Environmental portrait – characteristics

Key features to consider with environmental portraiture:

LIGHTING: natural light or artificial light
< Outdoors > hard light > sunny weather creates hard contrast between light and shadows.
< soft light > overcast weather and clouds acts as soft box and diffuses the light.
< Indoors > use of window light > roof light > studio lights
< Direction of light > from the side > 45 degree angle > frontal > back light

ENVIRONMENT: location or setting that can add context to the portrait
< Tell a story about the sitter > lifestyle, social class, gender, ethnicity, age etc.
< Use of props > tools of the trade > personal items > clothing > fashion

FRAMING: arrangement of person(s)
< Full length body > three quarter length > half body
< Angle > low angle > deadpan > canted angle

APPROACH: formal (posed) > informal (natural, un-posed) > neutral pose and facial expression

GAZE: Eye contact > engagement with the camera
Averted gaze > looking away from camera

TECHNICAL
(CAMERA SETTING):
< Focal length > standard lens (50mm) > wide-angle lens (35mm)
< Depth of field > aperture settings > f-stops numbers
< Movement > shutter speed settings > fast > slow > use of tripod
< ISO > outdoors > crisp image > low ISO > 100-400 ISO
< indoors > grainy image > high ISO > 400-1600 ISO
< White balance > outside daylight < inside either daylight or tungsten, or tube light – depending on light conditions.

Stuart Weaving , High Net Worth Individual (HNWI). Marina Court Penthouse, St Helier, Jersey. 7 June 2015

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.

Arnold Newman

Arnold Abner Newman was an American photographer, noted for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. He also won the Lucie award in 2004.

Alfred Krupp

Alfred Krupp was a German steel manufacturer and inventor; the largest arms supplier of his era, which earned him the nickname “The Cannon King”. Krupp’s wartime employment of slave labour resulted in the “Krupp Trial” of 1947–1948, following which he served three years in prison.

Arnold Newman and Alfred Krupp photo Analysis

Alfred Krupp was a Nazi war criminal who was known for using slave labour in his factories, this can be seen in the background of this image if you look closely. Krupp contacted the famous photographer Newman for a portrait in 1963. After finding out that Newman was a Jew, Krupp refused to let him take the photograph.

Newman didn’t give up he kept asking Krupp to have a look at his portfolio before making a final decision, after seeing Newman’s portfolio Krupp finally gave in and accepted. So on July 6, 1963, Newman and some others went into a derelict factory in Essen which belonged to Krupp, This was where the photo was taken. After Krupp’s history Newman decided to make him look as evil as possible under the eerie demonic lighting of the factory.

This portrait was taken using a wide angle lens, there is a bigger sense of perspective, the lighting is eerie and demonic with the green tint which makes the subject appear very sinister. Krupp is presented as smug and almost proud of his actions, this is seen through his positioning in the photo where his hands are being placed together, his smile is clearly shown. His position in the photo taking up the whole bottom half being above and in front of the factory also is trying to suggest that he is being smug or sly .

Artist reference 2

August Sander

August Sander was a German photographer whose work documented the society he lived in. He was one the most important portrait photographers of the early 20th century.

Bio

The son of a mining carpenter, Sander apprenticed as a miner in 1889. Acquiring his first camera in 1892, he took up photography as a hobby and, after military service, pursued it professionally, working in a series of photographic firms and studios in Germany.

By 1904 he had his own studio in Linz, and, after his army service in World War I, he settled permanently in Cologne, where in the 1920s his circle of friends included photographers and painters dedicated to what was called Neue Sachlichkeit, or New Objectivity.

About his photographs

After photographing local farmers near Cologne, Sander was inspired to produce a series of portraits of German people from all strata of society. He was committed to telling the truth. His portraits were usually stark, photographed straight on in natural light, with facts of the sitters’ class and profession alluded to through clothing, gesture, and backdrop. At the Cologne Art Society exhibition in 1927, Sander showed 60 photographs of “Man in the Twentieth Century,” and two years later he published Antlitz der Zeit which translates to Face of Our Time, the first of what was projected to be a series offering a sociological, pictorial survey of the class structure of Germany.

Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman was one of the most accomplished portrait photographers of the twentieth century known for his environmental portraits of artists and celebrities such as Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, and Marilyn Monroe.

He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Image Analysis

Visual:

In the image the sitter is the main focal point and he is very central. He’s framed by concrete pillars, giving off a cold, industrial sense, he is also leaning into the photo with clasped hands and strong eye contact to give him a sinister and confident look.

The background looks very industrial and it looks as though the sitter is in ownership or in charge of the environment. The lights on the ceiling are leading lines from the top of the image to the sitter’s portrait. The light on the top of the photo contrasts the dark lighting on the bottom which creates balance. The image has a very strong contrast which exaggerates the sinister atmosphere. The sitter appears elevated above the background which further enhances the ownership.

Technical:

The lighting could be artificial which creates a strong contrast on the sitter’s face making him look more sinister and darkening his gaze. The photography probably used a medium aperture as the image has a sharp foreground and a slightly softer background but we are still able to identify some of the environmental details. The shutter speed could be quite fast as the subject is in focus, with a balanced exposure, the angle of the image is also in eye level with the subject which makes us feel like we are sitting opposite from him which makes us feel more intimidated and it seems more confrontational.

Contextual:

In 1963, Jewish photographer Arnold Newman was commissioned by Newsweek to take a portrait of Alfred Krupp, a convicted Nazi war criminal.

Alfred Krupp was a German industrialist who ran the Krupp empire, a major arms manufacturer during World War II. Convicted as a war criminal for his company’s use of slave labour, the majority of the men and boys who perished were Jewish and Krupp holds a particular place of hatred amongst its people, he was later pardoned. Despite his pardon, Krupp remained a controversial figure, and his reputation as a ruthless businessman and war profiteer followed him.

At first, Newman refused, but eventually, he decided to take the assignment as a form of personal revenge. The resulting portrait became one of the most controversial and significant images of its time.

When preparing to take the photo, Newman asking Krupp to lean forward slightly, when Krupp did this he also clasped his hands together under his chin. When he moved, the light hit his face perfectly and when Newman saw this he stated that ‘he felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck’.

Concept:

The portrait captured the essence of Krupp’s character, making him look like the embodiment of evil. Upon seeing the portrait, Krupp was furious. Nevertheless, the image was published and became one of Newman’s most famous works. The portrait served as a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II and the individuals who were responsible for them. The circulation of the photo brought Krupp out from the shadows and allowed Newman to share his hatred for his man with the world.

Texture

to capture texture in a photo you need various colours, shapes and depth of the objects surface

Werner Bischof

Werner Bischof’s photographs of post-World War II European and Asian cultures were integral to the development of photojournalism since 1945. Trained in graphic design and photography at the Zürich School of Arts and Crafts, Bischof adhered early to the style of New Objectivity, and an interest in avant-garde art and photography led him to move to Paris in 1939. The war began shortly after his arrival, and he returned to Switzerland, where he was conscripted. His experiences with refugees and his observation of the desperate conditions of war as a soldier at the Swiss border–as well as his later employment at the Zürich magazine Du, where he was encouraged toward photojournalism–resulted in a dramatic change in his photographic approach between 1942 and 1944. By 1945 he was producing the socially conscious photographs and essays for which he became best known, and had begun traveling extensively for life. Bischof specialised in photos of texture

this is one of werner bischofs texture photos and he likes to get photos of people with a texture around them

this is a photo that i took i went up to a stop sign and took a photo of it, the rust on the stop sign added texture to it, i took this photo in to light room and then edited it i changed the bottom white colour to a blue colour it made it stand out more and more vibrant, this makes the texture stand out more

I explored the theme of texture in this photo by taking a photo of a wall with shadows of the tree shining on it, it was with the use of natural lighting. The tree shadows highlights the detail of the wall. i used a medium Iso for this photo.

The main subject in this photo is the pink leaves i edited the photo to add more detail to the foreground, the background of this photo is the leaves on the floor that are bright orange this adds

Fixing the shadows

The term “fixing the shadows” started as a way to describe the early stages of photography , referring to the fixer , a chemical combination used in the final steps of processing an image onto paper. However its also linked to the use of the camera obscura.

The term ” camera obscura ” was first used by the German astronomer Johnnas kepler in the early 17th century.

Originally the camera obscura was used to study eclipses with without the risk of damaging the eyes by looking directly into the sun

A camera obscura consists of a box, tent, or room with a small hole in one side or the top. Light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside, where the scene is reproduced, inverted (upside-down) and reversed (left to right), but with color and perspective preserved.

The camera obscura was then later used by artists to trace outlines which led many to take an interest in looking for more permanent photographic images as the camera obscuras images were beautiful but fleeting. This included Nicephore niepce.

How to make your own camera obscura - Black Creek Pioneer Village

Nicephorus Niepce

Nicephorus Niepce was a French inventor and one of the earliest pioneers of photography. He developed heliography after being inspired by the camera obscura which translates to ” sun drawings ” , he used it to create the worlds first permanent photographic images.

The life of Nicéphore Niépce - Nicéphore Niépce's House Museum

For his first experiments , Nicéphore Niépce positioned at the back of a camera obscura sheets of silver salts coated paper, known to blacken with daylight . In may 1816 he produced the first image of nature : a view from a window . It was a negative and the image vanished because in broad daylight the coated paper becomes completely black . He calls these images “retinas”.

Nicephore is known as one of the ‘Fathers of photography

Louis Daguerre

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre was a French artist and photographer, recognized for his invention of the eponymous daguerreotype process of photography. He became known as one of the fathers of photography much like Nicephore.

the eponymous daguerreotype is characterized by its mirrored surface and the image’s high level of detail. First introduced in 1839 in France, the process quickly spread throughout Europe and to the United States where it was popular through the 1860s.

Having effectively retired, Daguerre returned to his first passion and spent the last decade of his life painting diorama-like tableaus for local churches in and around the Paris suburb of Bry-sur-Marne. He died there of a heart attack on July 10, 1851, aged 63.

The daguerreotype process made it possible to capture the image seen inside a camera obscura and preserve it as an object. It was the first practical photographic process and ushered in a new age of pictorial possibility.

Daguerreotype

The daguerreotype is a direct-positive process, creating a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative. The process required great care. The silver-plated copper plate had first to be cleaned and polished until the surface looked like a mirror.

Daguerreotypes can be identified by a silver mirror finish where the image can be seen or not seen depending on reflection. These date from 1839 -1860s. Ambrotypes are a positive on glass with black background added in order to contrast and see the image dating from the 1850s -1860s

The daguerreotype is accurate, detailed and sharp. It has a mirror-like surface and is very fragile. Since the metal plate is extremely vulnerable, most daguerreotypes are presented in a special housing.

Henry Fox Talbot

William Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist, inventor, and photography pioneer who invented the salted paper and calotype processes, precursors to photographic processes of the later 19th and 20th centuries. 

William Henry Fox Talbot was credited as the British inventor of photography. In 1834 he discovered how to make and fix images through the action of light and chemistry on paper. These ‘negatives’ could be used to make multiple prints and this process revolutionised image making.

Within 18 months of his initial experiments, he had grasped how to make these drawings permanent and, more importantly, developed the negative/positive process. Talbot’s calotype became the foundation for modern photographic practices. Talbot’s name appears alongside Louis Daguerre as a pioneering inventor.

Henry Fox Talbot

William Henry Fox Talbot | Oak Tree (mid 1840s) | Artsy

Richard Leach Maddox

Richard Leach Maddox was an English photographer and physician who invented lightweight gelatin negative dry plates for photography in 1871.

Long before his discovery of the dry gelatin photographic emulsion, Maddox was prominent in what was called photomicrography – photographing minute organisms under the microscope. The eminent photomicrographer of the day, Lionel S. Beale, included as a frontispiece images made by Maddox in his manual ‘How to work with the Microscope’ – wikipedia

Richard Leach Maddox

(4 August 1816 – 11 May 1902)

Formal Elements

Lines

Lines are common in photographs. They are all around us, and every photo has lines. These lines often connect different points within the image. Sometimes, lines come into the photo from outside the frame or lead out of it. The type and direction of lines in your image can convey meaning. Vertical and horizontal lines suggest stability or a still feel. Horizontal lines can show distance, while vertical lines can represent height, balance, and strength. Diagonal lines create a more active scene.

Shape

In a photograph, a silhouette represents the simplest form of a shape, lacking any details like texture or color. Because it stands out sharply against its background, a silhouette is very noticeable. Shapes are typically defined by lines that either intersect or enclose them. They can also be identified by their brightness or darkness compared to their surroundings. Differences in color, texture, and pattern around a shape can help distinguish it further. Additionally, shapes can be defined by other shapes around them, like the arrow in a well-known shipping company’s logo. The area that contains a shape is known as positive space, while the area outside it is called negative space sometimes, the negative space can create its own shape.

Space

Adding space in your photos helps create a sense of scale and depth. It gives your main subject some breathing room, letting viewers focus on the key elements of the scene. This is especially helpful in outdoor photography, where you might want to highlight the size of features like mountains or lakes. However, you can use space effectively with almost any type of photography.

Repetition

Repetition in photography is the technique of using similar elements, patterns, or themes in a composition to create a sense of rhythm and balance. This can include repeatedly using lines, shapes, colors, textures, or other visual elements to achieve consistency. Examples of repetition in photography could be a row of trees, a series of arches, a field of sunflowers, or a group of people dressed alike. By repeating these elements, the photographer helps guide the viewer’s eye across the image, establishing a visual rhythm.

Texture

Adding texture to your composition can enhance your image and connect the viewer to it, especially in macro photography. You can find textures in various surfaces and environments. To highlight these textures, try different lighting setups and depth of field options. For instance, use flat light and position the camera directly in front of a weathered wall to emphasize its surface. But also, backlighting can reveal details in sand dunes, a shallow depth of field can showcase intricate materials, and a long exposure can create a smooth effect on flowing water.

Colour

One of the most essential formal elements in visual imagery is undoubtedly colour. The use of colour, whether it appears as a solid block or as a harmonious grouping of similar shades, has the potential to create a particularly strong and memorable impact on the viewer. Different colours are not just aesthetically pleasing, they also hold significant power in terms of expression, allowing them to resonate with those who view with the image.

Value/Tone

Tone of your image is also very important in terms of formal elements, in which focusing on using contrast and the balance of light and dark areas. Tone is especially important in black and white photography, as it helps direct the viewer’s attention in the absence of color.

Texture

Francis Bruguière

Bruguiere had a pretty impressive career, shooting for famous magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair. He got into photographic abstraction and even made some cool cut paper designs, which really leveled up his art. In 1928, he showed his work at the der Strum gallery in Berlin and got a lot of praise. That same year, he moved to London, where he started playing around with light, which became a big part of his style. In 1930, he teamed up with Oswell Blakeston to create Light Rhythms, England’s first abstract film, inspired by his light experiments. Later on, he wanted a more laid-back lifestyle, so he moved to Northamptonshire and kept creating art until he passed away.

My response to Francis Bruguière:

These are all the photographs I’ve taken that focus on paper photography and my interpretation of Francis Bruguiere’s work. To organize these images, I created a color-coding system. Green indicates photos that meet a pretty good standard, meaning they are clear and well lit, which enhances their quality. Yellow signifies images that aren’t quite as good but still have editing potential. These yellow-coded photos may have issues like being slightly out of focus or poorly lit. I believe both the green and yellow photos are still useful and can be improved through editing to highlight their best features.

Paper editing:

For editing, I used the develop tab to explore the black and white presets. There were many options, and I chose a sepia filter for some images. I also adjusted the exposure to create a darker look in certain photos, making the shadows more noticeable. I made slight changes to the contrast as well to emphasize the dark areas and enhance the shadows. These adjustments improved the visual impact of each photo and contributed to the mood I wanted to achieve.

Adobe Lightroom

Add evidence / screenshots of the following:

These are my photos that I think were good enough to be flagged. After they were flagged, I rated them on scale from 1-5. This allowed me to assess the quality of of the pictures and help understand what differentiates and bad photo from a good one. These are a frame of reference to contacts sheets and how they are used by photographer to pick the best and most relevant work to their ideas

Edited Image:

To edit this image, I changed it to black and white and messed around with this setting that changed the grain, this made the photo and the subjects in the photo seems like they have more detail as the stand out more. I also changed the contrast and brightness to make the blacks and whites stand more out.

Comparing Images:

This is a comparison of the edited photo and the original, this gives a clear view of how the photo changed and how I could of done this. You then are able to analyse all the differences in each photo like for example you can tell that the image of the left seems more sharp and precise as a result of the edit techniques I used.

Contact sheets:

This is a contact sheet on some of the photos I did, this shows a clear example of the photo shoots I did for shutter speed and for apperture.

Texture

Jaroslav Roster

Jaroslav Rossler was a notable Czech photographer who played a significant role in the modernist movement in Czechoslovakia. He was born in 1902 and gained fame for his creative blending of artistic expression with avant-garde photography techniques. Rossler was a key member of the influential art collective Devetsil, aiming to incorporate a range of artistic fields. His art frequently delved into abstract and geometric themes, challenging the limits of traditional photography. Rossler’s influence in the field has endured, and his photos are admired for their distinctive viewpoint and skillful craftsmanship. He died in 1990, leaving a valuable legacy in the field of visual arts. 

My Paper Photoshoot:

Best Image Selection:

Editing:

I used photoshop and changed the images into black and white to emphasise the shadows and then contrast and sharpness to define the futures within the photo which made the dark parts have more depth and the lighter bits brighter. In the end I cropped the image to make the subject of the photo more prominent.

Before Editing
After Editing
Before editing
After editing
Before editing
After editing

This composition of photos work well together because they have all been edited in similar ways. The tonal value of the photos has been increased due to the changing of contrast and sharpness creating darker shadows and brighter highlights. It is clear in all photos the papers have asymmetrical lines which incorporates formal elements generating a visual appeal and guides the viewers focus throughout the presentation of the images.

In this composition of photos I scrunched up pieces of paper and laid them out and took close up photos of the creases within the paper. When editing all the photos I used Lightroom with the pre made settings , B&W punch, which emphasises the textures, showcasing the forms and shades.