The following formal elements are used in photography to create a strong composition :

Albert Renger-Patzsch

Albert Renger-Patzsch was a German photographer, well known for and associated with the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit). The New Objectivity movement was created as a response to idealism, by rejecting ideas of sentimentality and portraying the world as clearly and objectively as possible.

“Let us… leave art to the artists, and let us try to use the medium of photography to create photographs that can endure because of their photographic qualities. “

Alfred Renger-Patzsch

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Renger-Patzsch’s attitude towards his work was to capture the intricacy and beauty of the modern world, with his produced images ranging from detailed botanical and wildlife studies, to mechanical, architectural and landscape responses. In 1928, he published his book ‘The World is Beautiful’ (Die Welt is Schön) which showcased 100 photographs capturing the excellence and design of both natural and man-altered areas. Elements such as form, repetition, pattern, line and texture are easily recognisable in his work.

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Photo Analysis

As a New Objectivity photographer, Renger-Patzsch explored the beauty in both urban and natural landscapes. This particular image is one of the one-hundred images capturing the beauty of the reality we live in within Renger-Patzsch’s book ‘The World is Beautiful’.

Renger-Patzch incorporates the formal element of ‘line’ within his photograph. The sweeping curve of the track leads the eye around the image, with straight, converging lines directing the focus to towards the top right of the photo. The intersecting vertical and horizontal lines in the image create tension.

There are repeating patterns and textures that dominate Renger-Patzsch’s photo. The parallel rails in the track are extensively repeated, creating the illusion of curving lines, despite not being attached.

His image has a large tonal range. The lightest tone can be seen in the top right of the image, where the tracks stop. The same tone is found on the rails. The darkest tones are apparent in the mysterious figure and in the top left of the image, creating a sense of perpetuity. producing a striking image that stimulates the viewer’s eyes.

The presence of a figure breaks up the image, acting as a ‘spot‘, creating a focal point and aiding in leading the eye around the image. The solidarity of the individual and the lack of identity the person has creates a sombre atmosphere, to which the person’s background is subjective and open to interpretation. By reducing the space in front of the figure, it makes the viewer wonder what they’re walking away from or what they’re leaving behind.

Identity is who a person or group is, the way they think about themselves, the way they are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define them. This may include their personality, looks and/or beliefs.

Identity is created throughout a lifetime, but can be influenced by factors such as nationality, race, ethnic group, physical appearance, culture, talents, interests, language, and religion.

A lack of identity can be detrimental to an individual’s mental health, as identity relates to self-image, self-esteem and individuality.

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Jesse Draxler (lack of identity)

Jesse Draxler is a modern portrait photographer, well known for his abstract, disturbing and slightly morbid head shots. He focuses on identity (or lack of) within his images, intriguing those who view it and leaving them wanting to figure out what’s beneath the art

Draxler uses mixed media to present his obscure state of mind and view of the world. His work is monochromatic, using techniques such as photo-montage and incorporating black paint in many of his pieces to achieve his desired outcome. Draxler’s work is dark, mysterious and perturbing, focusing mainly on a lack of identity and mortality as themes.

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On his book ‘Misophonia’, Draxler personifies his art and his work as ‘a sociopath’, a person who is deranged, delusional and impulsive. He uses faceless figures to to represent his own identity and the emotions he has been dealing with his entire life. Torn between his past and frightening future, Draxler often feels detached from his own personal identity.

On ‘Terror Management’, Draxler further explores this theme of mortality, especially naming the gallery after the theory (TMT) that attempts to explain a type of defensive human thinking and behavior that stems from an awareness and fear of death.

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Photo analysis

This image is a prime example of how Draxler embraces mortality and a lack of identity within his work. Working mainly in mixed media, he created this using a head-shot of his subject as a background and black paint.

The lighting in the image is very much unnatural, most likely two or three point lighting there’s no natural shadows. There’s a large tonal range within the image, ranging from the darkest tones of the pupils to the lightest tones in the background, creating a strong contrast between the two.

