Experimenting with Photographs and other Mediums

This is an image I had made from one of my studio shoots (shoot 7). I wanted to give a copy to the girl who sat for me, I printed a copy off onto a plain piece of  A4 paper. The idea was to see how the image looked then I could print a copy off onto glossy photographic paper.

However in the process I was distracted by the plain paper and the image that was transparent on the reverse of the paper, this gave me an idea to mix mediums, and I had used this method when I was creating an aged look for some materials that I was using to design a wooden cabinet at the time.

I used a used Teabag to distress the paper and see how the ink reacted to the water from the Teabag, this intrigued me to then light up the paper and re photograph the results.

Image 1 - ISO 100  55mm  F14  1/200 sec Manual - The original image, shot in the studio with 1 soft box light.

The next set of images are a progression of how the final images evolved and progressed. I liked the texture on the reverse side of the photograph, I had also taken some self portraits which I had named RAW, I started by doing this, by taking sections of the face and photographing them. I do like eyes, so most of the images are around the eye area.

 Image 1 -  ISO 2500  40mm  F8  1/4000 sec No flash - Aperture Priority.

 Image 2 -  ISO 2500  40mm  F8  1/4000 sec No flash - Aperture Priority.

Image 3 -  ISO 2500  40mm  F8  1/4000 sec No flash - Aperture Priority.

There are more images taken at this stage, but I am only giving you a small sample of images at each stage or progression.

Image 1 -  ISO 3200  40mm  F5.6  1/60 sec No flash - Manual.

 These next 2 images are examples of colour and Black and white, I wanted to see the different contrast of tonality, and shades of where the light would sit in different mediums. I had also placed the photograph paper on a plastic home made light box (see image 3)

Image 2 -  ISO  1250  40mm  F5.6  1/60 sec No flash - Manual

Image 3 - My home made light up box - a white plastic square light shade with a LED torch underneath. As you can see in this image I had used a Teabag effect on the photograph paper, which made the image distort because of the wetness and stain in the Teabag.

The next set of images, are samples of this procedure, and how it has effected the image on the photograph paper. I moved the paper around the light box, to light up different area to see how in some images the veins of the girl appear more prominent, how the stain darkens the areas where it has wet the paper, also when the paper is lit up from different view points. It was a process of experimentation, just to see what the effect was that was created.

I have also used different colours again to compare the textures produced in different mediums. Some images have been taken from different angles, so appear to have been cropped. Some of the images re mind me of Andy Warhol style of  paintings, with the block colours and how the images is recognisable, but distorted.

In the next set of images I introduced another light source, still on the torch theme but I lit up the photograph from the side, some close to the images, some from a distance, covering the image as well as the light source coming from under the image. this dramatically changed the contrast, and texture appearance of the photograph.

I then wondered how the images would look if I added another medium, or material to the photograph, I  wanted to see how it would effect how the image looked, give it another feel.

the next set of images are with different textured materials over the image, mostly from the eye area, photographed from different angles with just the light from the light box, underneath.

This was my set up in the kitchen, and some of the materials that I was using.

The last set of images I used a crystal egg as I wanted to see how the light reflected if I took a photograph with the egg places on the eye.

 Image 1 -  ISO 140  40mm  F5  1/40 sec flash, auto, strobe .

 Image 2  -  ISO 800  40mm  F5  1/125sec No flash -  manual

Image 3  -  ISO 800  40mm  F5  1/125sec No flash -  manual

 

As you can see from the original photograph, how many different images you can made with experimenting with the texture, form, look, lighting and style of an image.

I am learning all the time of where I should be using my lighting, by experimenting, using different lighting, lighting different areas, I do not always get this correct, but if I don't play how can I come to a conclusion that I actually want my image to look a certain way.

 I can expand my learning and knowledge of where I should place my lights and why I should place them in a certain area. Will I have shadows, shape, contrast, ?? will the image look better or more appealing to ones eye, ?? will you understand what I am trying to create??

I can ask myself how did I come to conclude that image A or image B was the best it could be at the time of the thought process??

