Assignment 1 - A portrait

Assignment 1: A portrait

For this assignment I have taken 6 portrait photographs using the same person as a subject and drawn together the learning from the course exercises. The aim was to take portraits which differ in type and style.

I considered each portrait individually and identified what worked well, what was less successful and analysed the reasons for this. I considered where I need to strengthen my skills and understanding and explained how I hoped to achieve it.

I chose to use my daughter Alex as my subject as she had been great working with me and we had discussed what I was trying to achieve before shoots and reviewed photos together afterwards. Throughout the time frame, Alex’s GCSE’s came closer and she had less available time due to revision. Her facial expressions and body language became more stressed, so I had to work harder at making her feel relaxed.

Edwards (2009) states that the word portrait is “from the french verb portraire, to portray” and the photographer should convey mood as well as showing a physical likeness. He argues that a photograph should offer the viewer an opportunity to learn more about the person being photographed.

I considered different settings, lighting, eye contact, formal, casual, urban, expression – relaxed, questioning, contemplating, moody, pose – head and shoulders, head, shoulders and torso, full body, standing, crouching, sitting, lying down. The images which did not make it into the final selection are on my blog under Test shots.

All images except Image 1 were taken with a Canon 5D mark 2 (full frame sensor). Image 1 was taken with a Canon 1000D (smaller sensor – crop factor = 1.6)

Date of shoot: 24/4/14

1/250 F4 ISO100 40mm (Effective focal length 64mm)

This was taken as part of the exercise on expression and eye contact. Although I have taken several photos since I took this, I still like Alex’s relaxed pose and it sums up Alex’s character. It became a benchmark of the relaxed, happy pose I was trying to capture during some shoots. The dark colours create a contrast with the stonework and Alex’s skin.  She is positioned on the third with her legs crossed into the frame to balance the image by giving more space and look aesthetically pleasing.

What went well?

·         Shoot happened on a still day. Wind not blowing hair across face.

·         Camera mounted on tripod and used cable release to enable me to talk to Alex and direct from a seat as if we were having a chat.   

·         Relaxed pose indicated by shoulders being dropped

·         Good facial expression

·         Hair highlighted by sun

·         Eyes in focus

·         Balanced position – legs crossed into the frame.

What could be improved?

·         Lost some detail due to noise / highlights – could crop sky at the top of the wall to exclude this. Noise is around thigh area and in my opinion is acceptable

·         Perspective of wall makes it appear slanted – check carefully to see how noticeable these things are.

·         Face in shadow – could use reflector to bounce light back onto Alex’s face

·         Dirty boots – check as part of outfit check.

Date of shoot: 16/5/14

1/800 F2.8 ISO400 70mm

Having reviewed some of my exercise shoots, I thought some could be improved by and using a reflector. After practicing in the garden shade and watching a video on the Lastolite website, I decided to experiment. This was a really hot day so we sought refuge from the bright sun in the shade of Rufford Abbey’s porch. When I positioned Alex on the other side of the porch, she was more in shadow. By moving to this window opening, I avoided the use of a reflector. I had to keep an eye on Alex’s position so as not to have a line coming out of her head.

What went well?

·         Contemplative facial expression

·         Confidently able to position Alex where I wanted her, arm position, the angle of her head and facial expression

·         Colours work well together – even blue nail varnish to match the dress

·         Little reflection in glasses

What could be improved?

·         Some reflection in glasses (of my feet) – removed in Photoshop

·         Increasing aperture F2.8 to F4 would ensure both eyes were in focus

·         Reflector would add more light to face

Date of shoot: 16/5/14

1/1250 f3.2 ISO400 70mm

   

For the first exercise in People and Place 1, I positioned Alex leaning against a tree. In my opinion, this could be improved upon as I liked the effect of the image but not the crooked background. I have looked carefully at different styles which photographers use and at the moment I do prefer some sort of order. This may be because I have just completed Digital Photographic Practice 1 so I am leaving my mind open and seeing what happens. When reading Dyer (2012), I empathised with his reference to Dorothea Lange with regards to categorising of a subject and wondered if this also applied to photographic styles. I need to read further around this subject.

I like Alex’s head being in line with her body because the line flows well with her dress. Being angled against the tree forms a triangle shape which creates some instability. The dark shadow under the tree at the back of the landscape is in line with the top of Alex’s shoulders which tidies up the image. I did have to remove a white marquee in Photoshop to prevent unwanted distractions and allow the viewer to be drawn towards the portrait subject.

What went well?

·         Able to direct Alex’s pose to where I want her – fun pose

·         Position of hands worked on tree (no pockets this time)

·         Used a reflector to bounce light back towards Alex’s face as sun was behind her

·         Good facial expression

·         Good depth of field

What could be improved?

·         Some face in shadow- used reflector – need to hone technique to reflect more light under Alex’s chin

·         Bra strap shows – look carefully at fine details before taking image

·         Some highlights present

·         Increase aperture to F4 to include more in focus around eyes.

·         Very windy – should have stabilised camera better or used a tripod

            Date of shoot: 17/5/2014

1/250 F2.8 ISO200 110mm

 Using a backdrop which I identified in the location exercise, I asked Alex to pose with teenage attitude. The colours of her t-shirt complemented the bridge and its graffiti. Wearing a v neck elongated Alex’s neck and helps the viewer look from her eyes down to her arms. I asked my husband to hold the reflector in the position I wanted it held in which left both hands free for steadying the camera as there is limited access.

What went well?

·         Pleased with the look. I tried something a little different, inspired by all the images of rock bands on my children’s walls

·         Good depth of field – Alex is separated from the background and graffiti is blurred

·         Graffiti is abstract, not too colourful

·         Eyes sharp and in focus

·         Colours work well

·         Reflector brightened face

What could be improved?

·         Spot of reflector in Alex’s eyes – unsure at the moment how this is avoided – further research needed

·         Shadow on right side of face from reflector being in slightly the wrong position is not flattering – again I need to research use of reflectors further

·         Strands of hair across face – hair tied back to try and prevent this

Date of shoot: 18/5/14

1/80 f4 ISO200 145mm

Inspired by an image in William’s (2009) book using a glass window to reflect the portrait back and also show another side of the face, I took Alex into Nottingham to experiment. I had already sourced the perfect location and I hoped that the sun would still be low enough to add shadow to the pavement.

What went well?

·         Relaxed crouching position

·         Reflection behind subject shows another side of Alex (profile)

·         Positioned on thirds – composition is balanced – Alex looks like she is sitting next to someone

What could be improved?

·         Reflection quite dark. Window made from dark glass. Does not show up as well as I had hoped. Exposure settings need more work – Alex looks quite pale (overexposed)

·         Some reflection visible in glasses – I thought in camera this was acceptable – it did not show when viewed on camera screen. Using my old camera, I would have taken the tablet and viewed the image on a larger screen.  Need to look at how to make this happen with this camera.

·         Not quite as sharp as it could be, but it was a great facial expression. It summed up Alex to me. Increase ISO – based on the old adage of the shutter speed being equivalent to the focal length, this needed stabilising. I forget my 70-200mm lens has no image stabiliser.

Date of shoot: 18/5/14

1/500 F4 ISO200 115mm

A set of steps which leads to the Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery provided modern lines and colours which complemented Alex’s clothes. By positioning her in the shade from the wall there are no hard shadows on her face and the lighting looks quite even. The steps created an implied triangle which adds to the feeling of stability.

What went well?

·         Good depth of field – background thrown slightly out of focus

·         Eyes sharp and looking forward out of frame to viewer

·         Balanced image

·         Implied triangle adds stability

·         Crop makes Alex look slimmer

What could be improved?

·         Shape of T-shirt – blown around by the wind and didn’t allow me enough time to set it back to normal before the gust of wind blew again – this is an outdoors shot not a studio shot and I think it will happen when its windy. I’m not sure there’s any way around it

·         Some reflection in glasses of steps and railings (not seen when viewed on the back of the camera)

My plan changed slightly as I reviewed my images because I wasn’t happy with a couple so I added another shoot to the assignment. I have learnt over my time studying photography that I have to follow my instinct and if I think it is not quite right then it probably isn’t. The skills I need to develop further are composition and photography style, technical skills such as using a reflector, developing lighting techniques, learning to recognise the little things that make a big difference in portrait photography such as out of place hair and clothing, and preventing reflections in glasses.

I felt I gained in confidence and refreshed some skills over this assignment and exercises. It became easier to direct my subjects as my skills developed. I found watching a video on reflectors along with experimenting helped me understand how to use a reflector. Reviewing my images to see what worked is something I benefit from. I bought a book on lighting subjects with one flash light from the Photography Show which has some interesting projects to try which will help increase my knowledge around portraiture and flash. So far I have only experimented with fill in flash in mountain bike photography. The diagram on the strobist website helped explain why I had reflection on the glasses lens in the beginning, and when I compose a photograph including a subject with glasses, I think sun, lens, camera to myself as a reminder of reflection and the angle of incidence.

In summary, throughout this assignment, I considered each portrait individually and identified what worked well, what was less successful and analysed the reasons for this. I recognised where I needed to strengthen some of my skills and illustrated how I hoped to achieve it.

