Creating a book

I chose to create a book for my final outcome however it is slightly different to what I had planned. When starting to create the book I realised that actually the smaller size would be inconvenient as it would not show exactly what I wanted to show. I instead created at 11x8.5inch book that had an open panel at the front. When thinking about design I thought hard about what style to give my book. I created it at Jessops and on the machine. For the pages I kept a simple outlook to ensure I was leaving some subtlety in my images and making the most of the blank spaces. I photographed a light switch for the front page as this begins to give some inclination of what my images were showing however not giving too much away.
I began the book by leaving two black pages at the beginning as before light there was only darkness. I then moved on to the first forms of lighting I looked at, this being a simple torch. The image is quite dark and the light is also quite yellow in style. Then I moved on to natural creations of light, this being the 'fire' aspect of my images, using a lighter and matches to illuminate the face. These images are also quite dark and yellow so the first 3 sit together well. In my experiments I then started looking at artificial lights that are used for other purposes. The fairy lights from the Christmas tree were a great example of how even small lights can illuminate the face and still keep the twinkling style of what they are really used for. I then used a red rope light and I took lots of different pictures with this particular form of lighting. I ended up with choosing the image with the rope wrapped around my face. It shows up my eyes and face however does not give out tons of light, hence why it is closer up than the other images. The coloured disco light used next gives off massive dramatic effect, because of the dark shadow over the face. The glow stick image works much like the red rope image giving the idea of a techno outlook on the image. Finally the UV paint image is slightly more playful however shows how even the small amount of face can illuminate the whole face with the tube.

How to present my images

I was thinking about imaginative ways to present my images, this could be in a video or in an exhibition or in a book format. I have decided to take the book format approach as this will enable me to show my images off in a stylish and professional way. The book will be a small photo book perferably square as well, rather than landscape style. I will use black pages to create atmosphere and thinking space between my images, also showing the lighting I used to create the images.

Further experiments with Light

After my previous my experiments outside I brought my images inside to create some different styles that were perhaps more visually pleasing. I used different coloured lights with the usual set up of black background and the camera with the lights turned off. I was hoping that the colour in the lights may create more atmosphere. I had a look around the house to see what types of lighting I could find that would create playful and different images.

I firstly used fairy lights to illuminate my face. The lights were tiny so I wasn't sure just how much of my face they would illuminate. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the lights did actually illuminate my face and they created quite a dark atmosphere that is perhaps seeking more light but the effect keeps the tone down slightly.

I borrowed a butterfly light from my sister, much like the ones that are brought from the circus and other such entertainment venues. The butterfly did give off minimal light meaning that my face was definitely the in the background of the image, with the butterfly taking up the foreground. I think the image is effective though as the shadow from the butterfly is reflected onto my face.

 The glow sticks were found in my room from a party I had previously used them for. They don't give off as much light as the other light forms I have found so they did require the use of a back light which was a torch. I did not want to use flash as it illuminated my face slightly too much but the torch just gave enough light to ensure  did not fall too much into the background. I think the image holds quite a lot of atmosphere in its style with the anonymity of the face being shielded by the sticks.

 I also found a disco ball in the loft. Obviously the image seems quite out of focus particularly with the ball however rather than keeping the ball motionless I let it rotate as that's the normal use of the ball. It gives the image a sense of movement. As well as this, being bright it gives off a lot of light and a lot of colour creating a disco type feel to the image.

 This image is one of my favourite out of the whole set. I was purely coincidental how the  shadow created a mask over my face and I think this takes the image up a level in composition. Because the light gave off so much light it forced its way through my hands to even illuminate up to the face even though it was on the floor. The colours in the image are quite yellow which makes the colour palette quite similar however I think the black of the face enhances the image fully and creates a sense of the unknown.

This image was the most fun to make. I purchased some UV body paint from a local shop but was quite apprehensive about using it as I wasn't sure on its quality. The light is a UV light that is just one tube in the fitting. It illuminated the whole space so did not require any extra back lighting. The effect it has given is brilliant! I did not realise just how well the paint would show up and did not find out until I viewed the images after. As well as the light the use of the paint highlights particular aspects of the face which adds to the overall atmosphere of the image.

This final image was using a disco light that my dad owns. It has a rotating modem inside that rotates to the sound of music or noise. I set it on a table at the height of my elbow and it projected upwards slightly. The coloured light reflections are much bigger than in the other lights I have used, this is possibely due to the fact that the lighting was professional. The colours fully illuminate the face and my expression gives a slight sense of wanting more from the image as the viewer is unaware of where and what the colour is coming from.

