A scenic look

As well as looking at portraiture I also saw some good opportunites to take some slightly scenic, perhaps 'snappy toursit' type images.


This image was taken of a road next to the thames as we were walking over the bridge. I think the sense of direction in this image is prominant and seems to add some dynamic to the picture as it leads the eye.

This image is a classic 'down the Thames' type image however the blue of the sky and even the white railing running along the bottom adds a little more to the image.

Further expansion on covent garden

I changed the image of the man and his cat into black and white because I think it made it slightly more effective. It highlights different parts of the image, being black and white.

I also put two images together to see if they would fit well next to one another. I think they both outline some of the poverty yet christmas spirit that is all around.

I changed both the images to black and white and put them together and I think they both sit together well and they are effective. With the men both wearing santa hats and wearing coats it makes the image seem like they could be anyone, or even the same man. I really liked the idea of pairing similar images together as it makes more of a story within the images.

Covent Garden bystanders

I went on a trip to London and these images were taken in Covent Garden of some of the people that work on the market stalls and just generally 'hang around' in the area.

This man works on the brick a brack stall, I approached him asking for his picture and he was very apprehensive at first. In total I took about 6 photos of him to get the right image and this one I turned black and white in photoshop. I think it shows him in a very good light however he still seems very nervous.

This lady was fundraising for NSPCC outside the Marks and Spencer's. She again didn't really want her picture taken so I made a hefty donation of 50p and she accepted my proposition. She has got into character in the image and she looks very enthusiastic.

This image is one of my favourites and was the hardest to take. Many people were flocking around to see the cat do it's 'tricks' so many people got in the way of initial pictures however after some pushing in front I caught his attention and he freely gave me an image. This picture does outline some of the poverty around the area as this man was begging for money but he fully got into the Christmas spirit and told me about his 'twitter page'. I have edited this image in a number of different ways to get the full spirit but also emotion behind it. I changed it to black and white and for this image I changed the contrasted and also used the curve tool on photoshop to accentuate some of the red.

This lady ran a teddy bear stall. She was very up for having her picture taken but only with her teddies.

This was a completely random image, I was walking past the Starbucks and saw this man in the window, he was looking out and then started waving and luckily I captured this quickly!! The style of the image is very amusing and the smile on the mans face creates a pleasant feel to the image however the concentration on the face of the man sitting slightly behind does give a sense of detatchment in the iamges.

This image was taken on the walk to Covent Garden. I first started taking pictures and was going to take one of my friend however she turned away too quickly for me to get an image of her. I think the effect of the hair 'whipping' adds movement to the photo. It also creates a sense of the pace that is London.

Research for christmas images.

I am going to London soon and I think this will be a great opportunity to capture some really great images. The London feel will be different to anywhere else and I think this will ensure I get a vast array of images. I have researched Covent Garden which is one of the main places we are going on the trip to see what sort of images have already been captured. I was trying to see if many portraits had been taken of the people around Covent garden as this would fit perfectly into my portrait theme. I searched through many google searches and tried to see if there were any images taken of the Covent Garden scene but I found it very hard to find much other than of larger groups of people.

A christmas feel

As its Christmas I decided that I could incorporate this into my project of portraiture.

I did some research of looking into chrsitmas images however when i was searching I only found very stereotypical christmas portraits that were not very different to the rest.

I used the studio in class to shoot some images using some blue fairy lights. The studio set up was the same background as the hairspray shoot however I did not have the extra lighting as I did before. This meant that I had to decided how to ensure the model was illuminated.
 The idea behind the shoot was the stereotypical Christmas style of happy people in a festive state. I wanted the lights draped over the model to create a feeling of perhaps wealth and wholeness.

This first image is a darker image that still illuminates her body outline and the smile on her face. I think the image is effective as the look makes the model seem rich and wealthy. However the fact that the face is covered makes the image more universal as it could be anyone. I did slightly lighten the image to ensure some of the light was more available.

This image is a lot more fun and the movement in the light really makes the image have some more dynamics to it, in that I think the eye is taken all around the image and not stuck in one particular place for too long.

I next got my model to lay down and I think this made the image slightly more effective. I am trying to mae my images more commercial as that is the side of photography I am leaning towards and this photograph begins to look at different positions for the model to lie in and how the use of the fur coat changes the outlook on the images.

This final image is the most 'fashion' type of them all. I tried to use the model to make the image slightly more emotive and to create a style that seemed to fit in with everyday fashion photographs. I again slightly lightened the image to make the face more visible. I also used the hands to add more dynamic to the image to show a broader body rather than just a head shot.

Making up an image

I wanted to put all my images together to create an overview of the images altogether.

I made this collage on photoshop, trying to develop skills in shadowing and layering. I think this worked well however I will make some more to get a more sleek image. Obviously the size of some of the images makes it difficult to create a 'real' image, for example the girls at the front are smaller than the ones behind so this is something I need to work on to create a more real image.

Hairsrpay shoot

These images were very different to before as they were more fun and happy images. Also the clothing style is very different and I think this changes some of the dynamics of the image. The set up was a classic studio style but was much bigger than I am used to at home. It was more proffesional in style as it was comprised of 3 lights which did illuminate the whole area, ensuring the image was almost shadowless.

This image has very neutral tones in it because of the era that the play was set in and the dress style then. The image has a lot of fun and cheese in it and I think the way the models are so close adds to the general happy feel of the picture.

This image was a lot of fun to shoot. The idea is that the young girl is a bit ditsy and is constantly being told off by her strict mother. The placing of the models was quite easy to figure out because the main attention was to be on the younger girl. As well as this the contrasts in the clothing move the mother back even more because her dress is quite dull.

After the shoot

I ended up doing 2 different kind of shoots, one was more of a fashion shoot and then also the more fun and vibrant hairspray shoot to follow that. I really enjoyed the whole atmosphere and I think that the time spent learning about the studio was highly beneficial and this is seen through my shots as I knew which angle to stand and how to get the best out of the shots.

This image was one of the first and I think it has turned out really well. I shot it in colour but converted it to black and white in photoshop and also changed the contrast slightly to tone down some of the brightness on the side of the face. I really like the image and I think that it is a good achievement for my first real time using lighting in a studio type setting. The posture of the model could be improved slightly however I think it works well as it is more of a casual shot. The shadow in the bottom would be better off gone however this will be easier the more times I do shoots.

This image I decided not to change to black and white. I changed the brightness and contrast to ensure the model was not too washed out and also I changed the hue and saturation of the image. I think perhaps I have made it slightly too bright however I wanted to bring down some of the darkness.

With this image, I made sure again that the model was not too washed out so added even more to the hue and saturation. This image is also slightly more contrasted that the others as I wanted to keep the shadow of the stool as it makes the image a bit more 3D. Compared with the images above the shadow in this image makes it seem more real life.

Idea's for a studio shoot

I am photographing the cast in the school production of 'Hairspray'. This musical is fun and lively so I will need to show this through my shots. The shots are for the programme and will be viewed by all the audience so they need to be simple yet effective.

This is the photograph from 'Hairspray' the movie. It is very vibrant and full of fun with plenty of smiley faces. My images need to show this same type of emotion.

I am reasearching good lighting techniques as I have not done a big studio shoot before so I need to know exactly how to position my models correctly and to get the most out of the picture. I need to now plan these positions and ensure that I have a vast range so the images are not too alike.
I have had a bit of a practise with some shots as I am using a different camera. Today I am using a canon 50D which is different to my usual 1000D. The camera has different fuctions and is a lot more powerful which will hopefully bring out better quality in my pictures.

I had a practise with some students and I took some head shots and half body shots. This type of image is very close up and can show some potential flaws in a model etc. However I think as the light was quite bright this did not happen. The colours are very vibrant and stand out well against the skin.

This image was working out how to keep 2 or more people in the shot without the back person going to blurred out. I think the image shows that emma (the girl in front) is more of the main character. The girl behind is clearly however still in the image and still fully focused.

Preparing for studio shots

I am looking at lighting techniques in preparation for my studio shots. I need to decide how to illuminate my models and how to change the 'look' of the photograph through lighting techniques.

This image gives me a good idea as to where I should place my lighting. I can see here that the face is very well lit, however so its the side of the models body.

