Exercise: Review a Portrait Sequence.

Exercise: Review a portrait sequence.

The scene for this series was a cruise ship on The Rhine where I had one of my fellow passengers to model for me.

Equipment was an Olympus E3 fitted with first a 70-300 and then a 14-54.

The light was even but heavily overcast and there was intermittent rain. 

My model, Doug, was on the top outside deck watching the world go by and taking pictures of his own.  I asked him to carry on with what he was doing and act as naturally as he could.

Before I started taking the pictures I assumed the best results would come from using the 14-54 lens as this fits the normal profile of a portrait lens, namely an 85mm lens on a 35mm format or about 45mm on my Olympus.

I started with the long lens using a monopod for steadiness from a distance of about 20 metres and closed in steadily taking my shots.  Once I had full face from on that lens I change the shorter lens and continued getting ever closer.  

I noticed, even as I shot, that Doug was not reacting to my presence while I was at a distance, it was only as I got closer to him that I started to get any reaction.  The closer I got the more he played up to the lens, firstly by putting on an air of intimidation and then but smiling nervously.  His wife informed me later that he hates having his picture taken and almost no one has ever managed a picture of him smiling.

I knew as I shot that the long shots were not going to work with this subject and that he was trying to be too aloof.  As I closed in, and he started to react, they  started to get better.  The breakdown came as I got very close and his height became a dominant feature in the pictures.  Doug is well over six feet and I am a modest five foot eight.  It was at this point that I decided to stop shooting.  Doug’s face was at the point of becoming distorted and the action between us was becoming uncomfortable.  I had taken my 11-22 lens with me, and had intended to use it, but at this point it seemed pointless.

I have not shown the worst of the bunch but have gone with the brief.

1. Not Good.  14-54 @ 33mm.

    Too close so that the face is over cropped.  Would have been better in                        portrait but I was stuck with the monopod.  Taken from this angle his smile starts to take on a sinister tone and is slightly threatening.

1. Acceptable.  14-54 @ 33mm.

    Taken four frames before A.  Being just that bit further away reduces the effect of Doug’s height.  He still appears imposing but not as sinister.  A more pleasing picture.  Having the horizon line level with Doug's shoulders works well.

1. Good.  70-300 @ 100mm.

    I was about 8 metres from Doug at this point and, although he was aware of me and my camera, he was able to ignore me and and act in in an natural and unposed way.  The background is a bit cluttered but being out of focus one’s eye is not overly drawn to it.  

1. The best. 70-300 @ 70mm.

    This was taken at 5 metres and was as close as I could get with this lens.  Doug was now starting to react to the camera and had gone into intimidation mode.  I could have lightened the situation with banter but wanted to see his natural reaction without any intervention from me.  It was immediately after this shot that he stood up at first looking more intimidating, and then, being forced into a smile.

Doug is an intimidatingly large man.  I think I have captured that part of his character in this portrait.  It may not be one for the mantle piece but I am sure many that know him will see a familiar look.

I was surprised at the results of this session as I assumed that the shorter lens,at its longer settings, would have given the better results.  By giving my subject room to breath made for more natural pictures.

Exercise: An Activity Portrait.

Exercise: An activity portrait.

For this exercise I intended to photograph one of the stall holders at the local market.  Unfortunately the Wednesday market is held under cover so the light was rather flat. 

 I continued to the High Street and found our Romanian Big Issue seller standing outside Boots.  Just by chance there was a sign in the window showing the words, “This Weeks Star Gift”.  By having him give me thumbs up he effectively points out the sign to the viewer as though it applies to him.  The Good Will To All message on the magazine cover is nicely seasonal.  He was very reluctant to have his picture taken but after a bit of a chat and me buying a copy of Big Issue he agreed.  The look on the face is a mixture of smile and suspicion.  As he says, “Happy Christmas boss.”
Olympus E3. Lens 11-22.

Exercise: Experimenting With Light.

Exercise: Experimenting with light.

Before I write up the exercise I want to show three portraits I have previously taken and explain their lighting.

The first is of a local man who was a spectator at the Deal Festival.  A striking individual already and here set off by the warm evening sun hitting him full in the face.  I asked his permission and took the picture.  

Olympus E3.

The next is of a fire eater/walker in a very dark venue in Kandy, Sri Lanka.  I found a viewing position where I was close to the action.  As this man walked by me he just glanced in my direction and I took the shot.  The main light was from the right and came from the fire-pit the walkers were using and paraffin lamps used to illuminate the scene.   There was a bluish light coming from an emergency exit sign behind him and to the left of shot that added the blue highlight. 

Canon G12. ISO 1600. f4.5. 1.30th sec.  Steadied on a monopod.

The last was also taken in Sri Lanka.  Because the sun was very strong and directly overhead I manoeuvred my subject into the shade of his hut where the light was soft and even.  Canon G12.

Exercise: Experimenting with light.

During this exercise I have concentrated solely on the use of light in a controlled setting.   I just wanted to see what various lighting set ups had on the subject, me.  My face is a test for any lighting.

Olympus E3 used throughout.  Set on A @ 6.3.  Manual focus.  12 sec delay.

The first shot employed natural light coming in from the left though glass doors.  The doors face south but the sky was overcast and it was raining.  As one would expect the face is strongly lit from one side, leaving the other in deep shadow.  It highlights the face’s faults only too well; the jowls, double chin, baggy eyes and mottled skin, whilst adding nothing in the way of flattery.  Not even a highlight in the eyes.Not very pleasing.

In the second I added a photoflood with white umbrella to the right of camera.  This became the dominant light source and give a more balanced look to the picture.  The umbrella gave a large light source and softened out some of the face’s imperfections.  There are now small eye highlights.

The third is similar to the above but with exclusion of the umbrella.  I wanted to see how much harsher this would make the light.  This has hardened up the light and sharpened up the shadows.  The face now has a more masculine look to it with firmer shadows and deeper lines.  A small change in the lighting has changed the look by fair degree.  Not as flattering but about what I anticipated.

The next is, for me, the most successful of the group and was lit with an umbrella close in, at face height and close in to the left of the camera.  A second open flood was pointed to the white ceiling from a position to the right of camera.  This soft lighting is very kind to the older face.  It allowed the character of my face to come through without highlighting too many of its imperfections.  The shadows under the eyes and jowls have been diminished, and even the double chin looks less fleshy.  Nice double highlights in the eyes.  Pity about the reflections in the glasses.

Number five employed a camera mounted flash with a small soft box attached.  I closed the blinds on the natural light source to reduce its influence. I tried it without the soft box and found the result far too flat and left me looking like a rabbit caught in a head light.  The addition of the soft box, plus under setting the flash by one stop, gave a much better result.  The effect was similar to adding the umbrella to the photoflood.  The light source was widened and the sharpness of the shadows was reduced.  Not good but a better result than I anticipated.  Flash again reflected in the glasses.

Metz 58 AF-1.TTL metering.

The last was created by pointing the Flash at the ceiling and having the blinds drawn across  the natural light source.  Again the flash as under set by one stop.  This gave soft downward light that was not unpleasing.  The facial features are again prominent but in a fairly soft way.  If anything this one is slightly under exposed but still the result isn’t too bad for just a single flash.  A far better result that having the flash full in the face.   Once again the flash has left its mark in the glasses.

Metz 58 AF-1. TTL metering.

A very interesting exercise.  I had not done anything quite like it before but, as I said above, most of the results were about what I expected.

Exercise: Thinking About Location.

Exercise: Thinking about location.

Doing this exercise in Winter excludes many of the opportunities that are available during warmer and sunnier months.  The local gardens and tourist attractions are closed, there are no colourful floral backdrops and the available light inside buildings such as churches is stygian.  There is however that colour and softness of light that is found at this time of year.  It also made me think more about shape and texture rather than colour and tone.

I have attempted to find locations that are more suitable to this time of year and in two of these the quality of light plays its part.

The steps at Ramsgate Harbour.  The light falling on the stone made it look a lot warmer than it really was.  The structure of the steps is made for photography.  A line of people ascending or descending in line.  A group shot leaning on or over the railings.  People posed about its geometric form or as I did to use it to focus in on a lone subject.

This is an play item at the children play are in Fowlmead Wild Life Centre, Deal.  The opening in the structure cries out for a child’s head to come poking out.  The green paneling would make a lovely colour contrast to a child’s face.

An adult encouraging a child to climb the structure from within it.  There many possibilities at this play area and I have used them, in the past, with my grand children

The signpost on the beach side at Walmer.  Thrusting out from the ground, as it does, makes the sign post a very masculine object and this could be employed in any portrait featuring it.  As it is a marker for British Cycle Route No.1  a cyclist posing in front of it would be apt, or a cyclist leaning over it from behind with his cycle in front.  Alternatively person using it as a prop by imitating its shape various ways.