Looking at my collection of images as a whole, there are differences between the facial expressions, poses, size of the subject in relation to the frame, types of background/location, and clothing worn.

On reflection, I questioned whether I could have done anything differently. Looking back over my last photo shoot, I considered whether I should have used my son, because although he does not engage with having his photograph taken, he was keen to get in on the shoot and by changing my technique to work around him and alter the background behind him, I came away with some good images. He thought about posing in a different way – modelling himself on various rock stars and was keen to copy them, whereas my daughter was happy to be directed by me and would not do anything out of her comfort zone as she felt self conscious. I was able to consider how the role of the portrait photographer as a director may have to work differently depending on the sitter’s character.

References

Dyer, G (2012) The ongoing moment, Canongate Books ltd, Edinburgh p7

Edwards (2009) Photographing people like a pro, David and Charles Ltd, Ohio, p6

Bibliography

Binder, J ((2008) Capture the portrait: how to create great digital photos, Lark Books, NY

Dyer, G (2012) The ongoing moment, Canongate Books ltd, Edinburgh

Edwards (2009) Photographing people like a pro, David and Charles Ltd, Ohio,

Williams, A (2007) 99 Portrait Photo Ideas, Angela Patchell Books, UK

http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/04/lighting-101-lighting-for-glasses.html accessed 8/5/14

Pose and stance

2/5/14

This exercise looks at various positions used in portrait sessions such as sitting, standing and leaning and by reviewing the images, I was able to gauge how effective or attractive they were.

For preparation, I bought a couple of glossy magazines (Glamour and Cosmopolitan) and revisited a couple of books. I decided on a few poses and discussed them with my daughter Alex who agreed to pose for me.

Effectiveness

I think it would work better if the stump was off centre. Could do with being narrower. Tree stump in shade so lighting was even and background uncluttered. No reflection in Alex's glasses. She found it difficult to position her right hand so that it copied the model. Breeze caused hair movement so I assumed the advert was a studio shot.  

Attractiveness

A K would be more elegant than a tree stump! In the original, the model has her mouth open. Alex refused to copy this part of the pose. This worked better in monochrome. The models do not look relaxed.

Reflection

I should have leaned Alex more and had the tree stump off centre. A less visible tree stump and a smile would be better.

Effectiveness

I liked the pose of this model. She looks very tall and thin. Arm position and v neck accentuates height of model. Alex's forearm is a few inches shorter and gates / fences found on the location were too high or too low so pose was adapted. I think this pose worked, although the fence is not the most attractive. I lit Alex in the same way as the model, and I have not yet found a way of minimising reflection on her glasses when the sun is in this position. 

Attractiveness

I like the way the hair is lit and the colours work well together. Pose is relaxed. Pose is good and would be enhanced with a more elegant fence.

Reflection

Think about adding collapsible standing stool to kit to give model extra height.

Effectiveness

Pose works. Tried angling head away from direction of body to create Z shape instead of diagonal line. Both worked. I prefer this one because it looks like the head is supposed to be in that position. 

Attractiveness 

Relaxed, body position. This was my favourite from the leaning poses I experimented with.

 Effectiveness

Alex looks confident. left hand looked better spread out than when she had a closed fist. Added more length to her arm. Positioned at lower end of steps which gives height to the image. (Improvisation as steps were shallower than advert.) Alex held magazine which complemented her clothing colours which was similar to the models bags. Use of prop added interest to photo.

Attractiveness
Not attractive as such but I think it works because steps are interesting. Alex looks moody and this is the look I was trying to create.

 Effectiveness

Angle of Alex's legs works with frame of picnic bench. Alex was not the same proportion as the actress so pose had to be adapted. Position of Alex's hands and head gave a more contemplative look to the image.

Attractiveness
The image looks natural and is suited to the surroundings.

 Effectiveness
I did not like this image until I converted it to monochrome. I felt Alex was waiting for a bus. Her face should be further round to the right and her eyes should be looking at me in order to copy the model. 

Attractiveness
I don't find this an attractive image on its own because the body language suggests anticipation and as the viewer I am left wondering what is going on.

 Effectiveness
This pose looks unnatural. It is fine in a fashion magazine to show clothing but looks odd when viewed as a pose.

Attractiveness
I do not find this attractive. It seems an awkward pose.

 Effectiveness

As a pose it has multi-uses. Alex could adopt a similar pose if flicking her hair (to add movement), walking without having one foot off the floor, keeping the body facing this way and turn her head to look at the photographer. I questioned whether the model had been photoshopped because her arm looks exceedingly long and I think it is because her shoulder is dropped. 

