Rembrandt lighting is a way of taking a photo and creating an upside down triangle on one side of the models face just under the eye. The technique got its name from Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

It was commonly used throughout 20th century Hollywood, often with hard light to create harsh dramatic shadows. As seen in the photo below.

It was often used for promotional pictures as by highlighting part of the face the model could either look dreamy or possibly serious. The technique is considered one of the main five studio portrait techniques.

To set up the studio for a Rembrandt photo sit the model at a 45 degree angle to the light then position the light accordingly. the model then could sit in a comfortable position unless there is a specific position the photographer is looking for.

Here are some photos that I have taken.

I brightened up the photos by bringing up the exposer slightly, same with the contrast. I used the adjustment brush to help brighten the eyes just lightly.

An environmental portrait is a portrait that captures a subject in their natural surroundings, such as their homes or workplaces.

here are some examples of environmental portraiture:

Enviromental portraiture is full of emotion and can display more of a story than the average photo. this allows the view to create stories and fantasise about the lives of the people in them.

This photo is an excellent example. it shows an older man sitting of a rowboat, possibly waiting for someone or resting before going out or bringing the boat in.

These wear the three pictures I liked the most. The lighting for all three photos didn’t change and neither did the background.

Growing up I played violin for six years and music has always been a part of my life so having a tattered stringless violin in the photos displayed how growing up music has changed around me and my taste in music has changed, whilst also reminding the viewer that eventually everything must come to an end like how this Violin was played for the last time before becoming a prop. I have also loved reading since I was younger, and I used to read with my mum when I was little.

The candle stick holder and the little pot bulk out the images whilst maintaining a vintage sort of look the wear and tear on the holder helping to do so.

By having the background be black card and the objects on white card and creating this sharp corner it helps the image to seem more streamlined and elegant with how smooth it is. the violin almost stands as a separate being; and in the last image lays back and pulls the piece to gather like a lady in a renaissance painting.

For the shoot I started out by choosing objects that I could make a nostalgic tie to, for example I used to play the violin and music has always been a big part of my family. I then added in some objects that looked cool or

I started off by thinning down my photos to the ones I thought where the best. that got me from 66 down to 12. However, I then further removed a photo as it wasn’t the best.

I then edited my photos to a basic level with pushing up the exposer in darker ones, altering the shadows so they looked a bit better and cropping them, I could see which ones I liked the most.

Picking the three that worked the best I then further edited them changing the temperature on some and sharpening the others to just get the letter right on the book without making the scratches on the violin to distinct.

Using colours and stars to identify which was my best and which was the best out of the three and these were my final pieces.

What is formalism?

Formalism is how aspects of the composition of a photograph which make it appealing. these aspects are line, shape, form, texture, colour, size and depth.

Line

Definition: A straight or curved geometric element that is generated by a moving point and that has extension only along the path of the point.

There are many different types of lines. straight lines tend to be manmade, whereas curved lines are more often seen in nature. lines can also be seen at different angles; the picture below is an example of this.

This photo contains straight lines.

Shape

Definition: The visible makeup characteristic of a particular item or kind of item.

Shapes are two-dimensional. They can be measured by overall height and width. Shapes can be the outline of an object. different shapes can combine to create new shapes. shapes can be organic or manmade and can be complicated or simple. the purist shape is a silhouette.

form

the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material

Form is three-dimensional. Form has overall height, width, and depth.  there are two basic types of form—geometric (or regular) and organic.

texture

The visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something

Texture in the photograph is similar to form in that it is revealed by variations in tonality and presented in two dimensions.

colour

A phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects.

the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light.

size

 Physical magnitude, extent, or bulk: relative or proportionate dimensions

In photography, the space is already rendered before the camera, so we look at how both size and depth are reproduced, created, and recognized in the photograph.

Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion.

When a familiar object appears in the frame of a photograph (car, basketball, streetlamp, etc.) we immediately get a feel for the scope of the entire scene. Without a familiar object in the image, we struggle to determine the scale shown in the photograph.

depth

The direct linear measurement from front to back

A photograph is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene. Even is a simple snapshot we are given a sense of depth due to various visual cues, to which we rarely give much thought or analysis.

what is still life?

Still life is a way of taking pictures or painting of objects by arranging them in intricate designs which often are used to remind the viewer of how volatile life can be but also the beauty and complexity behind living. They are commonly seen depicting fruit, flowers, vases and skulls.

My attention was first brought the the frilly collar in this one then the skull and then finally the books. With the way the light is so intense on one side of the skull and so weak on the other it is most likely artificial lighting. The texture on the spine of the books appears very smooth and the fabric that the objects are stacked on.

Compared to other still life’s that include things such as skulls and books this one is rather simplistic and I think that’s what drew me to it the most and made it stand out.

Kevin best managed to create dark gothic still life’s with light foreground objects. These often depict books, skulls, fruit, instruments and a glass by reinventing the paintings from the “golden age”.

Timeline of Still Life

The term Still life comes from the Dutch word ‘Stilleven‘ and gained popularity in the 16th century, however, there have been paintings of paintings fond in Egyptian tombs such as the tomb of Menna. dating back to the 15th century the ancient Greeks and romans created similar art with one of the most famous examples being a first century wall in Pompei.

During the Middle Ages still took on a religious theme, incorporating arrangements into biblical scenes. They also decorated manuscripts with coin shells and shells.

the renaissance saw an increase in popularity in still lifes of flowers. This mainly occurred in the 17th century when northern Renaissance artists became interested with creating studies of everyday.

During the Dutch golden age artist took flower paintings to the next level with the development of vanitas, which showed the mortality of life.

Still popular in the modern art movement with Pierre-Auguste Renoir dabbling with the genre, but it really made an impression in the post-impressionist period. Vincent van Gogh painting flowers vases and Cezanne painting a famous series involving water jugs, apples and wine bottles on top of askew tables.

With the invention of the camera and society developing at a rapid pace, new themes started to appear among the genre: modern food such as a fast food and intricate perfume bottles. The still lifes created with a camera are hyper realistic compared to the other periods- however, they display a restricted spectrum of emotions. But with the use of new technologies, photographers are able to create more detailed designs.

What is a Vanitas?

A Vanitas is a work of art that uses symbols such as skulls and fruit to show the shortness of life and the futility of pleasers, they are designed to remined the viewer of their own mortality.

What is Memento Mori?

The phrase ‘memento mori’ is Latin for ‘remember that you must die’. these portraits often include things such as skulls and hourglasses to remind the viewer that time doesn’t stop for any one and that we all eventually run out.

Metaphors and symbols used in still life?

Skull: The certainty of morality.

Flower: Life and growth.

Candle: Passing of time.

Mirrors: The Soul in reflection.

Musical instruments: Beauty and Transience.

Seashell: Birth, Purity and Fertility.

Q1: What is the etymology (origin & history) of the word photography?

Writing with light.

Q2: What year was the first photograph made in camera?

1826 (Joseph Nicéphore Niépce)

Q3: When did the first photograph of a human appear?

1838 (Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre)

Q4: Who made the first ‘selfie’

Robert Cornelius (1839)

Q5: When did the first colour photograph appear?

1861 (James Clerk Maxwell)

Q6: What do we mean by the word genre?

A style or category of art

Q7: What do we mean by the genre of still-life?

An image that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world

Q8: What was the main purpose of the Pictorialist movement?

To affirm photography as an art form

Q9: How do we describe the term documentary photography?

Capture images that truthfully portray people, places and events

Q10: What is exposure in photography?

The amount of light that reaches your camera’s sensor.

Q11: What controls exposure on your camera?

Aperture, shutter speed, ISO.

Q12: What control on our camera records moving objects?

Shutter

Q13: How do we explain depth of field?

How much of your image is in focus

Q14: What factors affect Depth of Field?

Lens aperture, distance from camera to subject, and lens focal length.

Q15: What is composition in photography?

The arrangement of visual elements within the frame.

Q16: What is your understanding of aesthetics in art?

Concerned with the nature of beauty and taste.

Q17: What are contextual studies in photography?

To provide historial, cultural and theoterical understanding of images.

Q18: How many images are captured on average every day worldwide?

4.7 billion

Q19: Which portrait is the most reproduced in the world?

The Queen (Elizabeth II)