Assignment One: A Portrait.

Assignment 1.

A Portrait.

Number One.

For the first portrait I chose a head only shot.  The lighting was two photo floods, both diffused through a white umbrella which was place directly in front of the model. I placed the camera to the right of the umbrella and had the model turn her head towards me.   This gave some modelling to the face and at the same time masked some of the evidence of age. I talked to her throughout to try and elicit various poses.  I took twelve pictures and chose this as the most flattering.  The background was the wall of my family room.  The only post production was to lighten the shade of the teeth slightly and also lighten the opal earrings.

Olympus E3. 50-200 @ 88mm. F3.2 @1/200.

This is a picture of a woman in her sixties and it would be unreasonable to expect a clear and unwrinkled skin.  The light set-up was very simple but I feel it worked pretty well.  It evened out most of Sue's age lines but allowed sufficient shadowing to show character.  During this shot I had Sue look just over my right shoulder. This got her to raise her head slightly and open her eyes more which I again think worked well.  The lightening of the teeth is subtle enough to not look overdone and the picking out of the opal earring adds a pleasant highlight and touch of counter colour.  

The choice of lens had worked well but my chose of such a wide aperture has not.  The depth of field is too narrow.  It should have encompassed the eyes and teeth but has really only brought Sue's right eye into sharp focus.  In future I would still keep a fairly narrow depth of field but perhaps try something around 5.  The use of the long lens has distanced the viewer from the model and has given a nice natural look.

The lighting would have been improved by the inclusion of a bit of top light, possibly by a small radio flash, to highlight the hair.  

Number Two.

For this set I placed Sue in her own garden on a winters day with good light.  The theme was of a woman at home and content.  Sue was on a slightly elevated position that allowed her to look down at me.  I was not interested in a flattering picture that hid her age but one that showed her full character.  This was from a set of fourteen shots.  

Olympus E3. 14-45 @ 50mm. f2.8.

The lighting worked well for what I wanted to achieve.  I considered setting up a reflector to the right of shot but in the end went with the warm reflected light coming off the wood lap fence.  The implied triangle of fence line to the right of shot focus the viewer in to the face and give a change of texture to the brick wall to the left.  The hands and arms are in slight shade.  I am not sure whether this is a positive or not.  On one hand it doesn't act as challenge the face but one the other the viewer mat ask why is it not better lit.  I didn't have much choice as that is where the light fell.

I like the tight framing of the arms and shoulders and also the angle of the light across the face.  I would have liked the hands to have been better lit.

Overall an honest picture of Sue.


Number Three.

The woman who hates snow.

I stood Sue out in a snow storm and had her turn round and round taking pictures as she got to each right angle.  She was pull such awful faces that I decided to use a shot that showed her clothing only.

Olympus E3. 50-200 @ 50mm. 2.8 @ 1/250. TTL flash from a Metz 58 AF-1.

This was never meant to be a shot that flattered.  Sue hates snow and avoids it at all costs.  All that know her will recognise her from what is left after all the normal recognisable features have been removed.

In post production I rid the background of a fence, a kerb line and a couple of cars.  I wanted the the shot to look as cold and miserable as it really was.  

The day was so grey and the light so poor that the use of flash picked out the subject rather well without overwhelming her.  It also froze some of the snow flakes into the shot.

The showing of the face would not have added anything to the message of this picture.  It was intended to show a person absolutely hating her situation, and in that I think I succeeded.

Number Four.

This was taken at the end of Deal Pier.  The idea was to get some shots using the wooden structures that can be seen in the picture as props.  By the time we got out to the end of the pier Sue had had enough.  It was blowing a gale and the thermometer was the wrong side of zero.  Good idea but attempted on the wrong day.  A picture of a person who wanted to be somewhere else.  A coffee in the Pier Cafe placated her.

I tried my best at this location taking shots from either side of Sue but to no avail.  A miserable location and a miserable model.

Number Five.

Sue retired from teaching in 2011 and to complete the break we left the area and moved to Deal.  We had reason to visit Oxted and we took the opportunity to visit her old school.  The picture represents a person who is now on the outside, not part of the system and having no place within the building.  The smile shows her contentment with her new position as a retiree.  I had her to one side and facing out of the picture to emphasise her new position outside the system.

I quite like this one.  Sue looks relaxed and happy.  There is no sense of regret in her face.  Having Sue facing out gives the message I was after, that she is indeed outside the building and the system.  To have turned Sue into the shot or to have her the other side of the entrance would have conveyed a different message, one of inclusion and entering the school rather than of her being on the outside.

I pondered having a shot of her in an empty classroom or the lone occupant of the main hall but dismissed these as they would imply some kind of inclusion.  

