Both photos work with the idea of identity and I think I portrayed the topic well. I made sure that the objects and things that were around me that describe me were still viable and clear.
With both outcomes I adjusted the brightness, contrast and exposure to make sure they were brighter because when I took the photos they came out darker then I thought. In outcome 2 I also straightened the picture as it was slanted.
Both photos do not have the same undertone due to the initial lighting used however if I was to present them I would not put them together and would only keep one. Outcome 1 is more cool toned which I do not like as much because I think it makes it personal and makes the mood cold. Whereas Outcome 2 is warmer and gives it more life.
Alec Soth
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
Outcome 3
All three of these photos have the same positioning of Alec Soth’s image where he has a main subject in the centre and the background is plain. I have also incorporated the split horizontally to split the images into two. The story with outcome 1 and 3 is that I wanted to portray a sense of lost identity and emptiness. The location being Corbiere has a deeper meaning that links to me personally because it is an important place to me as it reminds me of my grandparents.
When editing Outcome 1 and 3 I cropped the images so that the bench would be in the middle. On all three outcomes I adjusted the brightness, contrast, exposure and gamma correction. I made the sky brighter and adjusted the exposure of each image to make sure the sky was plain but then adjusted the contrast higher so that the land was still darker. I also adjusted the gamma correction so that the land would still have colour and not be washed out. On outcome 1 I used the clone tool to get rid of some rocks that were in the sea in the bottom left so that the background was plain.
Image 4
Outcome 4
When taking this photo I wanted to focus on the topic identity and how these images are about Corbiere and my grandparents. When they visit they sit on the bench photographed in the above image which is what I associate with the location.
I adjusted the brightness, exposure, contrast and gamma correction so that the background was lighter and clearer but the land was still clear.
I will be taking photos of landscapes and buildings so I will not need anyone to be in the photo. I will be taking the pictures.
What
I want to take pictures of important places/landscapes and buildings around Jersey that are linked to me and my family.
Why
I want to focus on buildings and settings because I want to show more about how the location I live in affects me and what places have meaning to them. I want to show that the history and memories of certain places can impact how we view something and how it can relate to specific people.
Where
I will go to Corbiere Lighthouse because my mums parents (my grandparents) favourite place is Corbiere and they live in England so I associate Corbiere with my grandparents, which is part of me as my grandparents are part of my family history. Corbiere also has an impact on Jerseys identity and history as it is surrounded by bunkers from when the Germans occupied Jersey.
When
I will go on a day where the sky is grey and there is no sun because I want the images to feel isolated. I also want to have one main subject of the photo and the background to be empty and simple.
How
I will be using a digital camera.
Contact Sheet
I chose to go on a day where it was misty and foggy because I knew that the sky would be empty and smooth which is what I wanted, it also added a sinister mood to the photos. When taking the photos I tried to focus on the positioning as I wanted the same horizonal split shown in some of Alec Soth’s work. I found a bunker with a bench on the top which I thought would be good to photograph as it links to the idea of isolation especially as it was facing the empty sky. To take the above images I used my phone because it was too damp for my camera however the images still came out how I wanted.
In the photo I am going to have me as the main subject because it is about me and my identity and i want the focus to be me. To take the photo I will be using self timer as it will be easier than trying to direct someone else to take the photo and it can be a self portrait.
What
I will be sat either in the middle section of the photo or slightly to the side surrounded by objects and my room reflecting different things about me.
Why
I want to take these pictures because I think identity is more than who you are as a person and can be reflected in objects, the objects also tell a story as they are strong messages that describe who I am as a person, what hobbies and interests I have and preferences.
Where
The location will be my room because I think that someone’s room or personal space, such as an office, can describe a lot about someone because usually it reflects them directly as they spend most time in there meaning that it is their own world, surrounding themselves with things they want to be surrounded with and personalising every part to themselves.
When
I will be taking the photos during the day so that I can use natural light, however on a day where there is no sun and the sky is grey because I do not want the picture to be really warm as I think that would impact the mood of the image and I want the objects in the room to set the mood because I am trying to describe me through them.
How
I will be using a digital camera and self timer so that I can take them myself.
Contact Sheet
First I set up my camera so that you would be able to see most of the half of my room with the most ‘personality’ focusing on the busiest part of my room. I set my camera on the TV (Time Value) setting so that I could ensure the image would be sharp and crisp by focusing on the shutter speed. I used the natural grey light from outside and white LED lighting to make the image bright and light. I then changed the LED lighting on a warmer setting because I did not like how cold the image was. I then decided to focus on the ISO settings as I realised that the shutter speed was not the issue and was more about the lighting.
Alec Soth ~ Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home, Dyress, AK, 2002
The lighting use in this photograph is natural light from the outside and is not controlled in any way. The aperture in the image is higher because that way there is more of the landscape in the image, also the image is not over or under exposed and looks like a normal image. There is not much depth of field in this image because the background is just the plain grey sky, this adds an element of simplicity to the image and adds to the isolated mood with the cool tones in the photo. The photo has a range of cool and warm tones coming mainly from the sky and the land in the photo. This creates the centre horizontal split and makes it have more of an impact as it creates a juxtaposition between the two. Overall it is a cooler image as it is darker and the grey sky takes up the top two thirds of the photo. The photo is quite 2D as the land and house is in the foreground of the image and the sky is the background which makes it seem empty and isolated. The building being a house adds an element of character to the photo because it is someone’s home which is the centre of this photo which personalises it. The house being positioned in the centre surrounded by the emptiness creates a sense of calming.
Image 2:
Rania Matar ~ A Girl and Her Room
The lighting used in this photo seems to be artificial lighting because the shadow behind the subject (the girl) is very harsh and the light seems to be white studio lights as they are reflecting off the concrete wall and lighten the room. There seems to be a mix with natural light coming from above the photo. The overall image is bright which is due to the lower aperture which is allowing more light to go into the camera lens creating a bright image. The photo is shallow and has very little depth of field because the image stops at the wall, however the bed and the girl are closer to the camera which creates a difference with the background bringing them into the fore ground and giving the photo more shape. The photo has a large range of tones due to the lighting used as it has created darker and lighter tones. The layout between the objects in the photo and the girl are placed surrounding her but in an overwhelming way like they are controlling her. Linking to the context of identity this image shows a sense of loss of identity or identity theft because the things around her are very simple and dull which creates a gloomy mood. this could also relate to the location of the image as it is taken from a home in the middle east which is a less fortunate, poorer country which cannot necessarily afford things they want or added extras and focus on the most important needs such as food and shelter.
Comparison:
Both photos are quite grey and have a similar dull atmosphere shown in different ways. They both share a sense of isolation, Image 1 is showing isolation as a personality in a more positive way, whereas Image 2 is showing isolation from herself and her identity in a negative way. The depth of field in both are shallow but in different way because Image 1 is a very 2D image and is flat but Image 2 has different shapes and is more 3D because the objects that surround the photo give it shape and the wall has different tones and is not completely flat. Image 1 is spilt into two with a harsh horizon in the centre of the photo, whereas Image 2 is not split and works with all the elements together.
The character or personality of an individual/the relation established by psychological identification.
Identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way others view you and the things that make you unique to others, characteristics that define you. It is also the beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make a person.
There are multiple types of identity which are the following: cultural identity, professional identity, ethnic and national identity, religious identity, gender identity, disability identity and psychological identity. A psychological identity relates to self-image (a mental model of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality).
Alec Soth is an American photographer born and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has published over twenty-five books. In 2008, Soth created Little Brown Mushroom, a multi-media enterprise focused on visual storytelling.
Alec’s debut, Sleeping by the Mississippi , was first published in 2004 and contained photos, of local people, places and things, taken along the Mississippi river during several road trips between 1999 and 2002.
His documentary images leave you wondering about the story behind them. Each photograph has an element of exploration and familiarity, studying middle America and the lives of people.
Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross, Wickliffe, KY, 2002
Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home, Dyress, AK, 2002
Alec Sloth’s images based on the theme of identity incorporates the home town of people (place) to show that peoples identity can be defined through their culture and life. The images above have an aspect of the peoples jobs or hobbies which can also influence someone as a person. The images of the objects/locations indicate a more simple or hidden identity isolated from the people. For example the houses seem more intimate and more meaningful then the other images as they seem to tell a story of the past.
I would like to photograph places in jersey which relate to me or my family and have meaning. when taking the photos I want to take the concept of isolation and interpret it by having a single small focal point and an empty sky/background around it.
To make my final outcomes more personal to me I would like to take old pictures of places from my parents towns (England, Broxborne and France, Le Harve) to show parts of my family’s history and culture and try and do some sort of collage with the new photos I will take from where our home is, Jersey.
Claude Cahun, from Nantes and moved to Jersey, is a French writer and plastic artist-photographer. Her life is closely linked to that of another artist of Nantes origin, Suzanne Malherbe, her companion. She photographed in the period of surrealism.
Rania Matar is a Lebanese/Palestinian/American documentary and portrait photographer. She photographs the daily lives of girls and women in the Middle East and in the United States, including Syrian refugees.
The book A Girl and Her Room (published 2012 and various shoots between 2009 and 2010) reveals the lives of girls from the U.S. and Lebanon. Set in the girls’ bedrooms these portraits offer an insider’s perspective of not just who these young women are, but the physical spaces that are extensions to their identities.
