28.06.2012

TAOP
Part Five: Narrative and Illustration.
Project: Illustration.
Exercise: Rain.

This is my second attempt as, although I liked the image in my first attempt, I was not sure whether the first thought on seeing it would be, "rain".
This time I have been more obvious and gone for rain falling into a bird bath.  At least rain falling from a watering can into a bird bath.  There is now no doubt as to the subject.

The bird bath was set up with a black background and two flash heads, one each side. It was taken at just above level height.  Hardened in Photoshop.

I made a second version of this image, closing in on the water, but I feel it loses the context of the original.

26.06.2012

TAOP
Part Five. Narrative and Illustration.
Project: Illustration.
Exercise: Rain.

Rain has many effects on the environment, some constructive and useful and others destructive and harmful, some soothing and some frightening.  The sudden flash floods of recent years were the result of too much rain while the fearful dustbowl droughts of the American Mid West in the 1930s were the effect of too little rain.
To illustrate the beneficial effect of rain I have taken a picture of a local linseed oil field.  The rich, if seemingly unreal, colours tell of water being delivered at the right time and in the right place.   The fact that this is a man made scene is confirmed by the presence of the farm buildings.
The picture as taken had far more sky but as it was featureless above the top cloud I cut it off.  The change of aspect has given the image a pleasing width that the original did not have.  The slope of the field makes the image read from left to right and the expanding triangle of the patchwork of fields holds the viewer's interest.  In addition there is the cool colour of the foreground and the sky which allow the warmer centre ground to give added depth to the picture.

26.06.2012

TAOP
Part Five: Narrative and Illustration.
Project: Illustration.
Exercise: Juxtaposition.

I decided the book cover route would give most control over the image and its lighting.
The first image is only a work in progress but one that I found amusing.  It is based on Peter Benchley's "Jaws".  I produce the following but didn't carry it through to the finished product.

The book I finally settled on was, "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit", by Jeanette Winterson.  The book has lesbian overtones, although the author denies it is a book about lesbianism.  I have attempted to work in both a hint of the book as written and a play on the words of the title.

The background consists of two T-shirts of appropriate colours to represent the theme of the book and the fruit to give the title literal meaning.  I'm sure that the sexuality that is present in this depiction of the fruit is not lost.
The lighting was supplied by two flash heads with soft box attachments, one next to the lens and to its right and one high up to the left and slightly behind the subject.  This has given nice highlights on the fruit as well as providing good modelling.  

18.06.2012

TAOP
Assignment 4.  2nd Submission.
Applying Lighting Techniques.

For the first four pictures I have used photographic lighting employing two radio controlled flash guns fitted with soft boxes.  The crane and camera positions were not changed.  My aim was to change the lighting to bring about the desired effects

SHAPE.  I lit the crane from behind and to the right with a single strobe.  I avoided flare by using a rim light effect having the flash head out of line of sight from the camera.  This has given a silhouette effect with very little modelling.  It is so flat it is difficult to see which way the jib is pointing.

FORM.  I have used two strobes for this image.  The first is as in the silhouette picture but with a second at camera level and to the camera's left. The flat surfaces catch the light in different ways giving it depth and a feeling of being a 3d object.

TEXTURE.  For this image I removed the rear strobe so there was no fill in from the back.
I moved the front strobe further to the left of sharpen the shadows.  The result has picked out the patterns on the jib and the engine bay quite neatly and for the first time the gearing under the cab is seen in some detail.

COLOUR.  This called for flat full on lighting so I mounted the strobes close into and either side of the camera.  The effect was to flatten out all the detail and highlight the colour.

For the second group of images I used sunlight.

SHAPE. I used the transparent disc from my Interfit reflector, backlit by the sun, as my background and set the crane in front of it.  This threw the crane into silhouette and emphasised the shape rather than any other quality.

FORM.  I set the crane up in such a way that the jib was pointing sharply up in such a way as to emphasise its height.  I angled it to the light so as to give good modelling.  

TEXTURE.  To highlight the texture I set the crane up with the jib pointing very close to the sun and then photographing it from about 90* to the sun.  This emphasised the shadows on the jib and showed up its texture.

COLOUR.  This was the easiest one.  The green background highlighted the red of the crane.  I took the image with the sun coming over my left shoulder and giving maximum flat lighting.

I found this exercise was far easier when I had full control of the lighting and could move the sources around.  Working with the sun took a lot more thought and, with the exception of the last colour shot, the results were not as good.  

15.06.2012

TAOP

PART FIVE.

Narrative and Illustration.

Project: Illustration by Symbols.

Exercise: Symbols.

The concepts given for this exercise are, Growth, Excess, Crime, Silence, and Poverty.  The colours used in these conceptual pictures will express a message on their own.  The heat and vibrancy of red, the cold cleanliness of blue, and the the calm influence of green will put across a theme even before the viewer has taken in the subject of the image.

Growth. 

The growth of a cloud can represent both the building of good and bad.  The promise of rain in a parched monsoonal area or the imminent arrival of a twister to a mid-west U.S. town.  To show “The Wind of Change”.

The growing foetus and the promise of life to come.  The promise of a better future.

The growth of a plant with its hint of fruit yet to come and opportunities taken.  Invest now and get rewarded later. The complimentary colours of the poppy make for a pleasing colour match making the most of the red flower.  The single point of yellow brings the eye back to the flower.  Placing the yellow highlight close to the thirds lines heightens this effect.  There is also the deep seated message the poppy carries over from its use during, and following, WW1 where it was a symbol for renewal and regrowth.  Natural light from an overcast sky.

Excess.

The mere commercial signs of certain establishments can be a short hand for opulence and excess.  The use of Harrods, Harvey Nichols, or Claridges is such short hand.  One does not have to see the store itself, the sight of a Harrod's bag is sufficient to hint at a certain class.

The mere mention of Rolls Royce, Bentley and Maybach shout excess.  To see someone exiting such a car and the message is clear.  Here comes money and power.  As above.  To illustrate greed and avarice.  Conversely it can show good taste and the better things in life.  Take your pick.

To come down market the excess intake of food and the rise in obesity can be illustrated by the use of the beer belly.  Someone needs to exercise more.
Lit with soft light from the front to increase the shadow area behind the stomach.

Crime.

The image of a room trashed in the act of burglary is one that has broken the heart of many property owners.  Used to sell burglar alarms.

The gap in a war memorial that is left following the theft of the list of war dead.  Used to tighten up the legislation surrounding scrap metal dealers.

Tattoo covered hands in hand-cuffs.  I like the matching angles of the hand cuff and the tattoo on the fingers.  They make two sides of an implied triangle that would complete outside the frame.  Use in anti crime campaign.
Camera mounted flash and soft box.

Silence.

The picture of a misty morning with still water and wraith like trees is used regularly for the concept of peace, tranquility and silence.  To sell the ideal of the out doors.  To sell air fresheners.

A still and frozen landscape is another image used to convey silence.  All life dormant or asleep.  To sell the concept of cleanliness in a product.  Use in climate change propaganda. 

The concept of an object that though normally noisy, has been rendered silent.  The contrast in textures between the potentially noise bell and the soft quietening earmuffs is well defined.
To show how things could be different.  To show change.

In taking this picture I was chuffed that despite the ultra shiny surface neither the camera nor I appear.  All done without use of post production tricks.   Natural light from right with large curved reflector on left.

Poverty.

This can be one of the most powerful images that the photographer can record. 

The picture of “Homeless Woman” by Dorothea Lange must haunt the mind of anyone that has ever seen.  The taking of, and subsequent use, of this image is too well known to repeat here.  Changed the way the USA viewed itself.

A beggar and his dog curled up in a doorway with the cold and wet pavement only inches away.  To bring about an awareness of the homelessness.

The image of a starving child from some forlorn part of Sub-Saharan Africa has been used for decades to elicit funds.  Still works and will be used for many years.

A run down house in an otherwise affluent area can be used to denote the poverty of the old or the burden of house ownership without the funds to run it. The missing window shutter and the pale blue door all add to the feeling of a cold house, even though neither of these would have any real impact. It can be the start of a before and after campaign or to promote urban regeneration.
Natural light under overcast sky hardened up slightly post production.

11.06.2012

TAOP

Narrative and Illustration.

Exercise: Evidence of action.

The following is obviously a set but none the less tells the fictitious tale of a past mishap.  The lighting for this was my newly acquired soft box which I was using for the first time. 

 

List of concepts that are regularly depicted.  Smell of perfume, taste of drink and food,  the feel of soft clothing,  the passing of time, and sex.

11.06.2012

TAOP.

Part Five: Narrative and Illustration.

Exercise: A narrative Picture Essay.

I start this exercise with a single picture that tells a story.  The picture is of two boys approaching the finishing tape at the end of a race.  The story is in their faces.  One is about to win and looking supremely confident in his ability and the other grimacing with determination and effort.

The picture essay is about cookery and follows my wife’s progress as she makes a jam filled sponge cake.

I drew out a story board and we spoke about how I could get pictures of the action.

The first picture is of the lighting I used for the set.  It consisted of two radio controlled strobes suspended from the cupboards with their light reflected first off aluminium foil and then up into the white underside of the cupboards.  This gave a controlled lighting area that allowed a little shadow modeling.

Story Board.

Add caption

Lighting.

Ingredients.

Weighing.

Sieving.

Mixing.

 Lining the tins with cut grease proof pater.

Filling the tins.

Setting the oven to correct temperature.

Removing the sponges from the oven.

Applying the filling.

The finished jam filled sponge.

Good enough to eat.

TAOP

Part Five: Narrative And Illustration.

Project: Putting the Subject First. 

I had a trawl through my files for this one and came up with a number of images that fit the bill.  One image I took from the files of The Mail.

The first is a picture I took In Deal during the last snowy weather.  It shows a snow covered street, a couple of walkers with their dogs, and two girls.  A pretty picture of Deal and the sort of image that one could find on a post card or Christmas card.  The overall effect is what is important and not any component part. 

The second of this type is one I took off Anzac Park in Port Douglas in Australia.  A tranquil scene of a yacht sailing past with misty mountains fading away in the background.  Again it is the overall structure that is important and not any particular part.  There is a subject but not a dominant one.

The next is one that made every paper in the land and is of the girl leaping from her flat  at Reeves Corner, Croydon during the height of last years riots.  Technically a poor shot.  Out of focus, camera shake, not straightened, intrusive highlights and a poor attempt at flash.  This one picture, however, summed up the two days of mayhem that tore through parts of London.  All the faults I listed only add to the immediacy of the image and endow it with the power it undoubtably has.   All subject.

The last is one I took in 1980 at the Biggin Hill Air Show and is of an exploding plane.  I was taking pictures from a field near to the show when I saw a twin engined A-26 Invader getting into trouble as failed to recover from a roll.  With no motor wind I had to try and time my shots.  I took two shots of the crash and this is the second and most dramatic.  The result below made the front page of the Sun and The Daily Telegraph.  Again an image with many faults but one that conveyed the horror of that crash. 

TAOP.

Part Four: Light.

Assignment: Applying Light Techniques.

My model for this assignment is Paddington Bear who was chosen for his texture, colour, and portability.

1.  Taken with hazy sun high up to the right.  This is a standard summer portrait with the right side and top of the bear well lit and the lower left side in shadow.  This has given texture to his fur and coat. The bear has good form and appears solid.  Not the best lighting to bring out the colours.  Does not stand out from background.  Not very subtle but not displeasing.

2.Same sun as at 1 but with added reflector to the left at bear’s level.  This has added

to the modeling of the face and softened some of the shadow areas but reduced the texture of the coat and fur.  Still does not stand out from the background.  

3. Same sun as above but with white diffuser between sun and bear.  A more pleasing          result with good modeling and subtle texture.  Bear now has a more solid and rounded look with a better defined edge that stands it out from the background.  The colour in this version is more even and brighter.

4. This the standard torch under the chin shot, although this time made with the use of  a low positioned flash.  The effect is to highlight the under side of the face and leave the upper surfaces in darkness.  I dodged in the amber eyes to complete the Scary Bear effect.  The lighting has made for a rather 2D effect with reduced modeling.  The texture of the coat and fur are similarly reduced.  Bear’s dark outline tends to blend  him into the strong shadows of the background.  Good strong colours where the light has  hit with nice sharp cut off to black shadow.  Pretty much what I set out to achieve.

5. Teddy Bears picnic.  What I wanted was to match the ambient lighting in my kitchen with the effect of the candles.  The temperature difference between the mini quartz spots and the candle was not the problem I thought it might be because the fairly long exposure allowed the candles to appear whiter than they were.  The subdued lighting has reduced the intensity of the colours and also softened the textures.  The even lighting is not intrusive and allows the viewer to concentrate on the scene.  The bears stand out fairly well from their background and the whole is a pleasing ensemble.   I tried using the candles alone but got very poor results.

   

6.  Hiding bear.  I put bear in a large plant pot partially  hidden by  the foliage of a miniature tree.  To illuminate him I manufactured a foil snoot that fitted over the end of my flash head.  This gave the impression of a powerful torch.   The impression is of bear hiding and being discovered.  His bright colours still make him stand out from his background although his edges are still blurred.  Rather flat but that is what I would expect from such fully frontal lighting.

7. Interrogated Bear.  The harsh lighting comes from a single flash placed close in front of bear and to his left.  The idea was to give the impression of an old fashioned interrogation light.  The file and the pen are meant to reinforce this illusion.  The colours on the lit side are well saturated and the total shadow on the dark side give a nice feeling of menace.  Bear has substance and the texture at the transition area from light to dark is very clear.

8.   Firing Squad.  The lighting here is similar to 7 but from the other side and with the flash further away.  This has evened out the light but at the same time sharpened the shadows.  The colours are still nicely saturated and the there is again a feeling of substance.  As at 7 the texture is best defined at the areas of transition from light to dark.  

The use of light is a subject I will have to return to and play with as the control of light effects the finished picture more than any other factor.  As Ibarionex Perello says in Chasing the Light, “The answer is in the light”. 

With the use of light, and a few props, I have showed Paddington in situations that may not have occurred to Michael Bond.

Full frontal lighting has had the effect of flattening the shape and reducing the the texture but at the same time heightening the colours.  As the lighting moved round bear he took on more shape, particularly in the areas of transition from light to shadow.  As additional lighting was added more subtle constructs were formed, as in 2 where the addition of a reflector reduced the shadows but still allowed modeling of bear’s face.

By playing with light and shadow it is possible to see how portraits are lit.  As I said above I will continue playing with these effects.