Identity in photography looks at how we perceive ourselves as individuals and how we relate to those around us. A photograph serves as a tangible representation of a person engaging with the world around them.
What is Femininity ?
Feminist photographers have taken a medium that was usually used to support traditional gender roles and transformed it into a strong means of change and freedom. They have redefined what photographic self-expression can be and challenged the ideas of what subjects and settings are worthy of being represented in an artistic way.
What is Masculinity ?
Masculinity is about showing certain attitudes and behaviours that represent being male, and it also includes how men and women acknowledge and recognize these traits in each other.
These three things can be influenced by your up bringing or place, some other influence’s include:
Gender identity – Gender identity refers to how someone personally understands their own gender. It can match the sex they were assigned at birth, or it can be different. For many people, their biological traits align with their gender identity. Usually, how someone expresses their gender—like their behaviors and appearance—shows their gender identity, but that’s not always true. A person might act or look a certain way that fits a specific gender role, but that doesn’t always mean it represents their true gender identity.
Cultural identity – Cultural identity plays a significant role in shaping who a person is, influencing how they see themselves and how others see them. It connects to various aspects like nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, location, gender, and any social group that has its own unique culture. Essentially, cultural identity reflects both the individual and the group of people who share similar cultural backgrounds or experiences.
Social identity – Social identity refers to the part of a person’s self-image that comes from their perceived membership in a specific social group. This idea was first developed by social psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner during the 1970s and 1980s. Their social identity theory aimed to explain how people behave in groups. It looks at the concepts of ‘ingroup’ and ‘outgroup’ and suggests that our identities are shaped by how we see ourselves in relation to others, which can change based on the activities we participate in.
Geographical identity – Place identity, or place-based identity, is a concept that combines ideas about location and personal identity across various fields like geography, urban planning, landscape architecture, and environmental psychology. It’s often referred to as urban character, neighborhood character, or local character. Over the past 25 years, place identity has gained importance in urban planning and design. It focuses on how places hold meaning for the people who live and interact with them, and how these meanings shape individuals’ understanding of themselves.
Political identity – Political identity is a type of social identity that shows a person’s connection to groups fighting for a specific kind of power. This can involve aligning with a political party, taking stances on particular political issues, feeling a sense of nationalism, dealing with relationships between different ethnic groups, or engaging with broader ideological ideas.
Lack of or loss of identity – A person might struggle with self-identity for several reasons. This can include experiences from their childhood, like trauma, as well as pressure from society. Mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, can also play a role, along with certain personality disorders, like borderline personality disorder, which is actually a factor used to diagnose it.
Stereotypes – Stereotypes are traits that society automatically assigns to different groups of people based on things like age, weight, job, skin colour, and gender. When it comes to sexual stereotyping, it means linking girls and boys to different, and sometimes conflicting, sets of traits.
Creative portraiture usually means photos that are more than just a single shot taken with a camera. It often mixes different images and elements to create a final piece, which is also called a composite image. This method can include pictures that have been heavily edited, while other styles might stick to what the camera originally captured. Before digital photography became popular, techniques in the darkroom like dodging, burning, and masking allowed photographers to get really creative with their images. Nowadays, when people talk about creatively changing an image, they often use the term “photoshopped.” This refers to images that have been altered in some way, often making them look different from reality, using software like Adobe Photoshop.
Examples
Double/ Multi-exposure
What is it?
Double or multiple exposures are a cool trick that happens when you stack images on top of one another. You can do this directly with your camera settings, or you can use Adobe Photoshop by making layers and adjusting the blending options and opacity. Another way to create this effect is by erasing parts of the layers to show different sections of the other images underneath.
Examples
Artist Analysis
Man Ray
Man Ray, originally named Emmanuel Radnitzky, was born on August 27, 1890, and passed away on November 18, 1976. He was an influential American artist who spent a large part of his life in Paris. While he played an important role in the Dada and Surrealist movements, his connections to these movements were more casual than formal. Man Ray created significant pieces across various art forms but primarily identified as a painter. He gained fame for his innovative photography and was well-known for his work in fashion and portrait photography. Additionally, he is recognized for his unique photograms, which he referred to as “rayographs” as a nod to his own name.
Examples of his work
These are some of Man Rays most famous multi-exposure photos.
Image Analysis
Technical- The lighting in this image is most likely nature lighting. This is because he appears to be looking out of a window which is bringing in some nature light. The aperture was likely quite large with a low f/stop number. This is because the man is in focus but the background is completely out of focus. Moreover the shutter speed was most likely quite quick, I can tell this because there is little motion blur and the man is in focus, I think it is something like 1/120 or 1/250. The ISO is most probably low, something like 100 or 200. Due to this photo being black and white, it appears cold with little warmth or saturation.
Visual- There is little colour due to it being black and white, however its quite a light tone due to the bright natural lighting. The man has rough, old skin which brings a large amount of texture to this photo and furthermore because of the multi- exposure the photo is given a lot of depth and makes it seem really 3D. The rule of thirds is followed in this image, this is apparent because his eyes and head are in the centre and most of his body is cropped out of the image.
My attempt at Multi-exposure
I used these two photos to create multi-exposure.
“Overlay”
More attempts
“Difference”
“Lighten”
Juxtapoisition
What is it?
Juxtaposition is when you put two contrasting things next to each other. This technique is usually used to highlight their similarities or differences, making it easier to compare and contrast them.
Examples
My Juxtaposition edits
Photoshop
Further Manipulating
“Lighten”
“Luminosity”
Russian Constructivism and Photomontage
What is it ?
Constructivism is an art movement that started in the early 1900s, specifically in 1915, thanks to artists Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko. This style is known for being abstract and minimalistic, focusing on representing the modern industrial world and urban environments. Instead of using decorative elements, constructivist artists preferred to work with industrial materials and assemblages. They believed in using art for social and propaganda purposes, aligning themselves with Soviet socialism, the Bolsheviks, and the Russian avant-garde. The impact of constructivist art and architecture was significant, shaping many modern art movements throughout the 20th century. It played a crucial role in influencing important styles like Bauhaus and De Stijl. Its reach extended across various fields, affecting architecture, sculpture, graphic design, industrial design, theater, film, dance, fashion, and even music to a certain degree.
Examples
Artist Analysis
Aleksander Rodchenko
Who is he ?
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (December 5, 1891 – December 3, 1956) was a prominent Russian and Soviet artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer. He played a key role in founding constructivism and Russian design and was married to fellow artist Varvara Stepanova. Rodchenko was a highly versatile artist who emerged as a leading figure in constructivism and productivism after the Russian Revolution. Initially, he worked as a painter and graphic designer, but later shifted his focus to photomontage and photography. His photographic work was socially conscious, innovative in form, and rejected traditional painterly styles. He often captured his subjects from unusual angles—either from above or below—to create a sense of surprise and delay the viewer’s understanding.
Aleksander Rodchenko
His Photos
My photo in his Style
This is the photo I’m going to use and edit
I tried a couple of designs to see which ones I liked the best.
My final Design
I then added a crosshair for more detail and to closer relate it to Rodchenko.
Studio photography, at its core, takes place indoors in a controlled environment where the photographer can manage every aspect of the photo shoot. This type of photography can capture a diverse range of subjects, from people and animals to various products like cars and jewellery. Typically, a photography studio begins as an empty room. The photographer then creates backdrops and makes choices about what to add or leave out, including outfits for models and different props.
Examples
Different Types of Studio Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting
Rembrandt lighting is a common technique in studio portrait photography and filmmaking. It can be used alongside butterfly lighting for different effects. You can create this look with just one light and a reflector, or with two lights. It’s favoured because it can produce natural and striking images without needing a lot of gear. The key feature of Rembrandt lighting is a lit triangle, known as the “Rembrandt patch,” that appears under the eye on the darker side of the subject’s face. This style is named after the Dutch artist Rembrandt, who commonly used this lighting in his work.
Butterfly Lighting
Butterfly lighting is a technique where the light is positioned just above and in front of the person’s face. Sometimes, this style is also called paramount lighting. When we talk about butterfly lighting, one of the key features to look for is the shadow that forms under the nose, which resembles a butterfly.
Chiaroscuro Lighting
Chiaroscuro refers to the dramatic differences between light and dark in art, creating striking contrasts that impact the entire piece. Artists and art historians use this term to describe how these light contrasts help give depth and shape to three-dimensional objects and figures. This technique is also seen in movies, as well as in black and white and low-key photography, where it’s still referred to as chiaroscuro.
Lighting Diagrams
Artist Analysis
Nadav Kander
Nadav Kander, who was born in 1961, is a photographer, artist, and director based in London. He is famous for his stunning portraits and landscapes. Kander has created several books and has showcased his work in many exhibitions. In 2015, he was honoured with an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society and also won the prestigious Prix Pictet award.
Photos by him
Image Analysis
Photo by Nadav Kander
Visual – This is a photo of Ex president Barack Obama. In this photo there is a large amount of blue, in the background and his suit, these two blues complement each other really well. The background is soft with little texture or shape, furthermore there is no pattern in the background, this makes the viewer fully focus on the subject with little attention to the background. Obama is centre frame with his head in the upper centre of the frame, this creates an equal rule of thirds.
Technical – The lighting in this photo is cold with little warmth and is from the front of his face, you can see this because his face is in the light and the back / side of his head is left in the dark. I think that the type of lighting is moist probably artificial or studio lighting. The aperture in this photo is large with a shallow depth of field, probably shot at f/1.4 or f/1.8, something really low, I can tell this because the background is completely blurred and the subject is fully in focus. Moreover I think the shutter speed would have been fast, something like 1/500 or 1/300, this is because there is already plenty of light already and the subject has no blur and is fully in focus. The ISO is probably something like 100, this is because there is no need to let in more light due to the bright studio lights, I can also tell this due to the lack of grain in the image.
Contextual – Right before Barack Obama started his presidency, photographer Nadav Kander was asked to capture portraits of the important people in his team. Like the secretary of state, the outcome was an intriguing glimpse of a group of individuals about to make history. The exhibition, Obama’s People, will be showcased at the Flowers East Gallery in London starting September 11.
Conceptual – The concept behind this photo and why this photo is so important is because Barack Obama was the first black president in history. I think this photo represents hope, this is because he isn’t looking directly at the camera and more off to the side, he looks like he is gazing out over his people and land with almost a smile and ambition.
Photoshoot Plan
I plan to use the studio to take photos of my friend. Furthermore I plan to use different lighting angles and techniques to experiment and find out which one looks the best.
Our studio Set up
Contact Sheet
Selection Process
My Example of Rembrandt Lighting
This photo shows a good example of Rembrandt lighting, this is because there is a triangle of light on the right of the nose which perfectly brings out the colour in the right eye.
My Example of Butterfly Lighting
This photo shows good Butterfly lighting. This is due to the butterfly shaped shadow underneath the nose.
My Example of Split Lighting
This photo is a good example of Split lighting. This is because half the face is illuminated and the other half is left completely in the dark.
Final Photos
Editing
Final Photos
Final Photos Black and White
Cropping
Final Cropped Photos
Evaluation
My photos turned out exactly how I intended them to. Further more I managed to effectively experiment with the different types of lighting. My photos follow Kanders photos to some extent but then I took my own turn by including more of the body or by including hands.
Compositions
Final Composition
I chose this composition because it incorporates the cropped and un-cropped versions of the photo and its almost like a before and after style photo.
August Sander (November 17, 1876 – April 20, 1964) was a notable German photographer known for his portraits and documentary style. His first book, Face of Our Time, came out in 1929. Many consider Sander to be the most significant German portrait photographer of the early 1900s. While he also captured landscapes, nature, architecture, and street scenes, his portraits are what he is most famous for, particularly in his series People of the 20th Century. This series was designed to reflect a diverse range of society during the Weimar Republic.
A photographic typology is all about exploring different “types” through a series of images. Instead of focusing on individual photos, it emphasizes the idea of gathering and categorizing. This approach to photography is really impactful because it can change how we see and understand the world we live in.
An environmental portrait is a type of portrait taken in the subject’s everyday setting, like their home or workplace. This style of photography aims to showcase not just the person but also their life and the environment around them. When you capture someone in their own space, it’s believed that you can reveal more about their character and truly reflect their personality, rather than just focusing on their physical appearance. Additionally, being in a familiar environment can help the subject feel more comfortable, allowing them to express themselves more naturally compared to the often intimidating atmosphere of a studio.
Artist Analysis
Arnold Newman
Who is he ?
Arnold Abner Newman, born on March 3, 1918, and passing away on June 6, 2006, was a renowned American photographer. He gained fame for his “environmental portraits,” which captured artists and politicians in their own settings. Additionally, he was recognized for his skilful abstract still life photography. In 2006, he was honoured with induction into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.
Newman’s work
Image Analysis
Alfred Krupp by Arnold Newman – 1963
This image shows an almost villain looking old man staring directly into the camera, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. The two pillars either side exaggerate the rule of thirds in this image and place Krupp in the centre bottom of the image. The lighting along the celling creates leading lines that take the viewer to the industrial, train station background.
Visual – The sitter ( Krupp ) is the main focal point of the image, he is leaning forward suggesting how he is confident he is and how he is probably the owner and not a worker. Krupp’s wrinkly face and hands highlights his age and worn appearance, it also shows how he has seen and been through a lot in his life. Krupp is fully centre with lights leading to him and pillars either side to show how he is the centre of attention. The relatively bland colours create a strong contrast between the dark and light patches of the image. The photo has little negative space and is extremely cluttered which could allude to how messy and cramped his past life was. Krupp seems raised from the background showing how he could be more important than average.
Technical – The dim lighting, probably artificial, creates and eerie atmosphere. Furthermore the cold tone of the lighting emphasises the serious, uncomfortable scene. Moreover because of this lighting technique, each side of his face is lit up whereas the front of his face is left in darkness, this reinforces how mysterious Krupp is. The background is blurred however some of the background details are still identifiable, Krupp is in focus, this is through using a medium to shallow depth of field and a middle to low f/stop. The shutter speed is most likely fast as he is fully in focus with a balanced exposure. The angle the photo was taken at is directly facing him at eye level which allows the view to connect better with him.
Contextual – Arnold Newman was a Jewish photographer who was asked by Newsweek to capture a photo of Alfred Krupp who was not a military man but an industrialist who owned and ran the war factories. Newman didn’t want to take the photo but then agreed to it in the end and saw it has his small bit of revenge for what Krupp did.
Conceptual – Newman didn’t want to take the photo but then agreed to it in the end and saw it has his small bit of revenge for what Krupp did. When Newman asked Krupp to lean forward for the photo he naturally without being asked put his hands together and put them to his chin. Newman seeing this took the photo without hesitation, however Krupp hated this photo that was now famous world wide. This was Newman’s revenge.
Further Artist Analysis
August Sander
Who is he ?
August Sander (November 17, 1876 – April 20, 1964) was a notable German photographer known for his portraits and documentary style. His first book, Face of Our Time, came out in 1929. Many consider Sander to be the most significant German portrait photographer of the early 1900s. While he also captured landscapes, nature, architecture, and street scenes, his portraits are what he is most famous for, especially in his series People of the 20th Century. This series was created to represent a diverse slice of society during the Weimar Republic.
Image Analysis
Photo by August Sander
The image shows an older man using two walking sticks, prominently featured in the foreground. He seems to have stopped for a moment while making his way up the lane in the background. You can tell he’s elderly by his hunched posture and the white hair on his face. In the photo, the man looks like he’s been walking down the road and has taken a break to look at the camera. He’s positioned on the right side of the frame, facing towards the centre and the empty space on the left. This composition leads our eyes to the building in the background, suggesting that this is his destination. His calm expression makes it feel like a candid shot, capturing him in a genuine moment rather than a posed picture.
Visual – All of Sanders’ photographs, including this one, are in black and white. This choice stems from the limitations of cameras back then, but it also gives a unique style that ties all his photos together, making them feel like part of a single collection. The black-and-white look really brings out the different shades in the image. The dark bushes on the right side stand out against the lighter path on the left, which naturally leads your gaze toward the house. The wild and rough texture of both the bushes and the path hints that this scene is set in a countryside area.
Technical – This picture makes great use of natural light, which adds to its authentic feel. The exposure is well-balanced and doesn’t rely on any fancy techniques. The wide aperture used here results in a shallow depth of field, which helps focus our eyes on the main subject in the foreground.
Context – This image comes from the book ‘Face of Our Time’ by August Sander. The book was originally published in 1929 and features a foreword by the German author Alfred Dublin. When it was first released, it was promoted with the following description: “The sixty photographs of Germans from the twentieth century included in Face of Our Time are just a small part of Sander’s larger project, which he started in 1910 and has been developing for twenty years. Sander didn’t take on this huge personal project from a scholarly perspective or with scientific tools, nor did he seek guidance from racial theorists or social scientists. Instead, he approached it as a photographer, relying on his own direct observations of human nature, appearances, and environments, guided by a strong sense of what is authentic and important.”
Conceptual – The book isn’t about the ‘faces’ of our time; it’s about a single ‘face.’ This implies that all these individuals together represent one unified identity. It seems like Sander’s idea was to bring these people together as a single representation of his era. There’s no deep theory behind the work; it’s simply an observation of that time, at first glance.
These red lines are strong leading lines that show how his walking sticks are used to frame his face in the image. Furthermore because of this framing the view is immediately drawn to the main subject, his face. The red line going across the image shows how the large amount of negative space below the red line is counter acted by the vast detail above the line.
Photoshoot plan
For my photoshoot I plan to photography my younger brother doing one of his hobbies. He plays airsoft so I plan to get him to dress up in his full gear and I’m going to use my garden and surrounding trees to frame him in the photo. I also want to capture photos of him from many different angles and him in different places and positions. I intend for him to have a serious, straight face for the photos as I think this would look the best. I want to use a mix of landscape and portrait orientated photos as I want to use the landscape photos to capture more of the environment and then portrait so all of the focus is on my subject.
Furthermore my brother also does gaming so I’m going to use him for a second photoshoot and capture him gaming. I want to get different angles and poses. I want to use the same mix of landscape and portrait photos when I’m taking them to include the environment and a focus on the subject. I intend for him to have a serious, straight face, almost like he’s concentrating on the game.
My Contact Sheet
Selection Process
I used three colours to grade which photos are good, okay and bad. It also gave me an idea of which photos I want to work with and edit.
My chosen photos
Second Photoshoot
Editing
Second Photoshoot
Edited Chosen Photos
Composition Experiments
Final Composition
Evaluation
In my opinion I think this photoshoot went really well and I’m super happy with the outcome. The photos I produced is exactly what I was aiming to do originally and in the photoshoot plan. I think the editing process went really well and really enhanced my already good photos. To improve my next photoshoot I might consider shooting photos in better light or cropping in while editing.
Art Steps
I used Art Steps to create a realistic gallery of my best, edited photos.
Texture in photography is all about how the surface of an object looks visually. It shows up through differences in shape, tone, and colour depth. Adding texture makes photos more lively and exciting, turning what could be dull images into something really engaging.
Formal elements and what are they?
Marc Anderson
Marc Anderson is famous for his nature photography, especially his amazing close-up shots of tree bark. His pictures highlight the complex details of the bark on trees.
Marc Anderson’s photos:
Marc Anderson’s photos are eye-catching, yet they focus on the texture of tree bark. He takes the photos at an eye level angle. The images are taken close up/macro, to focus your attention on the textures and patterns created by the tree bark. It seems likely that he used a high f-stop number, which keeps everything in sharp focus with little to no blurring.
My Inspiration
Francis Bruguière
Bruguière spent his life trying out different photography techniques like multiple-exposure, solarization, and photograms, along with exploring how regular film reacts to different light wavelengths. However he was most famous for his intricate abstract paper photography. Bruguiere cut up sheets of paper and placed them in random positions so he can capture the cuts and curves within the paper.
These photos, from Francis Bruguière, are a unique look into paper photography, the cuts and angles of the paper show some depth and texture of something so simple. The abstract approach to these images makes them very mysterious and will leave the viewer wondering what the image is of. Moreover the macro effect further enhances the abstraction of these photos. The light in these photos are carefully angled to show a strong contrast between the dark shadows and bright highlights, this creates a strong sense of balance, pattern and texture within the image. The images are monochrome, which increases the depth of this image and makes the view look at the entire image instead of being distracted by colour.
My Photoshoot
Selection process
I used the colouring in feature in Lightroom to show which photos were strongest, okay and not good.
My best photos
Editing
In these edits I increased the contrast to make the black and white parts standout and I also increased the sharpness and texture so you can really see the texture in the paper.
My second photoshoot
Selection process
I used the same colour coordination technique as my first photo shoot.
My best photos
Editing
I increased the black and whites to really bring out the contrast. Furthermore I increased the texture and sharpness to really show the creases and folds in the paper.
Final images
Art steps gallery
Overall thoughts and evaluation for above photos
I believe the photoshoot turned out really well. I was able to take some close-up shots that showed the texture of the paper in great detail. After editing, the images looked even better, and I’m super pleased with how they came out. Furthermore I managed to use the artificial lighting effectively to show off the small details in the paper and really highlight the texture, corners and creases in the paper. Moreover my Art steps gallery shows off my paper ball photos really well.
Compositions:
I tried a couple different Positions with my three photos so I could make a decision on my favourite one.
Further editing
First I started experimenting with inverting colours.
Inverting the colours gave a interesting and different perspective on my image.
I inverted the colours on the other two images as well.
Final composition inverted
My final photos and final inverted photos combined
All my final photos in Art Steps
My final selection of paper photography, combines 3 images that have been duplicated and inverted. The tight cropping of the photos further shows off the cuts, creases and texture within the paper, it really draws the views eyes to the sharp corners and cuts. All the photos have a reduced saturation, with increased contrast to really show off the tonal value, further more the shadows and highlights are better shown off due to the strong saturation adjustment. While some images are cooler in tone, some are warmer. This allows the image to be more balanced and gives the photos more variation and contrast within the tone. The Repeated photos in the grid add a balance to the final presentation, especially with three inverted photos which complement the original photos really well. The macro focus on the cuts of paper add an interesting and detailed pattern and a greater depth of detail. Moreover this even further exaggerates the tone.
ISO determines how much light your camera allows in, which affects whether your pictures turn out dark or bright, furthermore ISO determines how sensitive your camera is to light.
When might you want a high ISO?
High ISO settings are really useful in low-light conditions, especially when you need a quick shutter speed or a small lens opening to get the shot you want. For instance, if you’re doing street photography at night without a tripod, cranking up the ISO lets you take clear and bright pictures even while moving quickly.
My own ISO example
ISO: 100
ISO: 6400
Cropping in to the image with ISO: 6400, you can see just how grainy the image is.
Texture
Guy Bourdin
Guy Bourdin (December 2, 1928 – March 29, 1991) was a French artist and fashion photographer famous for his striking and bold images. Starting in 1955, he primarily collaborated with Vogue, along with other magazines like Harper’s Bazaar. He also created advertising campaigns for brands such as Chanel, Charles Jourdan, Pentax, and Bloomingdale’s.
Examples of his work
Guy Bourdin effectively uses his ISO so that there is no grain or noise in his photos and because of that there is no focus taken away from the texture of his style of photos.
My texture photos
Selection process
My best photos
Editing
Final photos
Overall thoughts and evaluation
In my opinion I think that my final images are really effective and I also think they wok well together. I like the deep colours of the landscape photo but, on the other end of the scale, I think the plain black and white wood grain photo is super striking.
Lightroom Classic provides all the editing tools you need on your computer to enhance your photos. You can boost colours, turn boring images into eye-catching ones, eliminate unwanted distractions, and fix crooked pictures.
I learnt to use Lightroom today.
First I learnt to import photos into Lightroom.
I then put all of my imported photos into a collection, this was stored in the D drive (Video Data).
I then learnt how to rate photos with the 5 star feature. furthermore I then used the flagging system to pick which photos I liked and which photos I didn’t.
After learning the basics I then decided to play around with the develop mode and learn how to effectively edit one image at a time.
I used this menu on the right hand side to edit and change my image to improve many different aspects of it.
This is how the image looked after I edited it, the main noticeable difference is the vibrancy change to make the image much more appealing.
Using the side by side comparison future the differences are clearly shown.
I then learnt to use the pre-set filters.
Contact Sheets
What are Contact Sheets?
A contact sheet is a type of photographic paper that displays a collection of small images. These images are taken from a roll of film that the photographer has sliced into several strips. The photographer then places these negatives on the sheet to see all the images side by side, making it easier to compare them.
Contact Sheet example
Willian Klein
William Klein (April 19, 1926 – September 10, 2022) was a photographer and filmmaker who was born in the U.S. but later became a French citizen. He was known for his unique and ironic style in both photography and filmmaking, often using unconventional techniques in photojournalism and fashion photography. Klein was recognized as the 25th most influential photographer by Professional Photographer magazine in their list of the top 100 photographers.
In photography, shutter speed, also known as exposure time, refers to how long the camera’s film or digital sensor is exposed to light while taking a picture. This happens when the camera’s shutter is open. The longer the exposure time, the more light hits the film or sensor. For example, an exposure time of 1/500 of a second allows in half as much light as an exposure time of 1/250 of a second.
Fast vs slow shutter speed
Slow ——————————–Fast
Important Photographers
Eadweard Muybridge
Eadweard Muybridge (April 9, 1830 – May 8) was a British photographer recognized for his ground-breaking contributions to the study of motion through photography, as well as his early discoveries in motion-picture projection. Muybridge is mostly famous for his work in chronophotography, which he did between 1878 and 1886. He used several cameras to take pictures of animals in motion, showing the different stages of their strides. He also created the zoopraxiscope, a machine that projected painted moving images from glass discs, which came before the flexible film strips used in movies. From 1883 to 1886, he had a super productive time at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he took over 100,000 images of both animals and people moving, sometimes capturing moments that were too quick for the human eye to see as separate.
Example of his work
Harold Edgerton
Harold Eugene “Doc” Edgerton (April 6, 1903 – January 4, 1990), often called Papa Flash, was an American scientist and researcher who taught electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is well-known for changing the stroboscope from a little-known lab tool into a widely used device. Additionally, he played a significant role in creating sonar technology and deep-sea photography. His inventions were used alongside Jacques Cousteau in efforts to find shipwrecks and even the legendary Loch Ness Monster.
Example of his work
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Hiroshi Sugimoto, born on February 23, 1948, is a renowned photographer and architect from Japan. He is the head of an architectural firm called New Material Research Laboratory, which is located in Tokyo. Sugimoto describes his art as a way to show ‘time exposed,’ meaning his photographs act like a time capsule that captures various moments. His work highlights the fleeting nature of life and the struggle between existence and mortality. Additionally, Sugimoto draws significant inspiration from Marcel Duchamp’s writings and the broader Dadaist and Surrealist movements. He has also shown a strong fascination with modern architecture from the late 20th century.
Example of his work
Francesca Woodman
Francesca Stern Woodman (April 3, 1958 – January 19, 1981) was a talented American photographer famous for her striking black and white images that often included herself or other female models. A lot of her photos depict women, either nude or dressed, appearing blurred because of movement and long exposure times. This creates a unique effect where they seem to blend into their environments, and sometimes their faces are hidden. Even years after her tragic passing at just 22 in 1981, her work still receives a lot of praise and attention from critics.
Example of her work
Example I’ve made of how shutter speed effects exposure.
1/4000 sec. (under exposed)
1/250 sec. (sharp)
1/3 sec. (motion blur)
30 sec. (over exposed)
These 4 photos show the difference between different shutter speeds.
My long exposure photos
My best long exposure photos
F/22. 1/3 sec. ISO-100.
F/36. 1 sec. ISO-100.
F/22. 1 sec. ISO-100.
The photos shown above are some of the best photos I took using a long shutter speed. To create this I used a tripod to keep everything in focus and then used a long shutter speed.
Black and white edited
Editing my images to black and white means that the photos follow the style of Francesca Woodman more closely.
Overall thoughts and evaluation
I believe this photoshoot went really well. The motion blur in my final pictures looks awesome, and the extra editing, like the black and white effect, made my images even better. I feel like I realistically replicated Woodman’s photos with my own twist on the photos, being the cars instead of people.
The aperture is measured in f/stop which controls the amount of light that is let through the camera by changing the size of the lens. For example a low aperture, like f/2 would let a lot of light into the lens and give a shallow depth of field. Where as a high f/stop, like f/22 would let very little light into the camera and have a very deep depth of field.
What is Depth of Field ?
Depth of field, in its most basic definition, refers to the extent of an image that remains in focus. More technically, it can be described as the range within a photograph where objects are perceived as being “satisfactorily in focus” or exhibit a degree of “acceptable sharpness.” Depth of field can also be controlled by aperture.
Some of my photos:
Photo taken at f/2.8
At this aperture the subject (the plane) is completely in focus, whereas everything else is out of focus, this is good for portraits as it draws the views eye to the subject.
Photo taken at f/8
At this aperture the subject (the plane) is still completely in focus, however the background and foreground is mostly out of focus but not all of it which draws the views eye less to the plane and more so to other sections of the photo. This aperture provides a friendly depth of field, which helps photographers capture subjects with acceptable sharpness both closer to the camera and farther away.
Photo taken at f/22
At this aperture there isn’t a specific subject as the entire photo is in focus, this is good for wide shots of groups of people or large landscapes as it captures all the detail and doesn’t leave anything out.
Auto Vs Manual Focus
Autofocus is great for everyday photography, while manual focus is better for capturing close-ups and intricate details. However you have to use the focus ring at the end of the lens and make adjustments for each shot.
Focal Length
The focal length of a lens is the distance (typically measured in millimetres) from the centre of the lens to its focus point. This distance plays a key role in what you observe when taking pictures with a camera.
Ralph Eugene Meatyard
Meatyard was born in Normal, Illinois, and grew up in the adjacent town of Bloomington. Upon reaching the age of 18 during World War II, he enlisted in the United States Navy; however, he did not see service abroad before the conclusion of the war. Following his military service, he enrolled at Williams College through the GI Bill, where he initially pursued pre-dentistry studies before ultimately training to become an optician.
Although Lexington was not a prominent hub for photography, Meatyard did not identify himself as a “Southern” or regional photographer. At the time of his passing, his work was gaining national recognition, being exhibited and collected by several esteemed museums and featured in various magazines. He showcased his work alongside notable photographers such as Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Minor White, Aaron Siskind, Harry Callahan, Robert Frank, and Eikoh Hosoe. By the late 1970s, his photographs were primarily displayed in exhibitions focused on ‘southern’ art, but they have since garnered renewed interest. His most recognized photography often depicted dolls and masks, as well as family, friends, and neighbors captured in deserted buildings or typical suburban backyards.
Meatyard used a large aperture with a very small depth of field in all of his photos. The photo below is an example of this.
Meatyards “Zen Twigs” photo.
Saul Leiter
Leiter was primarily a painter who ventured into the world of colour photography, uncovering its unique potential. Starting in the 1940s, he built an impressive collection of work that delves into colour harmonies. He often played with unconventional framing techniques like shop signs, umbrellas, curtains, car doors, and foggy windows to craft abstract scenes of everyday urban life. He loved using long lenses, which allowed him to stay unnoticed while also compressing space, creating interesting juxtapositions of objects and people. Many of his photos feature negative space, with large blurred areas that draw attention to specific details or vibrant pops of colour.
Photo by Saul Leiter
My photos
Selection process
My best photos
I used aperture in these photos to show a shallow and deep depth of field.
Photo taken at f/2.4
This photo is inspired by Meatyard.
Photo taken at f/5.6
This photo is inspired by Leiter.
Photo taken at f/12
This photo is inspired by Leiter.
Experimentations
Using various tools in Photoshop I created an abstract version, this editing helped me to understand developing much better and how to properly edit a photo.
Overall thoughts and evaluation
Personally I think this photoshoot went really well and I really liked the outcome of my final photos. Furthermore I really like the abstract version of my clock photo, not only is it an interesting photo, but it gave me a much greater understanding of photoshop.
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