The patterns and textures of the image are conflicting. The paint itself has multiple textures: The wetter parts of the paint (top of the head) contrasts with the rougher strokes down the neck and the thicker paint on the subject’s face itself. These contradicting textures aid in directing the viewers eyes around the image. With the smoothness of the background carrying out a more passive role within the image, it allows the subject and the media surrounding them to have a more assertive part within the composition– leading the observer’s eyes around the subject multiple times.

The lack of eye-contact with the camera from the subject could connote a sense of anxiety, amplified by the paint which engulfs them. This wholly incorporates the theme of mortality/lack of identity as the paint could be an allegory for death, something completely out of control and inevitable to all humanity. This deterministic factor in all our lives can make many feel like they’ve lost their autonomy, leaving them feeling this anxiety with a sense of detachment from their identity.

A possible intention of this image may be to provoke morbid thoughts, specifically ones related to their own mortality, as the ambiguity of the image is disconcerting to those who inspect it. This is due to the conflict between how the shapes within the image are familiar (the paint and head-shot resembling a person-like figure), but the mystery behind it as the whole person is unrecognisable- if anyone was to naturally come across the subject they wouldn’t be aware.

Main focus- lack of identity (detachment from oneself)

Photoshoot Plans

One subject throughout.

SHOOT 1-

• Studio.
• Collecting images for photomontage.
• Different angles, Headshot+Half–body.
• Experiment with shutter speed (slower+more movement= disfigured subject).
• 2-point lighting.

SHOOT 2-

• Studio.
• Projector + clear acetate.
• Reds suit (red= danger,urgency).
• Normal lighting (All lights on).
• White background (words will show up more clearly).

SHOOT 3-

• Studio.
• For sociopathy (Holding a mask/pretending to).
• Normal lighting (All lights on).

Photoshoot 1

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Photoshoot 2

Photoshoot 3

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Photomontage

Images to work with:

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For each of these images, I converted the original photo to black and white and duplicated the layer. With the background copy, I increased the contrast and decreased the brightness to create a completely black background. I then erased the subject from this second layer to reveal the original, edited subject.

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I printed out these series of images and created a collage using different sections of my subject’s face. I did this to represent my Multiple Personality aspect of the project on identity. The reasoning for this was to show how individuals with mental disorders (such as Bipolar disorder, Dissociate Identity Disorder and Borderline personality disorder) feel detached from their own identity. These people feel as though they lack free will and autonomy due to the idea that their disorder defines them as individuals. To amplify this imagery, my subject wore clothing with multiple faces printed on to it.

Slow shutter speed- Death anxiety

Using a black background and a slow shutter speed, I got my subject to wave their arms and move their head. This movement allowed for the creation of a skeleton-like figure, a metaphor for death. The blurred lines act as a representation of time and by having it surround the figure it aided me in portraying how many individuals feel as though time is momentary and fleeting- a reminder of their own mortality.

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Alongside my inspiration from Draxler, converting the image to black and white allowed me to shift the focus of the viewer on to the figure, as well as maintain the theme of mortality- with darker tones and shadows having associations with death and grief.

Mixed media– Death anxiety

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I decided to print the chosen half-body image and repeatedly painted over the subject the phrase ‘memento mori’, which represents an artistic reminder about the inevitability of death. Working back into this image on photoshop, I corrected the toning within the image and altered the background so it would be a single colour.

Having done this I used the threshold tool to focus predominantly on the phrase written out- the tool created an image with an outline of the subject, which I felt was a good, symbolic representation of the death of an individual (Leaving a sort of ‘shell’ of a person who was once there).

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To amplify this imagery, I aim to present these images beside one another to portray the temporariness of humans. This links into the theme of identity as it further shows how mortality defines many people, with a select amount identifying as nihilists (and individual who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles).

Clear Acetate and projector– Depression/death anxiety

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I printed this phrase onto sheets of clear acetate and used a projector the project it onto my subject for the photoshoot. Mortality salience is the awareness by an individual that their death is inevitable. This term derives from the terror management theory (also linking to Draxler through his ‘Terror Management’ exhibition), and proposes that this awareness causes existential anxiety within the person. In relation to a person’s self-esteem and identity, this anxiety can be highly destructive- leading to possible mental health issues such as depression.

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I created a duplicate layer and using the selective colour tool on photoshop, I enhanced the black projected writing and then erased the top layer accordingly to bring this out, without affecting the subject’s shadow and hair.

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I decided I wanted to crop the image so as the keep the focus of the image on the subject. Cropping the image allowed a more sinister aspect of the image to come through- the shadow, which looms over the subject, making her look inferior. This conflict between the subject and her shadow, to me, represents how individuals hide many aspects of their identity from others (portrayed through the shadow figure) and feel overwhelmed by this as it’s something that they feel they can’t express or it will affect others’ perspective on themselves.

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With the theme of ‘lack of identity’ I decided to remove the subject’s recognisable features (eyes and mouth) using a black brush tool on Photoshop, allowing the focus of the image to be on the letters and shapes surrounding the subject. By doing this, it also creates a clear link with my influential artist as Draxler disfigures the faces of many of his subjects.

Sociopathy

Individuals with sociopathy disorder are disconnected from themselves in the sense that they lack emotions, such as empathy, and struggle with the understanding of others. I felt as though sociopaths fit into my theme of identity as they’re highly manipulative and deceiving people, who can turn out be a completely different person from who they say that they are- their personal identity is almost hidden. Their manipulative nature can be spotted by their constant switching back and forth between extreme charm and extreme threats, to get what they want.

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I wanted to portray these deceiving characters to be cold and uninviting. To achieve this, I directed my subject to be expressionless during the shoot- having her make direct eye contact when facing the camera.

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I also used the brush tool to depict an object used to cover the subject’s face to symbolise the ‘mask’ these individuals wear to fool those around them.

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In an attempt to create a more ominous image, I also changed the colour of my subject’s pupils to match their mask, in turn recreating the unnaturalness and inhumane nature of Draxler’s own work.

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I used the brush tool the create a messier-looking mask, represent the tumultuous mindset of those who suffer from sociopathy disorder. It also represents how their own identity is unclear and distracting to others.

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I decided to crop these images to show only a half-body, reducing the negative space around the subject

Outcomes:

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Comparison to Draxler

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This particular piece of Draxler’s work inspired me to create my own photo-collage. I felt as though it perfectly portrayed how split-personality and multiple-personality disorders could be physically represented.

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Looking at how Draxler painted over his work, it influenced me to incorporate different methods into my photo-shoots and editing, such as the projector and physical writing of words over my images. Although the methods I used are significantly different to those of Draxler, the outcomes are relatively similar.

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Draxler’s original image, to me, was considerably comparable to a skeleton. I wanted to create a similar piece of work using the camera only. I used a slow shutter speed and movement to remove features that made my person look alive (not too dissimilar to how Draxler removed the hair, eyes, mouth and other key features of his subject).

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My aim with this piece wasn’t to replicate Draxler’s work. There is no evidence of actual photography within his original image but I was inspired by the mask to incorporate artwork into my own image, instead of completely hiding my subject’s face as he’d done.

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The messiness of Draxler’s piece resonated with me. It provoked the thought that no single person has a perfectly curated sense of self and identity. I presented my image under the term sociopathy and I feel it shows how even those who have developed a perfected fake identity, are also just as messy and confused as the rest of humanity.

Final Images

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Evaluation

I feel as though this project has been overly successful. By having one word (‘Identity’) it allowed me to form a broad range of ideas- focusing on the lack of identity due to mental illnesses such as depression, multiple personality disorder and sociopathy, along with detachment from personal identity due to death anxiety.

I focused on Jesse Draxler as an influential artist as his fascination with mortality and other morbid themes within his work fit well with my concepts. His work inspired me to try new techniques and resulted in me taking a more abstract approach towards my work. I experimented with shutter speed, projectors and mixed media to create my final outcomes. Experimenting during the editing process using the threshold tool and selective colour tool (before converting to black and white) allowed me to create highly contrasted and striking images.

However, a drawback on this project is the effectiveness of my techniques. For example, printing off my images to make the photo-collage resulted in an unintentionally, grainy image when re-uploaded to the blog. In future, to avoid this, I will print using higher standard photo paper to get the best quality prints to work on when using mixed media.

