I found black-and-white to be challenging but fun to work with. I felt as I approached the assignment that my technical skills, including recognition of how and why to use black-and-white, were growing. I found I could appreciate how important lighting was in black-and-white and how to further enhance this in post-processing.
I felt this was reflected in the way I approached Assignment 3 and the exercises leading up to it: for example with 'Colours into tones 2' I was able to produce a portrait with close reproduction to one of my key inspirations for the assignment.
I was then able to present this and other exercises well in my blog, where I had, on, several occasions, referenced other posts in my own blog, so that navigation around the blog was enhanced.
Creativity was something I felt I could improve on from Assignment 2 and I found through researching other artists more, my creativity advanced. I was discovering a lot about the medium through deliberately shooting in black-and-white before the shot and processing in black-and-white after the shot. This and the research into other photographers/artists gave me a few more ideas.
I then was able to put these ideas into practice; especially for the assignment where I came up with some, in my opinion, interesting black-and-white photographs, which were to a large extent, a culmination of research and experimentation with the medium of black-and-white. So through research I gained ideas and with the ideas I was able to be more creative.
If I was to be critical of myself concerning Assignment 3 and the work leading up to it, it would be that I could have communicated more the areas I could improve in concerning the work, within my blog, so that it was clear to myself and any readers, anything I wasn't too pleased with.
Friday 20 September 2013
Photograph 5 - Assignment 3: Monochrome
With this photograph I attempted to bring all of the four previous photographs for this assignment so far together. This was because I had thought up a twist in the assignment where I used the same principle of having canvases or (in this case) mostly prints showing imagination. This time however, I would be the model in a self-portrait and it would be my 'imagination' on the wall. My 'imagination' would, very conveniently, include the four previous photographs for this assignment.
The way this would work was that I would print out the four photographs for the assignment so far, as well as making my own 'imagination drawing' on canvas and I would place them all on a wall (or in this case a backdrop). I thought this would tie the photographs together nicely, while also creating the illusion of a picture within a picture. This could have permutations of how a photograph could be a lie; with the fact the photograph(s) were in black-and-white adding extra intrigue because black-and-white made you see the world differently anyway.
My inspiration for this last photograph was a photograph by Arnold Newman - a famous photographer I had come across while researching black-and-white. One of his photographs in particular: 'Gypsy Rose Lee, NY, 1945' - Newman (1945) interested me particularly because I saw the potential implications recreating it could have if I was to replace the paintings on the wall too. This observation came in luckily at the right time for me because I had realised that only four of Vermeer's paintings included a canvas of some sort on the wall behind the models. I therefore needed another shot to complete the assignment and this seemed a clever way of putting the theme together.
In so far as taking the photograph was concerned, I used a green backdrop behind the prints of the previous four photographs for the assignment along with my own 'imagination drawing (which I'd made earlier)' with all of them either stuck on or hung up against the green backdrop. My intention was to later reduce any green in the photograph (which mainly consisted solely of the green backdrop) until it turned to black in the post-processed black-and-white shot.
This worked well on the whole, although I had to use Adobe Lightroom's 'Adjustment Brush' to fill in some of the shadows. I also used bounce flash to illuminate the prints and myself further away from the lamp light well. I was able to also lighten the skin tone too by dragging the orange slider in Adobe Lightroom's 'black and white mix' box to the right.
I arranged the prints of the other four photographs deliberately so that the slightly high-key (Photographs 1 and 4) were opposite each other and the contrasty (Photographs 2 and 3) were opposite each other in a loose square. This meant there was a nice balance between the darker and lighter photographs, with my imagination drawing included at the opposite end from where I was sitting.
The way this would work was that I would print out the four photographs for the assignment so far, as well as making my own 'imagination drawing' on canvas and I would place them all on a wall (or in this case a backdrop). I thought this would tie the photographs together nicely, while also creating the illusion of a picture within a picture. This could have permutations of how a photograph could be a lie; with the fact the photograph(s) were in black-and-white adding extra intrigue because black-and-white made you see the world differently anyway.
My inspiration for this last photograph was a photograph by Arnold Newman - a famous photographer I had come across while researching black-and-white. One of his photographs in particular: 'Gypsy Rose Lee, NY, 1945' - Newman (1945) interested me particularly because I saw the potential implications recreating it could have if I was to replace the paintings on the wall too. This observation came in luckily at the right time for me because I had realised that only four of Vermeer's paintings included a canvas of some sort on the wall behind the models. I therefore needed another shot to complete the assignment and this seemed a clever way of putting the theme together.
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| Photograph 5 for Assignment 3: Monochrome |
In so far as taking the photograph was concerned, I used a green backdrop behind the prints of the previous four photographs for the assignment along with my own 'imagination drawing (which I'd made earlier)' with all of them either stuck on or hung up against the green backdrop. My intention was to later reduce any green in the photograph (which mainly consisted solely of the green backdrop) until it turned to black in the post-processed black-and-white shot.
