These 4 images above have been chosen as my final outcomes. In my opinion they successfully show a vast understanding and application of Henry Mullin’s work as we both have used similar techniques, such as: we both have used the diamond shape, have captured our models in 4 different angles, have a similar, old style and our images are similar in colour too as we both have this brown, crème effect.
I have used the Sony Alpha 380 DSLR Camera with the portrait mode to emphasize subjects by blurring away background and reproduce soft skin tones, with a shutter speed of 1/30 and an ISO equal to 400. Additionally, I have used manual focus to successfully bring the subject into focus and blurring out the background. The camera was still during the shoot as I used a tripod
I have edited these images using photoshop to cut and create the diamond shapes on my images but have also used Snapseed to edit my images by adjusting the Retrolux and Grunge tools on the application. Have also used it to adjust the brightness of my images so they are the best they can be.
In comparison to Henry Mullin’s diamond cameo project, as mentioned above, “we both have used similar techniques, such as we both have used the diamond shape, have captured our models in 4 different angles, have a similar, old-style and our images are similar in colour too as we both have this brown, crème effect.” However, Henry Mullins portrays his images in a photograph book whereas mine is digital, his subjects are adults and mine is a young adult, he has a border around his work, and I do not, and finally, his shots kind of fade around the oval shape which in comparison to mine, the images are fixed and aren’t fading.
A close up is when the photographer only focus on a part of the face, which fills up most of the image. It draws more attention on their facial features and expressions.
Satoshi Fujiwara– (reference)
Satoshi Fujiwara is a Kobe-born, Berlin-based artist and photographer.
He creates emphasis on facial features and expressions through the focal length.
He mainly uses different people to photograph as it tells a different story and has a different meaning every-time. He creates different angles and composition to make the viewer re think what the subject is feeling.
As you can see, Satoshi Fujiwara uses a low f stop to create high depth of field, as it creates a stronger focal point. In the images all 4 include high detail, where you can see every strand of hair, and detailing in the skin. The subject isn’t looking at the camera, and most of the entire head is in view. The exposure is good, as there is a balance between the shadows and the highlights.
My images – Contact Sheet
I picked out 4-6 images that I felt were the best ones, which I would later pick 1 or 2 as my final images. This really helped decide what images were stronger.
Best Images
These were the best images off of the contact sheet, which I edited in Photoshop.
Final Images(1)
I chose 2 images as i thought they were both equally as good. They both focus on facial features, specifically the eye, like Satoshi Fujiwara work.
The eye is the centre piece in this image, which displays the complexity in the detail.
The blur around the outside of the eye make the eye the focus point, make it seem that the eye is staring at you.
The eye contact with the camera makes it a stronger image as there is more of a direct and emotional atmosphere between the viewer and the image.
Overall, the skin tones are nicely balanced and the composition creates a slight foreground, that contrasts the eye behind it.
Final Images (2)
There is so much detail and intricacy in the eye which makes the image stronger.
Since I used a macro lens I was able to create a shallow depth of field. This made it so the eye and part of the eye lashes were focused, and the rest wasn’t, which draws more attention to the eye itself.
Overall, I like how the eye is in the centre and fills up most of the screen. The colours are strong and provide key details, although I feel like the blue background takes the blue and green eye colour and takes some of the value or significants away.
Therefore, this maybe be considered better, as that blue background is now more dull, as I desaturated it. Which brings more “life” and attention to the eye.
A photomontage is a collage constructed from photographs.
Historically, the technique has been used to make political statements and gained popularity in the early 20th century (World War 1-World War 2)
Artists such as Raoul Haussman , Hannah Hoch, John Heartfield employed cut-n-paste techniques as a form of propaganda…as did Soviet artists like Aleksander Rodchenko and El Lissitsky
Photomontage has its roots in Dadaism…which is closely related to Surrrealism
Hannah Hoch – art as a form of protest
Raoul Haussman
John Heartfield
Grete Stern
El Lissitsky
Aleksander Rodchenko
Pop Art developments (USA and UK 1950s-)
Photomontage was also used to great effect by various Pop Artists in the mid 20th Century
Many Pop Art images and constructions tackled popular consumerism, advertising, branding and marketing techniques
Pop art also explored political concerns such as war, and gender roles too
Richard Hamilton
Peter Blake
Robert Rauschenburg
Andy Warhol
Examples and Inspiration
Richard hamilton /
Kurt Schwitters /
Peter Blake /
Soviet Art
Sammy Slabinck
John Stezaker
Jesse Treece
Jonny Briggs
David Hockney
Hannah Hoch
Annegret Soltau
Brno del Szou
Joachim Schmid
Jesse Draxler
Peter Kennard
Eugenia Loli
Sarah Eisenlohr
Grete Stern
Jerry Uelsmann
Duane Michals
Edmund Teske
Man Ray
El Lissitsky
Martha Rosler
David Hockney – joiner photographs
Christian Marclay-Album Covers
Soviet war art and propaganda
Jesse DraxlerMartha Rosler
Joachim Schmid
Jerry Uelsmann
In her artist statement Montana based artist Sarah Eisenlohr explains that her collages use places of existence to create fictional ones in an effort to demonstrate the ways in which humans have transformed the earth. These scenes often carry undertones of spirituality and faith. “I consider the figures’ desire for shelter, warmth, and something stronger than themselves as symbols of serenity that I seek through spirituality, while the use of sublime in my work points to a relationship with the divine,”
Eugenia Loli
California based artist Eugenia Loli draws inspiration for her surreal art collages from vintage magazine images. Loli intends for her images to serve as a snap shot from a surreal movie from which the viewer can create his or her own narrative.
Task 1
Create a blog post that includes a clear understanding of the history and background of photo-montage.
Include a moodboard / mindmap
Add examples of Early – late 20th Century Photomontage eg Hannah Hoch
Task 2
Choose a specific photo-montage artist and write/create a CASE STUDY
This must include a detailed analysis of 1 x key image by the artist
Create a set of 3-5 photo-montages using a mixture of your own imagery and “found” imagery….(this could be archival imagery) either using Adobe Photoshop methods or traditional cut-n-paste methods
TAKE 100-200 NEW PHOTOS TO CREATE MATERIAL FOR YOUR EXPERIMENTS — based on STEREOTYPES
Show your process clearly…remember to add screen shots etc
Evaluate your process…describe and explain what you have done, why, how etc
KEY COMPONENTS AND DISTINGUISHING FEATURES of PHOTO-MONTAGE
A NARRATIVE, CONCEPT OR THEME (A MESSAGE OR A COMMENT)
ARCHIVAL / VINTAGE IMAGERY COMBINED WITH OWN IMAGERY
SUBVERSION OF MEANING—-POSTMODERNISM
SOURCE MATERIAL YOU CAN USE
NEWSPAPERS
MAGAZINES
ORIGINAL IMAGERY (from studio, tableau, other portraits etc)
INTERNET-SOURCED IMAGERY
BOOKS
TECHNIQUES
MANUAL CUT-N-PASTE (SCISSORS, SCALPEL AND GLUE)
PHOTOSHOP –
selection tools (to cut and move elements of images)
free transform (CTRL T)– to move, re-size and shape elements
layers and layer masks
opacity tool
blending options
distortion
proportion
scale
Ensure you have enough evidence of…
moodboards
mindmaps
case studies (artist references)
action plans
photoshoots + contact sheets (annotated)
appropriate selection and editing techniques
presentation of final ideas and personal responses
analysis and evaluation of process
compare and contrast to a key photographer
critique / review / reflection of your work
Ensure you discuss / describe / explain your images using key words and vocab…
A photo montage is when you copy and paste parts of different images of different peoples faces, and put them into one image.
Brno Del Zou
Brno Del Zou is a French born artist in 1963. He uses fragmentation of the body in order to better understand it. The body and the faces are revisited and their volumes are highlighted in order to create installations of multiple scales. These “photo montages” suggest a clear aesthetic preference which does not hide the chaotic and “messy” side of our minds.
How I made mine?
I started by taking images of my friends. They looked into the camera with no expression, this was because it would be easier to match their faces together in Photoshop
Contact sheet:
This were the 3 images I chose to use.
I made layers of shapes in Photoshop to create clipping masks so the image overlays the background image to create a “cut-out” section which would be another person face.
I moved the layers around to see what looked best then saved it.
Final Images
I experimented with different compositions as used circles and rectangles to show the different faces. Overall, I thought that all 3 looked good, but 1 stood out better.
Best Image
I like this image as it worked out well. The shapes that contained the other images contrasted the background image, I think it made it more clear so that you can see the edges. Therefore creating a better outcome. I lined the others images up with the background image so that it looks more natural.
Critique
I don’t really like the harsh lines, so I could of used the eraser tool the fade the image together, although I think that it would take the photo montage aspect away.
The purpose of a head shot is to get a professional image of the persons head, where the focus is only of them. They are often used to convey professionalism.
They are mainly used for politics and people of status, or more commonly Instagram and the social media profile pictures.
Henry Mullins
Henry Mullins is one of the most famous photographers represented in the Societe Jersiase Photo-Archive, producing over 9,000 portraits of islanders from 1852 to 1873 at a time when the population was around 55.000.
Mullins was famous for his “Diamond Cameo” he would print a Diamond shape cameo on his Carte de visite to show four different angles of a person, with almost one different card.
My Diamond Cameo
In photoshop I made 4 ovals and put them into the form of a diamond. then I dragged the 4 images on top of the ovals, then made them a clipping mask so that they went into the oval. Then a found a vintage background on Google and made it the background and also put a copy on top. The copy on top I changed the layer style and made the opacity 50 so that the pattern would be on top of the images as well.
Double / Muti Exposures
Double or multiple exposures are an illusion created by layering images (or parts of images) over the top of each other. This can be achieved in the camera settings, or on Adobe Photoshop by creating layers and then using blending options and opacity control. Artist have used these techniques to explore unique ideas and evoke dream-like imagery, or imagery that explores time / time lapse.
Alexander Rodchenko
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and Graphic Designer.
He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design; he was married to the artist Varvara Stepanova.
This is his work in the style of double exposure. He used 2 photos the create the effect. the layer on top is slightly transparent so that you can see the layer behind it.
My Attempt
I edited this image with Photoshop, and used several photo which I took in the studio.
I used multiple photos and layered them over each other making the eyes the main point where I aligned them, this made a blur effect for everything else.
This worked out well, and is in the style of Alexander Rodchenko, it created a unique effect where it messes with the viewers perception of the image as there isn’t a plain, simple face, unless you squint your eyes.
Left Image:
I love how the colours mix giving off a haze of lighter tones in the background.
It uses 2 different images, both use 2 point lighting, using a red light and a white light to create a half and half coloured image.
I used one of the eyes to line them up and put the top image on a 50% opacity to see through to the background image.
Overall, i think that the white light, create a nice highlight which bring out the details on the face. This is also where the main overlay is, so it put a bigger emphasis on the multi-exposure aspect.
Studio lighting is an essential addition to most photographers’ arsenal. It allows us to create natural lighting effects in a variety of situations, and is far more controllable than a flash. It also adds mood and atmosphere.
3-Point Lighting
It is used in photography, cinematography, and 3D visualizations, it is used to properly illuminate a subject in an effective and pleasing way by simply using three separate lights.
Fill Light
It is a supplementary light mainly used to lighten shadows in an image. Fill light is often used in portrait photography to create a contrast between the image subject and image background giving the scene a sense of depth
Chiaroscuro
technical term used by artists to describe their drawings or paintings that showed bold contrast and distinct areas of light and darkness.