Photos from A Girl and Her Room:
Rania Matar’s series of photos from the Middle East and in the United States comparing the home lives and lifestyles of young women around the same age shows how the identity of people is reflected in their rooms. It also reflects the juxtaposition between location and how people are brought up/live differently.
I would like to take pictures of me in my room or with objects that relate to my identity, things to do with my hobbies or personality.
Yoshikatsu Fujii, born and raised in Hiroshima City. He often looks at historical themes and memory in contemporary events. Fujii’s project “Red String,” his hand-made limited edition photobook was highly inspired by his parents’ divorce.
Yoshikatsu fujii’s photos relate to objects or people that make us who we are and are part of our life. I like how the relationship between people is portrayed in the photos of people and how they are showing their everyday life and culture.
I would like to take photos similar to the ones with objects or places with a isolated mood but also showing that there is life in the photos. The photos with the people i would also like to take them similarly with different people to show that people act differently. I could also find old photos of me with people and compare them by creating a sort of collage.
Studio photography uses a photography studio to capture an image of a subject. The photographer can control every aspect of the shoot from different backdrops and lighting (studio portraits tend to include simple monochromatic backgrounds), they can also decide what to include in the photo, such as costumes and props.Costumes and props for models can be used to create different outcomes, such as using props from specific time periods to create an older looking image.
Lighting is very important in Studio photography. Photographers need to concentrate on the lighting as different shadows make different impacts and change the mood and atmosphere of a photo. To make a strong bold image a photographer may want to dramatise the shadow to create a higher contrast between the subject and the background.
Three-point lighting is often used as a form of lighting in a studio setting. It is when you have three light sources placed in three different positions, usually artificial lighting. By changing the size, distance, intensity, and position of them a photographer can control how the light and shadow appear in the photo and how they work with the subject.
Examples Of Studio Portraits:
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedons’ career started when he joined the armed forces in 1942 during World War II, serving as Photographer’s Mate Second Class in the U.S. Merchant Marine.
Avedon was fascinated by capturing personality and evoking the life of his subjects. He used stylistic and narrative poses, attitudes, hairstyles, clothing and accessories as he knew that these are vital to use the right way to get a perfect image.
He is better known for his commercial photography that he did for brands and magazines.
David Bailey is an English fashion photographer best known for his images of celebrities, models, and musicians. He was first inspired by the works of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Returning to England, Bailey began working as a fashion photographer for John French as an assistant.
Candid portraits involve capturing the photo when the subject thinks the photographer isn’t working. However it will still be staged and they would still have direction from the photographer. What they do not know is exactly when the photograph will be taken.
Examples of Candid photography:
Street photography, a genre of photography that records everyday life in public places. Being in the public setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, sometimes without them knowing. Street photography does not have to be taken on the streets. You can do street photography anywhere. The aim of street photography is to capture culture and lifestyle.
A good street photo needs a clearly defined subject and use composition techniques such as rule of thirds, negative space, symmetry etc. Images should tell a story or document a moment. Some street photography is created to make the viewer pause and question themselves.
In this image the lighting is very dark which gives the image a sinister atmosphere. This contrasts with the saturated warm toned colours in the background which makes the colours stand out to the eye. The light is coming from multiple places in the image which creates a sense of reflection in the photo, this also means that the light is most likely artificial lighting shinning onto his face but natural light coming from the ceiling.
The image overall has a range of light and dark tones.the overall image is dark which makes the focus the light tones which highlights the light reflecting off the multiple surfaces.
The focal point of the image is the man facing towards the camera which is located slightly below the middle of the photo. The photo also focuses on the background of the image which continues through to the back which creates a deep field. The dark edges create a vignette effect making the center of the image significantly brighter drawing the viewers attention to the middle.
Portrait photography is aimed toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people. This type of photography is usually to capture special occasions, such as weddings, school events, or commercial purposes. Portraits aim to capture the essence of a person’s identity, personality and attitude. A portrait is carefully planned and rehearsed with the client. This includes the background, props, clothes, position, and the angle of the photo which should be prepared before the photo shoot. Portrait photography involves four types: environmental, constructionist, candid, and creative.
Environmental portraits is when the person is positioned in surroundings that relate to the person’s identity or profession. For example Arnold Newman’s photo of Leonard Bernstein, american conductor, composer, and pianist known in the industry of both classical and popular music. He has chosen to photograph him in theater which is his place of work and with instruments around him for the orchestra and a baton for conducting.
