Diamond Cameo is where four small oval portraits (1″ x ³/₄“) were placed on a carte de visite in the shape of a diamond, each portrait being of the same person photographed in a different position.

The carte de visite was a format of small photograph which was patented in Paris by photographer André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri in 1854, although first used by Louis Dodero. It was usually an albumen print from a collodion negative on thin paper glued onto a thicker paper card. The size of a carte de visite is 54.0 mm × 89 mm mounted on a card sized 64 mm × 100 mm. 

Henry Mullins:

Henry Mullins was the first professional photographer to come to Jersey and establish a portraiture business in the very early days of photography

Henry Mullins is one of the most prolific 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. The record we have of his work comes through his albums, in which he placed his clients in a social hierarchy. The arrangement of Mullins’ portraits of ‘who’s who’ in 19th century Jersey are highly politicised.

Henry Mullins started working at 230 Regent Street in London in the 1840s and moved to Jersey in July 1848, setting up a studio known as the Royal Saloon, at 7 Royal Square. Here he would photograph Jersey political elite (The Bailiff, Lt Governor, Jurats, Deputies etc), mercantile families (Robin, Janvrin, Hemery, Nicolle ect.) military officers and professional classes (advocates, bankers, clergy, doctors etc). Initially he was in partnership with a Mr Millward, about whom very little is known. By the following year he was working alone and he continued to work out of the same studio for another 26 years.

Diamond Cameo Photoshoot:

For this photoshoot, I went into the studio and took headshots of students. I ensured that I captured them from direct angles eg front on and side on so I can then use these to create a diamond cameo. I experimented with using a dark background and light background I took a variety of portrait and landscape photos.

Once I had my images, I then picked 4 that I wanted to use on my diamond cameo. I edited these on Lightroom, adjusting the exposure, composure, whites etc. I then opened a new blank page on photoshop then pressed file the open in order to pick on of the 4 images from my file. Once I had opened the image I wanted to use, I clicked on the elliptical Marquee Tool and created an oval shape around the face of the subject. I then dragged down the tab and using the select tool, dragged the cut out onto the blank page. I then used ctrl t in order to move and adjust the size of the images. I repeated these steps until I had 4 images in a diamond shape.

Finally, to finish off this first attempt, I added a drop shadow to each of the images to make them stand out compared to the white background. Here is my first attempt at creating a diamond cameo.

I then decided I wanted to experiment more with this first attempt and chose to make the images black and white. In order to do this, I went onto image, adjustments then pressed black and white.

Next, I made the images have a sepia colour in order to give the impression of it being old as seen in Henry Mullins’ images. I did this by going onto image, adjustments, photo filter then chose the sepia colour and raised this to 62%.

I then decided to colour the blank background in order to make it more interesting to look at. I decided to use a beige like colour in order to match with the old theme I was going with. In order to colour the background, I used the paint bucket tool and then experimented with different colours until I was left with an image I was satisfied with.

Lastly, I experimented with adding a pattern over my images. I did this by going onto each of my layers then right clicking and pressing blending options. I then went down to pattern overlay and chose a brown grassy pattern as I felt this matched the sepia tone I had previously. I then changed the opacity of it to be 24% so you can still see the person behind it. I also decided to make the background a bit less colourful as otherwise it felt too similar to the images and looked cluttered.

Overall, I like how this first attempt and my different experimentations of it came out. I feel I successfully managed to create a diamond cameo and a vintage tone as seen in Henry Mullin’s work, which is what I was trying to achieve. Next, I want to experiment with different images and a different model.

I think these diamond cameos turned out well too. However, to further my work next time I would try to add a frame to my images as I noticed that I whilst researching about diamond cameos, they sometimes had a frame around the headshots, making them look richer and helped to make the overall image look more vintage.

For my final diamond cameo, I decided to try something different and create a bright boarder around my images which are placed on a black piece of paper. I did this by repeating the usual steps when creating my other diamond cameos. However, once I had done these steps, I went onto each of my layers and right clicked on them. I then went onto blending options and selected outer glow. I experimented with different opacities, sizes and ranges until I found the perfect glow boarder. I made one in colour and then one in black and white.

Here I experimented with adding two different people to one diamond cameo:

During this project, I managed to experiment with a variety of different diamond cameos. For example, I tried a range of different colours, textures, people and backgrounds. These different attempts at creating different, unique diamond cameos helped me to be able to use photoshop more comfortably and make my work more interesting to look at as it isn’t just the same concept each time.

Throughout this project, I learnt about a variety of different lighting types eg Rembrandt, Butterfly and Chiaroscuro lighting and where they originated from. I also learnt how to set up each lighting type in the studio. During this process, I also became familiar with setting up the camera according to the type of picture I wanted to take eg changing the mode of the camera, the ISO, aperture etc. I think most of my photoshoots were successful and I managed to grasp the concept of each lighting technique and portray them in my work. I also like the clarity of my images and the quality which gives my images a professional look.

However, I felt that butterfly lighting was my weakest area of the 3 lighting types. This is because in my images the butterfly shadow that should be seen below the nose wasn’t as clear and defined as it could’ve been. So, if I were to do this photoshoot again, I would try placing my light source slightly higher in order to cast a bigger shadow.

Three-point lighting is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with light sources from three distinct positions. The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight. Key light is the primary and brightest light source in the three-point lighting setup.

This technique can be used to eliminate shadows cast by foreground elements onto the background, or to draw more attention to the background. It also helps to off-set the single eye nature of the camera, this means that it helps the camera give depth to the subject.

When taking 3 point lighting images, The key light should be pointed towards the subject’s face. Then position your fill light to the side of the subject at a 45-degree angle. The fill light should be 3-feet away from the subject. Finally, place your backlight behind the subject and 3-feet away.

3 Point Lighting Photoshoot:

Before taking images, we had to setup the studio. We placed one light source in front of the model at an angle, another light source behind the model and then a reflector to the side of the model in which the light from the first light source could bounce off of and then hit the subject’s face from the other side. I then got the model to experiment with different hand gestures, positions and angles.

Once I had taken my images, I imported them into Lightroom. I first gave each picture either a black flag if I didn’t like it then a white flag if I did. Next, I gave all the images which I had just given a white flag to a rating out of 5 (5 being the best and 1 being the worst). Finally, I assigned a colour to each of my images: green=good, yellow=okay and red=bad. This process helped me to narrow down my images so I could display only the best ones. Once I was left with my best images, I adjusted the contrast, exposure, highlights, shadows, black and whites of them until I was left with an photo I was satisfied with.

I like how this photoshoot came out due to the subject’s variety of facial expressions and use of hands which helped to make each image unique to itself. I tried to capture the model in a variety of ways. For example, some of the images are more closer up and focussed on the face whereas some of the images include her whole body. I think I successfully managed to create 3 point lighting as one of the main focusses of this lighting type is the lack of shadows seen in the images which is also seen in my work too.

I then decided to experiment with my photos more and turned them black and white.

Chiaroscuro is a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background. 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.

The word chiaroscuro is Italian for light and shadow. It’s one of the classic techniques used in the works of artists like Rembrandt, da Vinci, and Caravaggio. It refers to the use of light and shadow to create the illusion of light from a specific source shining on the figures and objects in the painting.

Chiaroscuro Lighting Photoshoot:

For this photoshoot, I took studio portraits using a chiaroscuro lighting setup. In order to make my background darker as seen in the majority of the images I saw, I placed the light source slightly behind the subject and then used a reflective board in order to make the light bounce back onto her face creating that triangular shape once again. I got the subject to try different poses like with her hands on her head, her hands on the back of a chair and with her side on to the camera.

I edited these images on Lightroom and adjusted the contrast, exposure etc. I then decided to make my images black and white on photoshop as when researching about chiaroscuro lighting, I noticed that the majority of the images that I looked at were black and white.

Overall, I feel this photoshoot was successful as I managed to create a dark background which contrasts with the face that is lit up. However, if I were to do this photoshoot again, I would place the light source more towards the camera in order to really enhance the contrast between light and dark.

Chiaroscuro Lighting Photoshoot 2:

For my second photoshoot on Chiaroscuro lighting, I focussed on capturing more of the subject’s body in my images as in the first photoshoot I mainly focussed on the face. I think I managed to do this successfully and created a darker background as I hoped for.

To finalise this photoshoot, I exported my edited images from Lightroom and edited them to be black and white in photoshop as this was a common theme amongst other chiaroscuro lighting portraits I had seen.

Overall, I like how this photoshoot came out as I managed to improve what I wanted to on my previous photoshoot. However, I could’ve shot my images in a portrait and landscape mode instead of just portrait in order to get more variety in my images.

Butterfly lighting is a portrait lighting pattern where the key light is placed above and directly centred with a subject’s face. This creates a shadow under the nose that resembles a butterfly. Butterfly lighting is often used in portrait photography, especially in headshots. Butterfly lighting is commonly used to photograph famous stars from classic Hollywood.

Its main features are cheapness, versatility for almost all types of faces, and the fact that it is easy to set. The butterfly lighting creates a soft and flattering effect on the subject’s face. Another feature of butterfly lighting is it creates a slimmer look on the subject’s face due to the shadows that are created on both sides of it.

When making a Butterfly lighting setup, the light source should be placed directly above and slightly in front of the subject’s face, creating a small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose. The technique is achieved by placing a light source at a 45-degree angle to the subject, slightly above eye level. The result is a soft and flattering effect that adds depth and dimension to the subject’s face. Butterfly lighting can also be achieved using natural lighting. In order to achieve butterfly lighting using natural light, you can position the subject facing a window or door where the light source is coming from directly above. 

How to create a butterfly lighting portrait:

1. Position the subject in between the background and the light.
2. Lift the light source above the subject’s eye level.
3. Put a reflector underneath the subject’s chin.
4. Stand under the light and start shooting – Keep the subject looking straight ahead.

Butterfly Lighting Photoshoot:

For this photoshoot, I took studio portraits using a butterfly lighting technique. In order to achieve this type of lighting, I first placed my light source directly in front of my subject. Next, I raised up the Lightsource so that it was above the person I was photographing’s head. Finally, I got another person to hold a reflector slightly below the subject’s chin in order to reflect the light from the Lightsource back onto the face at the chin. I had to adjust the angle at which I took my photographs in order to get the most defined butterfly shape below the nose. I also got my subject to experiment with her poses as I found the straight on, hands down pictures to become quite repetitive and boring. She then put her hands up to her head in order to create a more interesting photograph.

I used Lightroom in order to edit my images. I altered and experimented with the contrast, exposure, highlights, shadows, whites and blacks of the photographs until I was left with an image I was satisfied with. Finally, to complete my photoshoot on butterfly lighting, I decided to turn my images black and white as this is what the majority of the images I saw online had.

Overall, I like how this photoshoot came out as a first attempt at trying to create butterfly lighting. I feel it helped me to become more confident using a camera and its different settings. However, if I were to do this photoshoot again, I would try and make the butterfly shadow under the subject’s nose more pronounced as I feel in some of the images it wasn’t as clear as I wanted it to be. Next time, I may try and put the Lightsource up higher in order to cast a bigger, more defined shadow under the nose.

Rembrandt lighting is a technique utilising 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 characterised by a lit-up triangle underneath the subject’s eye on the less illuminated area of the face (fill side). One side of the face is lit well from the main light source while the other side of the face uses the interaction of shadows and light, also known as chiaroscuro, to create this geometric form on the face. The triangle should be no longer than the nose and no wider than the eye. This technique may be achieved subtly or very dramatically by altering the distance between subject and lights and relative strengths of main and fill lights.

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. 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 centre.

Rembrandt lighting technique is considered one of the go-to photography lighting setups because it produces a dramatic visual effect without requiring a lot of setup. A more sophisticated version of this setup includes a reflector, which brings detail back into the shadows on the subject’s face, but even this setup requires minimal tools and associated costs.

 For the single light method you will need:

• indoor studio environment
• off-camera light source with stand
• optional: 32″ – 42″ reflector or split light sources

At its most basic, Rembrandt lighting consists of a single light source placed on a 45 degree offset from the subject, about 5 feet away. Positioned roughly two feet higher than eye level, the light source is angled slightly downward and hits the side of the face that is farthest away from the camera.

Rembrandt Lighting Photoshoot:

For this photoshoot, I took studio portraits using a Rembrandt lighting technique. In order to achieve this look, I placed my light source on a 45 degree offset from my subject (approximately). I then experimented with different distances and angles in order to get the most defined triangular shape I could possibly get. I had multiple attempts at this until I was satisfied with the final outcome.

Overall, I like how these images came out as I think I successfully managed to create a triangular shape on the majority of my images which is what I was trying to achieve. Additionally, I like the negative space in the background of my images which helps to draw the attention to the subject only. However, if I were to do this photoshoot again, I would try to get a more defined triangle shape and use Lightroom to enhance it even more. Additionally, to improve my final outcomes, I would make some of my images black and white as seen in traditional studio portrait photography.

Response to evaluation:

I decided to edit my images on photoshop in order to make them black and white as this was a common theme amongst the other images I saw online. I think I did this successfully and my final images came out similar to those seen on the internet. The black and white also helped to define my triangular shape created from the lighting setup as you can see the comparison more clearly and your attention is immediately drawn to the brighter side of the face rather than the different colours seen on her sweater etc.

Rembrandt Lighting Photoshoot 2:

For my second attempt at creating Rembrandt lighting, I decided to include more of my subjects body in it as the first set of photos only had their face/ upper body. I think these photos came out well as they are of good quality and you can see the triangular shape on the subject’s face, which is the main focal point in a Rembrandt lighting photograph. However, an improvement that I would make to this photoshoot is I would turn the subject on her side slightly in order to enhance the triangle shape seen on her face. Additionally, I would get her to experiment with her hands more and maybe place them on her face etc. Finally, to finish this photoshoot, I decided to edit my photos and make them black and white on photoshop.

• Why do we use studio lighting? We use studio lighting as it allows you to capture a large number of photographs and ensure absolute light consistency in exposure, colour, and image quality. It can also give your photos a professional look that sets them apart from the rest.
• What is the difference between 1-2-3 point lighting and what does each technique provide / solve? One point lighting would involve just one light and this would be illustrated as the key light. The way in which we would utilise this light effectively would be to use a soft box in order to convert the light into a powerful diffusion light source.  It has the most natural look and can have a dramatic lighting effect. It also draws attention, but can give a person onstage a very flat, two-dimensional look. In a two-point lighting setup, two light sources are usually placed at 45 degree angle from the subject. One of them is your key light, which is the main light used to illuminate the subject, and the second is your fill light which helps to remove harsh shadows on the subject that are created by the key light source. Three-point lighting is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with light sources from three distinct positions. The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight. Key light is the primary and brightest light source in the three-point lighting setup

What is fill lighting? A fill light is responsible for exposing the details of a subject that fall in the shadows of the key light. It is the secondary light in the traditional 3 point lighting setup. The fill light is typically positioned opposite of the key light to literally fill in the shadows that the key light creates.

Contact Sheet:

For this photoshoot, I took pictures of various people in places I either associate them in or their place of work. I did a total of 3 different photoshoots: family/friends, school teachers and finally people who worked at the market in town.

For this first photoshoot, I took pictures of my friends in a variety of different places that I associate them with or of them doing something they love. I used natural lighting in the majority of my pictures as they were mainly taken outside. I like these images as they give off a positive vibe due to the smiles and bright colours seen in the photographs. As the people I photographed were in places they liked/ were familiar with I think it helped them to be more comfortable and willing to pose. However, I wanted to photograph people in their work environment too as seen in Arnold Newman’s work, and so I did another photoshoot.

For this photoshoot, I went around school with a DSLR camera and took pictures of various teachers who were willing to be photographed. I tried to take my photos in both portrait and landscape in order to get more variety in my images. One problem that I encountered whilst taking my photographs was that most teachers were busy or didn’t want to be photographed, limiting the amount of photos I got. Additionally, a lot of my photographs came out blurry but I managed to fix the majority of them by using Lightroom and changing the clarity and texture of them.

For my last environmental photoshoot, I took pictures of various people who worked at the market in town. The lighting in the market was a bit dark in some places causing some of my images to turn out not as well as I expected as a shadow would be cast over my subject. However, I feel this photoshoot gave me a good insight into what environmental portrait photography is really like. Another positive aspect of this photoshoot is I felt it helped build my confidence as I had to ask a variety of strangers if I could take photos of them, which was out of my comfort zone.

Final Images:

I chose these images as my final outcomes for my photoshoot on environmental portraits. I like the bright colours seen in the images as they help to create a positive tone in the photographs. Additionally, I like the clarity and quality of my images. I think I managed to successfully portray the theme of environmental portraits in my work as I got various images of either my friends in an environment in which I associate them with, strangers doing their job in the market and teachers at work (which is what environmental portraits is all about).

One thing I would like to also experiment with when taking environmental portraits is creating more melancholy images which could arouse an emotional response in my audience. This is because in many of the environmental portraits I looked at when researching about it had more of a sadder tone to it due to the black and white colours and sad expressions seen on the people’s faces. I think its important that I photograph both the positive aspects of life but also the negative.

• who you are photographing: For my environmental portraits photoshoot, I decided to photograph a variety of different people. Whether that be my friends or random strangers in their work environment. For example, I got a few different people from the market at town and I also took pictures of my friends in an environment I associate them with.
• what you are photographing: I decided to photograph people with an environment which either gives an insight into that person’s hobbies, their work or their life in general.
• when you are conducting the shoot: I conducted my shoot mainly on the weekend (the 11th and 12th of November) and additionally on days when I would see my friends.
• where you are working/ location: I took my photographs in the market in town and went to a variety of different stalls inside eg the bakery, a French shop and a flower shop. I also took some photos around different places in Jersey eg the mini golf course and on the beach.
• why you are designing the shoot in this way: I designed my photoshoot this way as I felt the market would be a good place to find a variety of different people with different jobs and backgrounds in such a close vicinity.
• how you are going to produce the images (lighting / equipment etc): To take my images, I used my phone and the lighting that was available in the market, or if my images were taken outside, I would make most of the natural lighting.
• Problems that occurred: One problem that I encounter whilst taking pictures in the market is that some of my photographs are quite dark due to the bad lighting and overshadows the person in the image, making me unable to use them for my final images. Another problem I faced was that some of the people I wanted to photoshoot were busy doing their job so they couldn’t stand staring at the camera.
• Benefits of this photoshoot: I think this photoshoot helped me to build my confidence as I had to ask a variety of strangers if I could take pictures of them. It became easier to ask each time.

Arnold Newman:

Arnold Newman was an American photographer who was well known for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his abstract still life images. Newman was born in 1918 and died in 2006. His career in photography began in 1938, in which he worked at chain portrait studios in Philadelphia. The majority of his work is black and white but he does have some images in colour.

Arnold Newman favoured prime lenses and clarity in his images. He was also known for his range of lighting techniques in order to create the tone and atmosphere he desired in his portraits. His advanced skills in using natural lighting and studio setups, helped him to achieve a balance between the subject and their environments. Arnold Newman was less interested in the details of the subject’s surroundings and more interested in the symbols he could create from them.

Throughout his career, Arnold Newman photographed a variety of different famous people. For example: Eleanor Roosevelt, Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Golda Meir, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dalí, and the former president Bill Clinton. He found his vision in the empathy he felt for artists and their work. Arnold Newman maintained the mindset that even if the subject he photographed was not known or already forgotten, the photograph should still excite and interest the viewer.

One of Arnold Newman’s well known pictures was the one of Igor Stravinsky in which the lid of his grand piano forms a gargantuan musical note representative of the melodic structure of the composer’s work, showing Arnold’s excellence in being able to carefully compose and frame an image to allow the subject’s surrounding to give us an insight into that person’s life, culture or personality. Arnold generally used a large-format camera and tripod in order to capture every detail in a setting/ environment.

“I didn’t just want to make a photograph with some things in the background. The surroundings had to add to the composition and the understanding of the person. No matter who the subject was, it had to be an interesting photograph. Just to simply do a portrait of a famous person doesn’t mean a thing.” -Arnold Newman.

Arnold Newman was said to be influenced by Flemish painters. Additionally, the work of the Cubists, including Picasso, also influenced the way he structured a photograph.

Arnold Newman’s Environmental Portraits:

I enjoyed looking at Arnold Newman’s work as I felt as if I almost had been able to make up a whole backstory about each person purely based off of their facial expressions and environment they were in, which is what a successful environmental portrait should be able to do. I also like the fact that there is no one in the background of the pictures even in places that you would normally expect to be busy. This made my attention be purely on the subject being photographed. Finally, I like how even when Arnold Newman’s pictures are in black and white, they still manage to captivate his audience and allow for such free creativity as you try and guess what the person in the photo’s life is like.