INSPIRATION:

I will be taking inspiration from Arnold Newman’s environmental portrait photography as it is simple yet effective. I also enjoy his editing style, which is black and white, I would like to use this in my experimentations and editing of my outcomes.

PHOTOSHOOT PLAN:

WHO

I will be taking photographs of a chef at Berestford Street Kitchen in St Helier.

WHAT

I will focus on the working space of the chef and the equipment they use in the kitchen. Features of the backdrop may include ovens, cookers, spiking and grills. This will surround the subject of the photograph it chair working environment. It could also include their office or desk space, however I will include these ideas in my experimentations.

WHERE

I will take the photoshoot in the kitchen of Berestford street, where the chef spends his day working.

WHEN

I will take the photographs during the first week of December.

WHY

I think that this is a good example of an environmental portrait setting as this is the chefs natural setting where they will feel most comfortable. It also shows their working environment and includes themes to their job/ occupation.

HOW

During the photoshoot I will make sure I have a range of head-shot / half body / three quarter length / full length body shots. The lighting in the kitchen is fluorescent so there are no cool or warm shades to the light.

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• My camera settings will consist of a relatively low ISO of 100/200
• the shutter speed will be relatively high to eliminate blurs from camera shakes and I will now be using a tripod.
• the aperture will be low to compensate for the high shutter speed.

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IMAGE ANALYSIS:

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TECHNICAL: 

The lighting of this image is generally quite light, clearly taken with a daylight source of lighting. You can see this lighting is natural, reflecting the focus of the photograph. The image looks generally underexposed, with a high contrast between the soft grey toned walls, and the black piano lid and stand.

The aperture of the photograph looks as if is around f/16 as there is a large depth of field. The shutter speed seems to be quite short, maybe 1/320 as the image seems to be underexposed and quite focused and sharp. The ISO also seems to be low as the image was taken in. daylight, so probably around ISO200.

VISUAL:

The colour of the image is black and white, which is very common in Ansel Adams work, with very solid shades such as those on the walls and piano, and also high contast . This very bright highlights and dark shadows (Zone System). There is not much texture in the photo as the objects are solid and flat, not leaving much surface to reflect light off. the only exception is the subjects face.

There is very clear line in the image, between the shades of the walls in the room and the dark curved edge of the piano. The subjects posture seems to be mimicking the arms stand and lid of the piano, linking the subjects working environment (music) with the subject himself. The image focal point seems to be the piano, with Igor Stravinsky located in the left bottom corner.

CONTEXTAL/CONSEPTUAL:

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY?

Environmental portrait photography, is the concept of taking a photo of a person shown in their natural environment, for example their working environment. In other words, it takes the opposite approach of formal photography, not using a blank, white or neutral background for shooting the portrait.

The subject will be shown surrounded by objects or symbols that you can relate with their natural environment. For a teacher, it can be a shot inside the classroom while they talk to their students. For a dancer, it can be a dance or ballet studio during a show or rehearsals. A politician can be depicted as an influential person by taking a photo of them inside their office, with books or papers. Since your subject is in their natural environment, they will feel more relaxed and confident. There will be minimal stiffness in the shot taken.

EXAMPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE:

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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:

CONTACTS:

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SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS:

During my photoshoot it was very difficult to take the photographs as I was constantly on the move, meaning many photos where blurred and unfocused. However I think that my camera settings where close to accurate in helping me produce focused images during the photoshoot once I had adjusted them. Out of the photographs I have decided to pick images 4 different photographs to be edited and manipulated, however, I will probably only have one final image, being image number 4. These images where the most successful as they are the most focused out of the photographs in the shoot. As well as this the perspective of the buildings are well composed in the frame.

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PHOTOSHOOT PLAN:

WHO

I will be taking the photos in an urban setting, not specifically focusing on nature such as trees and other plants they may be in my desired location, or people although they may be in the shot.

WHAT

My photoshoot will focus on urban structures within the city, such as general architecture of buildings, bridges, roads and crossings, as well as historical buildings such as churches. a large proportion of the city has derelict and empty buildings which could also be interesting to photograph.

WHERE

My photoshoot will take place within the city of Gdansk in the north of Poland, mainly in the old town areas I will also be able to take photographs from higher up, for example the balcony of the apartments and the top of the church viewing platform, which will give my photographs a range of angles and perspectives.

WHEN

I will take this photoshoot on the 24th October, during the morning, between 7am and 11:30am, the weather will be cloudy, however this may potentually give more focal point of the infrastructures I am taking photographs of as I walk around.

WHY

I have chosen this location due to its range of beautiful architecture and large towering buildings to give my photographs a variety of a high angle, low angle, or canted angle shots. I have chosen this time period as there may be some sun coming through the clouds in the morning, altering the colour of objects in my photos.

HOW

Due to the constant moving around that I will be doing during the photoshoot, in order to complete walking around the city, my photos may become blurred and I will be taking photos while walking (not using a tripod). To prevent blurred and unfocused images, I will change the camera settings, to a hight ISO of 1600, a fast shutter speed of 1/320 and an aperture of f/14.

EXPOSURE OF A PHOTO RELIES ON THE EXPOSURE TRIANGLE:

Because I have chosen to have a fast shutter speed to help take photographs quicker, the amount of light entering the camera is minimised. to help create a brighter image, I have to increase the ISO from 200, to 1600, in order to capture a brighter image.

New Topographic’s was a term created by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers (such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz) whose photographs had a similar banal aesthetic, in that they were formal, mostly black and white prints of the urban landscape

Many of the photographers associated with new Topographic’s such as Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon and Bernd and Hiller Becher, were influenced by the man-made, selecting subject matter that was matter-of-fact. Parking lots, suburban housing and warehouses were all focused upon in their photography.

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Born in 1967, Rut Blees Luxemburg is a German photographer usually taking photographs at night, mostly exploring the urban landscape. She uses long exposures to allow the light from the street to illuminate her photographs, for instance from office blocks or street lights. this often leaves her images with warm, urban orange colour, contrasting the dark shadows created but the night. She works as an artist and photographer, concerned for the representation of the city and the phenomenon of the urban.

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ANALYSIS OF PHOTOGRAPH

TECHNICAL: 

The lighting of this image is generally quite dark due to the shoot being at night time, with the streets being illuminated by fluorescent street lights as well as lines of colour along the road from cars driving. You can see this lighting used is artificial and dimply illuminates the urban area. The image looks generally underexposed, with a high contrast between the shadows of the unlit streets, and basketball courts that are brightly lit.

The aperture of the photograph looks as if is around f/16 as there is a fairly deep depth of field. The shutter speed is obviously quite long in order to create the blur of the car lights going past, so the shutter speed maybe around 1/8. The image also seems to be underexposed and quite focused and sharp.You can see that this image isn’t very grainy not very then not at all, which indicates a moderate iso (trying to maintain underexposed look). This could mean that the is maybe ISO800.

VISUAL:

The colour of the image is primarily shades of green, grey, and yellow with tints of red for the blurred lights of the car. The image shows the stereotypical colours one sees when out at night, of the iconic dim yellow street lights. This creates a mellow mood. There are noticeably no people in the image, with a soul focus on the urban setting.

There are very clear lines in the image, stretching along the edges, lines and barriers of the roads, slightly curving to ease the sharpness of the image. These lines guide your eyes along the photograph,

CONTEXTAL/CONSEPTUAL:

Rut states that her “interest in the urban realm” influences her work, and it is clearly shown through the quiet, magical looking way she portrays city nightlife to look like. Rut executes her images with sensitivity and compassion.

WHAT ARE URBAN LANDSCAPES?

Landscape photography refers to the presence of nature in the world, however urban photography mainly focuses on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes.

“Urban areas are very developed, meaning there is a density of human structures such as houses, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, and railways. “Urban area” can refer to towns, cities, and suburbs. An urban area includes the city itself, as well as the surrounding areas.”

https://www.nationalgeographic.org › encyclopedia › urban-area

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CONTACTS:

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SELECTED IMAGES/ BEST IMAGES: