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.