Response to Tutor Feedback Assignment 1
June 2014
Overall comments
I was pleased with the feedback I received on this assignment. I take my tutor's point that I had taken the assignment literally and I now see that I could have approached the assignment with an entirely different, more creative approach.
Portrait photographers I had come across were Diane Arbus and Rieneke Dijkstra. I have since looked at the work of Joel Sternfield.
Portrait photographers I had come across were Diane Arbus and Rieneke Dijkstra. I have since looked at the work of Joel Sternfield.
Feedback on assignment
The main technical comment from tutor on my images was the face that I had used a large aperture and high shutter speed. In my experience, portrait photography requires a large aperture. My images had a shallow depth of field and were not as sharp as I would have liked. This would have solved this problem.
Image 1 was taken on a tripod and cable release.
Image 2 was one of my favourite images and I had cropped the image into a square as I had too much wasted space at the top of the image. I take my tutor's point about the crop being too tight. It became tighter as I rotated the image a little to make the stones of the building vertical. This is one image where a tripod would have helped me see what was really in the frame. I prefer to work without a tripod because it feels more natural to me.
Image 3 - I did not consider removing my daughter's cardigan at the time and this would have helped vary the pose/ look of the image. This was something really simple that would have made alot of difference.
Image 4 - My tutor suggested that perhaps some fill in flash (off camera) would help. I tried to recreate this scene but the lighting was different due to the trees being in full foliage. This image uses off camera flash - Alex is side lit from the right with the flash. The direction of the sun is from my left but obscured by a tree and some natural lighting comes in from the right. I think the colour temperature is more natural and I like the shadows that have appeared. What worked well in the first image was the contrast of Alex's top. This one has graffiti style writing on it so blends in with the background rather than contrasts against it. One of my personal objectives is to become more confident with flash.
Image 5 and 6 - I was pleased my tutor thought the reflection idea worked in image 5. I felt the crop in 5 was OK and agree that 6's is a little tight.
Image 1 was taken on a tripod and cable release.
Image 2 was one of my favourite images and I had cropped the image into a square as I had too much wasted space at the top of the image. I take my tutor's point about the crop being too tight. It became tighter as I rotated the image a little to make the stones of the building vertical. This is one image where a tripod would have helped me see what was really in the frame. I prefer to work without a tripod because it feels more natural to me.
Image 3 - I did not consider removing my daughter's cardigan at the time and this would have helped vary the pose/ look of the image. This was something really simple that would have made alot of difference.
Image 4 - My tutor suggested that perhaps some fill in flash (off camera) would help. I tried to recreate this scene but the lighting was different due to the trees being in full foliage. This image uses off camera flash - Alex is side lit from the right with the flash. The direction of the sun is from my left but obscured by a tree and some natural lighting comes in from the right. I think the colour temperature is more natural and I like the shadows that have appeared. What worked well in the first image was the contrast of Alex's top. This one has graffiti style writing on it so blends in with the background rather than contrasts against it. One of my personal objectives is to become more confident with flash.
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| original (reflector) |
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| with flash |
To do
- Re-look at image 4 and experiment with off camera flash (done July 2014)
- Look at suggested websites:
(July 2014 - looked at and added to bookmarks bar)
- Research photographers - Joseph Karsh, August Sander, Thomas Ruff
- Relook at The Photograph as Contemporary Art Charlotte Cotton
This is a book which I have read periodically for previous courses, usually to gain more insight into a photographer's work or for interest. I will revisit it.
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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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 stabilized camera better or used a tripod
Date of shoot: 17/5/2014
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| 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
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| 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 stabilizing. I forget my 70-200mm lens has no image stabilizer.
Date of shoot: 18/5/14
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| 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
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