Studio - People Portraits Practise

I have been practising people portraits, these images was taken in my office at work, with constant light coming from the main lights in the ceiling of the room. My camera was hand held, as I didn't have my tripod with me. These images are of an ex colleagues grand daughter Lylia.

Image 1 - ISO 1600 40mm F5.6 1/125 sec No Flash Manual. This image is just slightly out of focus, this is because my camera was hand held.

Image 2 - ISO 1000 40mm F5.6 1/125 sec No Flash Manual. I like the capture on this image, you can see the cheekiness in her eyes and the focal point is around the nose, eye area.

Image 3 - ISO 2000 40mm F5.6 1/125 sec No Flash Manual. I love the look of her face in this one.

Image 4 - ISO 2000 40mm F5.6 1/125 sec No Flash Manual. This was her real life "baby" which I feel is a bit scary.

These next 2 images are of her Nanna, Julie.

Image 5 - ISO 2000 40mm F5.6 1/125 sec No Flash Manual.  The lighting was not very good in the office, that is why I had my ISO setting quite high.

Image 6 - ISO 2000 40mm F5.6 1/125 sec No Flash Manual. I have taken this image quite close to Julies face to try and capture her character and personality.

Planning a Photography Project

Trees and Reflections

I love how the light reflects onto water, and the images you can see reflecting back.  When the wind kisses the water, how the images waves and change slightly, giving it an almost ghostly feel to it. the next set of images are from a day out to the canal in Burnley, the day was quite bright, there was not a lot of wind , so the water is quite still, but with a small gust, you can see how the images change giving you a different composition.

Image 1 - ISO 400 55mm F5.6 1/60 sec Aperture Priority no flash. This image was a puddle of water on the grass with the reflection of the trees, I like the skeletal feel of the trees at this time of year.

Image 2 - Image 1 - ISO 400 34mm F5.6 1/20 sec Aperture Priority no flash. This image is just the reflection of the tree on the water, there was a slight gust of wind which has caused the ripple effect.

Image 3 - ISO 400 55mm F5.6 1/200 sec Aperture Priority no flash. I have edited this image and changed it to Black & White, I feel in this picture the black and white look better, with how the light and shadows sit.

Image 4 - ISO 400 34mm F5.6 1/125 sec Aperture Priority no flash. I was experimenting with filters and different edits, so in this image I wanted to try a sepia exposure, I feel this gives the image an aged feel to it.

Image 5 - ISO 400 55mm F5.6 1/60 sec Aperture Priority no flash. In this image I cropped the picture quite a bit to give the whole image a ripple effect, I love how the light reflections are set out in this image, its quite haunting and it draws your eyes into the picture.

Image 6 - ISO 400 55mm F5.6 1/40 sec Aperture Priority no flash. This made me laugh, this is why you cannot get a trolley in the supermarkets, they are all in the streets or canals.

Image 7 - ISO 640 30mm F5.6 1/25 sec Aperture Priority no flash. In this image you can see the reflection in the water, and just below the surface you can see the mud at the bottom of the canal floor.

Image 8 - ISO 640 18mm F5.6 1/30 sec Aperture Priority no flash. This is a similar image to image 7, but if you look at the bottom left hand corner, you can see that a small bird has flown across the water creating a ghostly image.

Image 9 - ISO 640 52mm F5.6 1/60 sec Aperture Priority no flash. I just love the composition of this tree and the reflection in the water, and the empty seat inviting you to sit and have a quite moment by the water.

Image 10 - ISO 640 55mm F5.6 1/50 sec Aperture Priority no flash. I love the reflection of the barge in this image, it is like the barge has a 3D effect, and with the tree just coming out beneath the barge.

Image 11 - ISO 640 18mm F5.6 1/30 sec Aperture Priority no flash. I like the composition in this image, it is all most like a mirrored effect like the picture has been cut in half.

Image 12 - ISO 640 18mm F5.6 1/25 sec Aperture Priority no flash. This is another reflected image, of the other side of the path in image 11.