“I believe that everyone wears a mask, and beneath that mask is another mask. So what photographers can reveal are the various masks we all wear.” |
I find this quote inspirational to my project because I strongly agree that people wear many different masks in their everyday life. I want to see through these masks through my photography and portray someone as their authentic and beautiful self.
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- Before starting this project, I created a knowledge organiser and looked at videos detailing how to effectively use light in photography. I learnt about key, fill and back lighting and how to use these properly.
- In the professional portraiture workshop, I learnt about set up and how to use studio lighting to your advantage. In this shoot, the aim was to create mature portrait for year book photos. The white backdrop and strong white light make the model stand out, creating a clear headshot. - Our shoot took place during midday. As it was a sunny day, there was a lot of natural light coming through the windows, however we still set up 3 different lights to highlight the sitters face. We had a fill, rim and back light which were made using soft boxes. These soft boxes softened the light and made the image look natural. We also used a tripod in order to stabilise our images, reducing camera shake. - There were many risks we had to consider during this shoot. These were only amplified due to COVID. Each model was wearing a facemask, only briefly taking it off during the actual shoot, during that time we were all socially distanced from the sitter. My peers and I were also wearing facemasks, further preventing the spread of COVID. There were other risks such as camera shake and glare in glasses, meaning the set was slightly adjusted each time to suit the sitter. Sitters were warned off trip hazards, safely allowing them to take their seat. - Overall, this shoot greatly helped me understand how shoots with live subjects can work. I also learnt about model confidentiality and consent. Because of this, my contact sheet was edited to remove eyes and names, keeping each sitter anonymous. |
To edit these images, I first cropped down my image to create a balanced look. I followed the rule of thirds and made sure to keep my subject between those guidelines. Next, I used the clone tool to remove the chair, creating a professional image. Afterwards, I used the magic lasso tool to select any blemishes of the image and remove them, furthermore adding to the professional feel of the image, Finally, I used the blur filter to create a smooth background. If I was unhappy with the overall look at the end, I could make a few changes to the exposure/lighting/shadows, finalising my image. |
Double and multi exposure is when two or more images are combined together to create something mysterious and interesting to look at. The first double or multi exposure images were created in Victorian England, where photography was becoming more popular for poor people too. Photographers would shoot over already used film to create a ghostly look, take the right image as an example; to us it just looks like twins, when in reality this was a double exposed image on the same child appearing twice. Double or multiple exposure is a brilliant tool for photographers as it can present different sides of a subject through the same image.
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image evaluationPersonally, I feel this edit came out very well. The mask is defined, however, you can still see the true tones of the model's face coming through. This creates a blend of nature and humans, resulting in an effective image. I also really like how the colours turned out. The yellows and greens of the leaves compliment the peach tones of the model's face, it also creates a warmer feel to the photograph as a whole.
Although, one thing I could have improved on was the feathering around the face. After looking at the image again, the edges seem unfocused and unprofessional, next time I will lower the feather, creating a clearer image. From creating this piece, I've learnt about using double exposure and overexposure to my advantage to create a studio-like image. |
image evaluationI feel I did very well editing this image. I really like how the overlay came out and how well it blends with my body. When I look at this image, I feel very tranquil and calm as the whites on my face and double exposure aren't too overexposed, as this would make the overall image very bright and fake. However, I could improve by taking my own double exposure rather than finding one from the internet - this would help make my image authentic and closer portray my photographic skills. I have learnt a lot from this shoot! Overall, I feel much more confident with different tools and techniques that different editing applications, such as PIXLR and SnapSeed, have to use. This will greatly help me in the future as I am now able to understand and use different features that I once couldn't use. A new skill is creating the double exposure using the mask tool, different blend modes and layering. I also learnt that contrast can be a good tool for creating a moodier image. Another skill I acquired is learning how to use negative space to my advantage. Having negative space helps bring out the main subject, drawing the viewers eye to the double exposure. Having negative space also helps keep your photograph simple and not too overloaded with different shapes, ideas and forms.
