Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer. She is often considered to be the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images. Some sources say that she was the first woman to create a photograph through the use of cyanotype. She popularised this method through her creation of photographs with algae.
Studio lighting refers to how a light source, artificial or natural, lights up the scene, subject and object that is being photographed.
Why do we use studio lighting?
We use studio lighting because its an essential tool for photographers to brighten up their images and videos.
What is the difference between 1-2-3 point lighting?
One point lighting is where only one light is involved when the photo is taken. One point light will give off light equally in every direction, similar to a light bulb as all rays will come from a single point.
Two point lighting is used is an essential lighting technique used in film and photography that consists the use of two light sources to brightenup a subject. This setup makes depth and dimension, enhancing the visual appeal by adding shadows and highlights that will define shapes.
Three-point lighting is a classic method for lighting up a subject in a scene with light sources from three noticeable positions. The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight. Key light is the most intense light source in the three-point lighting setup. Three point lighting gives off a three-dimensional look.
Key Light
What it provides: Generally the key light is the common source of light and its placed at an angle to the subject to create texture, depth, and contrast. It highlights the form and dimension of on-screen subjects and allow cinematographers to manage the atmosphere of a scene.
Positioning: The key light is generally placed at a 45 degree angle to the person, it has to be only above eye level and to one side.
Effect: Using a soft and flattering key light it will make some more distributed shadows, conveying a gentle, pleasant and natural feel. On the other hand, a hard key light generates sharp, acute and well-defined shadows, which can be used to create a more sudden or stylized portrait.
Fill Light
What it provides: The purpose of a fill light is to brighten up the parts of the subject that the main light wont be able to reach.
Positioning: If your main light source is trailing behind your subject, then place the fill light forward of your subject. If your main light source is to the side of your subject, then place your fill light to the side of your subject as well.
Effect: Balancing the overall brightness of a scene, specifically in areas with shadows or low light contrast. Its main function is to soften and weaken the shadows and get rid of the firmness of the key light. This results in a more engaging and balanced visual.
Back light
What it provides: Backlight is light that hits an actor or subject by trailing behind, typically its higher than the subject than its exposing. Backlighting an object or actor from the background creates more depth, texture and shape to any subject.
Positioning: Place the camera in the direction and insight of the subject and position your subject in a way so that the backlight is directly trailing behind the subject.
Effect: This will create a light spill effect, where the light seems to spill from behind the framework of your subject.
Rembrandt Lighting
What is Rembrandt Lighting?
This type of portrait photography is named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, A great Dutch painter. It points out a way of lighting on a face so it is an upside-down light triangle which will occur underneath the eyes of the subject. It can be achieved using one light and a reflector or two lights, which is very popular because it is able to produce images which will appear both natural and fascinating, with minimal of equipment.
Example of Rembrandt Lighting Photo
Why should you use Rembrandt lighting ?
Rembrandt Lighting should be used because it makes the subject or the object the main focus of the image by producing a lit up face and a very dark background, in doing this the eye of the subject or object of the image is the first thing that you will see offering a unique view point of the image. Using this style of inventive writing is something that will make the portrait that you have taken stick out while still being something that you wouldn’t normally expect from what people usually predict.
Who was Rembrandt?
Rembrandt (born July 15, 1606, Leiden, Netherlands—died October 4, 1669, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter, he was a very intelligent, brilliant and capable artist and was well known for being able to catch people emotions in his portraits, he was also well known because of the use of shadows in his work.
How To Create A Rembrandt Lighting Set Up
Light: Lighting styles are decisive by the positioning of the light source. Rembrandt lighting is created by the single light source coming in at a 40 to 45-degree angle and larger than the subject. Use cans use both lights and continuous lights.
Lens: Use a 35mm or 50mm focal length, if the space is at a premium – or if you’re looking at adding more of the subject than just the head and shoulders. A 50mm works perfectly for portraits and will give a great depth of field if you’re shooting at a shallow aperture. But a 35mm will give you a wider point of view and is great to fit more of the body in of your subject or the object.
Camera settings (continuous lighting) Tripod Manual exposure mode White balance ISO: 400-1600 – depending on how many light sources are used Exposure: Manual 1/60-1/125 shutter-speed > f/4-f/8 aperture Focal length: 50mm portrait lens
Rembrandt Lighting Mood Board
This is my collection of photos I have gathered on Rembrandt Lighting.
Chiaroscuro Lighting
What Is Chiaroscuro Lighting?
Chiaroscuro Lighting is an Italian lighting technique that stands for Light Dark in English , its a very high contrast lighting technique that needs to use a low key lighting set up, it needs to have a single light source to generate a dark background with its subjects and objects.
Why should you use it?
Chiaroscuro Lighting should be used as it will provides an abstract contrast that will draw attention to the subject or object and to build a dark , shadowy background, doing this can include a more unique look to the images that you take to boost the atmosphere and can will create three dimensional look to the image.
Who Created This Type Of Lighting?
Chiaroscuro lighting was developed by Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Rembrandt. It is a trademark quality in the works of their Renaissance period and art movement but is well known today for its role foe being key in the film noir sub-genre of movies through low-key photography.
How To Create A Chiaroscuro Lighting Set Up
To create Chiaroscuro in photography you need to:
Chiaroscuro in photography: Chiaroscuro using one key light and to use a variety using a reflector that reflects light from the key light back onto the sitter.
This is my collection of photos I have gathered on Chiaroscuro Lighting.
Butterfly Lighting
What Is Butterfly Lighting?
Butterfly lighting is an element of studio lighting that is usually used within portraiture photography, as the name suggests the lighting used forms a butterfly shape underneath the nose of the subject of the image. This is because the light comes from above the camera and you face will create a shadow.
Why Should You Use Butterfly Lighting?
You should use butterfly lighting because it will create a narrow face. It also produces a soft, flattering illumination that will minimize imperfections on the subject’s face. This type of lighting is a unique type of lighting due to creating a different atmospheres in images we usually see.
Who Created Butterfly Lighting?
Butterfly lighting was not created by one specific person but it was rather developed over time in Hollywood back in the 1930’s, it was mainly used on a person called Marlene Dietrich who was massive Hollywood star around that time.
Butterfly Lighting Set Up
Lighting: Butterfly lighting will need a key light that can be a flash or continuous. If continuous, it can be artificial or natural. In other words, you can use strobes, speed lights, LEDs or even the sun.
A butterfly lighting effect refers to the setup and not to the quality of light – it can be soft or hard light depending on what you want your photo looking like.
Butterfly Lighting Mood Board
These are pictures I have gathered to make a Butterfly Lighting Mood Board.
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.
Original Images
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.
Edited Images
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.
Rembrandt lighting is a technique that is used in portraiture which is named after named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn who was a Dutch painter. It is a method of lighting the face which in doing so makes it so an inverted light triangle is created under the eyes.
Why should you use it?
Rembrandt Lighting should be used because it makes the subject the main focus of the image by creating a lit up face and a dark background, in doing so the eye of the subject of the image is the first thing that you will see giving a unique view point of the image. Using this style of creative writing is something that will help the portrait that you have taken stand out while still being something different from what people usually expect.
Who was Rembrandt?
Rembrandt (born July 15, 1606, Leiden, Netherlands—died October 4, 1669, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter, he was a very talented artist and was well known for being able to catch people moods in his portraits, he was also well known for the use of shadows in his work.
How to create a Rembrandt Lighting set up –
Light: Lighting styles are determined by the positioning of your light source. Rembrandt lighting is created by the single light source being at a 40 to 45-degree angle and higher than the subject. Use cans use both flashlights and continuous lights.
Lens: Use a 35mm or 50mm if space is at a premium – or if you’re looking at including more of the subject than just the head and shoulders. A 50mm works really nicely for portraits and will give a nice depth of field if you’re shooting at a shallow aperture. But a 35mm will give you a wider point of view and is great to fit more of the body in of your subject.
Camera settings (continuous lighting) Tripod Manual exposure mode White balance ISO: 400-1600 – depending on how many light sources are used Exposure: Manual 1/60-1/125 shutter-speed > f/4-f/8 aperture Focal length: 50mm portrait lens
Studio lighting refers to the use of artificial lights in a controlled environment to illuminate subjects for photography. It’s essential because it allows photographers to manipulate light to achieve the desired mood, highlight details, and create professional-quality images. By using different types of lights, such as soft boxes, umbrellas, and strobes, photographers can control shadows, contrast, and colour balance, resulting in more visually appealing photos. This control over lighting is crucial, especially when trying to convey a specific emotion or atmosphere in the image.
For instance, soft lighting can create a warm and inviting feel, while harsher lighting can add drama and intensity.
Additionally, studio lighting enables consistency across a series of shots, which is particularly important for product photography or portrait sessions. The ability to adjust and experiment with the lighting setup also encourages creativity, allowing photographers to explore various styles and techniques. Ultimately, mastering studio lighting can significantly enhance the quality of photographs and help tell a more compelling story through visual imagery.
1-2-3 Point Lighting
The difference between 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point lighting lies in the number of light sources used and the effects they create in photography.
1-Point Lighting: This technique uses a single light source to illuminate the subject. It creates strong shadows and highlights, which can produce dramatic effects. It’s often used in portrait photography to emphasize facial features or in artistic shots where mood is more important than detail.
2-Point Lighting: This setup involves two light sources. Typically, one light serves as the key light, providing the main illumination, while the second acts as a fill light to soften shadows created by the key light. This technique balances light and shadow, adding depth and dimension to the subject, making it ideal for interviews or product shots.
3-Point Lighting: This is a more advanced technique that uses three lights: the key light, fill light, and backlight (or rim light). The key light is the main source, the fill light reduces harsh shadows, and the backlight adds separation between the subject and the background, creating a three-dimensional look. This method is commonly used in film and television because it provides a well-rounded and professional appearance, enhancing the overall quality of the image.
Each technique serves a different purpose and can be chosen based on the desired mood and effect in the photograph.
Rembrandt Lighting, Butterfly Lighting, and Chiarascuro
Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, and chiaroscuro lighting are all different lighting techniques that can dramatically change the mood and appearance of a photograph, so understanding them can help create the desired effect in my portraits.
