Portraiture

Definitions:

Portraiture-the art of painting or taking portraits.

A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person

Task:

 The photo portrays the likeness of Marilyn Monroe, conveying how the sitter wants to look like the 'perfect glamour model'. However, beauty expectations change over time, meaning the sitter has bigger lips than Marilyn did- and maybe what Marilyn's lips would look like if she was still alive. The mood of the photo presents her personality, showing a diva who seems moody. The mode address looking down shows how she looks down on other people.

Annie Leibovitz 

Annie Leibovitz is a celebrated American photographer best known for her engaging celebrity portraiture. Adept at capturing her subject’s personality and inner life, her images capture intimate or staged moments that reveal the playful and expressive aspects of her sitters, as seen in her Disney Dream Portraits (2011). “I no longer believe that there is such a thing as objectivity,” she once said. “Everyone has a point of view. Some people call it style, but what we’re really talking about is the guts of a photograph. When you trust your point of view, that’s when you start taking pictures.” Born on October 2, 1949 in Waterbury, CT, the artist began working as a commercial photographer at Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s, still regularly contributes to Vanity Fair and Vogue.

Annie makes motionless photos with dark tones conveying a message of the 'calm before the storm'.

Thomas Ruff:

Thomas Ruff (born 10 February 1958) is a German photographer who lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. He has been described as “a master of edited and reimagined images”.

Ruff shares a studio on Düsseldorf's Hansaallee, with other German photographers. The studio, a former municipal electricity station, includes a basement gallery.

In his studio between 1981 and 1985, Ruff photographed 60 half-length portraits in the same manner:

 Passport-like images, with the upper edge of the photographs situated just above the hair, 

even lighting, the subject between 25 and 35 years old, taken with a 9 × 12 cm negative and, because of the use of a flash, without any motion blur.  

Ruff's photos create an emotionless atmosphere. The models with a staright face and plain clothes

 create a sense of characterless people with no personality. This differs from Leibovitz's  photos

 which present a glorious lifestyle 

Contact sheet:

First model:

Second model:

The photo above is an edited photoshop with four of the photos that i took, inspired by Thomas Ruff. I then edited these photos into the way Thomas presents his photos.

Best Images:

Images that need improving:

These images were selected as I feel they were not the best angle or background and didn't look aesthetically pleasing.  For the top two photos, I tried to take a photo of the model looking like she's one the front cover of a magazine. However, they don't look natural.

The last 3 images was taken with the wrong exposure and ended up not having the right effect with the light

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for recording Portraiture was to photograph Humans like they were models on the front of a magazine. I was inspired from my research of Annie Leibovitz. This photographer also inspired me edit some of my best images into black and white, adapting the contrast and more.

She also inspired me to have a straight faced model effect.

Best selected images...
The first image of Olivia was using a high angled light on one side making half of her body was in a shadow and more defined bones. I also wanted a plain  black background to make the photo more mysterious as she fades into blackness. This was done to create more focus on the model.

Another image in my best images, is the last photo, of leah. This was inspired by my research of Leibovitz as i used a prop, her jacket, to add a more model effect. I then went on to edit this picture to adjust the brightness of the light shining on her.

The first picture in my edits present a "flawless' model who's picture perfect. She messing with her hair showing a playful side and how not every model is serious like the other photos.  In the photo there is a lot of negative space to show how she's independent and strong. 

Peer comment: says how the photo shows how the model has a light and dark side in her personality.

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used my Nikon D3500 camera to take these photos. I tried to adjust the camera setting, like shutter speed, aperture and ISO to make the photos look their best. However, I can’t remember what every photo was taken in.

The settings of my best images are:

no. 1

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.3

Zoom=48mm

no. 2

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 3

Shutter speed= 1/80

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=52mm

no. 4

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 5

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/7.1

Zoom=55mm

no. 6

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 7

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 8

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 9

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 10

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

no. 11

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

Editing:

Some of my edited picture i have  edited into black and white to fit the inspired photographer's work and to look more effective. Others i have changed the brightness and changed the levels and curves to have a more studio effect.

Edits:

       AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
      The artist research was helpful as I liked the angels and the fact that I could edit my photos of portraiture to show more mystery and seriousness. My research of Levbovitz helped me focus on magazine portraits . I also like the black and white effect so changed some of the photos after and enhanced the contrasts and levels. 

