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He’s a portrait & advertising photographer working between Jersey, London, Paris and Dubai. He loves cinematic and theatrical imagery mainly of humans but also, as any professional photographer, he delve into other areas of the photographic world including; product, food, interiors and architecture.

He’s photographer who views light as the primary narrator of his stories. His photographic journey has been transformative and enriched by ongoing learning and heartfelt connections with people. He developed his skills over a decade in the Middle East, collaborating with renowned brands like Cartier and Dior, and contributing to high-profile magazines such as Esquire, GQ, and Cosmopolitan. He had the privilege to photograph celebrities like Robert De Niro, Roger Federer, and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Returning to his roots in Jersey, Channel Islands, he immersed himself in portrait photography. him and his team strive to capture the essence of their subjects, a process that begins well before his camera clicks. Building relationships with their subjects, from calls and interviews to casual chats, helps them truly understand their personalities.

As technology evolved, they found a new passion in blending Digital Art & AI with his unique lighting style, leading to innovative photographic art. This exploration birthed the ‘Fantastic Beasts Society’, a vibrant series where animals wear haute couture, captivating viewers of all ages.

His photos are always taken in black and white which makes the photo look a lot more minimalistic and modern, what i don’t like about his work is that he has his own makeup artist and stylist which could be good for certain things however i feel like portrait’s should be taken of someone’s natural state and they should dress how they would normally to show who you truly are and not a fake version of yourself. This could be taken to the completely different context and maybe the stylist is there to help you wear something you wold like but don’t possibly own, same with the makeup maybe someone doesn’t know how to do professional make up and want to experience having it and especially having it when you are getting your portrait taken. Personally I really like how his photos have turned out as he gets the model to stand or sit a certain way and he gets props involved which can give a better back story of the photo, as each photo has a story behind it whether its basic portrait it still holds meaning, like why was it taken?, and why is the model look at the camera/side a certain way, its a mystery and the props in the photo hold evidence of some of the meaning.

Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting adds an element of drama and psychological depth to the character of your sitter.

Rembrandt lighting takes its name after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, a 17th-century Dutch painter who was known for using earthy tones and golden highlights to frame the faces of his portraiture subjects. What made his painting style distinct was focusing lighting on the subject’s face and adding detail around it, tapping into an innate human attraction to the face.

His approach results in one half of the subject’s face is fully illuminated, while the other half is in partial shadow. One tell-tale sign of Rembrandt lighting is the presence of a small inverted triangle of light below the subject’s eye, usually along the cheek, which is a result of the lighting setup. For perfect execution of this type of lighting, the triangle of light shadow must be no wider than the length of the eye, and no longer than the subject’s nose.

The Rembrandt lighting technique results in a moody and dramatic effect. This type of lighting technique often features a dark or black background behind the subject, putting the subject front and center.

Rembrandt lighting is a technique utilizing one light and one reflector or two separate lights. It’s a popular technique because it creates images that look both dramatic yet natural. It’s predominantly characterized by a lit-up triangle underneath the subject’s eye on the less illuminated area of the face (fill side).

Camera settings (flash lighting)
Tripod: optional, better so you dont have a shake in the photo.
Use transmitter on hotshoe
White balance: daylight (5000K)
ISO: 100
Exposure: Manual 1/125 shutter-speed > f/16 aperture
– check settings before shooting
Focal lenght: 105mm portrait lens

My OWN PHOTOSHOOT:

Personally I really like how this photo has turned out as it looks exactly like a Rembrandt photo, however I would have preferred to have made the triangle around the eye more clear and visible to see, the background is quite dark which clashes with the shadowing on the models face. If I were to redo this again I would have tried to get a white background so that the shadows on the face were more vibrant and stood out of the picture, however I do really like how it turned out as everything is in the right place. If i were to make the triangle smaller it would have been less noticeable and if the triangle was my bigger it would have changed the shape and ruined the point of the photo. If I were to change something about the model I would have changed the clothes and made them more vibrant so that some colour was in the photo however the clothes she had on were simple and didn’t catch my eye too much which is a good as my focus is only on the type of lighting used on the model. I would have also taken of the models lanyard as it sort of clashed with the models clothes and gets in the way. Lastly I would have changed the models posture and i would have made her pose as if she wan more comfortable as she seems to be posing more professionally. I would have possibly made the model hold a prop or even just position her in a more unique style.

CHIARUSCURO

the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.

Chiaroscuro is a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background. Read on to find out more, and discover how you could learn this technique (and more) for free at our upcoming TFC workshops.

A visual element in art, chiaroscuro (Italian for lightdark) is defined as a bold contrast between light and dark). A certain amount of chiaroscuro is the effect of light modelling in painting where 3-dimensional volume is suggested by highlights and shadows. It first appeared in 15th century painting in Italy and Flanders (Holland), but true chiaroscuro
developed during the 16th century, in Mannerism and in Baroque art.

Dark subjects were dramatically lighted by a shaft of light from a single constricted and often unseen source was a compositional device seen in the paintings of old masters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt.

The set up:

Chiaroscuro is when you have split lighting and one half of your face is more visible than the other and there is shadowing on one side of the face. Its meant to darken the background and highlight the subject in the foreground, drawing the viewer’s focus and attention, Chiaroscuro balances high-contrast light and shade to give the appearance of depth, creating an enhanced or more dramatic effect. Chiaroscuro creates three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional plane, darkening the background and highlighting the subject in the foreground, drawing the viewer’s focus and attention.

MY OWN PHOTOSHOOT:

Here we used more than one light to shine onto the model to create this half lighting on the face, and had someone hold a reflector to the side so that the light would hit certain place of the face, this made the photo look very dark lighted especially with the back background however I do feel that the dark background makes the photo look better then if it had a bright background as the shadows on the face wouldn’t sit right,

I really like how this turned out as you can clearly see the half shadow on the left side of the face, the models facial expression makes the photo look even better as she was always smiling and sometimes having a natural face can change the whole plot of the photo. I feel as though the shadow is exactly in the middle which makes the photo look a lot better than if the shadow was more to the left/right. To get this effect I had to have some help to hold reflectors on the side of the models face so that the light would bounce off of the reflector onto the models face to create that shadow effect. If I were to do this again I would have liked to crop the photo more centred to get a more symmetrical look. I have put the photo in black and white as there wasn’t much colour in the photo anyways, the black and white tone makes the photo look more modern, however chiaroscuro is more of an old type of photography used, therefore making it black and makes it more original to me. I really like how this turned out as you can clearly identify what type of photograph it is and i feel that the black and white effect makes the features of the photograph look a lot more brighter and clearer. However if i were to do this again i would have liked to make the model stand more in the centre of the camera so that it looks more professional.

Chiaroscuro is a very old type of art where dark subjects were dramatically lighted by a shaft of light, certain places of the model and the surrounding has lighted up places.

For example, here on this painting there are certain features that are quite dark and very difficult to see and there are brighter places of the model which represents the key features of each painting/photograph. As you can see is that each models/ persons face is very clear and things like their trousers are less viewable as they are less important and not that nice to look at, however their faces hold many key features, also one of the models bodies are quite brightly lit which could help us understand the situation that’s going on.

Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is a technique within portrait photography which refers to when the key light is placed above and pointing down on the subject’s face, which creates a dramatic shadow under the nose and chin that resembles a butterfly and defines the contours of the face.

Butterfly lighting is primarily used in studio settings, and it is one of the most common lighting setups. Butterfly lighting is also called ‘paramount lighting’ or ‘glamour lighting’.

History of Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting dates back to some of the earliest glamour shots. This technique was first used by Josef von Sternberg, a Hollywood director who is most known for his work with Marlene Dietrich, in the 1930s. Sternberg used butterfly lighting to create a sense of mystery around Dietrich’s character, and this lighting has been used in portraiture ever since.

Butterfly Lighting Setup

Butterfly lighting is created by positioning the main light directly in line with the subject’s face and the camera, with the main light above and facing down on the subject. Most photos which use butterfly lighting have the model facing forward. A reflector can be placed below the subject to bounce light back up into the face if the shadows are too deep.

Studio Lighting Portraits

Intro to studio lighting.

During this project we are looking at different types of artificial lighting in the studio, mainly focusing on Chiaroscuro / Split lighting, Butterfly Lighting and Rembrandt Lighting.

My Photoshoot:

In this photoshoot, I attempted to take photographs using Rembrandt, butterfly and chiaroscuro lighting techniques. I think the photoshoot did go well, however it was harder than expected to achieve a successful look with the lighting.

Edited Photos

Chiaroscuro Lighting

Rembrandt Lighting:

Black and White: