'Studio Lighting' 3rd Shoot

Test Shots-

Selected Shots from Shoot-

I was very pleased with the results of this shoot as I feel that firstly the subject's features and aesthetic beauty were far more suitable in relation to achieving the best results from the lighting techniques and also in allowing for the viewer to better appreciate the beauty representation of the individual. The use of a singular light source, influenced by my visual research, was vindicated by the results as an over head lightbox, in the frontal images, achieved the shine and glowing displacement from the subjects highlights whilst also giving some definition to the cheek bones. Although pleased with the lighting, which has suggested the idea of the idealised aesthetically pleasing beauty representation of females and also their placement as works of art to be appreciated by the voyeuristic viewer, I feel that I want to define the cheekbones further and in order to do this I will look at more visual research and also talk with Adam Mead and discuss what I could do technically to achieve this. I feel the make-up used also explored the ideas that I expressed within my visual research. I'd also like to be more experimental with lighting in my subsequent shoot as I feel that although the use of a singular light source, and particularly the soft box, has achieved results which support my research and approach, I want to light the background in a considered manner which will displace similar appropriate suggestions. 

Lighting set-ups employed-

Single Beauty Dish

Single Umbrella

Sngle Over-head Soft Box

Visual research for 'Studio Lighting' and 'Still Life'

Further to my visual research on Jonathan Knowles' images I decided to look at the lighting techniques that Mark Reeves has applied to his subject matters. Although Mark's still life work focuses on expensive, high- end furniture it's interesting that he has employed the same use of similar white light streaks to define and accentuate the form and shape of the products, of course, this technique, as aforementioned, is effective at displacing denotations of grandeur, classiness and a desirability for the product which is evoked within the viewer. 

Alexander Neuman

Make-up Idea-

Photographer- Andrew Yee

The images by Alexander Neumann again are centrally themed with ideas of the subjects position as works of art, to be looked at and admired, for their aesthetic beauty. The females are also represented through posing as sexually desirable and this accentuates the positioning of the viewer as voyeur in relation to these images. The diffused spread out lighting used in these images is symbolistic of the flowing and free nature of the subjects, confirmed by the posing which connotes similar ideals. In my next shoot therefore I will introduce this singular light source idea, experimenting with different light fittings/fixtures and trying to achieve similar denoted ideas as the visual research I have evidenced. Also the eye make-up used within the photograph by Andrew Yee, shown in my visual research, is a styling that I will implement as it nicely 'frames' the eyes, a frame within a frame, a work of art within a work of art, and also the red connotes a passion, fiesty and sexuality personality which I wanted to convey about my female subject matter.

'Studio Lighting' 2nd Shoot

Lighting set-ups employed

The above image is my chosen edited shot from the photo shoot. I feel that although my approach did not quite displace the subjects highlights or define the cheekbones of the subject, the technical aspect of this was somewhat hampered by the subjects largely undefined cheekbones and in-distinguishable jawline, I do however, feel that, whilst the lighting didn't completely display and conjure aesthetic appreciation for the subject it did compliment the skin tones of the subject and was clean and sharply executed. I did, however, manage to evidence the visual research of Peters and Axon through the subjects eye contact with the viewer, face focal point of the image and also the lack of clothes, allowing the viewer to indulge in the act of voyeuristic looking. In my next shoot I will begin by choosing a subject who is aesthetically more suitable. This will allow for the lighting techniques that I try to transfer into my work to be more evident and distinguishable. I will also look at more relevant visual research, for my approach, which focuses on the poses and facial expressions of the subjects and how the lighting juxtaposes with this in a complimenting manner. Obviously I need to adjust the lighting so that I can achieve both cheek definition and the glowing displacement I am trying to achieve but I need to also pay more attention to the way in which the hair is lit as a lot of information and detail was lost from the hair, this despite using a secondary source at times in order to light the hair. 