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.  

I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of portraiture and the images of  Levbovitz work.  The above images I have either edited into edited to black and white to fit the inspired photographer's work and to look more effective or i changed the brightness and  changed the levels and curves to have a more studio effect.

Landscape Photography

Definition and theory:

• Landscape- all the visible features of an area of land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.
• In landscape photography, depth of field is a critical component of every image. Some photos require minimum depth of field to place more emphasis on a single element of the scene. Classic landscape images have extensive depth of field to provide front-to-back sharpness.
• in landscape photography, you'll typically want to use a higher f stop, or narrow aperture, to get more of your scene in focus. Generally, you'll want to shoot in the f/8 to f/11 range, topping out at around f/16.
• You should use a tripod,filters.
• the depth of field is the amount of the photo that is in focus.

Image Bank:

Artist Research:

James Ravilious was born at Eastbourne, England, the second son of Eric Ravilious, the war artist. Ravilious takes black and white photography of rural life and landscape from the 1970's to 1990's - mainly taken in the west of England, but also in France, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and the English Lake District. In the early 1970's James took up photography (self-taught), What started as a short-term project grew into a seventeen year obsession. In that time James took over 80,000 black and white images of all aspects of local life: landscape, farming, everyday life in the local towns and villages, and their special occasions. He also borrowed and copied over 5,000 early photographs of the same area.

Taking inspiration from Ravillious:

Here i took pictures that were influenced by Ravillious' photo of the man on a dog walk. The photos turned out as i expected and to make them more like the photo i would turn them into black and white as shown below.

Contact sheet :

Best Images:

Images that need Improving:

     AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

       My idea for recording Landscapes was to capture the countryside views and show fields and trees. I was inspired from my research of James Ravilious. Ravilious' images of countrysides inspired many of my best images. For example, the Tree in my research came into my mind when i walk around the fields and saw the windy tree in my edited photos. I tried making these black and white the tones were enhanced and the photo looked more like Ravilious' work.  However i wanted my photos to look more dominated in tones and to create a strong atmosphere when you see them. However the back and white photos presented connotations of calmness.

Best selected images...
The image of the sky was taking out of the window on the Third floor of my house to show a high view of the tree with the sunrise. I wanted to create shadows with the image and attempted a depth of field. However i'm not sure i fully got the effect right.

      Another image in my best images, is the photo of the Gate and bushes which was inspired by Ravilious' images above. I then went on to edit this picture to enhance the tones and levels. I wanted this photo to show the countryside look with the torn down barn behind the fence.
With regards to some of the images that did not come out as I expected, my camera could not allow me to get up close to the details with the zoom as the lens is a simple 18-55mm lens.

      AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops. 

       I used my Nikon D3500 camera to take these photos. I tried to adjust the camera setting, like shutter speed, aperture and ISO to make the photos look their best. 

I       I used my research of Ansel Adams and the Zone System to create negative space and using editing to enhance the zones in different parts of the image.

                                                      The settings of my best images are:

         Photo 1:

Shutter speed= 1/125

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

photo 2:

Shutter speed= 1/250

Aperture=f/4.5

Zoom=32mm

Photo 3:

Shutter speed= 1/160

Aperture=f/4.5

Zoom=32mm

Photo 4:

Shutter speed= 1/80

Aperture=f/5.6

Zoom=55mm

Edits:

For these photos i edited them using curves, levels and saturation.
For certain images, like the first one, I wanted to enhance the colours in the sky to show the unique sunrise, to create a depth of field and to create negative space within the shapes of the buildings. For other images, I used burning and dodging the make certain trees darker and to enhance shadows at certain places. As I carried on editing I wanted to see how the photos would look in black and white, which was inspired by my research of James Ravilious. Although the images looked good this way, and looked more like Ravilious' work, I didn't like how the photos looked bland and doesn't show different tones in the image.

   AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

The artist research was helpful as it helped me focus on countrysides and inspired me to look for certain places to take my Photos.  The research of James Ravilious also helped me realised that the black and white images were not the route i want to take. For example when editing the photo of the field, it looked too bland and non interesting.

       AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.  
I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of landscapes and the images of James Ravilious' work.  The final images I have edited to changed the levels and curves to enhance the tones.

The Final Images: