Image Production
#oneperday18
Week 5 Day 1 - Project Portrait
Light has the power to greatly effect how we see the world. From consuming darkness and blistering light, what we perceive and what meaning we take from an image is directly related to how it is shot. Documented through a series of portraits of the people around me in my life, light is used to convey deeper meaning and emotion through imagery.
Title: A Reflection of One's Self.
Subject: Myself
Technique: Photography
Process: For my self portrait a group of classmates and I worked together to produce the shot. I directed how the shot was to be composed and they set it up. Sitting next to a LED light, a classmate held a blue plastic sheet in front of it, creating a more blue-y tinge to lights reflected on my face. On the other side, another student shone a torch light through a pink plastic sheet creating a soft pink light on the other side of my face. Another student stood behind me and held up a sheet to create a backdrop and one sat in front and took the photo.
Photo Composition & Meaning: In both of the above photos the centre of my chin and forehead align with crossover points in the rule of thirds making them more dynamic and interesting. Placement of the figure on the weaker focus points within the rule of thirds also adds to the interest of the image, balancing the abundance of white space in the stronger point in the top left. This white space not only naturally balances the image, but relaxes the viewer. Due to the gradient in colour moving from the light left to the dark right, it also creates an air of mystery. The glints of light in her eyes add to this idea, suggesting discovery and hope. The colours were also chosen specifically to enhance the photo. The pale complementary blue-green vs orange-red colour scheme creates contrast and interest in the image. The pink light on her face adds to the deep reds of the shirt which stands out against the cool blue-green light of the rest of the image.
Reflection: I really like this image, the use of colour, light and space create a very smooth but alive and interesting image. The background could be a bit smoother but it just adds a little character to the image. I would have liked for the pink light to be a bit more prominent on the face but overall I like the softness of the colours.
Week 5 Day 2 - Project Portrait
Title: Light the Way
Subject: Classmate
Technique: Photography
Process: This photo was more a photo of opportunity. My classmate had simply sat down to watch some other students take photos with the stage lights. I noticed how the side profile and lights in front of her created dramatic shadows on her face and jacket but also illuminated the corner of the frame, so took a photo.
Reflection: As this photo was not staged but just taken of the student there is a lot of guff in the background. If I were to take this photo again, in a more controlled environment, I would remove a lot of the background noise to focus on the person. However I really like how the side profile and left of-screen stage light created the intense shadows they did. It also makes the bright pink of her jacket pop more in the shot.
Week 5 Day 3 - Project Portrait
Title: Everybody Loves a Dutch Tilt
Subject: A Stranger
Technique: Photography
Process: Taken of a stranger in public I couldn't compose this photo a lot. Taking note of the low light created by the just setting sun I asked the man if I could take his photo. He was sitting right beside a gap in the trees and so his face was warmly lit by the sun where the rest of the frame remained darkened and colder in shadow. I asked him if he could look towards the water and took this shot.
Photo Composition & Meaning: The dynamics in this make it quite an interesting photo to look at. The centre of his forehead aligns with the top left point in the rule of thirds making it a strong focal point. The angle that the image is taken with, as well as the cooler colours of the trees, suggests a very unbalanced life. However the warmer hue of his face, the warmer highlights in the background and the glint of light in his eyes suggest everything will be okay. The more crowded space behind him also adds to this feeling of unease and unbalance putting lots of weight on the top of the image. However the face that his eyesight traces through a much more empty part of the frame alludes to him seeing a way out and through the struggles he currently faces.
Reflection: I really like this image, not only is it a visually interesting image through the camera angle, lighting and colour, it also tells a story through the composition. I feel however that this image loses some of its meaning if not viewed on the correct screen. Not all screens display light the same way and if viewed on a screen that displays colours more coldly it loses the warmness the sunset light gives it. When looking at this image on my phone as compared to my laptop, I see far more of the warm tints in the image from the sunlight and thus wish the warm light was shown more on colder screens as well.
Week 5 Day 4 - Project Portrait
Title: The All Knowing Power
Subject: Brother
Technique: Photography
Process: Shot at night and with a black sheet hung behind the subject, the room was plunged into complete darkness. I then used the light of a lava lamp to illuminate the subject in the shot. To make the light more directed instead of simply diffused, I placed a small white cloth on the back of the lamp, directing more of the light towards the subject.
Photo Composition & Meaning: In the three orange tinted images one of his eyes aligns with a point of intersection from the rule of thirds making them quite dynamic in composition, as well as drawing the viewer to his eye. The three additional photos however centre his face in the image creating more balanced shots where the first thrives on asymmetry. These photos all, however, play with stark black dramatic shadows contrasted against bold heavy warm lights. There is a strength and power in theses images as they are all taken with his face partially enveloped by darkness and his big bold eyes shining in the light. The colours are also reminiscent of a fire, giving off the air of deadly power and strength. The reason the first image is so visually appealing is that the look of kindness and innocence on his face contrasts the powerful darkness surrounding him and makes the viewer question what exactly his goals are.
Reflection: I really liked these photos and felt that the light and dark contrasted so well with each other to create powerful stories. The first image specifically really draws the viewer in and keeps their attention and really lets the viewer explore a deeper meaning. However without a camera that could deal very well with low-light these image came out more pixelated than i would have liked.
Week 5 Day 5 - Project Portrait
Title: On the Town
Subject: Pet
Technique: Photography
Process: When out on a walk with my pets I noticed the way the setting sun was creating a warm image with dramatic shadows of the park. It was also creating a halo in my dogs hair that made him look like he was glowing. He wouldn't stop moving though, so I quickly snapped this shot of him on the go.
Reflection: This picture was the hardest to get this week as the puppy would not stop walking for me to really compose the image well. However despite the challenges of the shot it still came out quite well. I like the nice orange hue the image has and the fine halo that the sun gives the pet, making him look almost divine. This image however also suffers from becoming colder if viewed on the wrong screen. A lot of the orange tints of the image get washed out when shown on a colder screen and lose the sunset qualities of the image.