This is a basic light set up used to create a professional style portrait. M is the main light and is the most powerful, it is used to light the model and create mood. F is the fill in light. This light softens the shadows, the usual ratio of main light to fill in is 1:2 to 1:9. B1, B2 and H are all optional lights. B1 is the background light, its use is to remove the shadows from the backdrop and also illuminate the models head from the background to give the 3D feel. B2 is the other background light. This light creates a 'hallo' around the models head, and is more often used for women as there hair has different shapes so the light adds some 'air' to it. Finally H is the hair light, this light is generally used to either enlighten the hair or also to create an accent light. This will create a highlight on the shoulder to give more depth.

Contextual research focus

One main photographer I want to focus on is Irving Penn. He was an American Photographer known for his work in portraiture and fashion. Much of his life was working in the fashion industry, until he opened his own studio in 1953. Irving Penn photographed still life and liked to use just a plain black, white or grey background for his subjects. His images are all mostly black and white and they are very intriguing.

This image has a very posed feel about it however the fact that it is a deep sea diver makes the image much more quirky and quite amusing. The fact that its in black and white really accentuates each detail of the outfit.

This image is also very posed in Penn's style and the contrast of light on the body highlights specific areas which I think really brings out the subject from the background. It is very dark overall however I think this brings some atmosphere to the image.

This image is of Igor Stravinksy. The image seems to be very personal and close. The setting of it seems very staged and rigid however shows a lot of emotion in the face. The whole style of the triangluar point takes the eye into the image and it seems as if the walls are closing in.

Annie Leibovitz

I have also researched a different style of work with Annie Leibovitz. Her work is highly controversial and she has been criticised for many of her public images. She has photographed many celebrities and some of these images have turned out to not go in her favour with the public. One example was the semi naked image of Miley Cyrus that caused much uproar with parents of her fans, from which they received an apology from Leibovitz.

Although this image has been criticised I think it is a very different photograph for such a celebrity as this was the turn around to adulthood for her. The subtleties of the makeup and the overall colour and paleness of skin is very neutral which creates a much more innocent image.

Leibovitz was also more recently commissioned by Disney to take a series of shots portraying each of the Disney princesses and the more famous stories. These images were created to celebrate the Disney Parks 'Year of a Million Dreams'.

This image has singer and songwriter Beyonce as Alice. The image is very vibrant and bright in colour and also shows a sense of movement with the whirling tea cups.The eyes of the mad hatter seem to make the image slightly more sinister.

This image of 'Beauty and the Beast' portrays Hollywood star Penelope Cruz. The image has a very mystical style and seems slightly more old fashioned than the other images that were made. It is more like a painting with its brushed effect.

This image is 'Aladdin' and shows actress and singer Jennifer Lopez and her recently divorced (but then husband) Marc Antony. This image has very rich and bold colours typical of the Arabian culture. Also the illusion of them flying through the sky is very intriguing. The merging sky also brings a richer tone to the image and contrasts really well with the red carpet.

More pictures

I have now taken another series of images with a different style to them. I have used my dad my sister and myself to get some more portraits. I set up the studio again in my lounge and used a studio light for these portraits.





The first image is of my sister, like the post below she is in a neutral pose and is just staring into the camera. The second picture is of myself, I put the camera on timer and took this, I think it is quite a good image but could do with some editing. Finally the last image is of my dad. I like this image as he is not looking into the camera like the other two and his face again is very neutral. The brief I gave them was to look distracted or dissapointed in something and I think these images do show this emotion well.



Here I have turned the images into black and white and changed the contrast slightly. I have put them altogether to make one large image. I think this image does sit very well into the soliloquy theme as all the faces are very dead pan and using the black and white tool I have created more of an atmosphere. This image is my final piece for the theme of soliloquy and has been enlarged and put up in the school opening evening display.

Extending Ideas

 Keeping in mind the soliloquy theme I have taken some more portraits and they are photographed in a slightly different way. The are much more dead pan and bare. This is the original.

I have edited this picture in photoshop to change the style of it slightly. I changed the image to black and white and changed the hue also to add some atmosphere to the image. The set up for the image is the usual studio set up with a black background however with these portraits I used a light instead of a torch and just a flash.



I think the edit works well and it highlights significant parts of the picture such as the 'love life' on the t-shirt which she clearly isn't. However I think I added too much to the saturation as the skin is not so flawless anymore and it has seemed to bring out blemishes, which however could be a good thing but in context I think these are not so good.


I also edited the image again and focused more on making the 'love life' darker to add some contrast to the image. I have also looked at photographer Yousuf Karsh as he did many black and white portraits of celebrities. His images are interesting and especially as he highlights the hands of his subject. Both these people are very influential to society and I think the images highlighting the hands and only specific aspects of the face, underline their place and show them off in a very good way.






The set up he has used highlights particular parts of the body which exagerates these aspects of the composition in the image, creating atmosphere.
I have also been researching Irving Penn, his photographs are very inspiring and he seems to capture many soliloquy type images.

This image is very hostile and seems to have a story of despair behind it. The fact that its black and white places the subjects in very plain clothing and just in the middle of a simple photographic background. Also the fact that the bags are slightly see through add to the despair the image seems to display.

This image is very striking and the eyes seem to burn out of the image. I think my image of my sister that is highly saturated can relate to this one as the skin tone is really brought out and the shape and definitive features of the face are also. As well as this, as it is so close up it adds more tension to the image.

First experiments

I have done a photoshoot with a black background on stands and a porta flash light however in the end I decided the brightness of the light was too overpowering so I instead turned off the main light and used a torch to illuminate my models face. I took all of my photos in colour on a digital camera as I was running low on time to use film.


This is my first edit on the images, I changed the colouring to black and white and used the simply paintbrush tool to draw a yellow cross over the image (like the Marylin Monroe pictures) and then made the opacity more transparent so the cross did not immediately block out the image or overpower it too much.


I really like this image and so I decided not to heavily edit it too much. I added the text at the top of the image to give it some atmospshere. As well as this the brief for the picture is for the Lighthouse in Poole which is a theatre. I choose my quote carefully from a selection of musicals and shows and found this one from 'Cabaret'. I choose the quote 'Im going to be a great film star! That is, if booze and sex dont get me first' because it incorporates my theme from before of Marylin Monroe and happy go lucky lifestyle as an actress. The quote is quite open and honest however it has many connotations such as sex, drugs and other consequences of living a famous lifestyle in the time that 'Cabaret' was written and played, ie, prostitution. Using a young model has added to the atmosphere of the image as it shows her innocence. Again I just used a simple studio set up as the image before without any strong lighting as I wanted the image to be quite dark and sinister.

Expansion and first experiments

I intend on taking my pictures on a canon film camera with the pictures in black and white. I will set up a studio environment in my room and use a model to photograph. I am taking the initial ideas from the Marylin Monroe images as I want that same idea to flow through my images. As well as the influence of Avedon, I have also revisited Bruce Gildens images which are black and white.

This image is very interesting as its clearly just a quick snap of this man in the street. However we can understand much personal information already. For example the fact that he is wearing a watch may signify wealth and the smoking of a cigarette. Also he is looking just over the camera which may be him simply avoiding the camera or actually looking over at something else.


This image however is much more staged than the first and everything seems to be clearly placed. There also seems to be a lot of power in the photo as the man is relatively bulky and is clutching a gun. Also there seems to be quite a lot of tension in the image as the man is looking right down the lens with a straight face. Also he seems to be a bit of a 'gangster' in his suit and jewellery such as a watch and a ring. All the images have atmospheric lighting which adds to the emotive aspect of the images.

My ideas from research

From my research into Avedon I now want to come up with some ideas of my own to take some interesting portraits. These portraits, I want to keep in the theme of soliloquy so I will need to photograph people that are different age ranges and have different styles of face to get a vast range of images. I want to incorporate the styles of Avedon along with Bert Sterns style of the crossing over images to add another layer to the image.

I think this type of image will seen to be simple to recreate however I will need to get the right model and the right lighting and posture for the images to be a success. The combination of the film pictures mixed in with the fame and beauty of Marylin Monroe makes these images both art and fashion in one and this is what I hope to show in my images. These images show the 4 negatives that have been crossed over very roughly with an orange pen.