Portraiture

Portraiture

Definitions and theory

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.

This photo uses harsh shadows to represent the mood that is resembled in his face. The lighting is aimed at his face which could represent his importance and power. The lighting has been used to show that Churchill is a politician and it shows him to be a powerful character.  

This is a photo taken by David Lachapelle. The photo is taken of Amanda Lepore who is an American transgender singer, model and performance artist. I believe the saturated colour of red on her lips has been used to symbolise feminism. I also believe that front and back lighting has been used to make the photo very flattering and womanly. 

Image bank 

Artist Research - Annie Leibovitz 

I have researched into a photographer names Annie Leibovitz. Her work has been used on many different album covers and magazines. She has become the first woman to hold an exhibition at Washington's National Portrait Gallery. 

I have decided to look at Annie Leibovitz's portraiture work. She takes portraiture photos which are generally of celebrities and she is well known for this famous photography. Within her photos I feel as though she uses different lighting to portray different moods and personalities. For example her image of the famous singer/songwriter Adele has been taken using quite soft tones.  Diffuse lighting has been used to hide blemishes and make her skin look very soft. This may have been done to reflect her calm music and her relaxed personality. I like this photo because it is a head shot which means that her facial features and hair are accentuated. The slightly messy movement of her hair could have connotations of Adele's journey to fame being a challenge and also her life being a whirlwind. These very small details are used to represent this persons individual story and there are many different connotations of what this photo could represent. I would like to take this idea and use some diffuse lighting within my images to create a soft look to the image. On the other hand I would also like to use direct lighting which creates harsh shadows around the model to give a more sinister feel to the photo and to create a sense of unease. This is evident in Leibovitz's work when looking at her photo of Jude Law who is an actor which has starred in TV shows such as Sherlock Holmes. I like the contrast between to softer lighting used on images of women and the harsher shadows when photographing men. I believe this is done to symbolise power and strength because this is how men are generally stereotyped. In regards to the specific image of Jude Law the direct light is only shining on his face which makes the rest of the image very dark. This creates a sense of mystery and puts people on edge because they do not know what is in the negative space of the photo. He is also looking directly at the camera which makes the person looking at the photo feel as though he is looking at them. The atmosphere that this image creates could resemble the type of shows he has featured in like Sherlock which has a lot of mystery involved in it.   

Second artist research - Thomas Ruff

I have also looked at the photographer Thomas Ruff. I like the way that this photographer has used bright and colourful backgrounds but makes the models pull a straight faced expression. I would like to include this in my work because I like the contrast between the background and the models personality. I feel as though the image above could be implying that some peoples lives may seem colourful and extravagant however inside they are feeing unhappy. I also feel as though the way that Ruff has framed his images is effective. This is because he has only shot from the shoulder upwards. This allows the facial expressions to be a main part of the photo, enhancing the effectiveness of the straight faced expressions. Also he uses models that are extremely different in looks which could imply that no matter who you are or what you look like you could still be struggling.  

  

First Shoot - Contact Sheet 

I completed a this shoot to test out the different ways I can create portrait photography. I looked at using soft lighting and I tried using different compositions. For example I tried to incorporate rule of thirds which is something that Annie Leibovitz has used within her work. I also tried to use a coloured background which gave the photo a different mood. 

Below is the contact sheet for this mini shoot:

My best images - first shoot  

In reference to my best images... 

The first two images that I have selected as some of my best were taken using a purple background. These images were taken to show no emotion. I wanted to just include the shoulder and the head of the model because this allowed me to put emphasis on the models facial expression. This image was inspired by a photographer named Thomas Ruff I have included one of his images in my image bank and I liked the way he used different background to make the image more colourful and happy but then contrasted this with the sad and plain expressions on the models faces. This is what I wanted to portray in my work. 

The second images were taken in response to the artist that I have researched. I liked the image that Annie Leibovitz took of Adele using diffuse light to make her skin look as if it has no imperfections. I used the soft boxes to create this effect and liked the clear image that came out. I wanted to look at some different emotions rather than just focusing on having a straight faced model. I feel as though I need to slightly crop some of the images because there is an uneven amount of space on each side however this is very easy to do when editing my images in Photoshop.

Images that require improvement 

When photographing this image I wanted to try and use the rule of thirds for composition. This was because I wanted to make the image slightly different and make it more interesting however I do not feel as though it looks effective because it looks as if the camera wasn't positioned correctly. I feel as though to improve this I would like to try and make it more obvious what I am trying to do this. To do this I could allow some negative space on either side of the model rather than just on one side. 