This worked well on the whole, although I had to use Adobe Lightroom's 'Adjustment Brush' to fill in some of the shadows. I also used bounce flash to illuminate the prints and myself further away from the lamp light well. I was able to also lighten the skin tone too by dragging the orange slider in Adobe Lightroom's 'black and white mix' box to the right.
I arranged the prints of the other four photographs deliberately so that the slightly high-key (Photographs 1 and 4) were opposite each other and the contrasty (Photographs 2 and 3) were opposite each other in a loose square. This meant there was a nice balance between the darker and lighter photographs, with my imagination drawing included at the opposite end from where I was sitting.
Photograph 4 - Assignment 3: Monochrome
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| Photograph 4 for Assignment 3: Monochrome |
I decided to ask my model to raise his head so his eyes were visible but otherwise the pose remained true. I did however replace the shawl the woman was wearing in 'A Woman Holding a Balance' with a hat because I felt it offered better realism for what would be worn today over the head.
I was pleased with how similar my rendition was compared with Vermeer's in terms of lighting on the model's face, even though his head was facing up. In particular the shadows on the nose closely resembled Vermeer's painting.
The 'imagination drawing' on the canvas worked well for me again, with the placement of the canvas especially making it stand out without looking too superficial. There was also in my eyes a connection between the model and his drawing; I put this down to where the eyes were looking: straight out of the window, with the drawing in between.
I thought I used the frame well, with a host of available objects, so the viewer could infer he was making something using the weighing scales.
Lastly, the exposure was quite high-key, which made a change from the Photographs 2 and 3 (which were more contrasty and low-key) but was similar to the slightly high-key Photograph 1.
Photograph 3 - Assignment 3: Monochrome
With this photograph I paid attention to detail regarding both the clothing/props and the lighting. I decided to go a step further with the clothing/props however.
I replaced the pen and paper the lady was using in 'A Lady Writing a Letter' by Johannes Vermeer (c.1665) with a laptop. This was in order to show the viewer once again how times had advanced, while filling the frame nicely too. I asked my model to sit straighter in the chair than the 'leaning over' lady in Vermeer's painting. This was to suggest how times have changed besides technology - that women are much more assertive now.
Other touches were that I asked my model to look out of the window but with the canvas in between the window and herself. This created the illusion that she was also looking at or daydreaming about the drawing on the canvas; adding further information to the frame. I was satisfied also with the clothing worn. The fur coat she wore (the lady in Vermeer's 'A Lady Writing a Letter') was present and also, more prominently, the hair garments, which I thought worked especially well as they caught the light. Lastly, I waited until my model had a relaxed and thoughtful face, with the hint of a smile appearing.
I incidentally lightened her earring (similar to 'Colours into tones 2'), which made it stand out more. Also because I was working in black-and-white I took advantage of lightening her skin (mainly by dragging the orange slider in Adobe Lightroom's 'black and white mix' box to the right, without greatly changing much of the rest of the photograph.
Another point was that I found the canvas to stand out especially well against the black backdrop behind it; isolating it effectively so that it was more apparent within the frame. It was again (similar to Photograph 2 for the assignment) a fairly low-key photograph, although this time I had purposefully made the background dark. This was to improve form in terms of the woman's face and make obvious the most important parts of the photograph.
I replaced the pen and paper the lady was using in 'A Lady Writing a Letter' by Johannes Vermeer (c.1665) with a laptop. This was in order to show the viewer once again how times had advanced, while filling the frame nicely too. I asked my model to sit straighter in the chair than the 'leaning over' lady in Vermeer's painting. This was to suggest how times have changed besides technology - that women are much more assertive now.
Other touches were that I asked my model to look out of the window but with the canvas in between the window and herself. This created the illusion that she was also looking at or daydreaming about the drawing on the canvas; adding further information to the frame. I was satisfied also with the clothing worn. The fur coat she wore (the lady in Vermeer's 'A Lady Writing a Letter') was present and also, more prominently, the hair garments, which I thought worked especially well as they caught the light. Lastly, I waited until my model had a relaxed and thoughtful face, with the hint of a smile appearing.
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| Photograph 3 for Assignment 3: Monochrome |
I incidentally lightened her earring (similar to 'Colours into tones 2'), which made it stand out more. Also because I was working in black-and-white I took advantage of lightening her skin (mainly by dragging the orange slider in Adobe Lightroom's 'black and white mix' box to the right, without greatly changing much of the rest of the photograph.
Another point was that I found the canvas to stand out especially well against the black backdrop behind it; isolating it effectively so that it was more apparent within the frame. It was again (similar to Photograph 2 for the assignment) a fairly low-key photograph, although this time I had purposefully made the background dark. This was to improve form in terms of the woman's face and make obvious the most important parts of the photograph.
Photograph 2 - Assignment 3: Monochrome
I again used one of Vermeer's works: this photograph was a reference to 'The Guitar Player' - Vermeer (c. 1670-1672). This time, instead of trying to faithfully recreate the scene, I chose to focus mostly on getting the lighting accurate compared to the Vermeer's painting.
I also decided to continue with the theme of replacing old with contemporary; I changed the 'old' guitar with an electric one, so my work differentiated with Vermeer's, while simultaneously suggesting the times had changed.
The 'imagination drawing' I had asked my subjects to draw was obviously present as the recurring theme, with a much more prominent presence compared to Photograph 1 for the assignment. This was mostly because of the brightness of the canvas (much of it was white), although the closer positioning of the canvas within the frame of the photograph was another factor. However, even though it was so imposing, I felt the drawing fitted well into the scene; it had a good relationship in the frame with the guitar player. Also I had placed the canvas on a music stand to fit in with the guitar theme.
I was most pleased with the quality of light in this photograph. It helped isolate the two main subjects as salient components, while throwing most of the rest of the image into deep shadow. More importantly in my opinion, was the similarity between the way the light fell on my subject's face and Vermeer's subject's face. Even though in Vermeer's painting the subject was looking in the other direction, the shadows and the expressions were similar enough to make a comparison. Black-and-white treatment worked particularly well here in adding texture to my model's face and also showing the form of the subjects - the way the main subjects fell into darkness gave the most of the form to the photograph.
While minimalism wasn't on my mind when planning for Photograph 2, because the window lighting was quite strong in this case,
I had to make a choice whether to expose for the highlights or shadows. For me the highlights were much more important and incidentally they produced the quite attractive effect of throwing the less important areas into deep shadow. This effect was further enhanced by the black-and-white medium, which helped to show off these important highlights better. Also because so much of the scene was in shadow the photograph was quite low-key; especially compared to Photograph 1.
I also decided to continue with the theme of replacing old with contemporary; I changed the 'old' guitar with an electric one, so my work differentiated with Vermeer's, while simultaneously suggesting the times had changed.
The 'imagination drawing' I had asked my subjects to draw was obviously present as the recurring theme, with a much more prominent presence compared to Photograph 1 for the assignment. This was mostly because of the brightness of the canvas (much of it was white), although the closer positioning of the canvas within the frame of the photograph was another factor. However, even though it was so imposing, I felt the drawing fitted well into the scene; it had a good relationship in the frame with the guitar player. Also I had placed the canvas on a music stand to fit in with the guitar theme.
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| Photograph 2 for Assignment 3: Monochrome |
I was most pleased with the quality of light in this photograph. It helped isolate the two main subjects as salient components, while throwing most of the rest of the image into deep shadow. More importantly in my opinion, was the similarity between the way the light fell on my subject's face and Vermeer's subject's face. Even though in Vermeer's painting the subject was looking in the other direction, the shadows and the expressions were similar enough to make a comparison. Black-and-white treatment worked particularly well here in adding texture to my model's face and also showing the form of the subjects - the way the main subjects fell into darkness gave the most of the form to the photograph.
While minimalism wasn't on my mind when planning for Photograph 2, because the window lighting was quite strong in this case,
I had to make a choice whether to expose for the highlights or shadows. For me the highlights were much more important and incidentally they produced the quite attractive effect of throwing the less important areas into deep shadow. This effect was further enhanced by the black-and-white medium, which helped to show off these important highlights better. Also because so much of the scene was in shadow the photograph was quite low-key; especially compared to Photograph 1.
Photograph 1 - Assignment 3: Monochrome
This first photograph for the assignment contained a lot of detail evident in the props and also the clothing for my model. Also the lighting was soft window lighting, all of which was in keeping with one of Vermeer's portraits; namely 'Woman with a Water Jug' - Vermeer (c. 1662-1665). The quality of light was of particular importance as Vermeer was famous for his 'characteristic pearly light' - The National Gallery (2013) [accessed on 16th September 2013].
In the end I chose contemporary objects to replace the old equivalent objects so it was clear that times had changed. I thought this worked well; the objects and clothing were still similar in form but it was clear that they were more modern. The shirt on the chair, the curtain and the
very shiny jug were the most prominent objects that showed this trait.
I also got my model to look up rather than down so the eyes were visible and it looked like she was thinking about something. Because the canvas she had drawn was placed slightly behind her it, this suggested they had a connection; namely whatever was on the canvas was at the back of her mind. Because the canvas, the partially visible window and my model were the brightest features at the top of the image this further enhanced their apparent relationship.
However, I felt the similarities between mine and Vermeer's work were still apparent, with attention paid towards the quality of light and placement of props.
In order to make the canvas stand out as a prominent feature of the photograph I had to apply some fairly aggressive processing. This included lightening the canvas only - by carefully using the adjustment brush in Adobe Lightroom and setting the exposure to be slightly brighter. Because I was working in black-and-white I could also adjust the colours of the canvas (which included green) so that there was contrast in the canvas between the green and the brown, which changed to light grey and dark grey once converted to black-and-white.
Speaking of converting to black-and-white, I once again used the 'black and white mix' box inside Adobe Lightroom to lighten the red/orange facial features without changing much of the rest of the image. I also increased the values of the green slider, which mostly affected the canvas and so helped to lighten the canvas and ultimately strengthen the connection to the (already light) model. Lastly, I decreased the blue slider, which affected the curtain and shirt (hanging on the chair) and her clothing (excluding the shawl). I decided to decrease this slider so there was more contrast in light and dark areas of the image, which for me made the image more balanced. This was reflected in the histogram I checked was optimised, where there was information in the extreme highlights and shadows (without clipping), while there was a lot of detail in the mid tones.
In my opinion the inclusion of the canvas added another dimension to the photograph; making the image more imaginative - the viewer's eyes (or at least mine) were drawn towards the canvas and possible connections between it and the model.
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| Photograph 1 for Assignment 3: Monochrome |
very shiny jug were the most prominent objects that showed this trait.
I also got my model to look up rather than down so the eyes were visible and it looked like she was thinking about something. Because the canvas she had drawn was placed slightly behind her it, this suggested they had a connection; namely whatever was on the canvas was at the back of her mind. Because the canvas, the partially visible window and my model were the brightest features at the top of the image this further enhanced their apparent relationship.
However, I felt the similarities between mine and Vermeer's work were still apparent, with attention paid towards the quality of light and placement of props.
In order to make the canvas stand out as a prominent feature of the photograph I had to apply some fairly aggressive processing. This included lightening the canvas only - by carefully using the adjustment brush in Adobe Lightroom and setting the exposure to be slightly brighter. Because I was working in black-and-white I could also adjust the colours of the canvas (which included green) so that there was contrast in the canvas between the green and the brown, which changed to light grey and dark grey once converted to black-and-white.
Speaking of converting to black-and-white, I once again used the 'black and white mix' box inside Adobe Lightroom to lighten the red/orange facial features without changing much of the rest of the image. I also increased the values of the green slider, which mostly affected the canvas and so helped to lighten the canvas and ultimately strengthen the connection to the (already light) model. Lastly, I decreased the blue slider, which affected the curtain and shirt (hanging on the chair) and her clothing (excluding the shawl). I decided to decrease this slider so there was more contrast in light and dark areas of the image, which for me made the image more balanced. This was reflected in the histogram I checked was optimised, where there was information in the extreme highlights and shadows (without clipping), while there was a lot of detail in the mid tones.
In my opinion the inclusion of the canvas added another dimension to the photograph; making the image more imaginative - the viewer's eyes (or at least mine) were drawn towards the canvas and possible connections between it and the model.
Bibliography for Processing the Image
Bainbridge, S. (ed.) (March 2013), British Journal of Photography, Volume 160, Apptitude Media Limited, 9 Beaumont Gate, Shenley Hill, Radlett, Herts, WD7 7AR UK.
Caruana, N. and Fox, A. (2012), Behind the Image, AVA Publishing SA 2012, Rue des Fontenailles 16, Case Postale, 1000 Lausanne 6, Switzerland.
C. Cotton (2009), the photograph as contemporary art – New Edition 2009, Thames and Hudson, London WC1V, 7QX, 2009.
Famighetti, M. (ed.) (Summer 2013), aperture, 211, Aperture Foundation, 547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor, New York, N.Y.
Freeman, M. (2008), Mastering Digital Photography, ILEX, 210 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NS.
Freeman, M. (2011), The Digital SLR Handbook - 3rd Edition, The ILEX Press Limited, 210 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NS.
Freeman, M. (2013), The Freeman View [Online] Available at: http://thefreemanview.com (accessed on 5 September 2013).
Gulbins, J and Steinmueller, U. (2011), The Digital Photography Workflow Handbook, Rocky Nook Inc., 26 West Mission Street, Ste 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Hunter, T. (2013), Tom Hunter [Online] Available at: http://www.tomhunter.org/gallery/ (accessed on 10 September 2013).
Janson, J. (2001-2013), Essential Vermeer Time [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Lumiere (2013), Arnold Newman [Online] Available at: http://lumieregallery.net/wp/256/arnold-newman/ (accessed on 12 September 2013).
National Gallery, The (2013), Johannes Vermeer [Online] Available at: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/johannes-vermeer (accessed on 16 September 2013).
Caruana, N. and Fox, A. (2012), Behind the Image, AVA Publishing SA 2012, Rue des Fontenailles 16, Case Postale, 1000 Lausanne 6, Switzerland.
C. Cotton (2009), the photograph as contemporary art – New Edition 2009, Thames and Hudson, London WC1V, 7QX, 2009.
Famighetti, M. (ed.) (Summer 2013), aperture, 211, Aperture Foundation, 547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor, New York, N.Y.
Freeman, M. (2008), Mastering Digital Photography, ILEX, 210 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NS.
Freeman, M. (2011), The Digital SLR Handbook - 3rd Edition, The ILEX Press Limited, 210 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NS.
Freeman, M. (2013), The Freeman View [Online] Available at: http://thefreemanview.com (accessed on 5 September 2013).
Gulbins, J and Steinmueller, U. (2011), The Digital Photography Workflow Handbook, Rocky Nook Inc., 26 West Mission Street, Ste 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Hunter, T. (2013), Tom Hunter [Online] Available at: http://www.tomhunter.org/gallery/ (accessed on 10 September 2013).
Janson, J. (2001-2013), Essential Vermeer Time [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Lumiere (2013), Arnold Newman [Online] Available at: http://lumieregallery.net/wp/256/arnold-newman/ (accessed on 12 September 2013).
National Gallery, The (2013), Johannes Vermeer [Online] Available at: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/johannes-vermeer (accessed on 16 September 2013).
Reference Page - Processing the image
Caruana, N. and Fox, A. (2012), Behind the Image, AVA Publishing SA 2012, Rue des Fontenailles 16, Case Postale, 1000 Lausanne 6, Switzerland.
Freeman, M. (2008), Mastering Digital Photography, ILEX, 210 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NS.
Goto, J. (2001), Dreamers, from 'High Summer', [Photograph] In. Caruana, N. and Fox, A. (2012), Behind the Image, , AVA Publishing SA 2012, Rue des Fontenailles 16, Case Postale, 1000 Lausanne 6, Switzerland, Page 125.
Hunter, T. (1997), Woman Reading a Possession Order, [Online] Available at: http://www.tomhunter.org/persons-unknown/ (accessed on 10 September 2013).
National Gallery, The (2013), Paintings - Johannes Vermeer, [Online] Available at: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/johannes-vermeer (accessed on 16 September 2013).
Newman, A. (1945), Gypsy Rose Lee, NY, 1945, [Online] Available at: http://lumieregallery.net/wp/256/arnold-newman/ (accessed on 12 September 2013).
Freeman, M. (2008), Mastering Digital Photography, ILEX, 210 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2NS.
Goto, J. (2001), Dreamers, from 'High Summer', [Photograph] In. Caruana, N. and Fox, A. (2012), Behind the Image, , AVA Publishing SA 2012, Rue des Fontenailles 16, Case Postale, 1000 Lausanne 6, Switzerland, Page 125.
Hunter, T. (1997), Woman Reading a Possession Order, [Online] Available at: http://www.tomhunter.org/persons-unknown/ (accessed on 10 September 2013).
National Gallery, The (2013), Paintings - Johannes Vermeer, [Online] Available at: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/johannes-vermeer (accessed on 16 September 2013).
Newman, A. (1945), Gypsy Rose Lee, NY, 1945, [Online] Available at: http://lumieregallery.net/wp/256/arnold-newman/ (accessed on 12 September 2013).
Salgado S. (2004-2012), Genesis, In. British Journal of Photography (March 2013), Aptitude Media Limited, 9 Beaumont Gate, Shenley Hill, Radlett, Herts, WD7 7AR UK, Pages 34-49.
Vermeer, J. (c. 1622-1665), 'Woman Holding a Balance', [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/woman_holding_a_balance.html (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1658), The Milkmaid, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/milkmaid.html (accessed on 7 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1664-1665), Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/young_woman_with_a_water_pitcher.html (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1665), A Lady Writing, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/lady_writing.html (accessed on 7 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1665), Girl with a Pearl Earring, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/girl_with_a_pearl_earring.html (accessed on 10 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1670-1672), The Guitar Player, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/guitar_player.html (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Wall, J. (1994), Insomnia, [Photograph] In. Cotton, C. (2009), the photograph as contemporary art - New Edition 2009, Thames and Hudson, London, WC1V 7QX, Page 50.
Wearing, G. (1992-3), Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say, [Photograph] In. Cotton, C. (2009), the photograph as contemporary art - New Edition 2009, Thames and Hudson, London, WC1V 7QX, Page 30.
Vermeer, J. (c. 1622-1665), 'Woman Holding a Balance', [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/woman_holding_a_balance.html (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1658), The Milkmaid, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/milkmaid.html (accessed on 7 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1664-1665), Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/young_woman_with_a_water_pitcher.html (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1665), A Lady Writing, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/lady_writing.html (accessed on 7 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1665), Girl with a Pearl Earring, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/girl_with_a_pearl_earring.html (accessed on 10 September 2013).
Vermeer, J. (c. 1670-1672), The Guitar Player, [Online] Available at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/guitar_player.html (accessed on 18 September 2013).
Wall, J. (1994), Insomnia, [Photograph] In. Cotton, C. (2009), the photograph as contemporary art - New Edition 2009, Thames and Hudson, London, WC1V 7QX, Page 50.
Wearing, G. (1992-3), Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say, [Photograph] In. Cotton, C. (2009), the photograph as contemporary art - New Edition 2009, Thames and Hudson, London, WC1V 7QX, Page 30.
Going Into More Detail About My Proposed Theme for Assignment 3: Monochrome
My proposal for the third assignment was to marry the relationship between the use of available objects, which I had begun to explore in the previous assignment: 3 different people, 3 different windows - Assignment 2 (Part 3 of 5), with the notion of a meaningful dialogue between the main subject and certain objects also in the frame. This was then essentially an environmental portrait but was purposefully channelled to be creative in the choice of use of objects. Most important was that one of the objects would be what I could best describe as an 'imagination drawing'. Here the model had beforehand drawn whatever was in their imagination at the time into something physical; a canvas or piece of art paper. This would be a common theme in all of the final photographs, therefore meeting one of the criteria of the assignment. I also thought it was a very creative way of showing more information about each model and coincidentally would fit well into the photograph as a whole because I would of course be shooting in black-and-white so the drawings would be somewhat 'camouflaged'.
These 'imagination drawings' I intended to act as a 'portal' into what the people in the final photographs were thinking or feeling. This idea would also somewhat mitigate the issue of photographs being a two dimensional medium because by looking into the photograph (especially the drawings) the viewer is immersed and the photograph starts to take on form and potential reality. The 'imagination drawings' would be placed in fairly innocuous places like walls for example, so they fit better into the whole picture. The placement of each painting would be in keeping with the artwork I was reinterpreting: a selection of Johnannes Vermeer's.
My inspiration for these so-called 'imagination drawings' was from Gillian Wearing's portraits: 'Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say' (1992-3) of people on the street. Here, Wearing used signs (which the subject was holding) to give information concerning the subject - 'something about themselves' - Wearing (1992-3). While my proposed shots would include drawings instead of texts and the drawings would be behind the model, instead of in their hands, the principle of describing something about the person would be the same.
Then there was an idea that I had derived from completing the exercise 'Colours into tones 2', where I had deliberately lightened only the skin tones of a person's face. Because each photograph I intended to take would consist (primarily) of the model and their drawing, by making sure the models and their drawings' 'stood out' from the rest of the setting/props, I could establish a connection between them. This was feasible because I would, like I'd discovered in 'Colours into tones 2' and 'How Interpreting a Photograph Differently Can be Reflected in the Way the Photograph is Post-Processed', be able to make quite radical changes that wouldn't be so acceptable in colour. While there would be more detail present in these shots compared to 'Colours into tones 2', which could potentially make this task more difficult, I was aware of the possibility of using the 'Adjustment Brush' tool in Adobe Lightroom or even using Adobe Photoshop to target the model/drawing in particular.
For this project, my main goals in terms of black-and-white was to make the so-called 'imagination drawings' fit well into a photograph so that they became another feature of the photograph, while still standing out. The photographs would possess subtle lighting, which would bring out the similarities between some of Vermeer's portraits and my own conceived images. I would aim to achieve a similar 'characteristic pearly light' - The National Gallery (2013) [accessed on 16th September 2013] that typified the work Vermeer produced.
These 'imagination drawings' I intended to act as a 'portal' into what the people in the final photographs were thinking or feeling. This idea would also somewhat mitigate the issue of photographs being a two dimensional medium because by looking into the photograph (especially the drawings) the viewer is immersed and the photograph starts to take on form and potential reality. The 'imagination drawings' would be placed in fairly innocuous places like walls for example, so they fit better into the whole picture. The placement of each painting would be in keeping with the artwork I was reinterpreting: a selection of Johnannes Vermeer's.
My inspiration for these so-called 'imagination drawings' was from Gillian Wearing's portraits: 'Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say' (1992-3) of people on the street. Here, Wearing used signs (which the subject was holding) to give information concerning the subject - 'something about themselves' - Wearing (1992-3). While my proposed shots would include drawings instead of texts and the drawings would be behind the model, instead of in their hands, the principle of describing something about the person would be the same.
Then there was an idea that I had derived from completing the exercise 'Colours into tones 2', where I had deliberately lightened only the skin tones of a person's face. Because each photograph I intended to take would consist (primarily) of the model and their drawing, by making sure the models and their drawings' 'stood out' from the rest of the setting/props, I could establish a connection between them. This was feasible because I would, like I'd discovered in 'Colours into tones 2' and 'How Interpreting a Photograph Differently Can be Reflected in the Way the Photograph is Post-Processed', be able to make quite radical changes that wouldn't be so acceptable in colour. While there would be more detail present in these shots compared to 'Colours into tones 2', which could potentially make this task more difficult, I was aware of the possibility of using the 'Adjustment Brush' tool in Adobe Lightroom or even using Adobe Photoshop to target the model/drawing in particular.
For this project, my main goals in terms of black-and-white was to make the so-called 'imagination drawings' fit well into a photograph so that they became another feature of the photograph, while still standing out. The photographs would possess subtle lighting, which would bring out the similarities between some of Vermeer's portraits and my own conceived images. I would aim to achieve a similar 'characteristic pearly light' - The National Gallery (2013) [accessed on 16th September 2013] that typified the work Vermeer produced.
Preparation for Assignment 3: Monochrome
Having a good plan before actually taking photographs was something I'd come to appreciate recently as I've found it helps me to make apparent a strong theme between photographs. By researching well for this assignment I could hopefully concentrate on the creative side; an area I (and my tutor) felt there was more room for improvement.
I had been reading 'Behind the Image' by Anna Fox and Natasha Caruana. As well as coming away with lots of useful information about researching, I also stumbled upon a few ideas, which ironically sourced from the relatively few example photographs in the book. This was ironic because the book itself recommended it being 'wise to investigate all the places where photographs appear in the world' - Caruana and Fox (2012). This was primarily a book based around how to go about finding inspiration; not providing it!
The most prominent influence I came across while reading 'Behind the Image' was a photograph by John Goto called 'Dreamers, from 'High Summer'' (2001). It made me recall a loosely-connected idea I'd conceived concerning the use of objects within a scene that were brought in externally to add meaning to the resultant photograph but at the same time were camouflaged within the scene because of their similarities with the rest of the scene.
While my vision revolved around the 'camouflaged object' being camouflaged because it fitted in well with the black-and-white medium the photograph was shot in, Goto cleverly merged the natural setting chosen with similar subject matter, which was from a totally different scene so that the two looked as one. Goto's work was also produced at a much larger (landscape) scale than my intentions (people in interiors). Something his work had in common with my intended work crucially though, was there was a connection between the camouflaged/merged object and the rest of the image, resulting in the illusion of a seemingly at-one scene.
The type of photography that I found myself veering towards was environmental portraits. My particular inspirations were the photographs: 'Insomnia' and 'Woman Reading a Possession Order' by Jeff Wall and Tom Hunter respectively. I came across 'Woman Reading a Possession Order' on Tom Hunter's website: http://www.tomhunter.org/persons-unknown/ [accessed on 10th September 2013] and 'Insomnia' in C. Cotton's book: 'the photograph as contemporary art, New Edition' (2009). With both photographs, they include large amounts of detail, without the photographs feeling cluttered. Also the detail brings meaning to the environmental portraits; revealing information as the viewer looks closer.
For me personally, environmental portraits offered a lot of scope for creativity, while still leaving room for intimacy because of the presence of the human subject. I particularly liked detail in such a photograph (environmental) because of the information that came part and parcel with the detail. I thought this potentially crowded style could be offset by shooting in the black-and-white medium. This was because it helped concentrate the viewer's attention to the 'important' bits (for instance where the light fell), where the extra detail present could act effectively as another component to the portrait.
However, I was aware of the need for the black-and-white medium to be used well; so that the set of photographs were made stronger as a whole. I intended to accomplish this by using considered lighting and post-processing. Lighting I had found was particularly important in black-and-white photography because it highlighted certain parts of the image and so drew the viewer's attention.
While my vision revolved around the 'camouflaged object' being camouflaged because it fitted in well with the black-and-white medium the photograph was shot in, Goto cleverly merged the natural setting chosen with similar subject matter, which was from a totally different scene so that the two looked as one. Goto's work was also produced at a much larger (landscape) scale than my intentions (people in interiors). Something his work had in common with my intended work crucially though, was there was a connection between the camouflaged/merged object and the rest of the image, resulting in the illusion of a seemingly at-one scene.
The type of photography that I found myself veering towards was environmental portraits. My particular inspirations were the photographs: 'Insomnia' and 'Woman Reading a Possession Order' by Jeff Wall and Tom Hunter respectively. I came across 'Woman Reading a Possession Order' on Tom Hunter's website: http://www.tomhunter.org/persons-unknown/ [accessed on 10th September 2013] and 'Insomnia' in C. Cotton's book: 'the photograph as contemporary art, New Edition' (2009). With both photographs, they include large amounts of detail, without the photographs feeling cluttered. Also the detail brings meaning to the environmental portraits; revealing information as the viewer looks closer.
Something else I picked up on when reading 'Behind the Image' was a quote: 'Knowledge gained through the research process will contribute to forming a photographer's approach to making work' - 'Behind the Image', Pg. 52 - Fox and Caruana (2012). This immediately made me think back to my tutor's feedback that my three portraits could have been influenced by Tom Hunter or Johannes Vermeer. Admittedly I hadn't associated Vermeer's work with any ideas for those portraits beforehand. With Tom Hunter however, I had, partly taken cues from some of his work - especially the amount of detail in the settings for most of his portraits I had seen. This I could associate with 'the choice of props or surroundings' - 'Behind the Image', Pg 52, in my own work (the three portraits of the women (3 different people, 3 different windows - Assignment 2 (Part 3 of 5)) and with many of Tom Hunter's portraits. This was also true of Vermeer's portraits. Ironically, even though I hadn't purposefully meant to be influenced by Vermeer's work, in my opinion there were more similarities with my portraits and Vermeer's than with Tom Hunter's. These similarities included the eye contact in some of his paintings and the framing/use of props - for example 'A Lady Writing' - Vermeer (c. 1665) and 'The Milkmaid' - Vermeer (c. 1658) respectively. If I could utilise at least one of Vermeer's paintings in my own work I felt there would be a strong connection between the black-and-white medium I was shooting in and the 'graphic qualities of line, shape, form and texture' that black-and-white possesses, which in a way 'recapitulates the Renaissance view of art' - Freeman (2008).
For me personally, environmental portraits offered a lot of scope for creativity, while still leaving room for intimacy because of the presence of the human subject. I particularly liked detail in such a photograph (environmental) because of the information that came part and parcel with the detail. I thought this potentially crowded style could be offset by shooting in the black-and-white medium. This was because it helped concentrate the viewer's attention to the 'important' bits (for instance where the light fell), where the extra detail present could act effectively as another component to the portrait.
However, I was aware of the need for the black-and-white medium to be used well; so that the set of photographs were made stronger as a whole. I intended to accomplish this by using considered lighting and post-processing. Lighting I had found was particularly important in black-and-white photography because it highlighted certain parts of the image and so drew the viewer's attention.
Colours into tones 2
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| 1. Original colour version |
My main discovery was window lighting. Here I found it to work extremely well, with a strong and yet subtle quality, which highlighted parts of the face and left other parts in shadow. The end result looked a lot like I had used some sort of flash lighting to give form to the model's face but it was purely natural.
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| 2. Grayscale version with the skin not lightened |
Secondly, I thought it would set me up for the upcoming assignment because I intended to be heavily influenced by Vermeer in the assignment by reconstructing some of his paintings so this would prepare me well in terms of lighting used and clothing worn for my own photographs.
My workflow in terms of post processing was basically to make my subject the clear focal point in the final photograph. This conveniently consisted of lightening my subject's skin, which was the whole point of the exercise but in this case it helped to make her stand out from the dark background. In fact I decided to use the adjustment brush in Adobe Lightroom to burn the shadows even more until they became solid black. This helped to keep the image minimal and focus the viewer's attention.
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| 3. Final 'skin-lightened' version |
Overall I was very pleased with the final, processed photograph because I thought it was a faithful recreation of probably Vermeer's most famous painting, with the way the light fell on the subject's face closely mirroring that of Vermeer's.
Thursday 5 September 2013
Colours into tones 1
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| 1. Original colour image |
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| 2. Default grayscale image |
I found a landscape image I'd taken (Image 1) that mostly consisted of two strongly contrasting colours: blue and orange. I would say the difference between the two resultant images after I had adjusted (extremely and oppositely) the blue and orange sliders on the two images were massive. I thought they could be mistaken for two different photographs, although I only felt one of the two was effective by itself.
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| 3. Blue slider increased, orange slider decreased |
That image was Image 4, where I had increased the orange slider greatly and decreased the blue slider greatly (actually to the maximum for both). This created a stark, striking image in my opinion that showed off both the sky and the foreground details (which were opened up) well.
Image 3 (where I had increased the blue slider greatly and decreased the orange slider to the maximum) suffered a lot in the sky for me, even though I hadn't increased the blue slider all the way. The sky was somewhat offset by the dark, contrasty foreground where anything orange was converted to dark grey but nevertheless the sky looked washed-out and less-contrasty.
Image 2 (the default grayscale image with no hue adjustments) looked most similar to Image 2 but was pretty unremarkable in comparison to Image 3; where everything in Image 3 seemed much more dynamic so it was good to see that altering these sliders could make such a dramatic and in this case, positive change.
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| 4. Orange slider increased, blue slider decreased |
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