Rembrandt Lighting
This technique is characterized by the triangle of light that appears on the cheek opposite the light source. It involves placing the light source at a 45-degree angle to the subject and slightly above eye level. This creates a dramatic effect with both highlights and shadows, giving depth to the face.
Butterfly Lighting
Also known as “Paramount lighting,” this technique creates a butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose. It involves positioning the light source directly in front of and above the subject’s face. This lighting is often used in beauty photography as it highlights the cheekbones and creates a soft, flattering look.
Chiarascuro
This is a broader artistic technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and three-dimensionality. In photography, it can involve dramatic lighting that emphasizes shadows and highlights, often used to evoke a particular mood or atmosphere.
Photography Lighting Equipment for Beginners (Extra Info)
The world of studio lighting can be an exciting aspect of photography for some people, while others are intimidated by what seems to be a never-ending stream of equipment and technical information. The Information that I have researched here will help me decide on what Studio Lighting and equipment will be best for my Photography.
Keep in mind, that the items that I have researched are all geared towards portrait photographs.
Flash Units and Diffusers
A DSLR has a component on top, called a hot shoe, where you can attach a flash that is purchased separately from your camera. While most DSLRs have an on camera flash that can work well in some situations, it is always great to have a separate flash.
Photography Lighting Equipment for Beginners
With a separate flash, I don’t just have the luxury of a more powerful flash with a better quality of light, I also have the option of attaching diffusers to my flash, and even using my flash off-camera.
Now, if I purchase a flash or the school already has one, it will most likely come with a small, white, plastic diffuser to attach to the top of the flash. This can work very well to diffuse the light, minimizing shadows and red-eye. I also have the ability to turn the flash so that it isn’t pointing straight at the subject, and bounce the light off a ceiling or nearby wall to make the light even more diffused.
Photo Lighting Equipment
A great option is the Light sphere Dome, by Gary Fong. The Light sphere Dome is lightweight, and it has never fallen off of a flash as some diffusers have a tendency to do and it fits both my Nikon and Canon flashes. It a great, multi-purpose diffuser.
Reflectors
A Reflector provides natural light and they come in various shapes, sizes, and colours, but the silver, circular reflector seems to be the most popular.
How to Choose Studio Lighting
I can use stands to hold my reflector, or, if I have another person on-hand, I can have them assist me in holding and positioning the reflector. It will increase the light on the subject by reflecting the available light. They also work extremely well to fill in the light behind the subject, or, if I am shooting outside and my subjects back is lit, positioning the reflector to face directly will bring out more detail on their face, without creating harsh, unnatural lighting.
Off Camera Lighting
Now, if I am feeling comfortable enough to experiment with off-camera lighting, I can either use separate lights, or I can trigger a flash off camera.
Photography Lighting Kits for Beginners
If I am using a flash, I will most likely need to invest in triggers. Some DSLRs can trigger a flash off-camera through an infrared sensor that is built-in to the camera, but triggers are a bit more reliable.
Basically, there are two components involved with triggers, a transmitter that attaches to the camera, and a transceiver that is attached to the flash. The transmitter communicates with the receiver, allowing you to place the flash off camera on a light stand, and use various umbrellas and soft boxes to diffuse the light.
Cactus Triggers are widely popular, and more affordable than a lot of the other triggers on the market.
Once I have decided how I want my trigger to flash, I should look deeper at various umbrellas and soft boxes. Umbrellas tend to create a more direct pool of light, while soft boxes will create a more even light source.
Basic Photo Lightning Kit
I will need a stand that will hold my flash, and my diffuser. I can scout for a kit that comes with a light stand, a mount for my flash and umbrella, as well as basic reflector umbrellas or just use the schools.
In short, if I am using a flash off-camera, here is what I will need:
Trigger – a transmitter and a transceiver.
Light Stand
Mount – to attach to light stand and hold the flash/umbrella/softbox
Umbrella – or your choice of diffuser
Triggering the flash off-camera is a lightweight, portable method of achieving studio-like lighting. If I am shooting in my house or the studio at school, I may have to look at larger flashes such as Alien Bees. Alien Bees also makes a portable power pack, so if I decide to take my lights outdoors for a shoot, I can with no issues.
My Rembrandt Lighting, Butterfly Lighting, and Chiarascuro Examples
This is one of my Rembrandt Lighting photographs that I tried experimenting with.
Photo A
This Image uses a bright light high-lighting the left side of the face with no Reflector used. The camera produced a clear image with no faults and has successfully produced the Triangle under the eye and has made the Shadows a lot darker.
Photo B
This Image uses a bright light high-lighting the left side of the face and using a Reflector from the right. The camera produced a clear image with no faults and has successfully produced the Triangle under the eye on the right side of the face and has made the Shadows a lot brighter.
This is one of my Butterfly Lighting photographs that I tried experimenting with.
Both of these Images use the same equipment and settings, I struggled to get a clear dark Butterfly shadow under the nose but it has been successfully produced. At least that’s what I can see.
This is one of my Chiarascuro photographs that I tried experimenting with.
Photo A
This Image uses a bright light high-lighting the left side of the face and using a dimmed light from above. The camera produced a bit of a grain on the image and highlights some shadows and reveals my head and shoulders clearer.
Photo B
This Image uses a slightly darker light for the side of my face and from above. The camera didn’t produce a film grain, which is good as it makes the image look a lot smoother and untouched. The highlights are almost barely visible, some shadows revealing the tone in my Buff aren’t as clear.
Inspirations: Portraiture
Some photographers we were given to look at for Inspiration with our Photographs are Annie Leibovitz, Irving Penn, John Rankin, Nadav Kandar, Richard Avedon, Yousef Karsh, David Bailey, Mario Testino, Steve McCurry, Jill Greenberg, Nick Knight, Tim Walker, Corrine Day, Jane Bown, Rineke Djikstra and Thomas Ruff.
Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz is known for her stunning portraits of celebrities, often capturing them in intimate and sometimes unconventional settings.
She often uses large-format cameras and natural lighting. Her subjects are usually posed in ways that reveal their personalities. She doesn’t rely heavily on filters but rather focuses on composition and lighting.
Irving Penn
Irving Penn was a master of still life and fashion photography, known for his clean, elegant compositions and use of natural light.
He utilized a variety of cameras, including large-format and medium-format. Penn often uses simple backgrounds and dramatic lighting to enhance the subject.
John Rankin
John Rankin is famous for his bold, provocative style, often pushing boundaries in fashion and portrait photography.
Rankin uses digital cameras. He often employs creative lighting and post-production techniques but tends to keep his images raw and expressive.
Nadav Kandar
Nadav Kandar is recognized for his evocative landscapes and portraits that often explore themes of identity and place.
He often uses medium-format cameras and emphasizes natural light. Kander’s work is characterized by its contemplative nature.
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon revolutionized fashion photography with his dynamic, expressive images that focused on the personality of the subjects.
Avedon used large-format cameras. His work often captures the essence of his subjects through careful posing and lighting.
Yousef Karsh
Yousef Karsh is celebrated for his iconic portraits of notable figures, using dramatic lighting to convey deep emotion.
Karsh used large-format cameras and dramatic lighting to create powerful images that convey emotion and character.
David Bailey
David Bailey is a legendary fashion photographer known for his raw, energetic style and ability to capture the essence of his subjects.
Bailey often used 35mm cameras and was known for his candid style. His work in fashion photography helped define the swinging ’60s, capturing the essence of youth and rebellion.
Mario Testino
Mario Testino is famous for his glamorous and vibrant fashion photography, often working with top models and celebrities.
Testino often uses digital cameras. He has a keen eye for capturing the personality of his subjects, often using vibrant colours and soft lighting.
Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is renowned for his striking documentary photography, particularly his iconic “Afghan Girl” portrait.
McCurry often uses 35mm cameras. His iconic “Afghan Girl” photograph showcases his ability to capture human emotion in a single frame.
Jill Greenberg
Jill Greenberg is known for her striking and often controversial portraits, particularly of children and animals, using dramatic lighting and post-production techniques to evoke strong emotions.
Greenberg’s portraits often involves dramatic lighting and post-production techniques. She often captures the essence of her subjects through expressive facial expressions.
Nick Knight
Nick Knight is a highly innovative fashion photographer who blends fine art with commercial photography, often experimenting with digital technology and pushing the boundaries of traditional fashion imagery.
Knight often incorporates digital manipulation and experimental techniques. His images are known for their boldness and creativity.
Tim Walker
Tim Walker is celebrated for his whimsical, dreamlike photographs that often tell a story, using elaborate sets, props, and a sense of fantasy.
Walker uses large-format cameras. His unique sets and imaginative storytelling set his work apart.
Corrine Day
Corinne Day was a pioneer in the grunge aesthetic of the 1990s, known for her raw, unposed style that captured the authenticity of her subjects, often focusing on youth culture.
Day’s documentary-style photography often uses natural light and a raw aesthetic. Her work is characterized by its authenticity and emotional depth.
Jane Bown
Jane Bown was renowned for her intimate and candid portraits of celebrities and everyday people, using natural light and a documentary approach to reveal the essence of her subjects.
Bown often uses a medium-format camera. Her work captures the essence of her subjects with minimal distractions.
Rineke Djikstra
Rineke Dijkstra is known for her striking portraits that often highlight the transition between adolescence and adulthood, capturing her subjects in a way that emphasizes their vulnerability and strength.
Dijkstra uses large-format cameras. Her work often explores themes of identity and transition.
Thomas Ruff
Thomas Ruff is recognized for his conceptual approach to photography, often exploring the boundaries between reality and representation through large-scale images, digital manipulation, and a focus on the medium itself.
Ruff uses digital photography and often experiments with different techniques, including large-scale prints and manipulation. His work challenges traditional notions of photography.
Creative Responses
Gel Lighting
We Experimented with a lighting technique called Gel lighting. Gel lighting in photography refers to the use of coloured gels placed over light sources to create specific colour effects in images. These gels are typically made from thin sheets of coloured plastic or acrylic and can be attached to lights to modify their colour temperature or add creative hues to a scene. Knowing this, it has helped me produce the following photographs.
The reason that we Photographers use gels are for various purposes, including:
1. Colour Correction: To adjust the colour temperature of the light to match the ambient light or to create a specific mood.
2. Creative Effects: To add colour to shadows or highlights, enhancing the overall aesthetic of the photo.
3. Separation and Depth: To add colour behind subjects, helping them stand out from the background and creating depth in the composition.
Best Gel Photographs
Edited Gel Photographs
Even though I clearly stated that the Photographs from above are my “Best Gel Photographs”, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I am not going to edit them. So I boosted the Vibrancy to 100 and kept the Saturation to 0, which made the Red mixed Orange stand out a lot more.
I wanted my 2 models to have their own individual colours associated with them. Like with my previous model Eddie, I associated Red and Blue with him, and for my Upcoming model Vincent I associated Orange and Purple. I used the same Gel Plastic colours and the same Vibrancy but I also changed the Hue in the Photograph to produce the following.
BeforeAfterBeforeAfterBeforeAfter
Photo Montages
Juxtaposition
For the purposes of a ‘juxtaposition in photography’ definition, we can say that juxtaposition photography involves combining two or more elements in the same picture, highlighting the interesting contrast between them, to create an eye-catching and thought-provoking image.
Or to be specific, juxtaposition is when you put two opposite things together, and the contrast of those two things becomes interesting.
For example:
Fat person next to skinny person
Tall person next to short person
Dark colors next to light colors
Circles next to rectangles
Old people next to young people
Generally with ‘juxtaposition’ — you are making a statement through the contrast of elements you put in the frame.
My Experimentation
Double Exposure
A double exposure is created by exposing a single frame to two different images. Traditionally, you’d achieve this effect with film cameras, but this technique is now accessible to digital photographers through in-camera settings or via post-processing software like Photoshop.
Double exposure photography allows you to juxtapose contrasting scenes, textures, or subjects, resulting in images that can spark curiosity, ignite the imagination or tell a poignant message.
Studio lighting in photography happens when a photographer uses an artificial light source to either add to the light that’s already there, or to completely light their photograph. Setups can range from using a single flash that you mount onto your camera, to multiple off-camera lights.
Why do we use studio lighting?
Shooting with the appropriate LED studio lights allows you to capture images and colours the way they look in real life, removing the need to process photos after the shoot. Most LED lights are adjustable and can be dimmed or brightened depending on what you need. Studio lights are essential tools for photographers to illuminate their images and videos. Lighting is a very important tool when it comes to controlling the image and using studio lights in an effective way is an art in itself.
What is the difference between 1-2-3 point lighting and what does each technique provide / solve?
One point lighting would involve just one light and this would be illustrated as the key light.
Two point lighting is when the light sources point directly towards each other and the subject is placed between the two.
Three point lighting is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with light sources from three distinct positions. The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight.
Key Light
What it provides: Usually the key light is the main source of light and it is placed at an angle to the subject to create texture, depth, and contrast. It highlights the form and dimension of on-screen subjects and allow cinematographers to control the atmosphere of a scene.
Positioning: The key light is normally placed at a 45 degree angle to the person, it has to be only slightly above eye level and to one side.
Effect: Using a soft key light creates more diffused shadows, conveying a gentle, flattering, and natural feel. On the other hand, a hard key light generates sharp, well-defined shadows, which can be used to create a more dramatic or stylized portrait.
Fill Light
What it provides: The purpose of a fill light is to illuminate the parts of the subject that the main light cannot reach.
Positioning: If your main light source is behind your subject, then place the fill light in front of your subject. If your main light source is to the side of your subject, then place your fill light to the side of your subject also.
Effect: Balancing the overall illumination of a scene, especially in areas with shadows or low light contrast. Its main function is to soften shadows and lessen the hardness of the key light. This results in a more appealing and balanced visual.
Back Light
What it provides: Backlight is light that hits an actor or subject from behind, typically higher than the subject it is exposing. Backlighting an object or actor from the background creates more depth and shape to a subject.
Positioning: Place the camera in the direction of the subject and position your subject in a way so that the backlight is directly behind the subject.
Effect: This will help create a light spill effect, where the light seems to spill from behind the outline of your subject.
Rembrandt Lighting
Rembrandt lighting is characterized by an illuminated triangle (also called “Rembrandt patch”) under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face. It is named for the Dutch painter Rembrandt, who occasionally used this type of lighting.
This is a photo that I took of Alef, before and after editing, using the Rembrandt lighting. I asked him to sit facing directly towards the camera and I just positioned the light to be diagonal from him but still facing his side. I used the spot healing brush tool to smoothen his face a bit and I increased the vibrancy and the contrast and I decreased the brightness and saturation.
Butterfly Lighting
Butterfly lighting is a portrait lighting pattern where the key light is placed above and directly centred with a subject’s face. This creates a shadow under the nose that resembles a butterfly. It’s also known as ‘Paramount lighting,’ named for classic Hollywood glamour photography. Butterfly lighting is a popular setup because it has the effect of slimming the face due to shadows that are created on both sides of the face. This provides a flattering look that emphasizes a subject’s facial features, highlighting the eyebrows, cheekbones, and nose in a photogenic way.
