Introduction
I got stuck.
For weeks I fretted
about how best to tackle this assignment.
I had whipped through the exercises in the course of a week’s vacation,
but when I began to think about how to approach the assignment I was restrained by a lack of
confidence.
I read books about lighting. I watched
videos about lighting. But I never got
any closer to actually doing the assignment.
I think what got me moving was the frustration of not being able to realize other photographic work
with this one hanging over me. So without nearly as much planning as I had
hoped, I got to work and finished this in a day. It may not be exactly what I conceived, but
never mind. Sometimes it’s best to do
what you can, move on, and look for future opportunities to learn and practice
as you go forward.
The brief calls for a
set of 8 images of a single object that displays knowledge of the lighting
principles practiced in the exercises.
Specifically, this calls for images that demonstrate the following
qualities:
Shape
Form
Texture
Colour
I don’t remember now
what inspired me to focus on myself, but I began playing with the idea of a
series of self-portraits. I also wanted
to work in black and white, rather than color, because I felt it would better highlight
the target qualities. I considered even doing the colour images in black and
white, but after finding a couple of suitable colour images decided to work
with these instead.
My equipment and gear
is perhaps most generously described as minimalist. I worked in a spare bedroom in which the
windows were covered with cardboard. A
small amount of daylight seeped in around the edges, but the only other light
was a 60-watt compact fluorescent. Some
shots were made against the white wall, others against a black sheet hung from
the same. A diffuser made from a foam
core frame covered in tracing paper, and a reflector formed by the cut-out body
of the foam core were my principle tools.
The
Images
SHAPE
This quality has to do with the outline of the object – its edges. These are likely to stand out more clearly if they contrast with the background, and if there is minimum details visible in the object.
Silhouette
Even though shot backlit, a bit of post-production tweaking was required to
eliminate bits of highlights on the shoulders and sides of the face, as well as
to darken the object.
Profile
Shot with naked light pointed from below toward the face to achieve
higher contrast in small features. The
hairs on the upper lip, for example, stand out quite clearly and almost
individually, as do those on the front of the head. Notice also the pockmarks between the cheek
and nose, and the mole on the neck. This
is also a good example for Texture but I include it here because of the very
clear depiction of a head in profile.
What makes this one photo stand out from others of its kind is the
shadow just behind the adam’s apple that gives that feature its shape.
FORM
This is another way of describing the volume of an object – how 3 dimensional
it looks. The modeling effect of the
light and the way you deal with the shadows is all important. Try to show as much depth as possible.
Profile
Lighting
is from below without a diffuser or reflector.
This ¾ profile is notable for
shadows which help define form, particularly that on the shoulder which
highlights the chin and distinguishes the shape of the head. The shadow behind the left eye does the same for
the bridge of the nose.
Portrait
In
contrast, this image was shot with diffused light from above. A reflector was used to fill in the shadows
under the chin and the crevice of the nostril.
Post processing smoothing was applied to the nose and cheeks to remove
shine.
TEXTURE
This is a quality of the surface detail. Fine detail, such as that on sandstone or
skin, stands out best with a pattern of small, hard shadows, so you will have
to consider both the diffusion (or lack of it) and the angle of the light.
This was lit from below with naked light, resulting in a cone of
shadow with the apex at the top of the right eyebrow. Dark pores are notable on the side of the
nose and the cheek. Individual hairs are
discernible, as are small lines and wrinkles.
Half portrait
This is a crop of a vertical image similar to others in this
set. Side lit with diffuser, this has
less contrast than the ¾ left but still shows a good deal of detail, including
the hairs on the goatee, creases and wrinkles, and a pock mark on the jaw.
COLOUR
Choose a kind of lighting and exposure that shows the subject’s
colour as strongly as possible.
Both
The contrast here is not so much with the eyewear as
it is between naked and diffused light.
The image with eyeglasses was shot with diffusion and gives a slightly softer texture to the skin as well as a slightly warmer
colour than the naked light, which appears bluer and colder. This may be due to the contrast with the darker background, which has been lightened in the other image as a result of diffusion. The plane most obviously in focus is between the cheek and the ear with the nose slightly out of focus. Rim light is noticeable around the ear. Spot softening was added to remove shininess on the nose and cheek.
Discussion
Perhaps what many might notice about
these images is that they are largely unflattering, at least by common
standards of attractiveness or beauty: pock
marks, deep pores, wrinkles, and creases all accentuated by hard light. Retouching could have eliminated much of
this, as could softer light, but that isn't what I was after. I wanted something more clinical, not a set
of glamour shots. At least in this
respect I think I have succeeded.
This module has been highly instructive.
Just using a diffuser and a reflector was an “enlightening” experience. Something as simple as a sheet of tracing
paper and piece of foam core can produce noticeable differences in images. I've come to look at photos in a new way as a
result of this practice.
One useful video set I found was Neill Whitlock’s Seeing
Light :: A Studio Experience. Whitlock’s simple approach was helpful for someone just beginning to explore light. He doesn't assume much and starts out with
the most basic demonstration: a
hand-held light bulb moved slowly around a model’s face to show how light falls on
a subject from different angles. He then
proceeds to show how to shoot with one bulb and some foam core, and builds up
from there adding diffusers, more lights, and more reflectors.
Given what I've learned thus far, I can
see that glamour images are difficult to produce as they seem to require a much
finer control of lighting. This is knowledge
and skill I would appreciate developing at some point in my photographic
career. For the moment, though, I’m more
interested in shooting “straight” and learning to tell stories.
Outtakes
These three images made the penultimate cut but had to be omitted to meet the requirements of the assignment. The profile (L) was shot under the same conditions as the image selected for Shape, looking into a naked light placed below face level. The other portrait was selected for showing the entire head. The ¾ profile (M) was shot in the same conditions as the image displayed in Form, overhead diffused light with a reflector below. The other was preferred for the more expressive eyes looking into the camera. The portrait (R), as you may notice, is backlit, with light arcing over the shoulder and under the chin, creating an interesting halo effect. This shot also featured more daylight from the window left. This was one I was considering using for a monochrome take on Colour before producing acceptable colour images.
#
Tutor Feedback and Revision
31 August 2013
The tutor believes the problems in this submission are unique to self-portraiture and not a “major cause for concern.” He notes that the submission covers “most” of the assignment brief well. The majority of suggested changes have been incorporated into the revised submission. (Please note that in document pagination there is no Page 3. A problem was encountered in converting the document to jpg for upload here.)
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