A03:

My inspiration from this shoot came from mainly Annie Leibovitz and Thomas Ruff. Annie Leibovitz takes that I believe reflect the personality of the model. I wanted to do this by asking the model to create different poses they felt reflected them as a person. I believe that I could have taken more photos regarding this therefore I would like to complete another shoot based on the personality and mood of the models which is reflected in the photo. When taking the images with the coloured background I wanted to make a contrast visible between the brightness of the background and the unhappiness of the model. I feel as though this was effective. I also wanted to make this contrast more obvious by the use of the models hands. When photographing this I also liked the subtle and gentle shadow that her hands created on her face. This could represent almost as if darkness is upon her.  

A02: 

When taking these photos I used a canon dos 400d. I shot these photos in the studio and used a range of equipment to do so. I used two soft boxes which were slated at a 45 degree angle towards the model. This gave the soft, diffuse light that I wanted. I also used a tripod to centre the camera and make sure that the images I were taking weren't blurry and that  captured the composition I wanted. I also used a light meter to measure the amount of light that I was using and a remote trigger which was attached ti the top if my camera. This enabled the lights to flash as I was taking the photo. I used a shutter speed of 1/125. This was because I wanted a crisp image. I then set my aperture to f/11. This gave me a wide death of field and meant that the model was in focus. I also used an ISO of 200 because I was shooting inside however it did not need to be higher due to the external light sources that I was using like the soft box. 

To edit the photos I have slightly adjusted the curves and the brightness and contrast. This was done to just slightly enhance the images. For one of the images I changed it to black and white. I felt as though this made the smaller details on the jean jacket stand out. 

My edited images - first shoot  

Second shoot - contact sheet 

My intentions for this shoot were to use soft boxes, adjusted to be facing the model at a 45 degree angle, to take photos that represented the personality of the model that I was photographing. This was inspired by Annie Leibovitz's images because she liked to ensure that the image represents her models personality. I feel as though this shoot was successful because I liked the way that the model had an item, his jacket, that represented who he was. 

My best images - second shoot 

In reference to my best images...

I used the same models for the entirety of the second shoot. I selected the images that I felt had the best composition and reflected the models personality. The images were all shot using f/11 to create a wide depth of field and make sure that all of the detail in the photo was clear and defined. Each of the five photos show different emotions and this is what I was trying to portray.    

Images that require improvement 

Due to this shoot being quite small I have only selected one image that I feel requires improvement. The main reason I feel as though this image requires improvement is because it is off centred. This was not intentional however the tripod was misplaced. I feel as though this image is good quality but I also would have liked to see the models eyes rather than him looking to the floor because I do not feel as though this represents emotion as much as it could. 

A02:

When capturing these images I uses a canon eos 400d. I used the same equipment as in the first shoot that I completed. This was a tripod, two soft boxes which were aimed at a 45 degree angle towards the model, a light meter and a remote trigger. By using the soft boxes I was able to hide the models blemishes and make their skin tone look natural. The tripod was altered slightly each time I took the photo. This was because the model was moving naturally and I was working with the model as well as I could. The camera was attached to the tripod and moved into a portrait frame. When using the light meter sometimes it did not detect that the image was being taken because my hand was positioned in front of it. To overcome this I pressed the button from a side angle to ensure that the remote trigger was able to detect that the photo was being taken. All of the photos were taken with an aperture of f/11 and a shutter speed of 1/125. This allowed me to create  wide depth of field and ensure everything in the image was in focus and clear. I also used an ISO of 100 because I had a lot of access to light.

A03:

I was inspired to take these photos from Annie Leibovitz. This was the first photographer that I researched. She uses different light techniques to resemble the models personalities. I did this however I used the models clothing to express their personality. In regards to expanding on my first photo shoot I feel as though these photos show a range of different moods unlike the first set of images which are mostly straight faced expressions. I asked the model to look straight into the camera for most of the photos that I took. This idea came from an image in my image bank when the model is staring directly into the camera. I feel as though this makes the models mood a lot more obvious and creates a connection between the model and the people looking at the image.  

To edit these images I used a range of different tools to enhance the colour. I used the brightness and contrast tool to make the photo slightly brighter and then to enhance the contrast between the colour in the images. I also felt like doing this bought out certain details within the jacket and the models clothing. I then used the curves tool to enhance the contrast  even more and make specific areas of the photos lighter and some darker. Finally I cropped a few of the images to remove some of the negative space and focus in on the facial details. 

My final images - second shoot 

Development of my work

To develop my portraiture project I have decided to focus on the topic of identity. I would like to focus on more experimental editing ideas within my photos rather than just adjusting the images. I have completed research below on a number of photographers that have inspired me.