'Still Life' Product 1st Shoot- collaborated shoot with Isaac

Lighting Set-up

 

Altered Lighting Set-up

For my first still life product shoot I collaborated with Isaac, again, as I did by coincidence with my first studio lighting portrait shoot, but as it was a subject matter that was notoriously difficult to photograph, due to the reflective and also transparent nature of the material, glass, which forms the wine bottle, it made sense to initially experiment together. The results proved to show that lighting in a similar style to my visual reference images would be a challenge, the white strips of light I produced were visibly much larger and bolder than the intended streamlined shapely slits of white light which defined Jonathan Knowles images. However, I do feel the lighting on the neck of the wine bottle is an aspect of this shoot that worked effectively in the context of this subject matter and will be a feature will be transferred into the revisiting of this subject matter.Use of two soft boxes either side of the bottle was too large of a light source. So for my re-shoot I will utilise blackboards or card over/in front of the soft boxes so that the streaks of light are much thinner and therefore defining. The texture, which is visible in the background and foreground, I also want to eliminate as I want the bottle to appear from the darkness, as this will suggest connotations of mystery and sexuality, juxtaposing well with the aforementioned denotations I suggested of the Knowles images, which also now apply within the context of my work. So I will light each side of the bottle in separate shots, with the modified changes implemented, and as I will be using a tripod this time I will be able to comp the images together. I will then light the front and labels of the image and comp that as well. This should produce the desired replicated lighting technique and ideas I have taken from my visual research.

'Still Life' Product Research

   

Jonathan Knowles still life advertising work interested me visually because the lighting applied defines the shape of the product. Thin white streaks frame the drinks and separate the product from the dark background, connotations of importance and class are implied. The definition of the body also creates a desirability to the subject matters, causing the viewer to want to drink the beverages, a principal aim for drinks product advertising. I will try to replicate this lighting technique on a red wine bottle as I feel that the ideas and connotations that this lighting suggests, when juxtaposed with a black background, will be effective due to red wine's association with a classier and higher social class, obviously it will try to also evoke similar thirst quenching reactions from the viewers of my images.

'Interiors' 1st Shot

Similar to my visual research I utilised the natural light which was available within the interior and achieved similar light reflections off of the wooden surfaces and furnishings within the scene. What was particularly interesting was because this specific location was decorated for Halloween, the cobwebs draped over the windows, created this translucent dappled light which incensed and juxtaposed nicely with the warm smokey tones denoted from the wooden interior of the location. As with my visual research the frame is empty but  because of the lighting and colour tones a homely and welcoming space is communicated. Although I have found despite using a tripod the singular window light source is problematic as detail is lost within the shadows, which gives the scene a slightly altered feeling but doesn't overly effect the conveyed thoughts I previously expressed. This issue can be adjusted through the use of a bouncer/reflector or another light source to counter balance the one present within the composition. However permission and use of a bouncer/reflector would be unlikely due to the communal and socially animated interiors I am photographing. This isn't a problem that necessarily needs a solution, as for some locations this may be appropriate, but I will bare this in mind if I feel it impacts unjustly to the scene which I observe first hand.

'HDR' 1st Shoot

  

Manchester 

On top of Car Park- close to Oxford Road/Princess Street in Manchester

On top of Preston Bus Station

On top of Preston Bus Station

Location for Preston Bus Station shoot-

Some selected shots from my initial shoots around both Preston and Manchester. The HDR image taken in Manchester is rich in saturation and indulgent in colours, I also feel the reflections in the water add another dimension to the photograph, this all culminates to convey a scene of serenity and calmness which is condescending to the typically hectic environment associated with Manchester. I feel this image though is over-processed and, therefore, not the subtle implementation of the process I was trying to achieve. The other image comments on the industrial and developing environment of Manchester and is the far more interesting depiction of the place, a topic that i'd like to develop upon. I feel that the other HDR images, evidenced above, taken from on top of the Preston Bus Station, and also the other Manchester image taken on top of a car park near Princess Street/Oxford Road, are far more effective, due to the warm tones, as the shots were taken at dusk, and the subtle processing applied is a successful implementation, of the process, without being over the top allowing the viewer to analyse the contents of the scene rather than focus on the hyper-realism of the images. I also felt the perspective of a high vantage point was particularly effective at portraying a visually telling documentation of the environment. I chose to reflect upon two shoots together, in order, to better convey the time of day i'd like to to shoot at as well as the approach towards documenting the cityscape scenes, through the use of this HDR technique. The depth and detail allows for the viewer to focus on individual points within the image as they survey the scene analysing the stilled movements. For my next shoot I will explore the many high vantage points within Manchester, going with a friend who knows the area well, and use of a phase one camera rather than my 35mm camera in order to capture more depth and detail within the images. 

