHER PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDE:

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Here is my interpretation of altered landscapes, where I edited these photographs of the medieval town of Krakow. I edited them using Photoshop. In the first two photos, I used the threshold tool to achieve the black and white effect. This creates the contrast, adding a cartoon vibe to the photographs, a key aspect of many altered landscape photographic styles.

The Altered Landscape is a collection of photographs representing a wide range of artists, techniques, visual styles, subjects, and ideological positions. Organized chronologically, the more than 150 images-by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Chris Jordan, Catherine Opie, and Edward Burtynsky-reveal the ways that individuals and industries have marked, mined, toured, tested, developed, occupied, and exploited landscapes over the last fifty years. From Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz, two of the most influential photographers to document environmental destruction in the American West, to Richard Misrach and Mark Klett, who examine abuse of natural resources, these moving images reveal the diversity of voices within the field of contemporary photography.

I have picked these photographs as my potential print outs because I think these are the best outcomes and edits out of all of my photoshoots.

I picked this photograph because I think it stands out and I like the intense bright colours. I think it closely relates to romanticism photography because its a beautiful setting on the side of the beach. I think the vibrant pink tones give the photograph a warm temperature and make it eye catching.

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I picked this photograph because I think it closely relates to urban photography. My inspiration for this photograph was Stephen Shore because he photographs his environment and surroundings. I like the swirls in the sky which gives the photograph a cross between urban and romantic.

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I picked this photograph because it has a strong focus point and it was taken in an industrialised area which captures urban photography in more run down places in Jersey. This photograph was taken at a low angle to capture the long road, the sky and a wide shot to include the buildings. I think this photo is eye catching and intriguing.

I picked this photograph because it shows a birds eye view of the harbour which is a busy industrialised place. I like the editing in this photograph by duplicating it and turning it upside down I think it makes the photograph more interesting and the viewer has to study it.

Below are my favourite outcomes from the urban landscape project. I like how they were shot and how they have edited to enhance the photograph.

outcome one

I chose this photograph as one of my favourite outcomes, because I like how the metal contrasts with grey sky. I also think the colour of the rocks is interesting and eye-catching. If I were to take this photograph again, I would try and get more of the sky into the photograph to improve the composition and balance the photograph out.

outcome two

I chose this photograph as one of my favourite outcomes, because I like the lettering on the tank and the way it stands out against the army green tank. The fencing adds dimension too, which I like. If I were to take this photograph again, I would try to centre the writing to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

outcome three

I chose this photograph as one of my favourite outcomes, because I like the simplicity of the shot. The composition is simple but effective as it is very easy to view. If I were to take this photograph again, I would try to centre the horizon line to get a balanced shot.

evaluation

I found that most of photographs that i took didnt turn out very well, because they were either too under or over exposed or they werent in focus. I also didnt think they fitted in with the urban landscape genre or were very interesting. I really enjoy the more simplistic shots that I took, because I like the way they look.

Below are my edited images from both my urban landscape shoots. I have enhanced the photograph to make them more eye-catching and interesting.

photograph one

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I decided to enhance the contrast to make the shadows on the steps bolder and darker, to create harsher lines. I also found the original was very yellow, so I changed the colour levels, saturating the red, to make the rock more of an orange colour.

photograph two

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I decided to only change the saturation, to make the shed more of a greener, meaning it would blend into the scenery. This idea kind of goes against the theme of urban landscapes, as I wanted to make it fit into the background and look natural, even though it was not.

photograph three

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I decided to increase the contrast, to allow the structured metal fixtures to stand out on the grey skies, and be more of a promenant feature in the photograph. I also increased the saturation of the whole photograph to allow the rock to become more of a red colour and the sky to become more moody and slightly purple.

photograph four

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All I did for this photograph was change the colour levels, and I increased the saturation for the red colour, allowing the rocks to become more of a red and orange colour. This allows the photograph to be more eye-catching.

photograph five

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For this photograph, I increased the contrast, which meant that the blacks become darker. It also allowed for the mesh fence to stand out and be more visible.

Robert Adams is an American photographer who has focused on the changing landscape of the American West. His work first came to prominence in the mid-1970s through his book The New West and his participation in the exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape in 1975. Robert Hickman Adams was born on May 8, 1937 in Orange, New Jersey.

In 1963, Adams bought a 35milimeter reflex camera and started to photograph mostly architecture and nature. He joined classes at Colorado Springs Fine Art Center and studied about photography techniques by a professional, Myron Wood.

In 1964, Adams began photographing and after three years he started teaching it to others, however only part-time so that he could invest the rest of the hours in his projects.

In 1969, four prints by Robert Adams were bought by Museum of Modern Art. A year later, he put all his time and effort in photography.

In 1973, he became an associate at John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. He was awarded the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1994.

Adams has worked on American West landscapes for more than 38 years, covering Oregon, Colorado and California. He uses his camera to express his love for landscapes. Also, to understand how industrial and urban growth has transformed it.

Adam’s work and his style gained inspiration from photographers like, William Henry Jackson, Lewis Hine, Dorothea Lange, Timothy O’Sullivan, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Carleton Watkins.