All posts by Georgia Martins

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My Environmental Portraits

This is my school contact sheet where I went around school and found teachers and students to photograph. This gave me a range of ages and different looks to people as they were all doing something different. This also allowed me to get comfortable with asking people to pose as I started in a place I know.

This is my out of school contact sheet where I was able to capture pictures of people in their work or doing their hobby. I went around town and managed to capture images of people in the market doing their everyday job. I also was able to get images of my friends in their bedrooms which helped me to get my inspiration photos.

I went through and flagged which of the images I prefered this helped me choose which pictures would be in my finals choices. In doing that I also starred some images to help choose my final pieces.

This image was able to capture two teachers in their natural area being a classroom. I managed to capture them in their original positions showing how neutral looking they are. They are engaging the audience by looking at the camera inviting them in.

In this image I was able to photograph two sisters in their room where the lighting was more blue and calmer. The facial expressions are neutral and I made sure they had eye contact with the camera. I also posed them in a neutral position as if they just got stopped having a conversation. This created a very enclosed environment because it shows that they were turned inwards and are look at the viewer as if they’ve been interrupted.

I was able to capture this photo by going in to town where I went to the shop ‘Chaos’ and took a photo of the man sorting out his cds. To switch it up I directed him to look away from the camera so it would be less personal. The chaotic background helps distinguish the man from his surroundings as he is in darker clothing.

I managed to capture this photo by going into a charity shop where I posed the man in front of the clustered background. The blue jumper links the blue to his left which adds a nice cool tone to the picture instead of a warmer one like the pink is making in the back. For this image, I asked him to look away and hold a prop of a couple books to show what he was doing that day. When he stopped he was already holding the books in a very neutral position which was good as he didn’t have to act in a way he didn’t want.

In this image i was able to link all the colours in the photo to something else in it. Like the yellow bananas with the yellow logo in the background. This image stands out from other images as its someone doing their job outside in town rather than a little shop. I directed him to have a neutral facial expression however, I didn’t have to do much as that’s how he naturally looks anyways, which helped when telling him how to act. I also asked him to pose neutrally as is he’s waiting for someone to come and order.

In these photos I decided to create a more ‘homely’ feel as the bedroom pictures are more personal and intimate as it shows off their personality and what they are interested in. I got two images of the same girl as she shows a neutral expression throughout the whole shoot these two images stood out to me because of how everything is positioned. In the 1st image I posed her neutrally as if she’s just relaxing on her bed this also allowed us to see the view of her room and how she’s decided to decorate it. Whilst in the 2nd photo I have her posed with her guitar showing what her hobby is. Again I have her in a neutral position with a neutral facial expression looking at the view almost like playing something to them.

Personal Favourite
Personal Favourite
Personal Favourite

For the bedroom photos I decided to turn the saturation higher so it would match Michelle Sank’s style of editing as her photos are normally bright. She also gets them to pose naturally almost showing off the bedroom instead of the person.

I tried putting this image in black & white however, I prefered how it looked in normal colour as it showed off more features of her and the room. I also edited it so she would be brighter than the room to create more emphasis on the model but it just made it look strange so that’s why I decided to stick with it in colour.

Whilst I didn’t use the bottom two I wanted to edit them just to see how they would look in the Arnold Newman style of being black and white. I put the top one in black and white to fit with the style and it so he would stand out from the noisy background however, it fits with Newman’s style of photography because in the photos he usually directs the person to have something in their arms/hand or stuff in the background that correlate to what the model does as a hobby or a job.

Overall I think I got pictures that were inspired by the two artists I chose and more abstract ones that I took in my own direction. However, next time I would prefer to get more angles to give more variety to my photoshoots. I’d also want to get some images of typology to give me another thing to post on the blog.

Environmental Portraits – Key Features

Environmental Portraits are photographs of people in their natural environment like: a workplace, a hobby or their home something that captures that person as they are.

I’ve decided to look at two different portrait photographers (Arnold Newman and Michelle Sank), this is because I wanted to create a variety of images for my final pieces.

Artists Research

Arnold Newman was born in 1938 in New York City and studied at the University of Miami however, he died in 2006. He was considered as the pioneer of the environmental portrait, he was the most influential photographers in the 20th Century. He started by working at chain portrait studios in Philadelphia and immediately began creating his own abstract and documentary style photography. Normally, his style of photography is black and white however, in some photos he has chose to use colour to show the contrast or how the light is captured. He also uses a low angle to capture the person eye to eye and most of the time the person getting photographed is looking directly into the camera.

Michelle Sank was born in South Africa and settled in the UK in 1987. She cites this background as informing her interest in sub-cultures and the exploration of contemporary social issues and challenges. Her crafted portraits and landscapes meld place and person creating sociological, visual and psychological narratives. She normally uses colour for her images as she uses vibrant colours throughout her pictures. She usually take pictures of young people which to me captures youth and the personality they have which is why she might use bright colours as it represents young people. She uses a range of angles as some of her pictures are full body whilst some are three quarter length. She doesn’t have a specific way she wants them to look at the camera as there is a mix of direct eye contact and an averted gaze.

I’ve decided to base my project on home photography and capturing people in their bedrooms which to me show what type of person they are and what they are interested in. This gives me lots of creative freedom because every room is different giving me a different result each time. I will also try and get pictures of people in the place of work or doing a hobby this would link with the artist Arnold Newman. To do this I would go to the market and ask people there if I could take a picture in their workplace. This would get me a good positioning of the person and it would be better.

Texture Homework

‘Untitled’ – Guy Bourdin c.1950s

Original Photos:

ISO – 800
ISO – 800
ISO – 800
ISO – 800

Edited Photos:

I started by cropping the image just so you’d be able to see the texture of the item. I then decreased the exposure (-1.75) so the image would be darker and the lines more visible, this helped see the texture even more. I added only a little bit of contrast (+16) just so the top of the image, which is lighter, would be a little darker. I played around with the highlights (+81) and shadows (-39) reverting the image back to how it looked yet still giving it a different look. I did the same with the white clipping (+35) and the black clipping (-37) trying to figure out what it would look like with these edits. Furthermore, I added some texture (+11) and upped the clarity (+40) so the lines would be more crisp. Lastly, I added some dehaze (+19) so the colour of the photo would be a bit warmer and the shadows more visible.
I started by decreasing the exposure (-0.18) so the light from the flash would be as bright. I then upped the contrast (+67) so the image would be a brighter orangey brown, this was because it added a different tone to the image. After, I fully decreased the highlights (-100) so the whites on the wood would lower so it wouldn’t be as bright. I then also fully decreased the white clipping (-100) so the shadows would be even more visible in between the gaps. Furthermore, I added texture (+42) so the wood texture would be more crisp and distinguishable. Lastly, I added some clarity (+14) which didn’t do much but it helped the image look more put together.
I started with decreasing the highlights fully (-100) so the image wouldn’t be as bright, this helped with the texture on the zip and on the bag next to it too. I then decreased the shadows (-33) so the zip texture would be more visible and the overall image would be slightly darker. I played around with the white clipping (-100) fully decreasing it so the highlights that were olef ton the image wouldn’t be seen. Furthermore, I decreased the black clipping (-60) to try and get the zipper texture even more defined. I then added a little texture (+39) which helped the lines and stitching on the bag become more evident. Lastly, I added some clarity so the shadows in the image were darker to create a contrast between the cream colour and the navy blue.
I started by decreasing the exposure (-1.75) making the image darker to take away the flash lighting. I also turned up the exposure (+32) trying to get the brightness of the top of the image lowered so the patch could be one colour. However, I then decided to try and create a gradient from light to dark which is why I fully maxed out the highlights (+100). Lastly, I added some shadows (+19) so the top of the patch would be a bright beige.

Technical:

Visual:

Contextual:

I created a virtual gallery to show off the pictures I thought were the best. This also allowed me to arrange them how I would like and choose different borders for each image, interchanging the black and white frames. I chose images with different lighting and texture to show my range of skills, I made sure to put three images of each subject: paperballs and ripped ripped paper. I also made two perspectives to show the different colours and how lighting can affect how the shadows can look.

Overall, I think I interpreted the paper balls theme well as i showed texture and a range of different backgrounds which allowed me to use different ISO’s and shutter speed. However, I wish I used different lighting instead of white or red as it would of been good to see other colours and how the shadows would be.

Photoshoot: Paper Balls ISO

I decided to focus my photoshoot and take the black an white tone aspect to my photos as the light shows a strong contrast between the two colours. I also chose to take the pictures in natural and artificial light to see the difference it makes to the shot. Furthermore, I took pictures in front of a black and white background to see how the paper ball would contrast with a different background.

Original Photos:

ISO – 100
ISO – 250
ISO – 1600

Edited Photos:

I started by upping the highlights (+40) and maxing the shadows so the white would standout from the black as it was a big contrast. I then upped the whites (+25) and blacks (+42) to help the large contrast. I added some clarity and texture so the crevices could be visible.
I started with cropping the image. I then upped the exposure (+0.70), and fully upped the contrast to show the dark shadows of the paper ball. I also lowered the highlights (-81) so the dark colours would stand out. Lastly, I upped the texture (+16) and clarity (+42) so you would be able to see the image clearly.
I started by converting the image to black & white so the shadows and highlights would stand out. I then turned the exposure down (-2.37) so the white colour would allow the creases to be visible. I upped the contrast (+40) to help as well. Next I maxed the texture, upped the clarity (+14) and upped the dehaze (+86) so the creases and folds would look crisp.

Technical:

Visual:

Contextual:

Artist Research

Paul Jackson is a specialist in origami and the folded arts. He was one of the pioneers of folding/origami as Fine Art lots oh his work has been put in galleries and museums.  He has also curated several ground-breaking exhibitions of origami, undertaken many commercial commissions for print, screen-based media, festivals and more, and has been a consultant for companies such as Siemens, Nike, Tetra-Pak and Tata.

I took the inspiration from the origami and decided to make a white paper crane. I did this because I would be able to play around with the colour of it in Adobe Lightroom. I also chose to create a landscape with torn paper. This is because the torn area gives the photo good texture and I worked with different lighting to see how that would effect the shadows.

I then went through the pictures and decided which ones I liked best

Original Photos:

ISO – 100
ISO – 800
ISO – 100
ISO – 100

Edited Photos:

I started by upping the exposure (+3.07) to make the image brighter. After I maxed out (+!00) the contrast to give it more depth. I slightly added some temperature (+14) to give it it’s ‘sandy’ colour. I decreased the highlights (-63) to lessen the white light on the top. I then added texture (+68) to give it the ‘sandy’ look, this is because my idea was to make it seem as if you were on a beach. Lastly, I upped the clarity to give it more shadows and texture.
I lowered the exposure (-1.32) to give it a darker look and make the shadows darker. I upped the texture (+93) so the ripped edges would be more defined and roughen up the shadows to make them look rigid. Then, I upped the clarity (+37) to give the ripped edges some shadows. Lastly, I decided to convert the image to black and white.
I ended up just maxing the texture (+100) to make the image less blurred as the image had a lot going on already I wouldn’t be able to do much more without it looking strange.
I started by decreasing the exposure (-0.61) to make it look darker and have the paper crane stand out from the background. I then maxed out the texture (+100) to make the edges of the crane crisp and tidy and emphasise the creases. Lastly, I decided to up the clarity (+21) just to give the background more depth.

Technical:

Visual:

Contextual:

ISO

High ISO Pictures

You’d want to use a high ISO when wanting an image that looks ‘noisy’ or ‘grainy’. You’d use it when in a low light situation.

Low ISO Pictures

Artist Research: Edward Weston

One of the most influential American photographers of the 20th century, Edward Weston has had a significant impact on the history of photography. His work was first published in 1906, and his career continued until his death in 1958.

I chose to go into the music studio where there was low light to achieve the results I needed. I then took the same picture in with different ISO’s to see the how it would look.

Photoshoot: Shutter Speed & Exposure

My contact sheet which helped me look over all my photos. I did this by using Adobe Lightroom

A shutter speed and exposure photoshoot was taken to understand how each skill is done

Through Adobe Lightroom I used ‘P’ and ‘X’ which allowed me to flag the photos I think looked best and which show a clear understanding of each skill

Original Images

These are my edited photos

Shutter Speed and Movement

Harold Edgerton – fast shutter speed – in 1931 worked with a stroboscope. By matching strobe flashes with the motion being examined he would take many photos through an open shutter at the rate of lots of flashes per second. This led to Edgerton inventing ultra-high-speed and stop-action photography.

Fast Shutter Speed

Francesca Woodman – slow shutter speed was an American photographer best known for her black and white pictures featuring either herself or female models. Many of her photographs show women, naked or clothed, blurred, merging with their surroundings, or whose faces are obscured

slow shutter speed

Aperture and Depth of Field

Depth of Field is what’s in focus, in front and behind the subject. Deep depth of focus means everything is in focus however there is a small aperture. A shallow depth of field is only one thing in focus with a large aperture. If you want more focus you need a higher F number, but if you want a less focused image use a lower F number.