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“Reality can be beautiful, but the surreal often absorbs me. Photography to me is a way to express and stimulate my imagination. Nature is simply the world. With alternative and experimental camera techniques I am able to create artworks that otherwise only would be possible through painting or digital manipulation in an external software.” |
Why this artist?
For my first artist investigation, I will be studying the work of Christoffer Relander. I decided to study his work as it focuses heavily on double and multi exposure, an effect I have been studying in this topic so far. His work combines nature and human features in a unique and creative way. Who are they? Relander was born in 1986 in a small town by the name of Ekenäs, near Helsinki. He has been interested in art and photography since a young age, eventually teaching himself photography and editing. His work has been exhibited in many locations across the world, such as Finland, Russia, Norway, Spain, Portugal and the United States. Why this quote? I believe this quote presents Relander's attitudes to art and life perfectly. I feel it also gives an overview on how Relander operates and builds ideas for new images in his head after seeing something that sparked his interest. |
Christoffer Relander
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My inspiration for this shoot is the work of Christoffer Relander. Mainly, the images shown previously. The location for this shoot is outdoors, as the sky can be used as a clean background and the natural forms are easy to shoot. The location would need good amounts of lighting and a wide variety of plants, shrubs and tree skyline. A helpful prop to have onhand would be a tripod. Having a stable camera leads to clean, blur-free shots that work well in editing. The lighting should be very natural and bright, preferably taken on a sunny day with little cloud. If the shoot cannot be done outside, then the model should be shot inside with studio lighting. A white background and a dark t-shirt or jumper, making the natural overlay stand out against the model. My equipment will be a Sony a6100 using a basic kit lens. My shutter speed will be very fast, around 1/200 or more. My f/ will be around f/11, not too big or too small but somewhere in the middle to create a clean image. Post shoot effects will be changing the image levels to appear black and white and then overlaying and masking to create a double exposed image.
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Step 1 - In this stage, I prepared the image by reducing the saturation and carefully adjusting highlights and shadows to create a base for my edits.
Step 3 - To further the effect, I changed the image filter to 'Multiply' to create a softer overlay on my image.
Step 5 - I then started removing different sections of face with the drawing tool, creating different overexposed sections of light.
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Step 2 - Then, I overplayed my second exposure and masked the sections that didn't fall on my face. I then desaturated the image and increased the highlights and shadows once again.
Step 4 - I then duplicated the overlay and changed the filter to 'Screen'. I then masked areas to extenuate different features.
Step 6 - The final image. Any features I didn't like were changed and edited.
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What is Shutter Speed and Blur in Photography?
Shutter speed is the length of time the shutter of a camera is open. The longer the shutter is open, the more light being let in. However, the sooner the shutter closes, the less light let in. Shutter speed is also used to create an intentional blur effect or ghost effect in the photograph. Using this skill, I will be making different pastiches to develop my photography skills further in my portraiture and identity project. First, we looked at long exposure, then we explored motion blur and then finally we looked at light drawing. |
What is Long Exposure in Portrait Photography?
Long exposure involves having a very long shutter speed. Using this long shutter speed, photographers can create a ghostly effect. This involves moving hands, faces, bodies etc in or out of frame, not fully exposing them so they appear as ghostly. Equipment involves tripods, remote shutter control, a background and another person to help you with the ghost effects. The sitter must stay as still as possible to make sure the image comes out clear and well exposed. |
Step 1 - First, I imported the image into the free editing website, Pixlr and cropped the photo to size, removing anything unwanted from the background.
Step 3 - Next, I selected the background of my image, avoiding any parts of the subject that I don't want to underexpose.
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Step 2 - After cropping the image, I used the 'Auto B&W' function under the Adjustments tab. This function is helpful as it saves time.
Step 4 - Finally, I made some adjustments to the image overall to create the look that I wanted.
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I feel the mood expressed in this image is one of the reasons why I believe this image is successful. The darkness surrounding the subject creates a tight and isolated feel. It also conveys a feeling of suffocation and uneasiness due to the ghostly hands covering the models face. These hands help express identity, symbolising a mask or a barrier up against the camera or other people. This visual articulation reveals many different aspects of an image without using words. Overall, I feel this image was successful, although next time I will try and take better focused images. |
What is Motion Blur in Portrait Photography?
Motion blur is when a person purposely blurs the subject, creating the feeling of movement in an image. In our shoot, we used light to enhance the image and highlight the subject, separating them from the background. To balance our images, we used a tripod and a timer to avoid any extra camera shake. We also used a bright light. I instructed the sitter to move form 2 or more positions to create motion and flow in my photographs. Most of my images came out blurry, however some look very effective. |
Identity is expressed through the fast motions of the hands moving away from the light source. This image tells a story of someone who's life is moving fast and they cannot quite grasp onto their goals, causing them to fade from the person they want to be. I also like how the sobject in the picture seems to split into two, portrayed by the second set of hands. This could represent the split personality of trying to be the person you want to be and the person you are in reality. Overally, I really like this image as it exposes a non-verbal discourse between the same person on who they want to be and what they can achieve. Next time, I'd like to try and make the image clearer and make sure the model is much stiffer in the movements, creating a crisp image. |
What is Light Drawing in Portrait Photography?
Light drawing is achieved when a slow shutter speed and lighting are used together to create a picture, or drawing, out of light. For our shoot, we made the room as dark as possible and manually focused the camera on the sitter or subject before turning the lights off, avoiding the auto focus. We then moved across the photograph while the shutter was open, creating different patterns around the sitter or subject using LED's and light sticks. We managed to create some very interesting shots. |
Step 1 - Firstly, I removed all obscurities using the 'draw' tool, simply drawing over any obscurities. By doing this, my image looks much clearer and professional.
Step 3 - Next, I used dodge and burn to create a richer, brighter colour where the light drawing is.
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Step 2 - Secondly, I corrected the brightness and contrast to expose the model more, making her stand out against the empty, black background.
Step 4 - Finally, I cropped my image appropriately using the rule of thirds as a guide. After this step, my image was completed.
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I really like this image because of the negative space and contrast. The mood is very claustrophobic as the light drawings around the models face seems like a barrier or cage between the viewer and the model. This could tell a non-verbal story of someone building a barrier between themselves and other people. The calm face of the model shows the contentedness they have with locking away their true emotions and personalities from the people they are close too. |
"Collage is, traditionally, a medium resistant to systems. The overarching conceit of the form, that of taking images of the past and reconfiguring them into new artworks, seems counter to the idea of seriality, either mathematical or geometric or aesthetic or conceptual, and impossible to systematise." - Anthony Gerace
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Why this artist?
I chose Anthony Gerace because their photography stood out to me when researching for this project. I love how the tiles cover up different parts of the subject, obscuring their features and creating mystery surrounding who they are and their life. Who are they? Gerace is a Canadian artist, graphic designer and photographer who currently resides in London. In the past, Gerace worked with musicians to create album covers and worked with The New York Times and The Guardian. His work often revolve around time and how things age, creating new from old. Why this quote? This quote really shows how Gerace sees his artwork and how collage brings different mediums and skills together to create a new piece of art. The quote also highlights how Gerace uses geometrical and unnatural shapes to compliment human forms. Website: https://a-gerace.com/ |
Due to the mature of my images, I will be doing a lot of editing on them. The subject of these images were originally completely different artworks created in around the 50s/60s, however Gerace edited them and created new works. However, I will be taking a range of images of my or a models face using basic lighting, e.g fill and back light. I will then use an editing program to remove the background and create the grid effect. From there, I can cut out different blocks. I may further edit my images, creating a grainier and warmer effect, reminiscent of 50s/60s style photography.
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Portraiture is the genre of photography where a photographer attempts to capture someone's whole person in a single photo, breaking down a mask. Portraits are not only restricted to human faces, but it can also be body parts and animals. One of the key components of photography is using lighting to your advantage to accentuate certain features of the model. Lighting in different positions can pull your subject out of the image, bringing depth to an image. Equipment such as a tripod and shutter button are brilliant for photos with a long shutter speed as they reduce camera shake. Different lenses can create different moods. For example, a 35mm lens creates a sharp image with detail remaining clear even in the background. Lenses like 50mm and 85mm blur the background, bringing attention to the model. These two lenses are regularly used in portraiture as they bring atmosphere to a portrait.
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This is my favourite out of the three edits because I really like the contrasting colour scheme of the cream and white. I also like that the grid doesn't cover the whole of the image, creating a more abstract and unique image without a guide. I like how the editing turned out, the face looks bright however not too saturated. I also like that the background is still clear and unblurred, unlike the other two edited images. The contrast of the red and white also brighten and bring out the warm reds of the face. Furthermore, I also like how the eyes are obscured by the red tiles. It adds a further level of confusion and obscurity to the image, making the viewer question what is beneath the tiles. The hand placement also further obscures the face, adding more mystery and uniqueness. Overall, I think this was the most successful image due for all these reasons and more. |
My Composition Idea:
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What Techniques will I combine for this Project? For this composition, I'll be looking back on work from Anthony Gerace to create a new and unique image - For the main portrait, I'll be using some of his other portraiture art to create a feeling of discomfort of obscuring a person's eyes and main facial features in a portrait. I also hope to tell a story through this portrait. I will have to take a few separate photos and combine them when editing in order to create this image - First would be the main portrait, followed by taking the hand gripping on the side of the frame. Then, I'll take a simple photo of a wall area that my frame will be hung on. |
I really like this image and feel it's one of the best to come from this composition project. The first thing I like is the outer world - the old television and the dark blood contrasting the cool white backdrop. I also really like the glitch and scanlines, adding to the broken and aged aspect of the image.
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I don't think this image is as successful as the other; I would have taken more care if I had more time. I think this image would have been better if the the sharp lines were slightly blurred, creating an old and distorted effect. Next time, I will ensure I have enough time to properly create outcomes.
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What Techniques will I combine for this Project? For this shoot, I will use long exposure and motion blur. I really like using these techniques as they create a feel of movement and unease. I will also use a clear, plastic screen to spray with water, through this technique, I will create a rain-like overlay inspired by the images above. I will also use bright white light to highlight certain features, feeling almost like a spotlight surrounding a person, revealing them. This light will also highlight the different drops across the clear plastic screen. Afterwards, I will edit a few of my images and then chose my favourite, then using this image to physically edit into through scratching and maybe sewing. My image will be quite dark and moody, with the water droplets creating pathetic fallacy, where weather depicts the moods or feelings of a person. |
My Composition Ideas:
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What Techniques will I combine for this Project? For this final composition, I will combine many different elements of earlier work and refine my skills, creating a new and interesting image. I decided to take inspiration from works by Christoffer Relander as his art combines two sides of nature - creature (humans) and plants. I will firstly take a shoot in black and white to expose the feelings of the model and strip back colours to highlight certain shapes and features. After my shoot, I will then print out my image and begin stamping or cutting out shapes and re-sticking them onto a sheet of A3 paper, creating the vortex feeling. |
I really like how this image turned out as the mountainous effect makes it seem like a staircase up the models face. I feel that when I finish my physical edits, this image will look especially good as the individual dots will fade out the further you get from the models face. However, the editing becomes a little choppy on the outline as I forgot to fade my cut.
This image is my least successful image of the set as I don't like how the overplayed image falls on the face. All the editing apart from that point looks nice, yet simple. Once again, if I were to edit this image again, I would feather out the overlay around the edges because they appear blocky and choppy if you look close. Overall, this isn't one of my favourites from the series.
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I think this image is ok, the bark pattern paints a pretty cover over the model, creating a very anonymous cover over the image. I think that to improve this image, I'll need to change the overlay to suit how I imagined this image to come out as. overall, this image is nice looking, however I do have some improvements I would make if I was doing this image edit again.
Finally, I feel this image is successful, yet not to the de3gree of the previous. I do like the effect, however, the leaves project onto the model. I like how the leave paint a unique 'shadow' over the face and the body as it highlights different areas and features. If I were to do this again, I would try and make the overlay clearer, allowing for a sharper, more impactful image.
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