Elena Oganesyan

Elena is based in Russia. She believes that photographing people allows her to connect with her own hidden fears and desires. She shoots a lot of her images using a long shutter speed which allows for a long exposure time. This is a technique I would like to use in my own shoot. Elena Oganesyan says that she feels like she is catching a moment and by using a long exposure she is able to capture every second of energy within the photo rather that just freezing action and taking a still shot.  

In all of Elena Oganesyan's images she uses the effect of motion to partially cover her models faces or make them less noticeable. I feel as though this could represent people hiding their true identity from people. This may be because people are insecure of who they really are. I feel as though because all of her images are of women this has strong implications that they feel pressured to look a certain way. There is a lot of pressure within the media on how women are 'supposed to look' and I believe that Elena's photos represent the effects of this. Woman feel as though they have to hide who they truly are as they may not believe they are good enough. Specifically, I like the image directly above because the woman is holding her hand over her face however the only thing coming through is her lipstick. This could imply that women feel the need to wear makeup to appeal more to society's expectations of them.  



Teresa Freitas

Teresa is from Lisbon, by the sea. Due to living by the ocean she takes a lot of inspiration from the natural environment. She photographs imaginative scenes which feature clouds, the ocean and colourful spots.

Teresa Freita's photography is very interesting because it is has a surreal effect. This drew me to her work because it made me think about what the images represent. A lot of her images focus on a portrait image but with something surreal covering their face which stops you from seeing the models identity. In all of her images I feel as though this represents people showing who they really are by expressing their quirky and stranger side that they may hide from people as they are worried they will be disliked or rejected. 

I like the image of the woman with clouds covering her face. I feel as though this could represent the photographers views of the importance of nature. The fact that the clouds are preventing us from seeing the identity of the woman could suggest that nature is more powerful thank human kind and deserves to be noticed. These views may be personal to the photographer as she lives by the ocean and draws inspiration from nature.   

Lorena Cosba

Lorena Cosba looks at the difference between the young and the old. This relates to identity because she looks at the contrast between the two, linking to who people are now and who they will become. The image where she has physically ripped the pages represents that people have their own identity their whole lives. I also believe that because it looks as though the older version of the woman is breaking through this could represent that people should show who they truly are and allow their personality to shine through. I like the fact that the image has been physically modified and I would like to incorporate this in my own work.

Contact Sheet - 3rd Shoot









My intentions for this shoot were to take photos of a model that I could edit in different ways. I planned this photo shoot by collecting different images of various artists and created a mood board. This is located below. This gave me multiple ideas of the different ways in which I could creatively edit my photos. I then took photos based on what I would need in order to successfully edit my photos in the style of my artist research. I have annotated my contact sheet by ticking the images I feel initially look successful and I have crossed the images I feel were not as successful. I also made small labels on some of the photos as to why I crossed or ticked them.

Camera Setting and Equipment 

To complete this shoot I used a canon eos 400d. I shot these in the studio. I used two soft boxes that were at a 45 degree angle towards the model. I then attached a light trigger to the top of my camera and used a light meter to determine which camera settings I needed to use. To do this I asked the model to stand where she would be photographed and she held the light meter in front of her face. I then triggered the flash which showed me the correct settings to use. I used an f-stop of f/8 and a shutter speed of 1/125. Using this shutter speed enabled me to freeze action and create a crisp and clear photo. I also used an ISO of 100. This was because as I was using lighting I did not need the camera to be highly sensitive to light. I also used a tripod to ensure that the camera was stable. I needed this to be extremely still because for some of my images I needed to take two photos in the exact same frame but with the model doing different actions. Using a tripod ensured that I could do this successfully. Below is a diagram that I have drawn of the set up of the studio. I have also labelled all of the equipment that I used. 

Why I used this equipment...

I decided to use a soft box when using the studio because when using a soft box you can produce soft images. Soft boxes confine the light from a lamp into a chamber which then releases the light through a layer of diffusion material. Due to the light passing through the translucent fabric it produces a even and soft result. I wanted to create a soft look because I was aiming for the entire model to be visible within the image. I also feel that by creating a soft lighted image I can edit it in any way that I would like. For example I can add darker areas to the image (dodge and burn tool) if necessary. A soft box will minimise the harsh shadows and the deeper textures within someones face. I did not use a direct flash, which creates a hard light, because I did not want harsh shadows to be created. I also decided to use a tripod because I wanted to take multiple images that were framed in exactly the same way. I wanted to do this because I want to overlap some of the images and to do this I need them to have exactly the same frame.   

Edits

I edited each image slightly different. Below I have shown the final image that I have created and then the steps to editing each individual image.



