Here is a range of Wes Naman’s images where he uses vast materials (like cellotape and rubber bands/ string) to shape the subjects face and make them look unrecognisable. The idea behind this is to prove that looks aren’t important, and they don’t define you as a person (which closely relates to your identity and how you see yourself).
Technical
The image uses a fast shutter speed, as the subject looks still and in focus. The lighting is artificial, as the viewer can tell they are using a backdrop with strong white lights (which would not happen with natural light), and it seems like it is very intense, as you can notice the outside edges of the top are a lot darker, meaning the photographer has used a strong light on the subject. The image has a good ISO, as there is no grainy elements that are visible.
Visual
The middle-aged man looks unrecognisable as he has rubber bands wrapping his face, giving him a new look. He has a sort of confused and hurt look on his face, which could suggest he is shocked with the feeling. The navy background gives a cool tone, which could represent sorrow and sadness towards the pain of the rubber bands.
Contextual
A common belief is that beauty is everything, so by taking away that view in these images, it leaves the subject wondering who they actually are, and what their identity really is. The history of beauty is been around for centuries, so to counter act the beauty stereotype Wes Naman had his subjects distort their faces.
Conceptual
I believe the reason behind this image is to show the suffering people go through to accept themselves, when they shouldn’t need to. I also have the idea that it links to the appearance of yourself, and by manipulating the face into a different shape, it causes you to wonder what your identity is if you don’t have your looks (which is a common link for identity).
Noor+
Noor+ is a unknown photographer, who writes on the subjects face to show their identity and what they associate with. I liked this idea as I thought that it is a great way to demonstrate you as a person, and the ideas you think you are. Unfortunately, the words aren’t in English, so for my photoshoot, I will base it off of identity. This is also the only image I could find of this photographer, so I cannot create a mood board of his work.
For this project, I took two photoshoots (one consisted of 201 images and the other had 106) to showcase the idea behind identity. I planned the first photoshoot by implementing Wes Naman’s ideas into my images. The reason I took these photos are because I think your looks don’t define you as a person, and Wes Naman does a brilliant job at distorting your face to make you look unrecognisable (to prove it doesn’t change you as a person).
I used many different materials, like clingfilm, masking tape, cellotape, and string to recreate his images, as he uses a lot of similar materials.
After I uploaded all my images to Lightroom, I scrolled through every image from the 201 photos to select my favourites. As shown, I would say there is quite an even amount of every colour in this image selection. Although I was being picky, a lot of these images really linked to Wes Naman closely, and accurately represented his work.
For this photoshoot, I was hugely inspired by Noor+, an unknown photographer on Pinterest, who draws on the body to show Identity. I ended up taking 106 images, from different angles to different lighting and different poses.
I planned this photoshoot by buying the equipment I would need (like the washable pens and some wipes) and planning whereabouts I would do the photoshoot. I thought that I wanted to have natural lighting for my images so I planned to go outside and take these images.
Once I uploaded my images to Lightroom, I went through each individual photo and analysed it to decide which images were the best. However, a lot of my images turned too bright or too dark due to the ISO, which made me colour them red. In comparison, the images highlighted in yellow and green are good images, but I like to be more specific with the ones I like.
Here is one of my final outcomes, where I selected my 4 best images and tweaked them to improve the quality of them. Luckily, I had 4 different subjects so the final presentation works well as you don’t have many of the same person, like Naman who also has various subjects. When I finished editing them, I put them into Powerpoint to make show the idea I want to have.
I then also decided to do another final outcome using the Wes Naman inspired images, to experiment and create different versions. I decided to choose a diptych styled presentation, where instead of multiple images, I only have two, which helps you to see the specific details linked into these images from the editing.
Noor+
Lastly, for my Identity project, I also decided to use my other photoshoot where I wrote on area’s of my subjects body to show that no two are the same. I chose to place three of my best images into a triptych, to give the illusion of a story, and a meaning behind the different words placed on the different parts.
Creative Portraits
I wanted to include my final images from my creative portraiture, as I wanted to imagine the layout of them. For my first presentation, I only selected three images as I didn’t want to over crowd the layout I already thought of, and these were my best images from that specific artist.
For my other presentation of Creative Portraiture, I decided to only use one image as I really like the unique and artsy side to this edit, and I didn’t want to draw the attention away by including more.
Studio Portraiture
This is my final presentation of Studio Portraiture, where I used the three different lighting methods to showcase my knowledge.
Environmental Portraiture
Lastly, this is my environmental portraiture, and I incorporated three images as well but I decided to lay them vertically instead of horizontally like the rest as it creates diversity.
Identity is the distinctive qualities or traits that define an individual and make them unique. It is usually something people associate themselves with, and it helps people to understand who they are as individuals. Identity can be influenced by the people you surround yourself with, and the place in which you have grown up in, as it can change your view on your own identity and the people surrounding you. There are many factors that affect what you view your identity as, like your specific culture can be a key identity for someone who celebrates it or their religion can also be a strong part to their identity.
Femininity
Femininity is a set of behaviours and roles that are generally associated with women and girls. This is a typical social structure used to define people who act in a girly or feminine way, and are used to stereotype women.
Masculinity
Masculinity is a term used to show the traits used by men like strength, assertiveness, leadership, courage, and dominance. Masculinity is known to be social expectations suitable for a man. It is a set of attributes that are typically linked with men and boys to stereotypically make them feel as though they should be masculine through society.
Gender Identity
Gender identity is how a person feels and understands their own gender, which may not match the sex they were assigned at birth. It can include identities like male, female, non-binary, or genderfluid. Gender identity is different from sexual orientation, as it’s about who someone is, not who they’re attracted to. People express their gender through things like appearance, behavior, and pronouns. Respecting a person’s gender identity is important for supporting their rights and dignity.
Cultural Identity
Cultural identity is the feeling of belonging to a particular cultural group, shaped by things like traditions, language, values, and shared experiences. It connects people to their heritage and how they see the world. This identity can be influenced by factors like ethnicity, nationality, family, and community. It plays an important role in how people understand themselves and how they relate to others. Cultural identity can change over time based on personal experiences and exposure to different cultures.
Social Identity
Social identity is how individuals see themselves based on their membership in different social groups, such as those defined by age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or social status. It helps people understand their place in society and shapes how they interact with others. A person’s social identity can influence their beliefs, values, and actions, and also affect how they are treated by others. It provides a sense of belonging and can boost self-esteem, but it may also lead to biases or conflicts if differences between groups are focused on too much.
Geographical Identity
Geographical identity is how people see themselves based on where they come from or live. This could be their hometown, country, or any specific place that affects their values, experiences, and way of life. It’s shaped by the environment, culture, language, and traditions of that place. Geographical identity helps people connect with others and understand their place in the world. For example, someone might feel a strong connection to their city or country, which influences how they see themselves.
Political Identity
Political identity is how people see themselves based on their political beliefs and values. It’s shaped by views on issues like government, rights, and social values, and is often tied to political parties, leaders, or movements they support. Things like upbringing, education, and personal experiences influence political identity. It affects how people get involved in politics, make choices, and interact with others who have similar or different views. Political identity helps people feel connected to a political group or cause and gives them a sense of belonging in society.
Loss/Lack of Identity
A loss of identity is when someone feels disconnected from who they are or where they belong. This can happen if they’re unsure about their values, beliefs, culture, or role in life. It often happens after big changes, like moving to a new place or facing difficult situations. People who experience this might not know their purpose or how they fit in, which can make them feel isolated, insecure, or unsure of themselves. Finding or rebuilding their identity often involves rediscovering what’s important to them, connecting with supportive people, or trying new things.
Stereotypes and Prejudices
Stereotypes are wrong ideas about a group of people based on things like their race, gender, age, or sexuality. These ideas assume that everyone in the group is the same, ignoring differences between individuals. For example, thinking all teenagers are troublemakers or that older people don’t know how to use technology. Stereotypes can be harmful because they lead to misunderstandings about others.
Whereas, prejudice is when you have a negative opinion about someone just because of their group, like their race, gender, religion, or nationality, without knowing them personally. It’s often based on unfair assumptions made before getting to know the person. Prejudices can lead to treating people unfairly. For example, thinking someone is untrustworthy just because of where they come from is a form of prejudice.
Cindy is one of the most significant artists of the Pictures Generation, who are artists set out to make art that analysed their relationship with popular culture and the mass media. Sherman grew up on Long Island, New York. In 1972 she enrolled at the State University of New York at Buffalo and majored in painting, later switching her major to photography. Cindy Sherman’s work is characterised by her use of self-portraiture to create fictional characters and explore themes such as identity, representation, and the construction of femininity. She challenges societal norms and expectations placed on women. Although Sherman believes her images are not of herself, I technically believe it is her self portraiture.
Mood Board of Cindy Sherman’s work
Image Analysis
Visual
Sherman has adopted the role of a housewife who is cooking for her family as she is wearing an apron and she has cooking supplies in the frame of the image. It looks like this image was taken on the kitchen counter, as some of her head is cut out of the frame to show the cramped environment that she feels. She is posed at the counter whilst holding her stomach and looking over her shoulder to represent her concern for whatever is going on behind the scenes. The fact that she is holding her stomach gives a vibe of protectiveness and nurturing for herself/ the possible child on the way. There is an essence of worry and concern paired with the small area she’s in as she is pushed to the wall to show she’s not alone, and she is to the right third of the image to show she’s less important in the image.
Technical
The shutter speed in this image is quite fast as the subject is in focus, with a well-balanced exposure although the image is monochrome. The angle is taken from a lower position to embrace the feeling that we are there with her in the image, or that we are viewing the situation in the image from an outsiders perspective, like a friend. This image is a half body shot, as it only shows her waist and above. This makes the shot more intimate as it feels like we are closer to her, as we are not seeing her full body like if we were far away. The aperture is small as most of the image is in focus, however the depth of field is shallow as the pan handle is blurred in the foreground.
Contextual
Historically, women have typically been portrayed in the media as housewives whose jobs are to depend on men and be a stay at home mother who cleans and cooks. They were also expected to be carers for the children, and were seen as objects to men, as they’d be expected to have makeup and hair done for their husbands whilst also doing all of the previous roles I mentioned. However, Sherman challenged this dominant ideology by dressing up as these stereotypical women to prove that everything portrayed in the media is not realistic and that it doesn’t define being a woman. Sherman’s ‘untitled film stills’ were intended to resemble the fact that it is all just stereotypes.
Conceptual
By knowing the context, it’s obvious that Cindy Sherman herself is the subject in every image. She uses herself to perform in these images to capture different stereotypes to criticise the film making industry as her images are part of the ‘untitled film stills’. She targets the film industry by using this title, to show they are the industry who represent women in this dominant gender ideology. By being the subject, she makes a mockery of the mass media and the stereotypical “woman”, as she shows that none of it is real when she uses fake noses and fake eyebrows to change her look and make it overdramatic. This could also link to the media today as many young girls see models online who dress as the stereotypical girly girl, which Sherman challenges in her images from her time.
Claude Cahun
Claude Cahun was a French surrealist photographer, sculptor, and writer. Schwob adopted the pseudonym Claude Cahun in 1914. Cahun is best known as a writer and self-portraitist, who assumed a variety of performative personae.
Photographers use studio lighting to be able to have full control over the lighting used on the subjects face. This way, it is easier to direct the model or manipulate the lighting by changing the position of both to create the effect that Whereas, with natural lighting, it can be more unpredictable, so it makes it harder to get the shot. There is more consistency with studio lighting as the weather and time of day does not affect the lighting unlike the natural light so many photographers prefer to use it.
1 point lighting helps to illuminate the subject so they are visible in the camera lens, but with this lighting it also helps to define and dramatise their features as it enables a lot of shadows, creating a high contrast in the image as there is only one light source. This can create a minimalist look as it is the most basic type of lighting to do. This setup can create different looks depending on where you place the light. For example, putting the light directly in front of the subject gives even, flat lighting, while moving it to the side or above can create shadows and highlight texture. This simple lighting technique is used for portraits as it gives a dramatic or natural effect depending on how the light is positioned. It focuses the attention towards the subject and also helps to control the mood of the image.
2 point lighting uses 2 light sources where one acts as the main and key light source whereas the second is an accent light that can help to add interest to the image and also reduce shadows in comparison to 1 point lighting, but they are still noticeable. This is useful as it introduces depth as the second light source can enhance the contrast or soften it depending on what angle the light is at.
3 point lighting is the most commonly used type of lighting as it involves 3 varied lights to illuminate the face, which automatically makes a well-balanced, controlled image as the shadows are more soft. Typically, with 3 point lighting, there is a main light (the key light) which is used as a primary source of lighting the face up, followed by a fill light which is used to soften the shadows created by the main light to make the image less intense, and lastly, a back light (which is normally behind the subject) to separate the subject from the background and create a distinct divide between them. This is mostly used for high-end fashion, or beauty as the lighting focuses on the subject by illuminating them fully.
Fill lighting in photography refers to a technique where additional light is used to soften and reduce the harsh shadows created by the key light. Its primary purpose is to balance the overall exposure of the image, ensuring that the shadow areas are visible and not overly dark, while still maintaining the dramatic contrast created by the key light. This is usually a reflector that is placed on the other side of the light to balance the harsh shadows created with the key light.
For Rembrandt lighting, the aim is to light one side of the face while leaving the other side in the shadow, creating a highlighted and obvious triangle of light on the darker side of the cheek. This technique is perfect for producing a dramatic yet natural-looking portrait that accentuates the subject’s facial features, adding depth and dimension, whilst also being creative.
Butterfly lighting is a regularly-used, portrait lighting technique where the light is placed above and directly in front of the subject, creating a shadow under the nose that resembles a butterfly shape (which is where the name came from). This setup is often used to flatter the subject’s face, highlighting and exaggerating their cheekbones and jawline while creating soft shadows. It’s commonly used in beauty and fashion, as it provides a slightly dramatic look with a focus on the face. This technique is great for giving subjects a polished, elegant appearance.
Chiaroscuro lighting in photography refers to a technique that emphasises and exaggerates strong contrasts between light and dark areas to create a dramatic effect. The term is Italian, which translates to “light and dark,” and is inspired by the painting style of the same name. In photography, chiaroscuro lighting is achieved by using a single light source to cast shadows and intense highlights, often leaving parts of the subject in complete darkness while brightly lighting up other areas. This lighting style is very effective for creating a mood or depth in the image. This lighting technique is mostly used for portraits, and dramatic fashion photography. By carefully controlling the light and shadow, chiaroscuro can highlight the subject’s shape and form.
This is my contact sheet for all the images I took. As you can see, there is a wide variety of poses and angles to capture the lighting in each photo, as I used all three of the lighting techniques (Chiaroscuro, Butterfly and Rembrandt).
Below is my image selection, where I carefully highlighted the best photos in green. The images I placed in red were the ones that I thought weren’t to the best standard they could be, due to the positioning of the camera (off centre) or due to the model not being serious. The images I placed in yellow were the ones that I thought were average, but they didn’t stand out to me.
This is my example of Rembrandt lighting, where I outlined the triangle on the darker side of the face in red, to exaggerate the obvious difference in lighting. This happens as the nose casts a shadow onto the darker side of the face due to the position of the lighting, and therefore the light can only hit a certain amount of the face (creating the triangle).
This is my example of Chiaroscuro lighting, where the contrast between light and dark is key to this technique. This technique makes half of her face blend into the background, to highlight the light side and draw your attention.
Lastly, this is my example of Butterfly lighting, where the light casts a shadow beneath your nose by placing it above the camera position.
Virtual Gallery
For my virtual gallery, I decided to go for a black and white border as I feel like it makes the image look complete. I also decided to do this as this was three different lighting techniques, so by doing this border it unifies them all together. I also placed the same subject on the outer sides to make the final piece even, as the middle is a different person.
Gel Lighting and Split Lighting
Gel lighting photography is when photographers use coloured filters (which are called gels) to change the colour of the light in a photo. These gels are placed over the lights shining on the subject to create different moods or effects. For example, a blue gel can make the light look cool, while a red gel gives a warmer feel to the image. Photographers use gel lighting to add creativity, highlight certain parts of a photo, or set a specific mood, which can overall make the image look more intriguing. Similarly, split lighting also uses the gels, however the lights are placed on opposing sides to create a unique contrast between the two gel colours.
Contact Sheet and Image Selection
This is my contact sheet for both my gel lighting and my split lighting, however the images that are in red are due to the subject moving, or the camera making the image blurred. The ones in yellow I found weren’t the best images I took, but they had nothing wrong with them (like blurriness). From doing this photoshoot, I realised that I really like this style of studio photography, as it changes the vibe to the image, and it creates more fun ways to capture portraits.
Environmental Portraits are images normally consisting of a singular subject in their usual environment (like work, or their hobbies). These images help to provide context to the person in the image, and give clues as to what they like to do/ do often. The reason I think photographers take images like this is to represent what the subject sees and what you don’t see in their lives. A lot of these photographers aim to tell a story to connect the people to the things they love most.
Mood Board
This is a generalised version of a collection of images that photographers have taken to represent an overall view on what environmental portraits are. A lot of these images have the subject facing the camera and looking into the lens, which is a known feature for this topic.
Arnold Newman
Arnold Abner Newman was an American photographer (1918-2006), known for his “environmental portraits” of artists and politicians. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. He is extremely well-known within the photography community, for his eerie images like the Alfred Krupp photograph.
Alfred Krupp
Alfred Krupp was a German industrialist and the owner of the Krupp family steelworks, one of the largest and most influential enterprises of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in Essen, Germany. After becoming an infamous industrial inventor, he earned the nickname ‘The Cannon King’. Krupp’s employment and use of slave labour resulted in the ‘Krupp Trial’ which lasted from 1947-48, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison but only ended up serving 3 years and was released in 1951.
Alfred Krupp and Arnold Newman: Analysis
This portrait of Alfred Krupp was taken in 1963, with him as the central focus, taken by Arnold Newman (a Jewish photographer).
Visual
Alfred Krupp is the main focus point as he is placed in the centre of the image to draw all the attention to him. He is outlined by two concrete pillars either side of him to really get the point across that he is the focus of this image. As you can see, his facial expressions create a sinister feeling as he looks as if he is proud with his hands crossed to assert dominance and show that he is a confident man. To continue from this, Alfred is also more leaned forward and is slightly raised to give the impression that he is not scared. By making direct eye contact with the camera, he gives an demonic vibe to the image.
Technical
The lighting placed in the background/above Krupp’s head highlights a strong contrast on his face to make him look more serious and evil as it darkens his stare. In terms of the camera, Newman uses a medium aperture to create a clear and sharp foreground (to make the subject very visible) but a softer background where you can still identify the objects in the background, but they are less visible. Adding onto this, Arnold uses a faster shutter speed to capture this image as everything is in focus and has good lighting exposure in comparison to how a slow shutter speed would look. The viewers are directly in line with the subjects eye level to feel more connected with him.
Contextual
Alfred Krupp was a Nazi war industrialist who was infamous for allegedly using slave labour in his factories (which you can see closely in the background). Krupp contacted Newman for a portrait in 1963, and after finding out that Newman was a Jew, Alfred Krupp refused to let him make the photograph. Newman insisted to have Krupp look at his portfolio before making a final decision and after seeing Newman’s portfolio Krupp accepted. So on July 6, 1963, they both went into a factory in Essen which Krupp owned, where Newman decided to make Krupp look as evil as possible under the eerie lighting of the factory to represent the person he is known as.
Conceptual
I think that Newman took this image to highlight the true representation of Krupp, as there were speculations of his slave labour employment, and this image confirms the suspicions as the background is known to be involved with his accusations. I believe that Newman felt as though he should publish the image as it shows his intimidating nature and his look for superiority.
August Sander
August Sander (born in 1876 and died in 1964) is congratulated for his applaudable work that captures the diverse layout of the social groups in the early 20th century in Germany. His most significant project, “People of the 20th Century”, aimed to create a documentary of various German people, showcasing the different social classes, professions, and types that made up the society of his time. Many of his photos include different age groups to show their social status in Germany at that time.
Visual
This image is in monochrome colours as it was taken in the early 20th century therefore they didn’t have the technology we do now to have images in colour. The use of the fragile man’s walking canes helps to guide the viewers eyes in his direction by starting at the bottom of the image and making our way up towards his outline through leading lines. We can see that the subject is making direct eye contact with the camera lens, which creates a connection between us and him, and the confused and concerned look on his face tells us that he wasn’t expecting a photo.
Technical
Sander has managed to use rule of thirds to align the old man towards the right side of the image to showcase the houses in the background. In terms of the aperture, you can see that the background is a bit blurred, meaning that Sander used a medium aperture and a medium depth of field to ensure that the subject will still be in focus. The lighting is natural, as the photo is taken outside and the contrast isn’t predominant like it would be with a studio light. Lastly, the man doesn’t have any motion blur, meaning the image had a short exposure time and was likely either a fast shutter speed to a medium shutter speed.
Contextual
Conceptual
Typologies
Like I briefly described before, the concept of typology in photography refers to the category of subjects based on shared characteristics or types. August Sander’s use of typologies in his photographic project ‘People of the 20th Century’ is a key and well known feature of his work. He aimed to create a visual idea of the German society by arranging his portraits into specific categories based on social roles, professions, and other attributes like age. These typologies provide insights into the structure of their 20th century society, highlighting both their own diversity and the larger social groups that show the typology.
Environmental Portraiture Photoshoot Ideas
Action plan:
For this photoshoot, I am planning to go out and use my friends as models to present their daily routines and their natural environments where they show their hobbies and what they like to do. I will go to town and go in clothing shops to show that my model likes to shop by picking out outfits. I will also go to my subjects house to highlight the routines she does like doing her makeup and playing with her dog.
Contact Sheet:
In total, I managed to take 165 photos for this photoshoot to present a wide variety of angles and poses to select the best images. I took multiple photos of the same action to capture the best photos by moving my position and directing my friends to increase the quality and to match the artist better by telling my friends to stay serious and to look into the camera lens.
Image Selection:
For this image selection, I ended up with a various amount of red images, yellow images and green, which help me to identify the better looking images from the bad ones. The reason why some of my images are red is due to using the wrong ISO, or shakiness causing the camera to not stay in focus. There were also a couple of photos where my models kept laughing and turning away from the camera, so I put them in red as it doesn’t match my artists work properly.
Rule of Thirds
For this image, I decided to crop it to ensure that the main focus and model (the girl in the middle) was directly centred in the image by cropping some of the right side of the photo. When doing this, I also ensured to keep all the models still included in the image, as cropping one of them out could cause it to look strange as there wouldn’t be an even amount of models on each side. When I cropped this, it improved my image as it now looks more finalised and centred than it did before as shown below:
Problems with ISO
Whilst taking photos, I began having issues with the ISO levels where the image would become dark in certain dim-lit lighting as I had it on the wrong settings, so I had to change the ISO to develop and improve these images. With the ISO at the wrong level, the images looked noisy and fuzzy which made the quality of the image look bad as it made it so that you couldn’t see the models face well.
Best photos
These images below are my best photos as they have various poses in group settings and individually.
I really liked the group setting photos as it makes the subject looking at the camera stand out in comparison to the others, as it feels as though they are looking straight at us whilst everyone else is busy talking. I also liked the image where my model is brushing her hair, as the mess in front on her counter makes the image look more natural and less staged. The lighting also works really well in that image, because the background is less visible, making you focus more on her.
Art Steps Gallery
I uploaded my best images to art steps, to show the vision I had. A
Evaluation
I feel as though I made my first final piece match closely to Arnold Newman, as his images are in colour and he makes the subject look directly into the camera with a serious face, like I told my subject to do. Although, my second final piece is similar to August Sander where his images are in monochrome colours, however I decided to challenge myself and include multiple people in the image to give the essence that their environment is around their friends.
Texture in photography refers to the quality of the surface of an image. It conveys depth and detail in each image you take. The textures can be emphasised through the lighting and focus which can enhance the surfaces to appear more smooth, rough, and hard.
This texture photoshoot includes different textures I could find in nature, including objects like bark, mushrooms, leaves, moss, twigs, rocks, and wood chips. I decided to take these images as I thought it was a creative way to present texture in objects around us.
Artist Research
Ernesto Ruiz
Ernesto was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to Minnesota to study and learn more about architecture, where he discovered his passion for photography. In his photos, there is a strong sense of natural light used to shine on mainly the centre of the images. This encourages the viewer to focus on the centre, where the most details are. The space surrounding the image is very compacted, which produces a busy focus for the viewer.The colours featured in these images are enhanced, but still the same shades of bark you would expect to see. Ruiz captures texture well by zooming into his images from straight ahead, which enables us to see the outlines of bark.
Photoshoot Plan
To do this photoshoot, I will need to go out to a park and take images of the natural surroundings, such as bark to replicate Ruiz’s work. I will also take photos of other natural objects I find, but my main priority is taking images of bark from the trees. In order to do this photoshoot, I need to make sure the lighting is bright and that I zoom in to get the effects of the bark like he does.
Contact Sheet
Best Photos
I imported all of my texture images onto Lightroom and individually highlighted each one to make it more clear. As you can see, there is a range of images that I selected that I would like to use (green). This colour coded method helps me to identify which images to use on photoshop more effectively as it takes less time since I don’t have to go through each one to select a good image.
After discovering my favourite images, I went into photoshop to edit the best photos I have and make edits of them to present as my final piece.
Reflection on the photoshoot:
A lot of these images I really like, as they represent texture in various ways. However, towards the end of the photoshoot, it began to rain, which meant that the camera lens had raindrops on it. This made a lot of my end images look blurry which made it difficult to get the accurate representation of the texture.
Editing
To improve my images, I concluded that I would upload the green selected ones from Lightroom into Photoshop so I was able to edit them. By doing this, it allows me to be able to present my work in the best form as they need to be edited in order for them to be presented. For my three edits, I marked the images I liked best and wanted to up level them by changing the hue and saturation, making a mirror image, and circles in my work as shown below.
Edit 1 – Hue/saturation
For this edit, I decided to enhance the colours to create a unique and attention-grabbing effect, by making the colours unusual to what they would actually be.
I did this by first cropping my images, then pressing ‘image’ then ‘adjustments’ then ‘hue/saturation’ to play around and change the colours so they still look somewhat natural.
Below is my final product of this edit, and as you can see they all fit nicely together. I decided to do three images in one piece as it gives you an idea of the edit I am creating, and the overall theme of it (which is the use of the different colours).
Edit 2 – Mirror Image
My second edit is the mirror image, where your image is reflected on the other side to make an intriguing pattern from your photograph. I began by opening my image and adding a background layer so I could flip the image both horizontally and vertically as you can see below.
After achieving this, I repeated these steps 2 more times to have the finished look. I cropped the image to ensure the background wasn’t in my edit. This image generates patterns that weren’t originally in the image, so it attracts the viewer as each edit you do of this will look completely unalike.
Edit 3 – Circles
For my last edit, I cropped each image to become a square shape, and engraved a large circle in each of the images. Once I achieved that, I rotated the circles so they were facing different directions to the original image, and then edited the circle to become a monochrome tone. This helps catch the viewers attention as the change of direction through the lines creates a saddened tone paired with the dark colours. Then, I edited the background to match the vibe and made it a darker tone. By doing this, I created a dark tone to the images overall.
Final Piece:
For my final piece, I decided to go with my third edit, as I feel as though it resinated with the artist the most in terms of him taking images of bark. It is also a creative design to present, as it has elements of line, texture and pattern which are all included in the formal elements.
Art Gallery
Lastly, I uploaded my final images to the art gallery which enables you to walk around and view your photography work like it is in a gallery. I spaced these images out to individualise them but still have the effect of them being united as similar pieces.
Evaluation
Overall, I believe my work somewhat connects to Ruiz’s work as he takes images of the bark from close up like I did. Unlike him, I shifted my work to monochrome colours to highlight the details scattered throughout the bark trees, whereas he kept the colours shown and did not edit it like mine. I also took other images of the natural textures, but mainly focused on the bark trees. To improve my work I would stick to his style and make the colours more warm toned without making it black and white, and zoom in more to really capture the small outlines in the bark like he does.
The formal elements – line, shape, space, colour, pattern and texture – are necessary for creating visually captivating images. Each one of these elements plays a particular role in photography to intrigue the viewer and make them fascinated with the image. This could be from any of the categories below:
Line
Line in photography is often used to guide the viewers eye throughout the image. There are various lines that could be shown in an image, for example, there are leading lines and curved lines to create structure and balance within an image. They also enhance depth to make some images have the 3D feel to them. Finally, they also frame certain parts of the image to highlight the main subject focused in the image.
Shape
The use of unique shapes in photography helps to define subjects and can lead to interesting compositions within the image. Shape can help to define an image portrayed by using lines and boundaries to outline them. Shape also has the possibility to contrast the shape from the surrounding image, making the viewer intrigued.
Space
There are two main types of space used in photography; positive and negative space. These types of space can impact the viewers focal point of the image. In negative space, the space around the object can cause the viewer to look more towards the void which also highlights the importance of the subject being shown.
Colour
Colour influences the viewer’s emotions from which selection they use. The colour theory is useful to determine which colours would work best in an image, and which would instead give bad contrasting colours. By choosing a good selection, this can enhance the visual appeal towards the image.
Pattern
Pattern is a significant and important element that can enhance visual interest in the image. The use of pattern can produce an overall satisfying look, especially if the pattern is repeated many times throughout the image. This element forces your eyes to scan the image as a whole, and see it all together unlike the other formal elements.
Texture
Lastly, texture is used to emphasise the quality of the surfaces, making the image feel more tactile and versatile to other textures. Images of texture add more depth and detail, to engage the viewers and allows them to quickly analyse every aspect of the texture being presented. It also creates a contrasted look, as it draws attention to various areas.