Additionally, my own time management led to be a hindrance to my final outcomes. If I had organised myself by gathering needed materials/props for my shoots and editing processes with sufficient time, I may have more higher quality work to reflect upon.

Virtual Gallery

French for ‘living picture’. It’s a silent and motionless group of people arranged to represent a scene or incident. Tableaux photography combines aspects of theater and the visual arts.

examples

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Street photography is a sub-genre of photojournalism and similar to candid photography. It features direct, chance encounters and random incidents within public places. The portraits are taken without permission and without knowledge of your subjects

Street photographers convey their personal perception of the world. Aiming to arouse and array of emotions, associations, feelings and memories

Another purpose is to portray certain social cultures in their essence. It’s a way to document the societal norms of the world and the trends of that current time.

STREET.LIFE.PHOTOGRAPHY – Street Photography from seven decades in Vienna

Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 STM.

Examples

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Henri Cartier-Bresson and “The Decisive Moment”

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer. He was a humanist photographer, meaning he emphasised the value and agency of human beings. He was considered a master of candid photography.

He lived through world war two, having been taken prisoner by the germans in 1940 and after two failed attempts he successfully escaped on his third attempt in 1943. Bresson later travelled world-wide during his photography career, to places like the USA, India and China.

Bressons images helped to establish photojournalism as an art form through his images – The decisive moment is a book and a concept created by Bresson, containing his greatset work and referring to capturing an event that’s fleeting and spontaneous, where the image represents the essence of the event itself.

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Photoshoot

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Best images from the shoot

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Editing Process

Edit 1

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Having spontaneously taken this photo from afar I was unable to zoom any further. Using Photoshop I was able to bring the subject into focus. The conversion of black and white was inspired from Cartier-Bresson’s work and allowed me to eliminate the distracting and garish colours of the subject’s surroundings.

Edit 2

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Using natural lighting aimed to make the main focus on the foreground and subject within it. Reasoning being as they’d been wearing unusual clothing, not typical of the general population in Jersey, as well as their phone, which is additionally atypical of the current society, who rely on high tech devices such as iPhones or Androids.

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Artificial stringed lights from the coffee shop and background of the image imply that it was taken during a holiday season. This information is juxtaposed by the facial expressions and body language of the subjects. Having experiment with a black and white filter, I settled in using the coloured version as it allowed for the two individuals to stand out more than they would have with the filter. Decreasing shadows by 4% and increasing the highlights within the image by 12% created a more vibrant image.

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Cropping this image aided bringing the subject into the foreground. Converting the image to black and white created a product resembling the work of Cartier-Bresson with ‘The decisive moment’.

Evaluation

This project proved to be difficult as I aimed to capture people unaware but walking around with a camera is the least inconspicuous way of going about it, especially considering I didn’t want to invade their privacy. To avoid this exploitation I made sure all ,my images were taken in public spaces where it’s expected to be watched.

However, many of my subjects had been so caught up in their own lives that it wasn’t difficult to get an image of them. The project itself really enlightened me to the skill that’s required to take well crafted street images, additionally helping me to build confidence as a photographer.

Using Cartier-Bresson as inspiration, I took many images spontaneously, trying the capture the subjects as they get on with their lives. Other images, however, were taken when the individual was static.

Final image

A candid portrait is a photograph captured without a staged and posed appearance.  The subject is usually unaware of the image being taken.

The idea of a candid portrait is to capture people acting naturally. They should be unaware they are being photographed, as their behavior often changes once they become aware of the camera.

examples

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Case Study: Alfred Eisenstaedt

Eisenstaedt was a German-born American photographer and photojournalist, well known for his candid photography throughout the 20th century, documenting the rise of hitler and many other occasions throughout the war. He began his career before World War II, having first started photography at age 14, and in 1936 Eisensatedt became one of four original staff photographers for the new magazine at the time, ‘Life’. In Times Square (1945), VJ Day (Victory over Japan day) provided Eisenstaedt with the opportunity to capture the image he is likely most famous for.

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Photoshoot Plan

Who: Strangers/ acquaintances- ie: street photography

What: Subjects performing actions: Working, smoking, reading, on their phone etc.

Where: Workplaces, Schools, Town, Parks, Public spaces to avoid a breach of privacy

How: Daytime, full body portraits, half body portraits, possible headshots.

Photoshoot:

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Final image editing:

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Using photoshop, I aimed to enhance the vibrant colours of the market. I increased the vibrance and saturation of the image, as seen below.

I also experimented with black and white imaging. I ensured all the tones were different to create a highly contrasted image. (pictured below).

However, I felt as though the black and white filter caused the subject to blend into their environment, defeating the point of a portrait.

Final Image:

Rather than directing their subjects to pose in a certain way, candid photographers take their photos unbeknownst to the subject.

The subject’s environment is extremely vibrant, juxtaposed by the sombre expression and dull clothing the subject is wearing. The fruit in the foreground and colourful packaging behind encircle the subject, with the dark tones of their coat and hat enhancing

The lighting in the image is unnatural, with LED lights that act as horizontal leading lines as well as the shelving to direct the viewer’s eyes to the subject, and the structure directly behind them acts as a sort of frame within a frame, outlining the subject.

An environmental portrait is a image shot in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically depicts the subject’s life/occupation and surroundings.

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Arnold Newman

Newman was an American photographer, best known for his environmental portraits of famous artists, such as Pablo Picasso, and politicians, like John F. Kennedy, as an example. He was, in fact, the founder of the term ‘Environmental Portraits’.

He used features and shapes within his images to portray and symbolise the subject’s life, work or occupation. He usually photographed the individual in their own familiar surroundings with relevant visual elements to represent each subject’s personality and profession

One of his most famous portraits being of musician Igor Stravinsky

Photo analysis

The wide range of tones Newman uses creates a highly contrasted, striking and successful image. With the lightest tones being on the piano keys, Gould’s occupation is clearly stated.

Newman lined Gould up within the vertical third on the right, appearing indistinctly over the piano, possibly implying a power imbalance between the two objects in frame- a sense of dominance and control from Gould over the instrument.

The position the subject has been placed in also amplifies this idea. The relaxed pose and direct eye contact from Gould shows the ease at which he governs his occupation.

The use of negative space naturally draws the viewer’s inspection towards to the subject. Leading lines from the edge of the keys and from the wall above Gould (having been intently lined up) also aid in the focus of the portrait being on the subject.

Photoshoot plan

Who

• Mutual family/friends

What

Builders, Farmers, Pharmacists, Vicar/priest?, Baristas, Students, Sports students, Science technicians.

Where

Hamptonne egg farm, St Lawrence church, Hautlieu school, science department.

Why

Environmental portraits connect the subject to the place they’re being photographed (home or work place). It tells a narrative about the person’s life story, adding meaning to the portraits.

How

• Full body, 3/4 body shot, half body.
• Colour + Black and white.
• Experiment with angles?

Photoshoot

shoot 1:

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shoot 2:

Best images from shoot:

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EDITING:

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Having failed to adjust the white balance during the photo-shoot, I began by adjusting the color balance of red, green and blue tones within the highlights, shadows and mid-tones of the image to correct how the it originally looked through the view finder.

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By converting the image to black and white, it gave me some control over what I wanted the viewer to focus on the most. Having made the image monochrome, I was able to shift the focus to be on the the subject in the foreground.

To bring out the main features of the subject I made the red tones darker, bringing out the contours of his face and the cable lead in hand. By making the blue tones darker than the red I could create contrast between the exposed skin (hands, neck face) and clothing, as well as the objects in the background.

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With the aim of creating a more low-key image, using one point lighting, I placed the fluorescent lamp next to the subject which illuminated the right side of his face and created a dark, more intimidating atmosphere surrounding him. The only issue was that fact I included the light within the frame.

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Initially, I decided to make the image monochromatic, however I felt it didn’t make the subject stand out. The laboratory coat and dark features made him merge with the background which is predominantly light.

The blue font on the structure behind was a similar shade to that of the technician’s gloves, making subconscious links to the viewer, causing them to interact more intimately with the image.