To edit the image to the left I used the two images to the right. Below are screenshots of how I completed this using photo shop.

Firstly I imported the first image I wanted to use. I then cropped it to the size that I wanted it to be. I needed to reduce some of the negative space at the top of the image.

I then imported the second image on top of the first image and rescaled it to the same size. After doing this I clicked cmd+T and held down the shift key. This ensured the photo stayed in proportion. I then changed the opacity to 50%. This made the top image slightly see through allowing the background layer to be visible underneath.

To edit the image above I used the black and white tool on photo shop. This image was taken using a shutter speed of 3.5 seconds and an f-stop of 20. I had to increase the aperture because I altered the shutter speed. By changing both setting the photo was then at the correct exposure.

Firstly I changed the image to black and white and used the sliders to edit the different tones within the photo.

I used the curves tool to edit the contrast within the photo.

To edit the image to the left I used the two images to the right. Below are screenshots of how I completed this using photo shop. I edited this image and was initially not happy with the outcome. Below is the first edit that I created using the two images above. 

I was not happy with this edit because I felt as though it lacked something. To then improve on this image I changed it to black and white and then gradually changed the contrast and tone within the image. 

To edit this image I opened the two images that I needed to use. I then cropped them both to the same size and copied the image with the models hands over her face over the top of the other image. Once this was done I turned the opacity of the top layer down. I then used the black and white tool, curves tool and brightness and contras tool to adjust the contrast within the image. I did this until I was happy with how the image looked.

To edit the image to the left I used the image to the right. Below are screenshots of how I completed this using photo shop.

To edit this image I used the lasso tool. I cut out the area of her face that I wanted to make look as if she was holding. I then clicked copy and pasted this section. Using the move tool I moved this layer into the position that I wanted it to be. 

To make it appear that the model was holding this I created a layer mask. I then selected the brush tool and made sure the colour selected was black. Once doing this I painted over the part of the cut out that was covering her finger and then her finger became visible, creating the impression that she was holding it. 

I then repeated the first step with the other areas of the face that I wanted to be cut out. 

Once doing this I ensured that the background layer was selected and used the black and white tool. Due to only having the background layer selected this meant that only this layer changed to black and white.

When I decided to take a photo that involved a piece of someones face being cut out I decided to experiment with this idea physically and on photo shop. The image to the left of is a photo that was printed and ripped apart. Once taking this I decided to take a photo that would allow me to edit this on photo shop. I decided that I liked the photo shop version of this image better because I could not print off the photo in the exact same proportion as the models face which I believe made it look slightly fake. I also think that due to the flash coming from the light boxes the paper has reflected some light and looks slightly over exposed. This problem did not occur in photo shop which is why I feel like that was more effective.  

To edit the image to the left I used the image to the right. Below are screenshots of how I completed this using photo shop.

To edit this photo I altered the tones and contrast within the image by using the curves tool. I then selected the mixer brush tool and changed the colour to red. I drew lines going through the models face coming from where her fingers were placed in the photo. 

Contact Sheet - additional shoot 

I completed a small scale shoot of different graffiti around London. I did this because I wanted to bring another element into my edits. I came up with this idea to expand upon the artists work and bring in other ideas rather than just replicating their work. I have annotated my contact sheet by ticking the images I feel initially look successful and I have crossed the images I feel were not as successful. I also made small labels on some of the photos as to why I crossed or ticked them.

I have not chosen my best images for this shoot because I only took around 20 photos and I feel as though all of them are quite strong.

A02:
To capture the images in this shoot I used a canon eos 500d. I used an f/stop of f/20. This was because I wanted the entire image to be in focus and using this aperture allowed me to capture a wide depth of field. I used a shutter speed of 1/125. This was so that the image was not blurry and this enabled me to freeze action rather than capturing motion. Due to the weather being cloudy I used an ISO of 400 to ensure that the camera was sensitive enough to the lighting. This stopped my photos from coming our dark and under exposed. 

Edits

Below are screenshots as to how I edited the graffiti into the background of my images.

Firstly I opened the image of graffiti that I wanted to use and also opened up to photo that I wanted to place the graffiti behind.

I then copied the image of graffiti over the top of the portrait image. I also slightly lowered the opacity of this layer.

Once this was completed I made sure that I was on the layer of the graffiti image and I created a layer mask.

I then selected the pain brush tool and made sure that the default colour was black. I then painted over the areas where the model was. This removed the graffiti image from any of the parts I painted over, creating the impression that the graffiti was behind the model.

Below are the final edits that I created when experimenting with different backgrounds. These images relate to the photographer I looked at, Teresa Freitas, because they represent peoples personality by adding features of graffiti to express a slightly surreal effect.