Attractiveness

Pose suits surroundings. Nothing unattractive about this image.

Effectiveness
The adaptation of the pose (body turned slightly) makes the pose more natural. It can be utilised to provide a more dynamic range of  images. It gives Alex an air of confidence.

Attractiveness
I don't find this attractive. It is more of a statement pose.

In conclusion, I thought this was a useful exercise because it pushed what I already do to make me consider other poses and their usefulness. It became clear that some poses were more useful than others, and all were quite feminine. When considering a pose for a male, they tended to be more front on, stark, highlighting sculptured abdomens and angles of jaws. 

Bibliography

Binder, J ((2008) Capture the portrait: how to create great digital photos, Lark Books, NY

Cosmopolitan May 2014, UK
Edwards, R. (2009). Photographing People Like a Pro: A Guide to Digital Portrait Photography. Newton Abbot: David and Charles UK

Glamour Issue 158 May 2014, UK

Williams, A (2008) 99 Portrait Photo Ideas, Angela Patchell Books, UK

http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/04/lighting-101-lighting-for-glasses.html accessed 8/5/14

Focal Length

28/4/14

This was an interesting project to do. Up until this point I had been using my faithful Canon 1000D, with mediocre results. I felt it was a good time to change cameras (to my husband's Canon 5D mk2) because this was a technical exercise which would help me understand a little more about the camera and how my lens focal length results differed on a full frame camera. 

I have 2 lenses (24-105mm and 70-200mm). Up until now I had been using my 24-105mm inside the house for portraits because the distance needed between the subject and the camera was smaller and when multiplied by 1.6, the equivalent focal length became 38-168mm compared to 112-320mm. It would be an interesting exercise to review the results and see if I could improve my images by understanding what effect changing the focal length had on facial features and proportions.

Focal lengths looked at:

32mm 50mm 70mm 105mm 115mm 200mm

All images taken at 1/200 F8 ISO160

 32mm

50mm

70mm

105mm

115mm

200mm

At 32mm facial features are more caricature like (large forehead, large nose, wide eyes). the proportion of my daughter's head and body in the frame was larger when compared with 200mm. The look of this image was not flattering. 

50mm was more acceptable to me. At this length, her neck looked longer although her facial features such as her nose still looked quite large in comparison with longer lengths. 

From 70mm up to 200mm, the features became better proportioned. The shoulders became slimmer and the neck became longer, making the sitter appear taller and slimmer and the result is certainly more appealing to a teenager. 

I considered the distance I could stand away from the subject. At 32mm I felt the camera was in my subjects face, and with a stranger this could feel like I was invading their personal space.  At 200mm, I had to step back quite a long way, but my subject had space around them.  

Focal length also raises the question of truth and believability. I think it is important to represent my subject truthfully and for them to be happy that I have represented them as they see themselves.

This exercise  confirmed to me that the 70-200mm lens I own was a good choice for portraits. Although these images are unflattering, they illustrated a point and made me more aware that if I use a shorter telephoto lens indoors, I need to use it from 70mm onwards.

Review a portrait sequence

11/5/14

I set up a portrait session to experiment taking portrait photographs of Alex using a north facing window. My aim was to include head and torso and head and shoulders images and a variety of positions to look at avoiding reflection. As she was trying to revise, I initially worked around her whilst she read her book and once I knew what I wanted I asked her for her input. This was agreed before shooting as her available time was limited. 

Considerations:

• Kit - 70-200mm lens would not focus, so used wide end of 24-105mm lens
• Composition was key to this image. Area decluttered
• reflection in glasses
• shadows on face / balance of lighting
• facial expression / body language / angle of head/ position of eyes
• shutter speed fast enough to handhold camera

I started with 54 images. Using Lightroom 2, I was able to rate my images 1 = not good, 2 = acceptable, 3 = good, 4 = best single shot.

Best image

1/125 f3.5 ISO800 70mm light from north facing window

At the time of shooting, I thought I had not captured a 3/4 length shot so carried on and took a few more. I then moved to concentrating on head and shoulders which required me to engage with Alex to ask her to move her head in different directions. 

I reviewed images in camera after I had taken a small burst of photos to see if I was happy with the position of the eyes, angle of head, facial expression and general composition. If not, I directed Alex into the position I wanted to try again with.

I thought it was time to stop shooting when I lost concentration. I felt my last three images were not an improvement on what I had already taken and it was time to review my shots on my laptop.

I had more than one acceptable image. Reviewing on screen allowed me to look in more detail for the small things such as clutter, stray hair, position of clothing,  sharpness of the image, amount of contrast which I had not seen previously. I became more aware of looking for them whilst shooting following this exercise.