Arnold Newman – Leonard Bernstein , 1968
Constructionist portraits are all about building emotion and developing atmosphere. The photographer may choose to set the mood of the portrait with the background, lighting, and person’s body language. For example, a photographer might have a mom-to-be holding her belly and looking downward to convey the notion of waiting. Likewise, for a serious attitude, the photographer might have a client look intently into the camera and use a minimal background.
unknown
Candid portraits involve capturing the essence of a client when they think the photographer isn’t working. However it will still be staged and they would still have direction from the photographer. What isn’t planned is exactly when the photograph is going to be snapped.
In 1924 he co founded the Czech Photographic Society with Josef Sudek and Adolf Schneeberger. Two years later he produced a series of Surrealist images of store windows (Glass and Reflection) based on the photographs of Eugène Atget. Funke served for several years as editor of the journal Fotograficky obzor.
His interest in modernist ideas led him to make studies of simple objects. As the decade progressed, he turned to the production of arranged still life emphasizing abstract form and the play of light and shadow. During this time he also produced several important series of photographs, including two inspired by the images of Eugène Atget: Reflexy (Reflections, 1929) and as trvá (Time Persists, 1930-34).
The series of photographs that inspired me is the Absrakni Kompozice (Abstract Composition) photos. In these images he focuses on shape, light and shadow. He uses a different objects to get a range of unique, interesting and abstract shapes. In the background of the the images he uses the material of paper to get structure in the background with the creases and edges of the paper. This also helps to have a solid white background.
Images from Abstraktní kompozice that inspired me:
Image Analysis
Jaromir Funke: Abstract Photo, 1928–29
In Abstraktní kompozice Funke focuses on the use of light in his photos creating light and darkshapes.
In this image in particular the lighting used seems to be natural and is positioned behind the camera facing forwards making anything in front cast a shadow. There is a large range of tones due to the contrast between the light and dark areas in the image which help make the shadows from the objects sharp and visual. The aperture and shutter speed in this image creates a crisp photo in the sense that the abstract shapes are clear and sharp but the image overall is under exposed which makes it seem blurry and more warm toned. There is various lines from the objects. The shadows created are very geometric and layer on top of each other creating a composition with the more organic curvy shapes. Overall it is quite warm toned as it is not a normal black and white photograph it is more of a black and off white colour due to the white balance.The middle of the photo is framed by the dark shadows around the light, creating a vignette.
Photo shoot 1
Photo shoot Plan:
Who
Jaromir Funke takes photos of objects and light so I will not need anyone else in the photo however I will need someone to hold the objects.
What
I am going to take photos of shadows from interesting objects with different silhouettes and shapes.
Why
I am going to take these photos as it will closely interpret Funkes images with abstract forms and light and shadow.
When
I will take these photos late afternoon so the sun is starting to set and it will be shining where I need it. Also the shadows will be strong as the sun should be quite bright at this time. The weather also is important as I will need it to be sunny.
Where
I will be using a plain white canvas for the background so it gives a solid colour for the background and I can move it to where the sun is shining for the best shadows.
How
I will place the canvas in front of the sunlight and get someone to hold the objects where I need them to be as I will be taking the photos and will not be able to hold the objects whilst photographing.
My response 1:
I chose to do this idea for my first photo shoot inspired by Jaromir Funke as I wanted to try and get the shapes he has used. In particular one of the objects I used was a whisk because in one of his photos he uses a couple of whisks to create multiple shadows and photographs the object in front of the camera. For these particular photos I set the shutter speed lower so the camera would capture the movement of the whisk and would give it a blurry affect. I used the natural light from the sun coming through the window to create a soft, yellow shadow. If I were to do this photo shoot again I would perhaps use artificial lighting so that the shadows would be harsher like Funke’s images. I used a canvas for the background of the image as it was plain but also gave the image a slight yellow cast with the light settings on the camera.
Photo shoot 2
I chose to do a second photoshoot following Jaromir Funkes’ images closer so that I could get the same abstract effect as him. For this photoshoot I used plain white paper to set the background of the photo and as an area to cast the shadows onto. I also incorporated a black curtain into the background so that I could create a vignette effect, having the black background around the sides of the photo framing the centre which is brighter. The lighting used was artificial lighting coming from a projector, I used this to have a more yellow light rather than white lighting and so that the shadows would be harsher. Additionally it was easy to control where the light and the shadows were in the images because I was able to place the objects in various places on the projector glass and it would reflect with the shadows of the objects. The lighting used also created soft and harsh shadows making shadow shapes contrast.
Final outcomes
When editing my images I wanted to make them busier and edit the shadows so that they were harsher and bolder. To make the images busier I combined them together layering 2-4 images over each other altering the opacity of each photo so certain photos were more visible then others. I also cropped and adjusted the positioning/rotation of the photos either choosing certain parts of photos to layer or crop the final outcome. When editing the lighting and colour of the images, I used adjustments on photoshop and altered the exposure, contrast, levels, vibrance, saturation and more.
