Camera settings I used:

Portrait Plans

For my Environmental Portraits, I will photograph indoor and outdoor locations of people at:

• School

I will be photographing my:

• Friends.
• Acquaintances/ fellow students.
• Teachers

I will take my photos:

• During my lesson time
• In my free times
• Whilst on a break.
• Hanging out with friends.

How I will take my photos will be:

• With a Camera.
• In a place I am comfortable
• With my friends

why I will take them is because:

• It captures people in a natural environment.
• Displays school life and people’s natural environment
• Examples of what students, teachers and workers do and what environment they are in.

For my first experimentation with environmental photography I photographed my friends around school and focused on the different backgrounds and different angles whilst they are in their ‘natural environment’. This consists of working or learning or conversing with friends, completing schoolwork or teaching a lesson. Taking these photos was beneficial to helping me adjust to taking portrait photos of people instead of objects.

These full body shots were taken in the locker room, I took these photos to represent students as they daily enter the locker room and socialise with friends etc. I got my model to pose for these photos to create a mixture of photos in my experimentation. I wanted her to look directly at the camera and engage with it whilst looking happy with positive energy. Next time to improve I would remove the shadow from behind her as I think it makes the image confusing and looks slightly more unprofessional.

I first of all edited this half-body shot photo by increasing the exposure and making it more colourful and far less dull. I like this picture because it shows her looking directly at the camera with a blank expression, this shows her possible inner feelings and shows her concentration and calmness.

However, I decided to edit this picture in black and white. I think this works with the image as it has many different shadows. I prefer the image above due to the brightness of colour showing more personality through the high exposure and highlights.

I took these photos of students in their natural environment. I think these photos are effective because they were not posing and they were genuine. These differ from my other photos due to the fact they they are not looking directly at the camera like the others and that they show real emotion whilst conversing with friends, which is perfect for school environmental photography. I edited this photo by increasing the exposure and focusing on making it slightly brighter with more colour. However, I do not like these photos as much due to the background being slightly blurred and two people are also blurry. This lowers the quality of the image and makes them less strong.

I like these photos because they are landscape unlike my other photos, they again show a school environment with two students. I easily edited these by just increasing the brilliance, contrast, exposure. This helped escalate my images by just making them more colourful and stand out more. I also made these photos slightly darker and created a shadow around the two people whilst they look more serious.

This photograph was a photo I look from a heightened angle or ‘above angle’ to capture these students in their natural environment. I wanted to quickly capture this photo whist these students weren’t looking, this helped with the rawness of the photo and the students in their natural element. I like how they are all doing their own thing.

• Two students are on their phone
• One is communicating

I like this because they aren’t all doing the same thing and it shows a reality of school life throughout adolescent teens.

This photo shows environmental photography in school In a unique way. This photo of a single student is powerful in my opinion. I like it because of the blurred background around her, this helps her to stand out more and become even more eye-catching. Her lack of emotion portrays how she feels and her eyes are directly looking into the lens which shows her engaging with the photo.

I edited these photos by adding multiple different colours. In the first photo, I added a slight yellow tint, I like this because It creates a warmer colour around her which helps to highlight her and create a contrast between a bluer background with colder and warmer tones. The second photo I only added a small amount of yellow and focused more on the slight blue tint to it, I did this to focus more on this colder approach.

However, I like the yellow in the second picture because of the I think this was a good addition to this photo as it brightens the photo but does not add too much warmth to the photo.

“You don’t take pictures with your camera. You take pictures with your mind and your heart.” – My favourite Arnold Newman quote.

” The Portrait is a form of biography. Its purpose is to inform and to record for history” – Arnold Newman

 Arnold Newman was born on March 3, 1918, and passed away on June 6, 2006. Newman was an American photographer who was greatly known for his exquisite environmental portraits of mainly artists and politicians.

EXAMPLES:

However, he was also greatly known for his still life images which were described as ‘Abstract’.

EXAMPLES:

The first ever environmental portraits were created by Arnold Newman. Newman was seen to have ‘pushed the boundaries’ of traditional portrait photography during the middle of the 20th century, he began taking environmental portraits in the 1940s and became increasingly popular due to his new and different approach to taking photography. He included a variety of people such as famous people, workers, composers, political leaders and scientists. He began shooting photos for Look and Harper’s Bazaar, this skyrocketed his photography career of capturing his subjects at home or working.

I particularly like this photo Arnold Newman took of Carl Sandburg and Marylin Monroe on January 20th, 1962 because I think It creates a realistic photograph of a scene of conversation and friendship. From my research I found out that Marilyn complained about her sleep disorders at that evening, and this photo demonstrates Carl Sandburg showed her exercises that she should do before she goes to bed. Arnold Newman capturing this moment as a part of environmental photography shows that you do not need the backstory of a photo I understand the meaning of the photo, In this instance it represents conversation, possible concern and friendship.

My favourite thing about Arnold Newman and his work is how raw his images are. It truly captures the reality of people’s environment and how real he kept it whilst photographing them. The people in the images are not necessarily ‘posing for the camera’ and instead, they are doing their usual duties in their e.g. workplace. This is something I hope to replicate in my photos as I want to recreate people truly in their environment and not necessarily ‘posing’. I hope to compile a various amount of images where some subjects are still in their environment but also looking directly at the camera and some of my subject in other photos not looking directly at the lens and instead looking at and doing what they do in their ‘usual environment’. I think that this would create a good variation of photos and help them differ. They can then fit into similar categories of multiple famous photographers I can take inspiration from.

“An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings”.

Throughout history, Environmental Portraiture has been an admired by artists and photographers. It is seen to be a form that addresses social and political issues relating to its natural or urban environment. The purpose of ‘Environmental’ portraiture is to illuminate the subject’s life and surroundings. The images are taken to instead appreciate a story or backstory to the person or the job/ activity they may be doing.

Key Features

• formal (posed) – This is when a person is sitting or standing in a fixed position in a particular way to convey something

• head-shot – only the head face and occasionally shoulders

• half body – Only half of the body is on show, usually down to the torso

• three quarter length – Only three quarters of the body is shown, usually up to knees / full length body shot

The angle of a photo can really influence the outlook . The impression of a photo can change depending on the angle that the person is is captured from, an example of this could’ve been from the side, diagonally above, or directly above. These angles are named high angle, low angle and canted angle.

• The colour of the photograph can also be either black and white or colour. The difference between these two can completely change the impression of the photos taken. For example, a black and white photo can infer a more emotional impression of the portrait and add imagination, drama and mystery. However, a black and white image could also do the opposite and infer a less emotional and possibly a more formal, aged impression. The different shadows and effects on a black and white image could be used to juxtapose each other within a composition for a more dramatic effect.

However, a coloured picture can be used to guide the person looking at it, where you want them look and brighter colours can be used to highlight a focal point, where duller coloured can show less important elements. Coloured images can also influence how they feel about what they see and have a better idea of the message the image is trying to convey.

This was my final first practice gallery on Adobe Photoshop. To create my first artificial gallery, I found an image on images and imported it into Photoshop. I chose these particular images that I took to represent still life and transitioning into formalism. I think these all correlate in some way and have some sort of direct link to each other. The colours compliment each other well and I think this helps to escalate my gallery to look better and more presentable when the images I have taken all look similar but different.

I then exported my own photos onto the image of the gallery, to put on top of the walls. I chose this image because I think it shows a clearly displayed and open space to place my photos. I also chose this image because I think it helps to challenge myself as the walls are slanted and give me an opportunity to test my new skills whilst editing images I have taken into a virtual gallery.

1. After importing them I created a new layer and resized and distorted it to fit the walls. I did this in a particular way to fit the entirety of the wall then made them smaller in order to look presentable.
2. I also changed the angle of how they sat on the walls. This helps them to look more realistic and straight. The straighter my images I took sit on the wall, the more realistic they look.
3. I then pressed blending options after clicking the rectangular marquee tool. I then press drop shadow to control where the shadow is able to sit behind my image. This is to create a 3D effect.

I then moved onto Art steps and made another virtual gallery to display my still life photography. This website provided me with a more professional looking, but simpler approach to displaying my photographs.

In my virtual gallery I made my photos look hung up on the wall. I also experimented with different borders of my photos. From a range of black white and grey backgrounds I was able to experiment which different colours complimented my photography and brought out their detail. I enjoyed using Artsteps so that I could properly evaluate my work in a digital gallery I could explore, this gave a more realistic approach instead of just a photo. I think I prefer using Artsteps as it gives me more time to focus on editing my photos without having to focus on the angle, distortion and shadowing on my artwork on the wall.

To edit and categorize these images I decided to rate my photos from 1 star ‘*’ to 5 stars ‘*****’ as a way to pick my favourites.

I also colour coded them with ‘green’ for my best, ‘yellow’ for my unsure and ‘red’ for my low quality bad ones. This helps me to easily display favourite and least favourite images more specifically.

I took these photographs in the studio using a DSLR camera and a studio light.

I really like this image because of the gold shimmer that the jewellery creates. I also really like the warm tone that the gold creates, I think this differs from my other photos I have taken because I have focussed on more cooler tones. If I was to change two things it would be: 1. I would erase the shadow of the jewellery and how it takes the focus away from the bracelets. To do this I would need to change the camera angle, background or camera settings.

2. I would also change the setup of my jewellery, I think I should’ve thought more clearly about my setup in order to escalate the image and give it higher quality.

I edited this photo and focused on making it slightly brighter. I did not particularly need to edit the photo as it would lose quality and quickly become too bright or too dark. I also edited this photo whilst mainly focussing on and getting rid of the texture in the top and bottom part of the red paper. Erasing this texture helps my photo to become a higher quality and more effective.

I did not like this part of the texture of the picture so I attempted to erase it to make the image more effective. I had to experiment with the tools in order to find out how to erase this part of the image. However, this worked by helping me to gain more skills whilst working in Adobe Lightroom.

I also edited this photo to give it a higher quality and make the background a bit darker so that the details of the objects and light from below stands out more. I think that this makes my image stand out more and become more focussed.

I also took these photos however, whilst taking them I was unsuccessful with gaining a clear, controlled image and they came out very blurry. Next time, I should increase the shutter speed so that I am able to capture the moving image more quickly. These photos also do not particularly represent formalism and I think would fit well under still life if I was able to capture a less blurry image.

I edited this photo to make it clearer and focus on the small details of the scissors whilst also still maintaining the brightness and vibrancy of the pink background. This was difficult as my aperture was already low which lowered the exposure. To help brighten up this photo more I had to subtly heighten the exposure whilst editing in Adobe Lightroom.

These are my two favourite edited version of a paintbrush I photographed. I think these signify formalism very well because It is a single object and the images focuses on appreciating the object rather than a variety of things.

I do not really like this image I took because I think the background is effective, however, the brightness and shape of the scissors clashes with the background colour and creates a confusing image with too many colours not working together. To improve this image I could use a single coloured object so that the background can bring out the shape and dimensions of the object.

Whilst editing this photo, I thought about attempting to maintain the colourful background whilst showing the details of the scissors. I placed the scissors in a way so that they are both displayed clearly and look good. I think this really helped to make my image look interesting and appealing to look at because there is two objects that are the same, his is to maintain the idea of formalism and appreciation of one object whilst having two of the same object.

I really do not like this image because It is far too dark and is very low quality, however, I attempted to edit it anyway and see if I can elevate it and help it look better.

After editing this photo and focusing mainly on improving the whites and definitions I much prefer it. I think that once the image is brightened up, you can see the details and different textures from the object. However the newspaper behind the paintbrushes clashes slightly with the different colours and shades on the old paintbrush which I think makes the image look confusing and unappealing to look at. To improve I should change the objects on top of the newspaper to an object on one solid colour. If I did this, I think that the newspaper would bring out the detail of the objects much more.

I only had to briefly edit this photo because It was already high quality and does not include a wide range of colours. This photo helps to appreciate the object whilst pairing it with whites and yellows on a subtle spotlight.

I also decided to take this photo from the same angle so that you can see the object from a direct point of view. I think if I took this from above it would not be as good and would not be as effective. The bright blue and orange really makes this image so much more eye-catching and structured. I really like this image however, the bright spotlight causes a slight blur from the bottom of the car. This takes detail away from the wheels and sign at the bottom of the car.

Walker Evans

“The Beauty of the Common Tool”

Whilst working at at Fortune magazine, Evans produced an array of photos named Beauties of the Common Tool,” which was displayed in the July 1955 issue. 

Much of Evans’ work from the FSA period uses the large format, 8×10-inch view camera. The variety of objects consisted of:

1- a reamer 2- an awl 3- a bill hook 4- an auger 5- various pliers 6- T-squares 7- wrenches  

Here is my interpretation of Walker Evan’s Work

I turned this image from coloured to black and white to match Walker Evans. Whilst editing I paid close attention to Walker Evan’s ideology of ‘The Beauty of the Common Tool’ and how it could influence my work.

I think to improve this photography I could take more photos of the same angle that he did. This would make my photos look even more like his. Another thing Evan’s did was elevate the object to avoid a shadow, in this image there is a shadow. To improve I am going to do this with my object.

I then did another photoshoot and focussed on taking the object photos from above and elevating the object to avoid the shadow. I think this really made my object photos look like Walker Evans’s work of ‘The Beauty of the Common Tool’.

Darren Harvey- Regan

After Walker Evan’s July 1955 issue was released, Harvey-Regan first constructed a montage of Evans’s images to make new forms.

Walker Evan’s work truly inspired Darren Harvey- Regan and helped him to become the photographer that he has become. He took Walker Evans’ work and montaged it into an array of combined images.

The montaged tools that Darren used were shown to become both beautiful and bizarre objects.

The odd yet unique objects consisted of items such as:

• Scissors
• Ratchet Wrench
• Pliers

“It’s a means of transposing material into other material, adding new meaning or thoughts in the process. I think photographing materials is a way to consider the means of creating meaning, and it’s a tactile process with which I feel involved. Touching and moving and making are my engagement with the world and my art”. Darren Harvey- Regan.

Darren Harvey Regan claims he is interested in the concept that photographs do not exist just to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves. – This is what introduces the idea of appreciation of one object.

I attempted to take this photo to represent formalism in a different form that is different from Darren Harvey Regan’s interpretation however, this image ended up being very over exposed and incorrectly taken. This resulted in a blurry and dark image that I cannot edit or improve.

We chose this photograph to analyse because I can see it is particularly bright and eye-catching in the centre and the background is particularly dark which creates cool dimensions and makes it appealing to people. This image has inspired my photography as it has introduced me to different lightings being used in one photos. The contrast of light and darks really brings out the definitions in the photo. To create this effect I would have to challenge myself to work with multiple lightings for one shot. this could bring my photos to the next level and test my skills whilst in the studio.

We quickly picked up mostly on the:

• Bright yellow tint on the man and how it helps bring him out in the image.
• The contrast of warm colours on the inside and cold colours on the outside.
• The mixture of ambient and artificial lighting with the small amount of natural lighting.
• The white light around him that helps him stand out.

I have chosen to colour code my photos into my favourites and my least favourites. This is to easily access my favourite image whilst editing them. I can also then easily discard of my least favourite images

To take these photos my camera settings were:

• Shutter speed- 1/125 sec
• ISO-100
• Aperture- f/16

Here is my favourite and best photo unedited:

I like this this photo because it focuses on every object being visible and acknowledged. I also like the angle and the pearls draped over the objects. This creates a good dimension and the objects look well balanced out.

Here is my worst photo unedited:

I don’t like this photo because I think the main focal point is covered. This makes the photo look muddled up and untidy. I think that the necklace wrapped around the object makes the image look messy and unappealing to the eye. I also do not like the angle that it is taken at and to improve this I would like to take it at a better angle to make the photograph look more professional.

I edited this photo first by focusing on detail and texture by increasing the contrast, texture and clarity. This however makes the image look colder and darker, this was my first time editing an image so experimenting with the different editing tools helped to expand my knowledge.

I then decided whilst editing this photo that I wanted to also focus on a more colourful eye-catching approach. This differs from my other edits of this photo by introducing a more colourful and lively impression. This really transformed the image from very white and plain to a more edited look. For this I focused more on colour, vibrancy and detail.

I edited this as my second favourite photo as it has 4 objects instead of 3. This image could be improved by possibly being taken from another angle and I could attempt to remove any imperfections off the larger object to make the photograph look tidier and cleaner. The reason it is not my favourite is because the larger object is not balanced with a similarly tall object so the photo looks slightly unbalanced. This could be prevented by having the smaller objects elevated on a white block to match the colour scheme, but also to heighten the objects to make the difference in sizes less obvious and make the objects look like more of a collective.

These are my main photos I took using these objects.

I then added a different object with a more eye catching object to see if It could improve my image.

able to capture the photo in a clearer way. Increasing the shutter speed the lens is open for a shorter length of time, so less light enters the lens. This would help me to take the photo better.

Still Life Transition into Formalism

I then took some images to help transition from still life to formalism. These images are still linked to still life as there are multiple objects, however, they link to formalism as they are shown in their critical positions and that my most important aspects of work are in their true form.

I really like the edited version of this photo better as it shows so much more depth and interest into the image instead of just a whiter, plainer photo which makes my picture look more dull. I edited this by mainly focussing on the shadows and

UNEDITED VERSION ^^^^^^^^^

EDITED VERSION^^^^^^^^^^^^

I really like this photo because I think the paint on the cutlery, which I previously disliked, really compliments the dull colours and brings out a vibrant edge to the photo. I think that the focal point of the image is the red paint on the spoon as the red immediately catches the human eye.

I also took these photos however, whilst taking them I was unsuccessful with gaining a clear, controlled image and they came out very blurry. Next time, I should increase the shutter speed so that I am able to capture the moving image more quickly. I think these photos have potential to look very interesting and look good, but I would have to work very carefully with my camera settings and test my skills.

I also edited this photo to give it a higher quality and make the background a bit darker so that the details of the objects and light from below stands out more. I think that this makes my image stand out more and become more focused. I however think that this image could’ve been improved by being taken at multiple angles. I also think that the smaller objects could’ve been arranged in a more tidier ideal way so that the image looks more carefully thought about and constructed.