In my headshots I am going to use a range of photographers to inspire my work so that I can make my images more appealing to viewers, more creative and look more professional.

Thomas Ruff: Artist Research

I would like to use inspiration from Thomas Ruff’s work as his images resemble a passport photo using the deadpan aesthetic. This would be the criteria for his subjects.

• Eyes must be open and clearly visible, with no flash reflections and no ‘red eye’
• Facial expression must be neutral (neither frowning nor smiling), with the mouth closed
• Photos must show both edges of the face clearly
• Photos must show a full front view of face and shoulders, squared to the camera 
• The face and shoulder image must be centred in the photo; the subject must not be looking over one shoulder (portrait style), or tilting their head to one side or backwards or forwards
• There must be no hair across the eyes
• hats or head coverings are not permitted except when worn for religious reasons and only if the full facial features are clearly visible
• Photos with shadows on the face are unacceptable
• Photos must reflect/represent natural skin tone

I personally like this technique of headshots as they look extremely formal, very clean and you can see every part of their face without having to make the detailing photographers are pressured to do to make it unique which makes it bland but appealing as it is different. However, no facial expressions, no accessories and no background may make it difficult for the viewer to understand and read the model as who they are or what the image is about itself. Therefore, this technique is very controversial but I personally like its features no matter the value.

RUFF’S IMAGES

The Deadpan Aesthetic

The word “Deadpan”  can be traced to 1927 when Vanity Fair Magazine compounded the words dead and pan, a slang word for a face, and used it as a noun. In 1928 the New York Times used it as adjective to describe the work of Buster Keaton, however Thomas Ruff familiarised himself with this aesthetic i his work too.

Deadpan photography shows people in their natural state, emotionless and detached. These subjects are not posed, are not dressed up for the occasion, and seem completely honest. I really like this aspect because it gives a tone of authenticity to the work and broadcasts people in the real world truthfully.

This style originated in Germany and is descended from Neue Sachlichkeit, New Objectivity, a German art movement of the 1920s that influenced the photographer August Sander who systematically documented the people of the Weimar Republic.

Deadpan portraits are typically shot in a straightforward, uncontrived manner. The photographer does not use any special angles, lighting, or props to create an emotional or dramatic effect. Instead, the subject is simply captured as they are, in their natural environment.

In my work, I could use coloured gels to add more life and saturation into the image as my subjects will be emotionless.

Bruce Gilden:

Bruce Gilden is an American street photographer. He is best known for his candid close-up photographs of people on the streets of New York City, using a flashgun. He has had various books of his work published, has received the European Publishers Award for Photography and is a Guggenheim Fellow.

Bruce Gilden is one of the most iconic street photographers known for his confrontational and graphic images of a close-up subject. His work is around this due to being fascinated by the life on the streets and the complicated and captivating motion it involves in his childhood. His work has a high degree of intimacy and directness which have become signature in his work called FACE. Typically, people used are not the average person and have blemishes or look uncomfortable/awkward. Many people may say he is the most aggressive street photographer due to the rawness and realness of his images.

I like this aspect of his work because once again it documents the reality of life on the streets of places such as  America, Great Britain, and Colombia during 2012-14

Personally, I like these images as they keep natural and realistic without using texture to make them look smoother. This could link to social media effect and how society is not realistic whereas his photos remind everyone they are.

Gilden’s Images

Man Ray:

Man Ray took multi exposure photographs which is something that greatly intrigues me in my work as they provide a great sense of mystery to the viewer and have a large sense of detailing to eye catch the viewer. I also personally feel that the images this technique creates can resemble identity depending on how the subject is represented, such as this:

Usually, to take multi-exposure photographs you:

1. Take your first photo. The camera shutter opens to expose the film to one image, then closes.
2. Rewind the film and take your second photo.
3. Develop both images in one photo

Photomontage is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. 

My response:

Double or multiple exposures are an illusion created by layering images (or portions 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 Surrealist Ideas and evoke dream-like imagery, or imagery that explores time / time lapse.

Since 1959 Bernd and Hilla Becher have been photographing industrial structures that exemplify modernist engineering, such as gas reservoirs and water towers. Their photographs are often presented in groups of similar design; their repeated images make these everyday buildings seem strangely imposing and alien. Idris Khan’s Every… Bernd And Hilla Becher… series appropriates the Bechers’ imagery and compiles their collections into single super-images. In this piece, multiple images of American-style gabled houses are digitally layered and super-imposed giving the effect of an impressionistic drawing or blurred film still.

My responses:

In my headshots I am going to use a range of photographers to inspire my work so that I can make my images more exciting and mysterious.

Thomas Ruff:

I would like to use inspiration from Thomas Ruff’s work as his images resemble a passport photo using the deadpan aesthetic. This would be the criteria for his subjects.

• eyes must be open and clearly visible, with no flash reflections and no ‘red eye’
• facial expression must be neutral (neither frowning nor smiling), with the mouth closed
• photos must show both edges of the face clearly
• photos must show a full front view of face and shoulders, squared to the camera 
• the face and shoulder image must be centred in the photo; the subject must not be looking over one shoulder (portrait style), or tilting their head to one side or backwards or forwards
• there must be no hair across the eyes
• hats or head coverings are not permitted except when worn for religious reasons and only if the full facial features are clearly visible
• photos with shadows on the face are unacceptable
• photos must reflect/represent natural skin tone

I really like this form because the photographs produced are clean cut and look extremely formal.

The Deadpan Aesthetic:

The word “Deadpan”  can be traced to 1927 when Vanity Fair Magazine compounded the words dead and pan, a slang word for a face, and used it as a noun. In 1928 the New York Times used it as adjective to describe the work of Buster Keaton, however Thomas Ruff familiarised himself with this aesthetic i his work too.

Deadpan photography shows people in their natural state, emotionless and detached. These subjects are not posed, are not dressed up for the occasion, and seem completely honest. I really like this aspect because it gives a tone of authenticity to the work and broadcasts people in the real world truthfully.

This style originated in Germany and is descended from Neue Sachlichkeit, New Objectivity, a German art movement of the 1920s that influenced the photographer August Sander who systematically documented the people of the Weimar Republic.

Deadpan portraits are typically shot in a straightforward, uncontrived manner. The photographer does not use any special angles, lighting, or props to create an emotional or dramatic effect. Instead, the subject is simply captured as they are, in their natural environment.

In my work, I could use coloured gels to add more life and saturation into the image as my subjects will be emotionless.

Bruce Gilden:

Bruce Gilden is one of the most iconic street photographers known for his confrontational and graphic images of a close-up subject. His work is around this due to being fascinated by the life on the streets and the complicated and captivating motion it involves in his childhood. His work has a high degree of intimacy and directness which have become signature in his work called FACE. Typically, people used are not the average person and have blemishes or look uncomfortable/awkward. Many people may say he is the most aggressive street photographer due to the rawness and realness of his images.

I like this aspect of his work because once again it documents the reality of life on the streets of places such as  America, Great Britain, and Colombia during 2012-14

Man Ray:

Man Ray took multi exposure photographs which is something that greatly intrigues me in my work as they provide a great sense of mystery to the viewer. I also personally feel that the images this technique creates can resemble identity depending on how the subject is represented, such as this:

Man Ray made his “rayographs” without a camera by placing objects-such as the thumbtacks, coil of wire, and other circular forms used here-directly on a sheet of photosensitized paper and exposing it to light.

Usually, to take multi-exposure photographs you:

1. Take your first photo. The camera shutter opens to expose the film to one image, then closes.
2. Rewind the film and take your second photo.
3. Develop both images in one photo

Examples of his work:

Surrealism:

Man ray was a surrealist photographer, which is what multi-exposure photography stems from. Artist have used these techniques to explore Surrealist Ideas and evoke dream-like imagery, or imagery that explores time / time lapse.

Surrealism aims to revolutionise human experience. It balances a rational vision of life with one that asserts the power of the unconscious and dreams. The movement’s artists find magic and strange beauty in the unexpected and the uncanny forms of the human face, the disregarded and the unconventional.

This art form was developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I. The art produced depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. 

It can be described as : “psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express – verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner – the actual functioning of thought.” – André Breton said this which can be more simply defined as an artists way of seeing past reason and rationality, thinking outside the box into something that makes the viewer question the image. This can be described as a dream-like art form.

Here I decided to experiment with my headshots I had taken previously. To do this, I first opened up a landscape, blank page on photoshop then used the bucket tool to make the page black. I then opened up the image I wanted to use and selected the quick select tool and went around the outline of the person. I then pressed layer via copy and dragged my cut out onto the black page. I repeated this step until I had the desired amount of people on my page. Next, I changed the opacity of some of the images to create the sense of depth. Finally, I went onto adjustments, cinematic and then experimented with giving my photographs a blue or sepia tone.

Headshots

Diamond Cameo-

In my photoshoot I am going to produce some Diamond Cameo photographs of my models. I will do this by taking four separate portraits of my models and editing them onto the same document in photoshop.

Double/ Multi-exposure-

Double or multiple exposures are an illusion created by layering 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 surrealist Ideas and evoke dream-like imagery, or imagery that explores time / time lapse.

Juxtaposition-

Juxtaposition is placing two images together to show contrast or similarities. For example, portraits of Henry Mullins and Michelle Sank are juxtaposed to show comparison/ similarities/ differences between different social and professional classes in Jersey mid-19th century and early 21st century.

Juxtapose images can be according to shapes, colours, repetition, object vs portrait.

Sequence/ Grid-

Henry Mullins make sequences/ grids, which are pages and re- constructed contact-sheets from his portrait albums.

Montage-

Photomontage is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. 

I am going to attempt to create each one of these techniques with my headshots. I will achieve this by taking multiple photos in the studio and editing them in Lightroom. Finally, I will do each technique in photoshop.

What are photo montages?

Photo montages are a style of photography that uses post production editing to achieve interesting and unique results. Transforming basic headshot photos into an entirely new composition. There are many different ways of doing this the most common is a collage style using a printed version of the photo and cutting it and moving the physical copy before photographing the results. This became popular through David Hockney; the style is also often done by using photoshop and ether set shapes or templates.

David Hockney

David Hockney was born in 1937 in Bradford. As he grew up he went to Grammar school and then went onto the Bradford Collage of Art and then onto the Royal Collage of art in London which is where Hockney said he felt at home and took pride in his work. While studying at the Royal Collage of Art in London his work was featured along side Peter Blake, this associated him with the expressionist movement. However the RCA didn’t allow him to graduate as Hockney refused to complete a live drawing of a live model in 1962 and complete an essay. To counter this Hockney painted ‘Life painting for a diploma’ exclaiming he should only be assessed on his artwork solely. Interestingly the RCA having recognised his talent actually changed the regulations regarding final exams and how students were graded. He went onto to teach at Maidstone Collage before moving onto teaching at the University of Iowa, after this he continued to teach at many other universities and collages. In 1964, when Hockney moved to LA he created a series of paintings of swimming pools in a fairly new style of the acrylic medium using punchy, vibrant colours. He then moved between Paris, LA and London before buying a house in Hollywood Hills and expanding his studio with his long term business partner Gregory Evans. Hockney continued to expand his business with his classic demeanour of trying many different styles and inspiring others around the world.

Photo Montages – ‘Joiners’

These photos are one of Hockney’s many projects in the early 80’s, he used a 35mm lens to print polaroid photos which were commercially coloured photo prints. He accidently created the joiners when wide angle lens became popular in the 1960’s and he noticed these lens distorted the shots which he did not particularly like. He started using this technique of cutting photos up by hand and sticking them back together when he was actually painting a living room and not a person but he found the new ‘joiner’ looked good as a composition within itself. After discovering this technique he began to create more purposeful versions of the photos and this led to him completely stopping painting for a while and focusing on his photography work. Sadly over time he became irritated with photography and as he felt ‘it’s one eyed approach’ and returned to painting but not before he left his mark on the photography world with his work and his ‘joiners’ work in particular.

Plan for Photoshoot

Chiaroscuro Lighting which means ‘light dark’ in Italian is a type of lighting technique used for strong contrasts between light and dark. It can also sometimes contain exaggerated shadows and highlights.

It was originally used by painters but has been adapted to be used by photographers when taking photos.

How to set up Chiaroscuro lighting in the studio

There are loads of different ways to set up Chiaroscuro lighting, as long as you get those contrasts between light and dark. Below is how we set it up, we also used a reflector in some photos to help highlight parts of the face

Below are some of the photos I took which best resemble chiaroscuro lighting

Final Photo & edits