Cropping

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I experimented with half body portraits when cropping the image, this allowed for the focus to shift to the subject’s face. The character’s gentleness can be clearly seen through the positioning of his hands and the positioning of his shoulders and head.

The side stance shows a more submissive nature, compared to my portrait of the builder, who is positioned in a way that dominates the frame. The delicacy of the character ties in well with the occupation as it shows a duty of care and attentiveness to his work

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Editing the image to black and white allowed the focus to be more on the subject. By having the facial features and hair of the subject lighter than the clothing and equipment, I’m able to draw the viewers attention to the her face.

Most successful, edited image:

I felt this image was most successful as it incorporates a large range of tones and encapsulates the personality of the subject.

I placed the subject sat on the edge of his work van, with open body-language. This allowed me to show a sense of assertiveness and ownership the subject has. Direct eye contact with the camera also aids in making the subject seem intimidating. This is useful in building some context.

Builders and carpenters have a reputation for being self-assertive and brash on building sites. As my subject is the head of a similar company, I aimed to create a stern look on his face and capture the ownership and dominance he may display in front of his employees.

Dark tones in the subject’s jumper create a contrast against the objects that fill the background, refocusing the viewer on the subject as they analyse the image.

1 Point Lighting

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I used black background and a fluorescent lamp to create these Low-key images.

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Editing

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Using the brush tool on Photoshop, I blacked out the background completely, bringing the focus primarily on my subject’s face. I increased the exposure, red mid-tones and yellow highlights to get rid of the blueish tint caused by the lighting.

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I used the brush tool to even out the background and increased the brightness and contrast slightly to enhance the facial features of my subject.

2 Point lighting – High Key portraits

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I used two flash head lights and a white background to create an airy, more high-key image.

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I reduced the effect of the shadow and blemishes withing the background by using the brush tool on Photoshop.

Contemporary Portrait Photography:

Contemporary means ‘belonging to or occurring in the present‘ or ‘in the style of present or recent times.’. Contemporary photography consists of photographs from our own time, compared to an image from a much earlier period. Contemporary portrait photographers take photos of strangers, friends, children, family members or even self-portraits.

Formal (posed) VS Informal (candid) portraiture: 

Formal

A formal portrait is a posed picture of a single individual or a group of people. The subjects directly look into the camera The image focuses on clearly displaying their facial features and may often display a certain aspect of their personality or their occupation. The subject is deliberately posing and the image is specifically arranged using effective lighting conditions.

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Informal

An informal (candid/natural) portrait captures people or individuals in a totally natural way that isn’t set up. It creates an image that portrays an individual naturally and full of expression, in order to capture their character.

An informal portrait is best made when the subject is candid. This means photographing the subject in familiar surroundings, such as their house or their place of work. In these surroundings the subject’s hands, gestures and facial expressions begin to convey character and personality.

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Body shots:

Head-shot

A headshot is a photograph of the subject’s face, from the shoulders up. The individual is aware of the camera, typically looking right in the lens. It focuses on their facial features and is modernly used for individuals looking to market themselves professionally or personally.

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Half body

A half body portrait is a photograph of a subject showing the body from the waist up (including the hands).

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Three quarter length

A three quarter length (3/4) portrait typically means the subject is pictured from the top of their head to somewhere between mid-thigh and just above the knees.

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Full length body shot

A full length body shot includes the entire body of the subject from head to toe. This shot can be an action shot, or a shot of the body standing at rest.

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Angular shots:

High angle

A high angle portrait is where the photograph of the subject is taken from an angle higher than them

High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects

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Low angle

A low–angle shot, is a shot from anywhere below the eye line, pointing upwards. Occasionally the image may be take from directly below the subject’s feet (extreme low angle shot). The effect of a low-angle shot is to make the subject look strong and powerful.

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Canted angle

A canted angle portrait (otherwise known as the dutch angle) is a deliberately slanted shot taken at one side. It is sometimes used for dramatic effect to help portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness etc..

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Colour vs Black and white:

We see in color, and editing a portrait to monochrome makes the observer pause and interact more intimately with the image. Removing color from an image aids the viewer in focusing on the subject’s emotional state. Black and white portraiture lets the audience see the subject’s face and read their eyes without distraction.

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Similarly, using colour in portraiture is an effective way to create various moods and emotion, creating warmth or coldness within an image. Examples of colours that can be used to suggest feelings are: blue (representing sadness), yellow (happiness) and red (danger or excitement).

Colour may also be vitally important to the narrative of the image.

High Key vs Low Key portraits

High key

High key photography uses unnaturally bright lighting to erase most or all harsh shadows in an image. High–key is a style that results in minimal shadow on the subject. Usually, High Key images connote happiness; they tend to portray positive emotions and have an airy feel.

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Low Key

Low key light accentuates the contours of the subject by using hard light to enhance shadows in the image. Low Key images are dark and are normally used when the photographer wants to either isolate a subject or convey drama/tension. They’re usually dramatic and full of mystery.

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Archival imagery (past / historic)

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Current and contemporary approaches vs Traditional and conventional approaches

Current

Portrait photographers take pictures of people showing their emotions and feelings. These photographers take fashion portrait photos; photos of strangers, friends, children, family members or even self-portraits.

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Traditional

Traditional Portraiture is a photograph of a person or group of people that also displays the expression, personality, and mood of the subject (similar to contemporary portraits). Generally, the focus of the photograph is usually the person’s face, although the entire body and the background may be included.

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Stephanie Jung

Stephanie Jung is a photographer based in Germany, providing images on a contract basis for her clients (freelance photography).

To create her images, Jung takes a series of images with multiple exposures and this creates the effect on her images ( as pictured below). She also uses double exposures: the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, double exposure referring to the use of two images.

Jung’s indistinct and radical city-scapes place the viewer as a static observer in the mayhem of the city. Jung’s images show the intrusive bright lights and the dizzying chaos of different cities (with Tokyo, New York and Paris being a small selection). Her images give a strong sense of isolation that city life can bring to those caught up in it.

My interpretation:

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process:

I began by using the orginal image as a background. I created multiple layers using the same image.

On the first layer, I increased the exposure of the image, to begin creating my multiple exposure produced image.

with the edited layer, I decreased the opacity in order to see the background layer. I then shifted the first layer slightly to the left to begin creating a disorientating image, similar to the style of Jung’s photography.

I edited the second layer by decreasing the exposure this time and in turn decreasing the opacity to see the layers beneath it. I shifted the layer even further to the left to further the dizzying effect.

I created a third layer- where I increased exposure and the gamma correction to make the lights on the road stand out against the shadows.

I erased some of the harsh lines from the different layers to make a smooth image.

I placed the final image back into photoshop (with all the layers flattened) and duplicated the background layer, shifting it to achieve the final effect I was aiming for.

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I experimented with a second photo and decided to create a more vibrant and colourful image.

process:

I started by making four different layers (including the background layer). For each layer I changed the opacity, excluding the background layer as it’s locked.

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I then changed the overall colour of the background image, giving it dark blue midtones. For the first layer, changed the colour of the image to green a green tint and lowered the opacity. I changed the second layer, lowering the opacity again and created a pink image. The third layer I did the same, except creatubng another blue image to layer on top.

I added a fourth and final layer to offset the dark blue tones in the sky and midtones of the completed image.

Helmer-Petersen was a Danish photographer who achieved widespread recognition in the 1940s and 1950s for his abstract colour photographs. However he also experimented with black and white photography, creating striking images. Some of them were extremely abstract, having been produced by removing the middle tones, leaving only the shape of what was photographed.

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He released a series of books throughout the years including these black and white, dramatically toned images including (in order):

• Black Noise, London: Rocket Gallery, 2010.
• Back to Black, London: Rocket Gallery, 2011.
• Black Light, London: Rocket Gallery, 2014.

Experimenting in photoshop:

Using the threshold tool in Photoshop allowed me to create an contrasted image similar to that of Helmer-Peterson’s.

I experimented with other images, however the density of each image affected the threshold tool significantly, making the image much more abstract and difficult to comprehend, (as seen below):

Natural aspects, such as dense trees and leaves also made the process difficult, hence why natural landscapes didn’t create the right result I was looking for during the experimentation process.

Final image chosen: