Environmental Portaiture is a style of portrait photography that aims to capture a subject in their normal/natural environment or surroundings. Instead of seperating the subject infront of a basic background, environmental poraiture tries to portray more about the person or subject by including parts of their daily life, work or surroundings. The background is an important part of the storytelling process, it can provide clues into the subject`s personality, interests and lifestyle. Normally these photos involve locations that are meaningful to the subject. Photographers may decide to take environmental portraits in various settings like a workplace or someones home or any place that highlights the emotion or feeling they want to give, the goal is to create a more real, authentic representation of the subject. Environmental Portraiture involves alot of planning and consideration of the composition, lighting and the overall visual in the setting.
Arnold Newman, Newman was an American photographer born in 1918 and passed away in 2006. Arnold Newman was well known for his portraits of high-profile individuals such as artists, politicians and celebrities. He is usually acknowledged with making the environmental portraits popular, a style of photography which places the subject in a context or background relevant to their work or personality.
Newman`s portraits normally use a strong sense of composition and he would pay careful attention towards the lighting and the surroundings. Most of Newmans work is in monochrome (black and white) which i really like because it gives off the feeling of nostalgia and it also makes the images alot more dramatic. Arnold Newmans participation to photography and his unique style of portraiture has made himself one of the most important people in the history of photography.
here are some of Arnold Newman`s Images:
Arnold Newman has various museum collections and exhibitions such as: “The great British”, “Five Decades”, “Arnold Newman`s americans” and many more which can be found here, https://arnoldnewman.com/biography.html
Image Analysis
Alfried Krupp, industrialist, Essen, Germany, 1963, Arnold Newman
Visual: The man is the main subject in this image, the background is pretty dark with white artificial lighting which makes it look like a cold environment, its in a industrial place and it has leading lines towards the back of the photo which gives more depth and perception to the image. The train station/factory looks abandoned due to the graffiti on the walls and the overall look of the place.
emotional: Intimidated, cold , serious. these are the feelings I get from this image because the man is staring straight at the viewers and he is in a dark place.
Technical: the photo has a sense of balance because the image uses symmetry this is done with the two pillars being either side of him which makes the image more central and puts the focus on him. the lighting is also done from the top to the bottom and we cant properly see the mans face so this could be to create a sense of anonymous.
Context– Arnold Newman is a Jewish American photographer who took this photo and in the image is Alfred Klupp who is a German who owned many factories in Germany. Arnold Newman did not want to take the photograph at first because Alfred Krupp helped the Germans, but in the end he went through with the job.
Walker Evans is a Photographer Born on the 3rd of November, 1903 in the United States and died April 10th 1975. Who also has the project “The Beauty Of The Common Tool”.
The project “The Beauty Of The Common Tool” was made in 1965 and all of the images within the project have a plain white background and also in monochrome, These two effects adds a vintage and a mysterious effect onto the project. He also has his photos exactly in the centre of the frame in every single photo with a lot of negative space around the objects, Evans uses tools that look like construction tools or hospital tools. So I would assume that these photos have been taken in a hospital, a construction site or in someone’s shed.
Darren Harvey-Regan is a British Photographer born in Exeter in 1974. Darren Harvey-Regan also created “beauties of the common tool”. Darren Harvey-Regan`s Photographs are extremely similar to Walker Evans Images in the subject of formalism. Harvey-Regan normally focuses on one object however focusing on the use of lines and shape, in these images above the objects have a unique shape with a different form of lines and texture for example the shapes of the objects are not a square or an actual shape they are a complete random shape. His work often shows up at different exhibitions and museums.
For My first still life photoshoot, I experimented with many different objects and I did not really focus on any specific objects or style. In this photoshoot I used different objects such as: books, cards, cutlery and some tools, my favourite objects to photograph out of the ones I used I find that the photographs of the cutlery and the books came out the best because the cutlery can give various shadows as well as give you photo that element of uniqueness. I also think that the photographs that have the books in it came out nicely because the books really give that theme of nostalgia.
Photoshoot 2
For my second still life photoshoot I had more of an idea of what I wanted in my photoshoot unlike in my first photoshoot where I just experimented. In this photoshoot I used objects such as: a violin, toy car, hat and many different antique nostalgic objects. My focal point in photoshoot 2 is the violin, the violin is the object that catches the viewers eye when looking at these photos, this is because the violin is the biggest object in the photos and it is also the most vibrant and colourful object in the pictures.
Photoshoot 1 Favourite Photos
This is a before and after of one of my favourite photographs from my first still life photoshoot. I find that this image is one of the best ones from this photoshoot, I think this because the use of the NBA cards really give off the theme of nostalgia, I also placed them in a random order so it looked like I had found it like that. I then edited the photo in Lightroom changing the temperature of the photo as well as the contrast and shadows.
This is also another one of my favourite photos from the first photoshoot. I really like this photo because of many different aspects, for example the shadows, the books and just the general layout of the photo. For this image I stacked 3 books on top of each other like a staircase and then put the cutlery as well as another object on top of it. The use of the cutlery gives great shadows and makes the image more appealing. I then edited the image using Lightroom increasing the contrast, texture and clarity to give it this stronger lighting which adds onto the theme of nostalgia.
This is my final favourite image from my still life photoshoot 1. This is a very strong image in my opinion because it has excellent shadows the forks give off interesting shadows for example in this photograph it looks like there are 4 forks and they are balancing on each other but there are only 2 forks and its shadows. For the editing of the image all I did was increase the temperature very slightly, decreased the shadows and increased the clarity a lot.
Formalism in photography is an artistic style that prioritizes the arrangement and composition of elements in an image, normally making the subject of the image less important. The style formalism is so strong from the use of seven basic elements: line, shape, form, texture, colour, size and depth, these seven elements are used as the building blocks for producing captivating and meaningful pictures and also create engaging images. In formalism photography the seven elements are carefully used to make an ordinary photograph more unique which triggers emotion and appreciation.
In formalism photography, the element of line is used as a fundamental that contributes to the overall composition of an image. Lines can be straight, curved, diagonal or any other and they have a huge impact in directing the viewers eyes in the image. This creates a sense of structure in the image. Straight lines usually have a meaning of stability and order however diagonal lines can symoblise energy and power.Lines are everywhere in photographs, even a blank canvas is bordered by lines. The use of lines is a powerful tool in taking captivating and engaging images in formalism photography.
The element of shape in formalism photography is also a important tool for creating aesthetic images. Shapes can be geometric or organic, shapes are the main building block of visual design. Formalism photographers use shapes to introduce their images with structure and aesthetic. Geometric shapes like squares, triangles and circles usually symbolize order and balance whilst organic shapes which are made by nature add uniqueness smoothness to the images. The shapes can either be the subject themselves or they can guide the viewers attention. Shapes are like lines, they are everywhere in photographs for example in this photo on the right there is rectangles.
In formalism photography, the concept of form is an element that also transforms normal subjects into interesting captures. form in photography relates to the 3d quality of the subject and how the light and shadow change their shapes and blends within a 2d photograph. Formalism photographers pay great attention to the interaction of light and shadow, which makes the depth and volume of their images more detailed. Form can bring subjects to life and bring a sense of naturalism, the smallest details become deep subjects to explore. Formalism photographers use form as an important to transform the boring into the complex.
Texture is a crucial theme of formalism photography, Texture is the complex interaction of visual and the sense of touch that enhances the dimension within a photograph. Through the use of lighting and composition, formalism photographers make the textural qualities of their subjects more visible and detailed. The play of light and shadow across different textures allows viewers to interact and engage with what they see and might feel. All these textures create a different emotion and feeling towards the photograph.
Colour is a important element in formalist photography, shaping the visual impact of an image and usually producing deep emotional feelings and responses. Photographers use the psychology of colour to convey moods, feelings, focal points and making interesting images. It can be anything from vibrant colours in a city to the subtle tones of a peaceful landscape, the choice and arrangement of colours become a important and a necessity of the photographs overall composition. Different colours can provide different emotions like sadness, energy or calmness which highlights the story and drawing the viewer into a emotional connection with the image.
Size is another important aspect in formalist photography that influences the whole mood and impact of the image. Formalism photographers purposely change the scale of subjects to create a interesting and complex photograph. The size of the elements within the photograph can draw the viewers attention, create emotions and makes certain elements stand out. It can be a towering tree in a landscape image or a really tiny detail took in macro, size is a key role in creating the aesthetics of the photograph. Size makes each image a unique and makes the viewer think.
Depth is also a critical element in formalism photography that goes beyond the 2d nature of a photograph, which makes space within the photograph. The use of depth can produce a sense of distance bringing viewers to explore the layers in the image. It can be a sweeping landscape with mountains or a close up shot with different focus of layers, depth adds space that makes pictures look more real and tells a visual story.
Still Life is a genre of art used to picture inanimate subjects, normally a smaller group of inanimate subjects. Still life usually uses fruit, flower and objects. Still life also shows objects from the natural or man made world. There are many artists of this still life genre including Pieter Claesz and Paulette Tavormina.
The artist which made this work is called Pieter Claesz, Pieter Claesz is a Dutch painter born in 1597 and died in January 1661. These paintings are in the genre of Still Life and are mainly based on the colours brown, white and green.
Timeline Of Still Life
Still life art has existed since the 17th century onwards, But in the 19th century Still Life changed because artists created photography as a new normal for still life art, to express their thoughts in a new and different way, and that is where still life photography was begun.
The first piece of evidence that we have of still life photography was in 1839 when the first ever image with still objects in it.
In the early 19th century, the art genre of modernism came into photography. An example of somebody who did modernist still life photography is Man Ray.
In the 21st century contemporary still life photography was introduced and many photographers are still working on this today continuing the tradition of Man Ray.