The Deal Bandstand.   This edifice is constant reminder to Deal of its connection with The Royal Marines and the death of eleven bandsmen at the hands of the IRA in 1989.  I used the yearly Royal Marine concert for a submission in The Art of Photography.  The structure lends itself to other types of photographs.  Have the model leaning on, or over, the railings and looking down at the camera.  The model using the roof supports as props.  A group lining the inside of the railings.  

The anchor outside the  Ball Tower in Deal is a strong shape that could be used to reinforce a male model but also used as a counterpoint to a girl dressed in soft or flowing clothes.  Again this could be used for full length and torso shots.  The model could be posed either in front of or behind the anchor.  The angle of the wooden cross piece lends itself to a face looking over it and partly framed by it.

Beach scene.  Deal has a small fishing fleet that, for lack of a harbour, is hauled up into the beach.  The mixture of small fishing boats and their attendant gear would make a nicely textured backdrop. The soft light and low angle of the sun gave the crap pots and attendant gear a beautiful soft tone.  Although well lit there were no overbearing high lights or harsh shadows.  The sky was a soft blue, so unlike the harsh blue of a summers day.  As with the anchor the rough texture of the backdrop would add masculinity to a man and act as a contrast to a woman.  A small child sat on the crab pots would look really appealing.

The church door is a cliche but used for the right setting it could still look good.  Through the open right door can be seen a wall mounted cross illuminated by the low sun.  An child, or adult, suitably dressed and placed in front of the closed door would make a pleasing composition, hinting at a some past or impending ceremony.  Equally good would be a person apparently leaving through the door and posed within it.  The classic wedding shot is often shot in such doorways.  Please excuse my shadow intruding into the shot.

I used the steps a Ramsgate to act as the scene for this self portrait.  I dressed in suitable fisherman type clothing complete with hat and became a small feature in a large landscape.  The symmetrical nature of the stairs allowed me to put myself in the centre so that although I am only a small part of the shot the eye returns constantly to the only human element within it.

Exercise: Portrait. Scale and Setting.

Exercise: Portrait-scale and setting.

For this exercise I photographed my wife in her favourite chair.  The chair sits in the corner of our family room and is next to a source of natural light coming from the left of the pictures.  It is a position from which the south facing garden can be seen and which has the best natural light.  As this was a dull winter day I employed a single light umbrella to the right of the picture.

These are pictures of a woman in retirement enjoying her time reading.  I did not intend them to be flattering but I hope I have her captured her sense of fun.

The first is,as asked, a close cropped shot of her face.  I got Sue to smile by telling her that the earlier shots made her look like a granny.  Rather cruel but it got the laugh I was looking for.  There are, however, no reference points to show where this was taken.

The whole face is laughing.  This is not just a forced, “Smile for the camera”, smile but a full on happy face.  The mouth is pulled strongly back and the eyes are almost pulled shut.  A Happy Granny.

The second is of the upper torso and starts to give some information about what the sitter is doing.  An i-pad can be seen clearly in her hands intimating the use of modern technology and her use of it in a recreational setting.  The angle of the head gives a relaxed feel to the shot, and again there is no falseness in the smile.  

In this shot the face is still the central feature but now other features start to intrude.  The strong pattern of her top, her jewelry, and, more distractingly, the plant apparently poking her in the ear.  

The third shot is of the whole torso and brings other elements of the setting into view.  It can now be seen, quite clearly, that this is the corner of a room and there is now a hint of furniture.  The edge of a picture can be seen.  I have now moved the plant out to the left of the picture so that it is no longer as intrusive as it was.  The sitters striped top became a strong feature in the picture, so to ensure that the face remained the main element I made a rather personal, but unrepeatable, remark that again brought on the required smile.  The relaxed posture hints a someone happy with her lot. This smile draws the viewer to the face.  The action of the sitter is now clear and the setting is becoming clearer.

The last is the full length shot and shows more of the setting.  The presence of the batik hints at an appreciation of the good things in life, whilst the red slippers show that this is a person at home in their own space not troubled by the demands of fashion.  The focus is still on the face but this picture gives much more information about the sitter than the first close cropped shot.  This time the look seems to be asking how many more shot am going to take and when can she get back to her book.  

Below I have included some of the shots not used.  The last shows the lighting set I employed.

Camera: Olympus E3.

Lens:      14-54 @ f6.3. AV.

Lighting: Mixed natural and flood/umbrella.

The slow shutter speed allowed a little movement blur to creep in but not sufficient to distract the eye.