Further 'Studio Lighting' Visual Research

Vincent Peters

Vincent Peters

Karl Axon- 3rd year UCLan student

Karl Axon- 3rd year UCLan student

Karl Axon- 3rd year UCLan student

I felt that the use of one light source was a technically effective method which clearly and simply presents the individual within a portrait. The visual images pictured by Karl Axon clearly demonstrate that through the use of the soft box overhead you are able to offer and highlight the aesthetic beauty of the subject matters, softly bringing out a shine and almost glowing displacement from the individuals skin. This culminates in a idealistic 'beauty' representation, of the individuals, which again plays on ideas of voyeurism and looking at the characters as works of art, this though is perhaps a false reflection of their true self. Vincent Peters use of a similar soft focus editing processes, focus dropping from the face, is again confirmation of the idea of the aesthetic beauty and tenderness of the female gender, facilitated by the face's position of attention to the voyeur onlooker. All of the images, above, present the subjects as supposed nudes, encouraging the viewer to imagine the physical beauty of the subjects, further appreciating the aesthetic form of these attractive subjects. This idea of voyeurism and the act of looking is, again, of course, touched  upon, the privileged/empowered perspective that the viewer is positioned within, though, is slightly challenged by the subjects own stare directly at us, the viewer, and this adds another dimension to the work as the works of art are not only being looked upon but are looking back onto us, voyeurs within voyeurs. I would like to emulate all of the aforementioned components within my own approach.

'Still Life' Narrative 1st Shoot

 

I used the still life studio room for my first narrative based 'still life' shoot, the room consisted of one soft box and a small white infinity screen, in which to place the still life item, and I also brought a flash gun with me as a secondary light source. I felt that to get the pictorial/nostalgia aesthetic, I required, I would need to use quite soft lighting, which I would gain from the soft box, and I chose to back light the porcelain doll with the flash gun in order to convey the haunting presence of the subject matter. The scene constructed was quite simple, as I intended, but I felt that the narrative wasn't effectively communicated through the images. This was partly due to the lighting, which was almost flat, whilst the back lighting clipped the hair of the doll rather than produce the rim lighting that I desired. In order to achieve the nostalgic/pictorial aesthetic I will utilise naturally diffused window lighting and construct the scene within my house. I also felt that the framing, positioning and composition of the scene and subject matter wasn't correct, I will rectify this by using a larger scope to the frame, which isn't so tightly cropped, and positioning the subject offset from the center of the image in order to denote dysfunctionality and disturbia within the subject matter. Within the composition I will also integrate the foreboding placement of a wooden box within the scene to communicate more effectively the narrative within the scene whilst also encouraging the viewer to the missing passages of narrative beyond the frame.

'HDR' Process

When taking photographs use of a tripod is essential as I will have to do several shots and layer them together in order to achieve the high dynamic range image. Minimum of 3 exposures is required- one correctly exposed image, 1 stop under-exposed image and 1 stop over-exposed image. The more exposures the more elaborate and over the top the HDR image becomes. Exposure can be altered by adjusting the shutter speed 3 clicks to the right/left or by changing the EV (exposure value). I will either be using a HDR software, Photomatix Pro 3.2, or Photoshop in order to layer the images and achieve the HDR image.

'Still Life' Idea and Contextual Development

Filmic Influences- Similar to  Guido Mocafico drawing inspiration from another medium I have chosen instead to take influence from two films I have recently seen- Dead Silence and The Possession.


Dead Silence- A widower who returns to his hometown to unearth clues about his recently departed wife's untimely death. In the quiet town of Ravens Fair, children taunt one another with spooky stories about a ventriloquist whose mind was ravaged by insanity. Mary Shaw was a popular entertainer until she was accused of murdering a young boy. Subsequently hunted and captured by the vengeful townspeople, Mary's tongue was cut out before she was mercilessly killed and committed to the earth in the company of her handmade collection of vaudeville dolls. In the years that followed, the town seemed to be haunted by those ghastly puppets. After mysteriously disappearing from Mary's grave, the menacing figurines would sometimes be glimpsed by the damned in the dead of night -- their appearance consistently foreshadowing the death of whoever laid eyes upon them. Entire families were found slaughtered, their tongues brutally torn from their mouths in a sickening scene that eerily recalled the execution of the elderly ventriloquist. Newlyweds Jamie (Ryan Kwanten) and Lisa Ashen (Laura Regan) both grew up in Ravens Fair. Now, following Lisa's inexplicable death, Paul has returned to the pair's hometown in order to say his final goodbyes and find out the truth about his wife's enigmatic demise. After being reunited with his ailing father (Bob Gunton) and the aging man's pretty young bride (Amber Valletta), the grieving widower will finally uncover the shocking truth behind the curse that has plagued Ravens Fair for as far back as he can remember.

Plot Summary taken from- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dead_silence/

The Possession- The Possession is the terrifying account of how one family must unite in order to survive the wrath of an unspeakable evil. Clyde and Stephanie Brenek see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host.

Plot Summary taken from- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_possession/

The highlighted red lines are elements from the films that I would like to integrate into the narrative of my photographs. I will combine the use of a eerie and haunting presence of a porcelain doll, their chilling and glazed stare, with the foreboding placement of a wooden box to construct a narrative that is simple and clear.

Contextual Research found within September 2012's issue of British Journal of Photography discusses the fashion work of Paulina Surys as she suggests that her "process completely contradicts the initial goal of photography- it destroys the initial photograph and turns it into something else. The composition is created when I shoot the black-and-white image, but then it receives multiple elements that break this composition. It's something else, which comes from the photographer's mind- just like a painter with his paintings." This passage was relevant and intriguing to me as a comment on how her work is breaking with the codes and traditions to which which photography and photographs should follow, drawing upon other mediums and a collaboration of sorts takes place with these in order to create a piece of unique work. Whilst the exploration of this for both Surys and a variety of other photographers has been almost safe as they 'bridge' the supposed 'gap' between painters and photographers, and the respective mediums, with the pictorialism movement. I, however, have chosen to further disrupt the composition of these separate mediums by also taking ideas from filmic sources in a manner that is a hybrid almost of constructed cinematic imagery and piscatorial photography.

'Studio Lighting' 1st Shoot

Test shot with Isaac, fellow photographer

 

Studio Lighting Set Up

The opportunity arose to shoot some studio profile portraits of the presenters of Frequency Radio. As I was fairly novice to using the studio environment I felt that this would be a challenging introduction into use of the space, allowing me to direct the sitters and whilst also introducing myself. The brief was to shoot the presenters in a similar style to the portraits of the Radio 1 presenters- black and white, simple lighting, white background, etc. with the images having to be of a largely uniform nature. I directed the largely uncomfortable subjects to promote and try to showcase their personality trying to ease them and comfort them as much as possible.  I chose to incorporate the visual research I had done thus far for this first experimentation. Using a beauty dish, angled to the side of the subject, with a white bouncer to soften the shadow on the side of the face and a single back light. I was happy with the resulting images, a selection of which I've shown, which displays my sculpturing of the light to frame the face, exhibiting the subject in a voyeuristic manner allowing the viewer to make their own deductions of the personality and individuality of the sitters. Although, these images demonstrate that because of the subjects edginess to being photographed the photographic portrait doesn't completely capture the subject, the image is not the 'whole truth.'