I would have liked a cleaner background and floor area but the weather was not being kind.  To go back to retake this would entail a round trip of some three hours.  The reflection of the car in the door is slightly intrusive but I could not find a position that didn't have a car reflection in it.  

Number Six.

Both Sue and I work as voluntary helpers in our local community hall, so I thought I would have a picture of her in her new work place, namely the front desk.  For the first few shots I stood in front of the desk and shot over it, but the results were rather flat and there was the barrier of the desk between us.  I then moved behind the desk and the shots immediately looked more intimate.  To obtain the spontaneity I required I sat Sue at right angles to me and on my call quickly look at me over her shoulder.  This gave me the spontaneity I was after and still retained the hint of a work place behind her.

Olympus E3. 14-45 lens.  Metz 58 AF-1 with small diffuser box bounced off ceiling TTL.

In this I got the feel I wanted, namely someone happy in their work place.  There is no emphasis on the

items that indicate a place of work.  In fact I deliberately used a depth of field that has blurred out the items on the notice board.  I thought about cloning out the head of the person in the office o the left of the shot but decided to leave it in as it again hints at a place of work.  An earlier version of this shot had Sue's head bisected by the door frame of the office.  Moving my position improved the situation and although there is a rather messy notice board behind her head the area around her face is now clear of distraction.

Exercise: Varying the Pose.

Exercise: Varying the Pose.

Part 1.

For the first part of this exercise I trawled the web for suitable pictures.

The first  is of that consummate actor Tony Blair.  In the first picture his pose is that of World Leader. 

The right arm thrust forward and supportive showing he is going to stand by his word, and the left hand across the chest and heart suggesting  honesty and integrity.  The angle of the head shows he is listening, with sincerity, to the questioner.  (Persecondnews)

The next is of Tony the Messiah.  Listen to me; follow me; I'll take you to the promised land.  This is the stance taken by many a preacher and gives the firm impression that this man knows the truth and is about to share it with you.  The raised hand, although palm out, are inclusive framing the face and it's message.  A very powerful shot.  (Observer)

This is a picture of Arthur Scargill in his glory days imploring the miners to fight for their jobs and future.  The position of the arms is very similar to that in the last picture but the message is very different.  By clenching the fists and turning them in gives a message of belligerence and confrontation.  Here is a man who will have no doubts and hear no argument.  (The Mail)

A picture of Margaret Thatcher comes next and shows her in triumphant mode, beaming at a Party Conference with her arms raised over her head.  Her face is a picture of control and power, her raised arms accepting her party's applause and adulation.  The word PARTY resting between

her hands is a nice touch.  (The Guardian)

The next is Tim Henman and his famous punch.  It is meant to show grit, courage, determination, and the English fighting spirit.  He just appears to be holding an invisible microphone.  It might have worked if he had won something.  Wrong man with the wrong gesture.  (London Evening Standard)

 Another Messianic picture but this time Ed Milliband.  He has clearly taken lessons from from Tony Blair.  Eyes and head towards the audience with the raised hand framing the face.  The red background highlights his socialist credentials.  (The Telegraph)

This a portrait of pure pent up power and fury.  Enter Tom Youngs, hooker for Leicester Tigers and England.   Barrel chested and powerfully built he is exuding casual violence.  His hands may be relaxed and down but the message is very clear.  I fear no man.  (The Sun)

The last is Dean Richards the head coach at Harlequins at the time of the "Bloodgate" scandal.

This was taken at a press conference at he time.  The cameraman has neatly included a overhead light to give this obviously guilty man a an angelic halo.  Neat.  (The Independent)

Part 2.

During this session I took in excess of 60 pictures of my neighbour Gloria.  The poses included sitting, laying down, and standing.  The light was a soft winter sun.

I talked to Gloria throughout the shoot and suggested the type of pose I would like.    

The picture of Gloria laughing is a naturalistic shot but the position of her hand over the lower part of her face spoil it.  It hints a warm friendly person.

As can be seen from the warm coat and boots this was not a warm day.  This was the cheeky shot.  Having the boots towards the camera magnifies their size and they too prominent.  The yellow tags on the boots tend to pull the eye to this part of the shot.  Would look OK with a male but the boots are too masculine for this portrait.  A nice idea that could have worked better.  The half turned head and supporting arm gave the look I was after.  

The "Titanic Moment" with Gloria Leaning on the top of my decking and me employing a low shooting angle.  It would have been better with a cleaner background but my stamp size garden limited my camera position.  I had Gloria look away over my head and she added the supporting arm.  A nice romantic feel to the shot.  Had Gloria's raised arm been lowered to match the other the balance of the shot would have been lost.

Very similar to the last but is a separate frame.  I was zoomed in closer to try and make it more intimate but I don't think it works as well.  The picture portrays her in a thoughtful and reflective mood and the additional space around her gives room for those thought and reflections.