Butterfly lighting often conveys a sense of classic beauty and timeless elegance. The soft, even illumination can evoke feelings of warmth and serenity in viewers.
In this photo I used butterfly lighting to make the shadow under his nose. I positioned him facing towards the camera with a light right above him. I cropped the image so that it is a square and i smoothed out his skin , increased brightness and contrast and the saturation and vibrancy.
Chiaroscuro Lighting
In photography, chiaroscuro lighting refers to the intentional employment of highlights and shadows to draw attention to the shape of the subject.
To achieve this type of lighting, establish a single, powerful light source first in order to create a chiaroscuro impression. This might be daylight coming in via a window, or it could be a studio light. To get the ideal shadow effects, position the light at an angle relative to your subject. chiaroscuro lighting is employed to heighten tension and create terrifying visuals.
This is a photo that I took of Chanell with chiaroscuro lighting. I positioned the light to be on one side of her facing her so that there is only light on one side of her face. I cropped the image so that she is centred and I turned down the brightness and the vibrancy. I increased the contrast, gamma correction and the saturation. This gave the image a more intense look.
Butterfly lighting is a form of studio lighting that is usually used within portraiture photography, as the name suggests the lighting used forms a butterfly shape under the nose of the subject of the image. This is because the light comes from above the camera and you face creates the shadow.
Why should you use it?
Butterfly lighting should be used in photography as it gives an appearance of the subject having a narrow face, on top of this, the camera is centred on the face and they are engaging with the camera, this is beneficial as it creates a different atmosphere than other images than usual, it not only is a great method for making the subject stand out but it also does so in a unique unusual way to what is normal making you images stand out from the rest.
Who created it?
Butterfly lighting was not created by one specific individual but rather developed over time in Hollywood back in the 1930’s, it was mainly used on a person called Marlene Dietrich who was a Hollywood star around that time.
How to create a butterfly lighting setup –
Lighting: Butterfly lighting requires a key light that can be a flash unit or continuous. If continuous, it can be artificial or natural. In other words, you can use strobes, speed lights, LEDs or even the sun.
A butterfly lighting effect refers to the setup and not to the quality of light – it can be soft or hard light depending on the effect you want.
Chiaroscuro Lighting is an Italian lighting technique that stands for Light Dark, it is a high contrast lighting technique that that uses a low key lighting set up, it uses a single light source to create a dark background with lit subjects.
Why should you use it?
Chiaroscuro Lighting should be used as it provides an abstract contrast that helps to draw attention to the subject and to create a dark shadowy background, doing this can add a more unique look to the images that you take to boost the atmosphere and can help to create an almost three dimensional look to the image.
Who created it?
Chiaroscuro lighting was developed by Leonardo Davinci, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Rembrandt and was developed by multiple people, it was mainly created in the Renaissance era and is still used today in low key photography.
How to create a Chiaroscuro Lighting set up –
Chiaroscuro in photography: Chiaroscuro using one key light and a variation using a reflector that reflects light from the key light back onto the sitter.
Environmental portraiture is about representing someone’s daily life or livelihood through the background or surrounding environment of a portrait image of the subject.
In this photo the photographer uses natural lighting from above the subject as this photo was taken outdoors where its implied he spends a lot of his time as he is shirtless outside on the grass in between two tractors. This environment implies the subject works a job within agriculture or a farmers trade. the photo has been taken from a lower angle to accentuate the giant size of the tractors, as well as the frame cutting off half of each of the tractors to keep the subject as the main focus. We can infer the photo is un-posed as the subjects gaze looking away and he is not engaged with the camera.
August Sander
Example Of August Sanders Works
Born in 1876, Sander developed his interest in photography around 1898 when he began working in photographic firms and by 1904 he had opened his own photographic firm in Austria. He then moved to Cologne in 1909 and began to photograph the urban workers and farmers. After WW2 Sander set out to recapture the faces and document life after around 40,000 negative images were destroyed during the war so he started his project “Faces of The 20th century” also known as “Man of The 20th Century” in 1929. Sander created a catalogue with over 600 photos of the people he captured in his project. Many years later his work is still influencing photographers around the world.
In this environmental portrait you can tell a lot about the person such as the fashion of the decade, as well as this, we can guess he worked in construction as he looks to be carrying bricks. This tells us about the history of the time too as we know there was an increase in labour and construction after the destruction of the war left a lot of the cities needing to be rebuilt and repaired. The lighting is pretty dark as we can see the background is black giving the impression this was taken at night or possibly inside a construction site, such as an unfinished house. It looks like there’s lighting coming from behind the camera or the flash could be on. There isn’t much of setting due to this but because of the bricks we can interpret a lot like I’ve previously mentioned. The framing is cropped around the subject and is a three-quarter-length shot with a head on angle. The subject has a deadpanned expression and is looking at the cameras.
What Is Typology?
Typology is the study of types such as classification and categorization.
My Plan for Photoshoots
I will first go around the school and take photos of staff and students I can find.
I will then go to town after school and take as many photos as I can of retail workers in local shops, in the market and possibly shoppers.
I will also take photos of my friends at school or out.
I believe both photos are similar as they are both taken in the subjects workplace. The lighting in both images is quite bright with Sanders looking like it was taken in the daytime possibly even outside however mine was taken under artificial lighting indoors. A difference between the works is the direction of light in Sanders is coming from the right side of the image however the light in my photo is coming from above the subject directly down. Another difference between mine and Sanders work is how they’re framed. Sander has taken his image framed as a full body image with the subject slightly to the right where as I have framed my work with a three quarter length. Sanders image looks to be posed with the subjects arm resting and the subject facing the camera with a black face gaze similarly to mine as he is posing with his arms also by having his hands in his pockets as well as his gaze is smiling and facing the camera. Each image is also taken horizontally.
These are some of my favourites at the moment however, I plan to take more photos throughout the next few weeks and add to the blog.
I like the idea of using black and white in the image.I like the idea of having a lot of items to create a busy background. I like the idea that the background is quite blurred and he is the main focus.
I like the idea that him and the saxophone are the clear subjects.I like the simplicity of this image while its still clear what is going on.I like the idea that it looks like a very natural photo.
I like the idea that the image is taken in black and white.I like the idea that the image is of the subject in a natural position.I like the idea that the subject is engaging with the camera for the image.
What is environmental portraiture
An environmental portrait is an image take of one or more person / people in there natural environment doing things like there job, a hobby or there lifestyle. It is represented through the background of the image or items shown in the image that have something to do with their lifestyle.
Example environmental portrait with evaluation
Associação Comercial da Bahia
Lighting –
– Lighting used is artificial
– Shining from above him
– Possibly studio lights used
Environment –
– At a reception desk
– Most likely his job
– African American Ethnicity
– Taken in Brazil
– Male
– Most likely in his 60’s
Framing –
– Half-body angle used
– Dead pan
Approach –
– Neutral pose
Gaze –
– Eye contact
– Engagement with camera
Camera settings –
– Wide lens
– Mid-range F-stop
– No Tripod
– Medium shutter speed
– Medium shutter speed
Image info –
In this photo we can see the gold picture frame placed above the subject in the image, we can tell that he is in a place with money, this was most likely done by the photographer to fully capture this mans life style and give us incite into his place of work. This photo was taken in Brazil but there was no date for when it was taken, we can interpret that he works in a reception because of the two phones on his desk and the clean desk which is what you would expect at a front entrance for a more appealing look. I believe the idea behind this image was to capture an everyday person doing there job to capture there mood and lifestyle. With the visual elements of this photograph we can see that colour has been used with the gold frame for insight into the mans life, texture is also represented in this image along with Form (3D) with the curtain behind them.
August Sander
His life – August Sander (17 November 1876 – 20 April 1964), was a German portrait photographer, he wasn’t born into a family of photographer but found it through working in a local mine which was his full time job. His images consisted of a variety of different ages, religions, ethnicities and genders helping to shape environmental portraiture for years to come. He created some notable pieces of work such as, ‘The Farmer’, ‘The Skilled Tradesman’, ‘The Woman’, ‘Classes and Professions’, ‘The Artists’, ‘The City’ and ‘The Last People’.
His technique –
August Sander liked to use Shallow depth of field. generally full body shots to create an idea of model’s job and to include more of background in shot. As we can see in the images below he liked to take pictures of his subjects in a natural position representing there job and/or lifestyle.
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“I never made a person look bad.” – August Sander
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Examples of his work –
Who is in the photo?
– August Sander – Master Mason – 1926
how are they posed?
– neutral pose and facial expression
how are they framed?
– Full length body
– Deadpan angle
what is their gaze?
– Eye contact > engagement with the camera
Colour
– Black and white
Who is in the photo?
– August Sander – Handlanger (Bricklayer) – 1928
how are they posed?
– formal (posed) with relaxed facial expression
how are they framed?
– Full body
– Deadpan angle
what is their gaze?
– Eye contact > engagement with the camera
Colour
– Black and white
What is typology?
———–
Typology is a a term that we use in photography that, in simple terms, is the study of types. It can be used to see and represent similarities and differences in images.
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Here are some examples –
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Analysis of Arnold Newman Photography
Image of Arnold Newman
His life – Arnold Newman (3 March 1918 – 6 June 2006), was an American portrait photographer, in his early life he studied art in school, however, later in life he opened a business and stared a freelance photography business, most likely getting his creativity from art in school. He created some notable pieces of work such as, ‘Pablo Picasso, Spanish Painter and Sculptor’, ‘Max Ernst, German Painter and Sculptor’, ‘Marc Chagall, Russian/French Painter’, ‘Isamu Noguchi, Japanese American Artist and Landscape Architect’, ‘Man Ray, American Surrealist Painter’ and ‘Josef Albers, German-American Painter’.
His technique –
Arnold Newman liked to use a variety of different lighting such as natural light, as well as studio lighting setups generally half body shots to have more focus on the background of the image. He also liked to take pictures of the subjects of the image in there natural environment to capture their lifestyle.
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“The photographer must be a part of the picture.” – Arnold Newman
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Examples of his work –
Who is in the photo?
– Pablo Picasso, Spanish Painter and Sculptor, 1954
how are they posed?
– Formal pose and facial expression
how are they framed?
– Half body
– Deadpan angle
what is their gaze?
– Eye contact > engagement with the camera
Colour
– Black and white
Who is in the photo?
– Isamu Noguchi, Japanese American Artist and Landscape Architect, 1947
how are they posed?
– formal (posed) with relaxed facial expression
how are they framed?
– half body
– Canted angle
what is their gaze?
– Eye contact > engagement with the camera
Colour
– Black and white
Photoshoot plan
I plan to take photos inside and outside of school and take inspiration from August Sander in doing so. I plan to use props in all of my images to give a greater insight into the persons lifestyle or profession.
Photo Shoots
Contact sheet –
Selection process –
as you can see above I used P and X to flag my images to filter out the bad ones from the ok and good ones, next I rated these images 4 or 5 stars as 4 being ok ones and 5 being good ones, finally I gave them the colour yellow or green, green being the best and yellow being good. I will now edit these images that I selected and present them bellowalong with the raw images.
Editing
As you can see above I have used cropping to make the image a little smaller, I have done this so the subject is just a little bit closer to the camera in the image to make it more obvious that she is the main subject of the image.
As you can see above I have used two masks to sperate the subject from the background of the image, the reason I did this is because I wanted to have a slight but visible discrepancy between the two to make it even more obvious what the subject of the image is.
Adding to this I decided to keep this image in colour as to me it looked better but I did change one of my edited images to black and white.
Final images And evaluation
Who –
– The person in the image is Beth – 2024
Lighting –
– Taken indoors
– Artificial light used which is shining down from above
Environment –
– The location is her house in jersey channel islands
– They live a middle class life style
– Female, from Jersey and family history of Jersey, 17 years old
– Books used as props to represent her hobby
Framing –
– Full body
– Canted angle
Approach –
– Neutral pose and facial expression
Gaze –
– Eye contact and engagement with camera
Technical –
– ISO 200, 27mm , f / 4.0, 1/13 sec SS and no tripod used
B&W or colour –
– Colour
Who –
– The person in the image is Beth – 2024
Lighting –
– Taken indoors
– Artificial light used which is shining down from above
Environment –
– The location is her house in jersey channel islands
– They live a middle class life style
– Female, from Jersey and family history of Jersey, 17 years old
– Books and saxophone used as props to represent her hobby
Framing –
– Full body
– Deadpan angle
Approach –
– Neutral pose and facial expression
Gaze –
– Eye contact and engagement with camera
Technical –
– ISO 200, 30mm , f / 4.5, 1/13 sec SS and no tripod used
B&W or colour –
– B&W
Who –
– The person in the image is Beth – 2024
Lighting –
– Taken indoors
– Artificial light used which is shining down from above
Environment –
– The location is her house in jersey channel islands
– They live a middle class life style
– Female, from Jersey and family history of Jersey, 17 years old
– Books and saxophone used as props to represent her hobby
Framing –
– Full body
– Deadpan angle
Approach –
– Neutral pose and facial expression
Gaze –
– Eye contact and engagement with camera
Technical –
– ISO 200, 30mm , f / 4.5, 1/13 sec SS and no tripod used
B&W or colour –
– Colour
Who –
– The person in the image is Beth – 2024
Lighting –
– Taken indoors
– Artificial light used which is shining down from above
Environment –
– The location is her house in jersey channel islands
– They live a middle class life style
– Female, from Jersey and family history of Jersey, 17 years old
– Books used as props to represent her hobby
Framing –
– Full body
– Deadpan angle
Approach –
– Neutral pose and facial expression
Gaze –
– Eye contact and engagement with camera
Technical –
– ISO 200, 32mm , f / 4.5, 1/13 sec SS and no tripod used
B&W or colour –
– Colour
Who –
– The person in the image is Mr Cole – 2024
Lighting –
– Taken indoors
– Artificial light used which is shining down from above
Environment –
– The location is Hautlieu school in jersey channel islands
– Male, Work as a teacher in Hautlieu school, not sure how old
– Camera used as prop in the image to represent his profession
Framing –
– Half body
– Deadpan angle
Approach –
– Formal pose and facial expression
Gaze –
– Eye contact and engagement with camera
Technical –
– ISO 400, 55mm , f / 5.6, 1/40 sec SS and no tripod used
B&W or colour –
– Colour
Who –
– The person in the image is Mr Cole – 2024
Lighting –
– Taken indoors
– Artificial light used which is shining down from above
Environment –
– The location is Hautlieu school in jersey channel islands
– Male, Work as a teacher in Hautlieu school, not sure how old
– Camera used as prop in the image to represent his profession
Framing –
– Half body
– Deadpan angle
Approach –
– Formal pose and facial expression
Gaze –
– Eye contact and engagement with camera
Technical –
– ISO 400, 55mm , f / 5.6, 1/40 sec SS and no tripod used
B&W or colour –
– Colour
Overall evaluation –
In these images I planned for it to be simple while using props such as the saxophone and the camera used in the different photos taken. With these images I took inspiration from August Sander taking ideas such as the props and the simplicity of the images, he also frequently used black and white in his image so I decided to do the same with one of mine to get a greater idea of what my images could look like. I will now represent these 6 images in art steps as a typology.