Print Screen 1:

To start with, I opened up a plain gallery photo I found on the internet, I chose this one because there is lots of space where I can add my own images in. I began with these two images because they are definitely two of my most successful images that I have taken and edited so far. I thought that by adding these to the sides without any other images near them, it prevents distractions when looking at them, and means the viewer can focus on them more. By using photoshop I was also able to add shadow effects, and slant the images on the sides to add a sense of realism, it already began to look professional.

Print Screen 2:

I then moved on to the back section of the gallery, where I added another still life image I had taken in the middle. I did this because it looks efficient if my still life photos are equally separated. I did not need to add any shadows to this image because it was a neutral shot, meaning I can not see any of the sides.

Final Virtual Gallery:

This was the final result of my virtual gallery, after I added in my final images. For the final two, I decided to incorporate photos of tools, which was inspired by Walker Evans and Darren Harvey-Regan. I did this because it created a realistic contrast of photos you could find in a real art gallery. I like the effect of the two tool images separating the still life because it creates disparity, and therefore makes each detail in each image more noticeable and eye-catching.

What is Rembrandt lighting?

Developing from a Dutch portrait painter, Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, it refers to the way of lighting the face in which an upside-down triangle is formed under the eyes with shadows of the subject.

With the invention of spotlights in Hollywood in the early 20th century, Rembrandt lighting in photograph emerged from this as people were able to experience with light artificially instead of relying on it naturally.

Becoming widely used with film stars for promotional material it soon became a well known lighting technique.

Why use Rembrandt?

By using Rembrandt lighting, it creates a interesting shadow and contrast, with the triangle of light being casted on the subjects face.

Drawing in the eye with an interesting lighting technique, the portraits subject is made the main focal point with a shallow depth of field as an additional method helping to achieve this.

Rembrandt can be used with either hard or soft light creating a choice in how the photographer wants to create an individual look on the viewer.

(As seen here).

Hard light

Soft light

(As seen in both images the reoccurring triangle of light below the eye signifies this lighting technique as Rembrandt).

How to create Rembrandt:

Light – By using one singular light source, at an angle of 40 – 45 degrees, placed higher than the subject, this creates the Rembrandt technique.

Lens – A 35mm or 55mm is the best lens types for Rembrandt lighting. 50mm is best for a good depth of field and shallow aperture. 35mm is best for a wider point of view and is able to capture the subject entirely.

Examples of own work:

In most cases we can make use of natural or available / ambient light but we must be aware of different kinds of natural light and learn how to exploit it thoughtfully and creatively.

Natural Lighting :

Natural light refers to the ambient light supplied by the sun or moon, not a camera flash or other artificial light sources. Natural light is also taken to include lights you’d find naturally in the environment, such as street lights, lamps, etc.

Ambient lighting :

Ambient light is any light a photographer or cinematographer did not bring to the shoot. Also known as available light, it’s any light that you haven’t set up yourself. 

Within this photo, I personally like it as it has a successful background to make environmental portraits by the outfit and props behind her to make her significantly blend in with the background. I did some experimenting and increased the temp however kept the tint the same. The original photo on exposure was too high so I decreased the exposure until it had the correct amount. I then continued to decrease highlights as if I decreased my shadows next it would significantly deepen the depth of shadows which shown successful, however this image originally has natural lighting whereas forced lighting in a certain area would emphasise these shadows. Lastly, I put it in black and white to create an effect of vintage and nostalgia and the original image was too colourful in my opinion.

Firstly, I edited the colour one to create a warmer temperature and lowered the exposure ever so slightly so the image wasn’t as exposed and bright. Decreased the shadows to deepen them but contrasted it with increased the highlights to make it not too dark. I then put it in black and white to see if I liked the possibility of it being in that colour however I definitely preferred it in colour as the image itself and surroundings are very bright and colourful and I think that adds to the image and ultimately creates environmental portrait so the viewer has more of an understanding of the environment behind her.

Personally, I couldn’t decide which one I preferred as I think the colourful image is more eye-catching however the black and white reduces all the tones especially the green tone but the colourful image does help the viewer see the props and background to actually understand what environment relates to him as a person.

I definitely prefer this image in black and white as he gives off old energy which links to the nostalgic theme and black and white significantly adds a vintage vibe. I decreased the exposure to make it less bright and exposed and contrasted it with increasing the contrast so the image had more definition and decreased the shadows too deepen them as its in black and white and finalised it by adding some texture so the image had more definition and looked more realistic.

I flagged and made my images green to make it easier for me to quickly reach my best images in my environmental portrait collection and therefore be able to see what to do next to improve or do the same for my next project to be able to be more successful.

I am going to take 100-200 of various different backgrounds. I am going to be photographing my friends and family. I am trying to reflect their background’s and their life’s within these images, such as..

1. Home
2. Favourite place to eat
3. Work
4. Social place

I think these places will show a lot about the person and what they are like. Environmental portraits reveals a lot about you as a person and opens up many doors showing you how they live and what they do, therefore I chose these locations.

I made them stand in the centre, some smiling an some not. Some close to the camera and some far away. Some of the photograph will be them doing the action/ favourite thing and enjoying themselves. I love the way that these portraits portray peoples homes and how they live which shows an important message. I like how in my image’s people are smiling and showing how they love their activity and are full of happiness doing it too. Here are some examples from goggle of what i am looking to do.

This is a similar sort of idea of the portraits I would to reactive or achieve, such as..

To conclude

The goal of action panning photography is to create an image in which a subject in motion looks relatively sharp and clear while the background appears streaky and blurry. The key to a successful action panning image is having something acceptably sharp in the frame which is what I am going to produce within these images.

There is many different variants of light and how it can be shown, such as

• intensity of the light
• direction of the light
• temperature of the light (and white balance on the camera)
• making use of “the golden hour”
• Using reflectors (silver / gold)

As the names imply, hard light is harsh and creates strong shadows, while soft light is more diffused and creates softer shadows. Hard light has more contrast and is usually brighter than soft light, while soft light is usually more even.

There are three types of styles; Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, chiarascuro 

What is Rembrandt lighting style?

Rembrandt lighting is a technique using 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 characterized by a lit-up triangle underneath the subject’s eye on the less illuminated area of the face

Rembrandt lighting is characterized by an illuminated triangle (also called “Rembrandt patch”) under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face. 

i.e.

What is the butterfly lighting?

Butterfly lighting is a portrait lighting pattern where the key light is placed above and directly centerd with a subject’s face. This creates a shadow under the nose that resembles a butterfly.

Butterfly lighting is a type of lighting pattern for studio portraiture. It is used for taking flattering, glamorous portrait photos. The lighting is soft on the face. It forms a butterfly-shaped shadow under the subject’s nose, which is the source of the name

Lighting: 

Butterfly lighting requires a key light that can be a flash unit or continuous. If continuos, it can be artificial or natural. In other words, you can use strobes, speedlights, LEDs or even the sun.

A butterfly lighting effect refers to the setup and not to the quality of light – it can be soft or hard light depending on the effect you want.

i.e.

Lastly..

Chiaroscuro, in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume in modelling three-dimensional objects and figures.

Chiaroscuro is the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting- it literally translates to light-dark.

i.e.

That is the set up.

You can use different kinds of lighting with flash..

flash “bouncing”
fill-in flash
TTL / Speedlight flash
remote / infra-red flash (studio lighting)
fast + slow synch flash
light painting c/w slow shutter speeds

There are three main types of studio lighting that is commonly used, Rembrandt lighting, Butterfly lighting and Chiaroscuro lighting.

Rembrandt lighting –

Rembrandt lighting is a technique that was taken from a famous painter from the 1600s Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. The technique is a way of lighting the face so that a small upside-down triangle of light appears on the cheek, just under the eye of the model in the photo.

This technique is most commonly known for the impact it had on Hollywood photos throughout the years, used in promotional photographs to show them in a dramatic and eye-catching way.

Using Rembrandt lighting you instantly create shadows and contrast in your photos. it also adds an element of drama and psychological depth to the model in the photo. It draws the viewers attention to the eye of the person in the photo since it acts like a photographic device. This is helpful because in portraiture the eyes are usually the main focal point and subject of the photo.

Lighting setup :

Light: Lighting styles are determined by the positioning of your light source.  Rembrandt lighting is created by the single light source being at a 40 to 45-degree angle and higher than the subject. Use cans use both flashlights and continuous lights.

Lens: Use a 35mm or 50mm if space is at a premium – or if you’re looking at including more of the subject than just the head and shoulders. A 50mm works really nicely for portraits and will give a nice depth of field if you’re shooting at a shallow aperture. But a 35mm will give you a wider point of view and is great to fit more of the body in of your subject.

Butterfly Lighting –

Butterfly lighting is a type of lighting technique primarily used in a studio setting. Its named ‘ butterfly ‘ because of the butterfly-shaped shadow that it creates just under the models nose. This happens because the lighting used in the shot, comes from above the face of the model. It can also commonly be called ‘paramount lighting’ or ‘glamour lighting’.

Butterfly lighting is used mostly for portraits, its a pattern that flatters everybody that its used on which makes it one of the most common lighting setups.

Lighting setup :

Lighting: Butterfly lighting requires a key light that can be a flash unit or continuous. If continuous, it can be artificial or natural. In other words, you can use strobes, speed lights, LEDs or even the sun.

A butterfly lighting effect refers to the setup and not to the quality of light – it can be soft or hard light depending on the effect you want.

Chiaroscuro –

Chiaroscuro is Italian for ( light/dark ) which is obvious for the photos it produces. There is a very obvious contrast of lighting in these photos, the shadows are very harsh and dark while the highlights are very bright and illuminating. This shows the bold contrast.

It first appeared in a 15th century painting in Italy and Flanders, but true Chiaroscuro was developed during the 16th century, in Mannerism and in Baroque art – dark subjects were dramatically lighted by a shaft of light from a single constricted and often unseen source. It was a compositional device seen of old ‘masters’ from that time.

Chiaroscuro is also often seen in Hollywood now too, usually in crime or thriller dramas to enhance the theme of unsettlement throughout the film.

Lighting Setup :

Chiaroscuro using one key light and a variation using a reflector that reflects light from the key light back onto the sitter, which gives the illusion of the light and dark contrast.

What is Environmental portraiture?

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. The most common purpose of environmental photography is to inform and educate people about how their actions affect the environment.

Mood Board:

About Environmental Portraits:

A good environmental portrait is a photograph of a person that connects them with their natural surroundings. The photo will provide more of a story about the person than a formal portrait would. A portrait of a person in their natural environment adds depth to both them and the location.

Typology in photography:

A photographic typology is a single photograph or more commonly a body of photographic work, that shares a high level of consistency. This consistency is usually found within the subjects, environment, photographic process, and presentation or direction of the subject.

Who am I taking photographs of?

I have decided that I will capture most of my photos of teachers around the school. This is because they each have a strong profession, and have specific duties to carry out in their job, making my photos look professional.

Where am I taking the photographs?

I am going around the school, to different classrooms and environments. I will capture different environments such as the canteen, classrooms and offices.

What am I taking photographs of?

For my photoshoot, I am going to make the main focus of my images the subject in each photo. I will ensure that the viewer’s eye will focus on the subject, and then move throughout the background. In order to do this, I will need to make the subject engage with the camera so the effect of telling a story is made.

Why am I taking these photographs?

I am carrying out this photoshoot in the school because it has perfect environments that tell stories about the subjects and their professions. In each photo or environment, the viewer gets to see what the subject’s job is really like, and how passionate they are towards it. By doing this, it also allows the viewer to feel closer to the subject.

When using lighting you must think of the following when creating a desired outcome:

• Intensity of the light
• Direction of the light
• Temperature of the Light (Warm or cold + white balance)
• use of ” the golden hour”
• Using reflectors (silver/gold)

Light can differentiate in many ways depending on how it is used for example…

And

White balance (WB) and colour temperature –