EXAM

The exam blog I will be using is as follows; http://sarahjenningsexam2012.blogspot.com/

Venturing Outside.

I went outside my house and used the available lighting around. This included using a car headlight, street lamp and porch lighting.

The street lamp is quite far out and is very yellow so I think this changes the whole look of the iamge to what I wanted. I wanted something a lot darker, this would require more lighting and perhaps some reflectors to bounce back light.

This image is next to the headlight of a car. Again I dont think it works well because of the loss of light around the face.

I think these images work well as the light is pouring down onto my head. This illuminates the top of the face but not too much of the rest of the body.

Yellow lights

After using fire and white light I tried using a yellow light. The yellow light adds some more colour into the image however I am unsure on how effective it actually is. The second of the two has more to it than the first as the looking up can be seen as looking into the sun of such like which I think makes the image more effective.

I then used a reflector. I used this as the background. The gold background was good as it lightens up the images compared with all the others I have previously taken. The gold also matches well to my skin tone which makes me slightly blend in with the actual background, especially in the first of the two images with the duster.

New Explorations with Light

Further to my research on how expression and light affects an image I have taken more pictures experimenting with different types of light. Again I set up a background in my lounge and used different lights to illuminate my face.

Firstly I used two matches to illuminate my face. The use of the matches creates a different style of light different to what I have used before. The matches create a sense of searching as the facial expression gives the idea that by staring right at the fire I am searching for why they are there or what the purpose of the matches are. 

I also used a lighter to illuminate my face. I don't think this is as effective as the matches are as the matches gave a sense of unknown as to why I have them and what they are used for. The lighter looks quite safe however the expression in this image accentuates the style. The image seems quite sinister as the low lighting gives a sense of uneasy atmosphere to the image.

I also again used a torch to enlighten my images. I found a piece of plastic that had lines over it and taped it over the light which created a patterned look over my face. The first and second of the two are perhaps slightly too distorted however I think the last one is very effective as it is a close up and has more emotion than the other two. Also the sense of unknown is also very prominent in this image as you cannot see anything past the face.

I also used smoke. I had some spay smoke that I sprayed all around my face to create a more distorted overlay, however it was very difficult to work with as it was so strong and also moved very rapidly.

Experimenting with light

I put these two images together to see how the contrast in lighting would change how the image is shown and how the emotion is emphasised. In the first image there is no lighting used, apart from the main room light which was on at the end of the lounge. This image has a lot less light bounced on to the face however the face looks full and is not distorted. In comparison in the second image the flash gun was used and the light has only captured the face and slightly lost the neck and hair. However I think this makes the image more effective, it makes it seem as though I am outside rather than with a staged background and the darkness is so prominent. The lighting clearly plays a major part in how the image is seen and how a model would need to change/emphasise an emotion in accordance to the lighting.

These two images again show off how the use of light can change the way the photo is perceived. This is seen because of the emotion, I think in this image.However the positioning of the lighting layers up the picture as seen in the second of the two. The use of red light also sets of different signals. Often red is resembled with danger or lust or love and these two images both have different perceptions with the use of the colour red.

My project is focusing on portraits and the mechanics of a portrait ie emotion, lighting, set and model, however now I think my main focus should be light. Obviously the emotion impacts the image but the style of lighting can change the whole perception of an image also. I now need to experiment with different forms of lighting. Firstly I think I need to use simple forms like matches and lighters which will only give off a small amount of light and show what impacts these make. Also the use of lighting such as headlights on cars and street lamps can change the image and the story the eye makes up. I also want to try a brighter studio set up using a white background and full lighting to see how I can develop my skills of the placings of lighting and techniques. Finally I could also think about how projections onto backgrounds can change the layering of images.

3 little people

As well as lighting being of undeniable importance to a portrait I also wanted to see how expression changed the image so I have also taken just some normal portraits using different expressions. I wanted to put them together, but also create some sort of quirky image. Displaying them like this I think shows the angel and devil on each side of the middle portrait. I purposefully left this one in colour as I think, that although usually more attention would be given to the colour image by the eye, the black and white ones on the sides have more impact as they are different expressions. This type of image does let the portraits sit well together as they compliment each other as they are obviously the same person. The lighting for all these images was using a flash fun and the usual black background studio set up. The use of light in this image has not had as much impact as the other experiments I have done have. However I do think that the plainer lighting ensures that the expression is fully focused on.

I also experimented with eyes and the different ways eyes can create tension and change emotion. In psychology I was looking at a psychological study into autism Baron Cohen and I found that people with autism find it difficult to distinguish emotions from just seeing eyes. I placed these 3 sets of eyes together as I think they each show different emotions however these are expression I make with my own eyes so I wonder what other people will think? Will they know what expression I am trying to create? Again with this image I kept the lighting in a neutral was with the black background and with a flashgun, however obviously they are much closer up so did not require so much lighting.

Painted it Red

When exploring portraiture and in partiulcar self portraiture I found it of high importance to ensure I know what compotents are creating the image, especially as I am not taking the image myself. To take ownership of the image I must plan every aspect of how it is shot. I looked at how light can change or distort an image. I used a red rope light, with my set up still with a plain black background. This time however no flash was used as the light stood alone and upheld the image.

I really like these images, they are probably some of my favourite images of this year so far. I think the colour is really vibrant and the use of the strobe makes the light a lot more intimate as it is so close to the face. Also the intensity of the eyes in the second images compared to the shadowing of the mouth gives a real point of focus for the observer. The use of the simple strobe light does seem to fully illuminate the face and this means that no extra light needed to be used.

This image is quite different to the other two. Primarily because of the different composition. In this image the red light follows around the face rather than over the face and across it. This effect brightens up the face and changes the mood and style of the image as the first two had quite a seductive manner where as this image has more of a natural full face shot. These images show how a simple strobe light can change the whole perception and style of an image. Which in turn creates a completely different mood and percieve story behind the image.

Developing

After looking up some photographer's and obtaining some contextual research I looked at how I could create my own style of portraits with still using myself however creating a different look of myself and how the lighting and expression will change my images.

Ultimately I want to create images that are slightly more subtle that these both however I first thought I should try an obvious emotion. The emotion of sadness. It was very difficult to create a plausible image and to create the correct lighting of the image also. I decided the lighting should be a lot lower so turned off the main light and just used a torch above the flash gun to retract some more lighting off onto the face to highlight the features more effectively.

I changed the image into black and white on photoshop and played around with the brightness and contrast to try to accentuate the tone of the image, however still keeping subtly editing.

I think by making the image slightly darker after changing it to black and white the whole tone of the image has changed. Before the image was more of an initial despair, now I think the image seems to have a darker side as much of the roundness of the face is blackened out. I think that althoght the expression plays a vital part, it is also the lighting that has changed much of the atmosphere of the image as the darkness leaves a sense of the unknown in the background.

Behind the Portrait.

There are many things that define a photographer and one of these aspects is their style of image. My style is portraits. What are the key ingredients to a good portrait? Well I think the key ingredients are 3 main things; light, expression and person used. Obviously these are all developed to enable the creation of an amazing image. One main thing that effects the image with the use of light is the place in which the shoot/snapping is taking place. The inclusion of even just a simple background can change the style, context and tone of an image.

This image taken by Ivring Penn. The background immediately changes the perspective of the image. If the image of the milkman was taken outside a house it may look like he is just going about his daily duties. However because it is in a studio in front of a backdrop it questions whether the man is actually a milkman and what time of day it is and if the pose is staged and if composition was thought about etc, this in turn changes the whole context of the image. Another main factor that effects a portrait is the lighting. As seen in earlier posts I have explored studio lighting and how this effects an image. The idea of light has been explored by many artists. There are different everyday objects/ animals that have strong links with light for example moths, they are attracted to light. As well as this through the bible we here the story of how God created the earth and in the beginning there was no light. Many 21st century photographers use light to create an image.

These images were taken by Philip Lorca diCorcia. He fixed a camera with a flashgun onto some scaffolding. Then each person that walked past had a spontaneous image taken of them without any awareness. The use of flash in the images create a sense of drama. They highlight specific people and their initial expression to having the flash 'flashed' in their face. The older man is slightly more close up, however I think the image of the woman cleverly highlights just her face and features and blocks out the other passers by. Another factor that effects a portrait is obviously the model/unaware bystander. This is probably the most important factor effecting the image. The context behind the model, their reason for being there, their intentions and their purpose all fall into how the viewer will experience the image. This is a vital factor as it can change perspectives by even just a simple movement. Roni Horn's 'You are the Weather' uses one model for the series of portraits.

The image changes dynamic depending on the colour used and the closeness of the model. By using a seemingly younger model the image may appeal the a wider range of age groups. The importance of the model can determine how the image again is ultimately interpreted and whether this is how it was intended to look.

Changing the images

I have decided to collaborate my images into a visual collection. I haven't edited them yet, only cropped them to fit into the boxes. I put white lines between them to define the difference yet still to show them as a qualitative group. I cropped each image and then displayed them next to one another. The placing on the images was not thought out, I just wanted to show them as a group. As well as this I have had some help to develop the images further. Another collage type image which is more contextual.

This image is showing just one of the sins; Envy. The women in the background are from 'vogue' magazines found online. I like the image however I am unsure if it fully fits into my style of photography as I am not so into photoshop and manipulation however I will work to contrive an image similar to this. The manipulation tool pulled out the eyes and made the mouth turn downwards. As well as this, by using colour the image looks very amusing and accentuated.

This print screen is how the image was created I had help from my teacher to create this image. Firstly we ensured the background was black to make it easier to work with. we then found 2 images from 'Vogue' magazine to insert into the image. We then found a suitable covering for the images, this being the green mesh type branches. We tried this on top of the magazines and it looked good, so we decided to keep it. We then started working on the face and body. Firstly by turning the face green as this is the colour of envy, then by accentuating the features of the face by bulging the eyes and also turning the smile into a frown. We then enlarged the image to make the face seen bigger than the body. Finally rubbed back through the previous images from 'Vogue' magazine to get the image created.

Where do I go from here?

I now have a massive collection of images however I am slightly stumped on where to go. I think some of them work really well with the text and props etc, however some of them look too contrived and thought about. This could be an issue, as to sit together as a set they need to all be similar. I think now I need to go away and take some image of just my face, firstly without any emotions and then again with trying out the emotions without the text, but still highly elaborated. Firstly though, I will try to edit some of the first images to see if a couple will fit together. I have also been researching some artists that would compliment my work well. One in particular is Cindy Sherman. She only photographed herself, and her images are very elaborated and amusing.

This image is interesting as the expression seems to be quite dead pan in that the eyes and mouth are just straight. The colour on the face is precise and interesting

This image seems quite humorous mainly because of the colour of her skin, being rather orange. I think this image portrays a celebrity or someone that takes and apparent pride in their appearance. The image displays an older woman with a want to be young again which makes the image quite amusing to the observer.

This image is a lot more regal and stately. It has potential to be the queen or one of the royal family. Sherman's use of high status people in her image is quite controversial as this image has the potential to be someone like Princess Margaret, however because Sherman does not name her images there is a wonder on whether she is just taking the 'piss' out of these famous people.

All these images are unnamed as Sherman wanted people to interpret them in their 0own separate ways. The images are highly thought about as Sherman does her own hair, make up and costume as well as contriving the scene too. Another photographer I am also researching is Steve McCurry. He is a magnum photographer and his images are very striking and very different styles to Cindy Sherman. His work includes much portraiture which is what I am focused on.

This image has been named many times in the media as 'afghan girl'. I wanted to find out her story so I searched her name and found her. This photograph was taken when she was 17 years old and living in a refugee camp following the soviet invasion. The image is very natural however shows the anger and despair in her 'sea green' eyes. The image was displayed on the front of 'national geographic magazine' in 1985 following an attempt to examine the chaos out there.

This image is of a baby girl crying. it was taken in Nepal on one of Mccurry's many trips around the world. The image is very thought provoking and emotional. The widespread plight in Nepal was and still is felt by many, and using a child McCurry has outlines that even the youngest of children are affected by this fighting.

This image is very different to the other two, it is shot in India at a pageant. This changes the overall tone of the image as it seems much happier although the expression is still quite plain. The colours and vibrancy of the image is very different to the other shots and much of McCurry's work. McCurry's images show a full view of a countries plight and they are very honest. Both the photographers work is worlds apart however I really want to use both styles in my work. I think my photographing myself and using different but honest emotions I am incorporating both styles so the images seem quite comical yet still have a really honest and real approach.

First look at the outcome of photoshoot 1

I set up a studio in my living room consisting of a black background put up on light stands and using one back light as there is not too much room in the lounge! I used a Canon 60D as I wanted my images to be of a higher quality and this would only work out by using this camera rather than my camera which is less powerful. I also used a flash on the camera, and in the end resulted in turning the light off and just using the camera flash as I wanted the images to be darker so the back light was washing me out too much. Obviously because I was in the pictures I needed someone to take them so I drafted an accomplice, this being my Dad. I had drawn out the images I aimed to achieve and although my drawing skills are not highly commended I attempted to get an idea of what I wanted. This helped both me and my Dad as he could see what I needed out of the images. The style I wanted was just a plainer person and the emphasis on the words I am drawing on myself. For this I wore a plain black strappy top and made my face make up neutral with some emphasis on my eyes to ensure they were defined as they would be important. Before I started I did some test shots with a the top of a chair to see the colour and if the lighting was correct.

This first image is quite yellow and orange which I think may be a bit too saturated.

This image is more life like and also slightly darker which adds more mood to the image.

Below are the first images I came out with, these have not been edited yet as I haven't come to a conclusion of how I want them to be edited or displayed. Firstly is Greed. This one was quite obvious from the beginning. In the 21st century and in past centuries money has been of great importance and has caused many people to sin and to cause great destruction. Money had to be in this image. I wrote greed on the palms on the hands as many old wives tales of 'itchy palms mean money will come to you' and also obviously money is held in the hands, and gets passed from one to another.

This image was one of the first images and I think that its okay but seems to lack energy. It clearly shows what its supposed to but I think its slightly too bright and doesn't show enough emotion.

This image has a lot more energy in it and does not lack emotion however I still think its slightly too bright and needs to have a more sinister look.

I am much happier with the final image. I picked it out of the second half of the start of the 'greed' section as at this stage we turned off the light and only used the extra flans gun on the camera. The image is darker and has more subtlety to it. Also the fingers being bent adds more definition to the image.

The second 'deadly sin' is Wrath. This sin is about violence and anger and acting out.

The 'wrath' sin was a lot easier to show. Obviously premeditated anger is easy however creating a real sense of anger was quite difficult to do straight in front of the lens.

This image has much more dynamic than the other and the 'wrath' on the knuckles is highlighted in the foreground and then my face is slightly darker and slightly merging into the background.

This image I think shows the most anger, however is not the most significant. I think the second image is my favourite with the foreground and background, however this one has a military feel to it with the placing of the arm which is what I was trying to obtain from the beginning.
Lust was the next 'deadly sin' of the seven I dealt with. For this image I wanted to create a look that both changed the way I looked and also changed the viewers perception of me as a model in the set of images. Lust is an emotional desire that is directly associated with fantasizing about ones desires, usually in a sexual way.

This image I think shows a lot of what I was looking to capture. The term lust is not used as much in the 21st century. I would take this idea of lust as quite a deformed type of love as the historical context of it is very much frowned upon.

The reason behind the lipstick is to elaborate the lips and to extenuate the style of the image. I like the arms up in this picture but I don't want it to seem like something to styled with the body.

I do like this image as it does remind me of some of my friends when they are ready to go out, a quick lean forward and a pout for a picture. It seems quite simultaneous rather than too contrived. It also shows still the word quite close down to the breasts.
The next sin I looked at was 'Sloth'. This sin has changed quite a lot over the years also, so to develop it into a 21st century image I wanted to use personal qualities of myself to attempt to show the image in its full light, hence the ballet shoe. Being a sloth is a word that's freely chucked about through people young and old and it refers to someone who is very lazy. This meaning has carried on through the ages.

This image is very close up and defines the word very nicely along the arm. However it is not so easy to see the ballet shoe and also the face just looked quite bored.

I really like this image. It slightly further back and the ballet shoe is a lot easier to see. Also the face being in 'yawning' mode adds character to the image.

This image is also very characterised however I think the arm takes away from the simplicity that the image originally had.

The next deadly sin I looked at was Pride. Pride is the inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments. Pride is something that still runs through today's society. Some people have too much pride, some others don't have enough.

This image is quite close up and compared with the other images, in a set may look quite out of place. Also the 'R' in pride is sightly covered.

This image is slightly further away and I think shows the wording much clearer. The neck line is also quite defined which makes a good shape.

This final image is my favourite as the expression is the most elaborated in this picture. The eyes looking down as well really emphasis the mood that the face is trying to give off.

The next sin I looked at was Gluttony. Gluttony is the over-indulgence or the over consumption of food, drink or wealth items to the point of waste. The word gluttony is not used much in the 21st century. however the concept of it is still very prominent.

This first image seems to have a lot of energy however the writing is slightly obscured so perhaps takes away some of the effect of the image.

Again this image has a lot of energy as above however I don't think it looks real enough. It would not be possible to eat both those muffins at the same time so I think it makes the image slightly too elaborated.

This final image is my favourite. It looks like there is a tough decision on which muffin to eat and it looks much more genuine than the other images. Also the text is quite visible so is clear.

The final sin I am looking at is Envy. Envy is defined as a resentful emotion that occurs when a person lacks another achievement, quality or possessions. Envy nowadays is a strange subject as many people believe they are envious in a lot of things however its probably confused with jealousy. I wanted again to show this in a 21st century light.

This first image is very close up, to the extent that everything is defined really nicely. However I am unsure on whether I like the text on my head in this image, perhaps it would have been more effective without?

This image I think is a lot more mature and shows the extent of a possible alcohol addiction and so forth.

This image is much more further away so would sit in a sit well with the others, however I think its slightly to contrived as the hands look too placed.