Lighting Test
Because I was at home and had no one the photograph I used Blender and the lights in that program to experiment with lights.
Natural Light
Natural light is anything that produces light by itself. Natural sources of light include the sun, stars, fire, and electricity in storms.
Light intensity refers to the strength or amount of light produced by a specific lamp source.
The direction of the lamp determines the shadows and highlights
Light temperature, determines if the image has a blue tint or a orange tint. If it is balanced then it will appear normal and the white tones will appear white.
Golden hour is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour of light before sunset that produces a warm natural light. That window of time is determined by where you are geographically, as well as the season.
A reflector is a tool that helps a photographer to manipulate the light by providing another surface for the light to bounce off of.
My Photos
Final Photo 1
I like this photo as there is not direct eye contact in the photo, although it is still set up. I used 1 light to get the face highlighted and the background darker, this make it so that you focus more on the face. The background is also plain which attracts more attention to the subject. To edit it, I boosted the contrast and the saturation the add more pink to the face.
Experimenting with colours
I used some coloured filters on the lights, which created a coloured glow.
It made unique contrasts and clashes between the light different lights.
Final Images
I like this image as the white light is softly projected on the face, which highlights his facial features. The red draws attention to the image, and draws anyone in that looks at it. Also, the subject is centered, which is a nice touch.
I like how the images appears to merge out of the darkness, with the red glow, which gives off an evil glow.
-Camera setting for flash lighting Tripod was used in order to keep the camera still for a high shutter speed.
-A transmitter was on the camera to set off the flashlights.
-ISO was at 100
-Exposure was done manually with a 1/125 shutter speed and the aperture was set at f/16
-Focal length was 105mm with the use of a portrait lens.
Contact Sheet
Editing
I started off by getting the oval shaped template in order to cut out my face in the images in an oval shape to be like Henry Mullins.
After that, I copied and pasted the selected oval shape on my head onto a different page on photoshop with the 4 different angles I had chosen from the photo shoot.
Finally, once all the different pictures where copied and pasted onto a different page I flattened them to make it one image and edited it with the use of levels and changing it to be black and white to make the Diamond Cameos.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French Humanist photographer, he was born in 1908 and was considered a master of candid photography. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and saw it as capturing a decisive moment. Cartier-Bresson’s street photography shows a range of different cultures and environments, he uses his camera to catch glimpses of stranger’s lives at random moments. In 1947, following the aftermath of World War Two, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, George Rodger and David Seymour founded The Magnum Photos agency- which represents some of the world’s most renowned photographers.
Mood Board – Key Cartier-Bresson Images
Image Analysis
Henri Cartier-Bresson | Children in Seville, Spain | 1933.
This black and white candid portrait photograph was taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson at the beginning of his career as a photographer. By first looking at this image one might guess it was captured during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) due to the broken structures and rubble surrounding the children. However, this image was taken in 1933 before the war, creating a sense of foreboding as children are playing in the destruction caused by a war that hasn’t yet occurred. In addition, the image has an abstract composition as the large geometric hole in the wall acts like a frame on the photo. This connotes the idea that we are only observers looking in on a situation, ripping a hole into other people’s lives without seeing the full picture. Furthermore, the image holds a wide depth of field with the window-like hole creating a tunnel to the background of the photo. It is clear the image was taken during daytime as the natural lighting creates an overexposed skyline in the top centre, forming natural shadows. The darkest points of this image fall on the children’s clothing, faces and bodies which contrast immensely with the bright white walls on the wrecked buildings. Additionally, the harsh black shadow on the crack of the wall creates a clear focal point for the observer, persuading them to look through the void to the centre if the image. Moreover, we can see that Cartier-Bresson has used a fast shutter-speed to capture this photo as some of the children appear to be moving however, they aren’t particularly blurred.
Image Comparison
Henri Cartier-Bresson 1933
Raghubir Singh 1985
This image was taken by Raghubir Singh (1942-1999), an Indian photographer who was most known for his documentary-style images he captured of people in India. Visually, there are many key differences between Singh’s image compared to Cartier-Bresson’s. For example, Singh has captured a colour image, with the dominant colour red repeated in the subject’s clothing and surroundings, whereas Cartier-Bresson’s image is monochrome black and white. This contrast in colouration creates different atmospheres in the images. The warmer tones in Singh’s alludes to feelings of comfort and happiness, supported by the visual closeness of the people being photographed. However, the dark dreary black and white tones in Cartier-Bresson’s image creates a more sombre atmosphere and connotes ideas of sadness and regret. Additionally, Singh’s image has a rougher texture due to the scratches and marks on the surrounding walls, Cartier-Bresson has captured a less busy image with plain white walls enclosing the subjects in. This contrast in texture could symbolise the busy lives of the subjects in Singh’s image, as all of them appear to be moving quickly with purpose, however the subjects in the other image seem to just be playing. Lastly, while both images have natural lighting, it is clear Singh’s image has been taken earlier in the day to Cartier-Bresson’s as the shadows are more prominent and fall to the left of the image.
Nevertheless, there are also many similarities within these images, for example it is clear both images have been captured with a fast shutter-speed as the subjects are clearly moving yet are not blurry. Furthermore, both images have a similar composition as the abstract shape created by the hole in Cartier-Bresson’s image resembles the positions the subjects in Singh’s image are standing in. If you were to trace the cracked shape onto the second image, it would look like the people have created it with their bodies- like a dot-to-dot. In addition, there are similarities within the lines in these images, with Cartier-Bresson capturing the rigid lines of the destroyed wall and Singh capturing the jagged lines of the stairs. These irregular patterns allude to the idea that these people’s lives can take an unexpected turn due to the environments they live it. The messages portrayed in the photographs are very much alike, with both connoting the idea that we are only spectators observing someone else’s life. In my opinion, these images epitomise ‘Street Photography’ as they capture people naturally in their daily lives, letting us imagine their backstories without really seeing the full picture.
“WEST GERMANY. West Berlin.The Berlin Wall” – Henri Cartier-Bresson (1962)
Henri Cartier-Bresson was born to a wealthy textile manufacturer in France in 1908. Because of this, he was supported financially by his parents to allow him to explore his photography career. He was a humanist photographer and was considered a master of candid photography. Cartier-Bresson first started discovering his love for photography in family holidays, and received his first Leica camera in 1931. His photos were first featured in an exhibit in the Julien Levy Gallery in New York in 1933. In 1952, Cartier-Bresson published his book of photographs named”Images on the sly” or “Hastily taken images”. Cartier-Bresson later retired in 1970, but continued to paint until he died in 2004.
Analysis of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work
“Madrid” – Henri Cartier-Bresson (1933)
The lighting in this image is harsh, which allows for strong shadows and highlights to be created. The seemingly natural lighting is projected from the top right corner of the image, which casts shadows infront of the children. The harsh whiteness of the wall in the background juxtaposes with the dullness of the darker features of the people in the foreground, for example the clothing and the hair.
Although there is no repetition of line within the photograph, the leading line at the bottom of the wall leads the viewers eyes from one side of the image to the other, with the focal points of the people either side of this line.
There is a repetition of shape in this photograph which can be seen in the background of the image. The repeated, shady squares on the back wall of the image juxtapose the radiant white that they sit on. The use of black and white could be interpreted as a form of repetition, with the constant contrast between light and dark.
The majority of the shapes in this image are natural and organic, especially in the foreground of the photograph, however this is contrasted with the geometric squares repeated in the background.
The wide depth of field allows for the viewer to recognize the image as a whole, with both the background and foreground visible. The background is used as an empty space in order for the audience to focus on the figures in the foreground of the image.
The overall texture of the image has a smooth appearance as there is no representation of rough surfaces or texture. However this portrait image focuses more on tone and light rather than the texture of the photograph.
There is a strong contrast in tone in this photograph due to the use of the black and white filter on the image. Because of the monochrome appearance, the lack of colour means that the viewer can focus on the juxtaposition between light and dark.
The composition is unbalanced and unorganised, as the image was taken in the spur of the moment. There is a lack of use of thirds within the image as there is multiple focal points which don’t feature in the middle third of the photograph. However the focal points of the people act almost as a border around the bottom left and right thirds of the photo.
Elliot Erwitt
“Marilyn Monroe, New York – Elliott Erwitt (1956)
Elliott Erwitt, born in 1928 as a French-born American, is an advertsing and documentary photographer known for hus work of black and white candid photos in everyday settings. In 1939, Erwitt moved from Italy where he lived with his family, to the United States where he studied photography and filmmaking at Los Angeles City College at the New School for Social Research, he then graduated in 1950. In 1951, Erwitt was drafted intot he army, where he served as a photographer’s assisstant while stationed in France and Germany. Elliott Erwitt successfully started his career when a former director of the Farm Security Administration’ photography department hired him to produce a projects for the Standard Oil Company, he then became a freelance photographer to produce work for Collier’s, Look, Life and Holiday. Elliott Erwitwas then accepted as a member of Magnum Photos since 1954.
Analysis of Elliott Erwitt’s work
“Honfluer, France” – Elliott Erwitt (1968)
The harsh lighting projects harsh shadows and highlights in this image, which can be seen around the chair in the foreground of the image, aswell as around the features of the peoples faces such as under the eyes and around the jawline of the man in the backgrgound. As the image is taken inside, it is suggested that artficial lighting has been used to capture this photograph.
There is little use of line within this photograph, although the outline of the table and chairs can be said to act as leading lines, curving towards the boy in the middle third of the image, who acts as a focal point.
There is no use of repetition or echo within this photograph, as the composition is natural and has not be seen up by the photographer.
The shapes in this photograph are all natural and organic. The artificial shapes, such as the tables and chairs, have a curved outline to them. However these shapes have no relation to each other.
There is a very narrow depth of field in this photograph, as very little of the image is in focus. The only section which is in focus is the boy in the middle third of the image, which further proves this as the focal point.
Because of the even surfaces of the chairs and tables, the photograph overall has a smooth texture to it, however there is little to no use of texture in this image as this is not the main focus of the photographer.
There is a limited range of tone within this photograph as the image displays a black and white appearance. The lightest tones in this photograph can be seen in the clothing of the people, specifically the white shirt of the boy in the foreground. This is juxtaposed with the darker tones in the image, for example the chair in the foreground and the boy’s harsh, black jumper. Overall, this image tends towards darkness.
There is no use of colour in this image, which allows the viewer to focus on the use of tone and the narrow depth of field.
The composition of this photograph is unorganised and unbalanced. The majority of Erwitt’s work is taken of unusual features and personalities of the everyday settings. As he does this in the spur of the moment, his images lack compositional uniformity in order to understand the photograph better.
Comparison between Elliott Erwitt and Henri Cartier-Bresson
Photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson
Photograph by Elliott Erwitt
Elliott Erwitt and Henri Cartier-Bresson both share the use of monochromatic themes within their work, which allows the viewer to focus on other aspects of the image, such as tone or simply the message of the photograph. Both photographers also have a sense of almost aged photography as the use of black and white adds a vintage appearance. Both Erwitt and Cartier-Bresson take their images in the spur od the moment, which is why they are hard to understand compositionally.
On the other hand, I believe the main difference between Elliott Erwitt and Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work is the purpose of their photography. For example, Henri Cartier-Bresson acts on his humanist interest in order to take documentary-like photos, whereas Elliott Erwitt focuses more on capturing the abnormalities in everyday life.
.jpg)
