Tuesday 9 September 2014

Week 7, Studio using Gels

So I was lucky enough to get the chance to catch and see how working with gels work. I found it very fun, and interesting. In fact, I can see myself using gel as a background light, but I don't think I liked the gel lighting on the subject. I probably didn't like because it was too harsh on my model.  We used 3.0 lighting.


f/5.6, 1/80, iso100
So above is my gels focusing on the background as it's obvious. I wasn't too happy with this photo, but as soon as I opened it up with Camera Raw it looked so much better. Now that's something to keep in mind, never trust your camera screen as the computer screen shows the true image. 
I have edited this on camera raw just a light, I brought down the highlights. Also the shadow, it helped the background stand out more. 

Here is the original of the photo above. 

f/6.3, 1/80, ISO100 
Above is where I've got the gels focusing on my subject rather than the background. It turned out really well, actually. I thought it wasn't 'cool' but it actually is pretty cool. I would only use this for fun, I don't think I would use this in a photoshoot. Again I have edited it, I have increased the contrast in this photo. Also softened it just a little. I often like my portraits soft. 



As you can see from the photo above the contrast makes a lot of difference. It brings out more of the colour from the gel. 

 f/5.6, 1/80, ISO100
This is my least favourite. It's an interesting photo.. but I don't like it. This is where I have put my gels on the background and my subject. What I don't like about this photo is that half of her face is covered, and looks too red. 




Week 7, Studio Mixed, Artist Re-search

Ryan McGinley is an American photographer living in NYC who began making photographs in 1998. In 2003 at the age of 25, he was one of the youngest artists to have a solo show at the whitney museum of american art. He was also named photographer of the year in 2003 by american photo magazine. In 2007 he was awarded the Young Photographer Infinity Award by the international centre of photography. He is best known as portraiture shot in remote, beautiful, romantic locations. 



“YEARBOOK (detail — Randi B.)"

                                                       “YEARBOOK (detail — James G.)"

I couldn't find much information about these photos. Here is my guess to what I think is happening. They're using one gel colour for the background, and 3.0 lighting. It's very obvious that they're not using any gel colour on the subject. There has been some interesting cropping out on both the photos above. 
The photo above is quite a difficult one for me to write about. I'm going to have a go anyways. 
What I think is happening is that the photographer may have used a very neutral gel colour on the background and subject. The photographer may have used a very light gold gel on the subject of the photo. It's looking very contrasty and goldy.

Sunday 7 September 2014

Self directed, protest

A few weeks ago the Christians held a protest at Queenstreet for the Christians in Iraq. There is a 'islam' gang known as ISIS that are destroying our country. They have been killing Christians who won't convert to islam, or pay high tax, or get out of their homes. I took a few photos of the protest.

"If he is for us, who can be against us"
F/4.0, 1/50, ISO800
This photo of the church is one of my favourites. It's my favourite because of the framing, and the leading line to the alter. What I also love about this photo, it shows the people in church. The lights also make it look very interesting.

"Convert or Die Is that your only option? We ARE N" 
F/4.0, 1/50, ISO400
The good thing about this photo is that it's bold. It catches your eye because of the bright red. As they say a picture can talk million words, well this surely does speak. 

'WE ARE N' 
F/4.0, 1/50, ISO400

What I love about this photo, it shows the emotions on her face. You can see she's hurting. I also love the colours on this photos, even though you can't really see the green, but there's some complimentary colours in there.

This event was much more successful then the previous one I had in epsom girls. It was much easier, and the lighting was a million times better. I won't say it was easy, but it was easier than the previous event I photographed. If you look down my blog, you will see the event I did few weeks back.  

FINAL HAND IN!!!!

This is the photo I have chosen for my final hand in. I have chosen this photo because it shows so many elements. The colours in this photo stand out well. I also love the framing of this photo.
I took this photo when I was admitted to hospital, and was aloud out and about before my next treatment.

You can see the complimentary colours, the lines, patterns.
I've used a slow shutter speed, with a tripod of course as well as a shutter remote. I have slightly colour corrected it, not by much, just decreased the exposure.

As you can see on the boat it has the 'Fly Emirates' and the background is in red, and the water has green reflected. Also the patterns are on the buildings as well as the lines with them. Then there is lines coming from all directions from the boats. The colours stand out because the sky is so dull, and then theres all the colours popping out from everywhere. I think thats what catches my eye first. What also makes this photo successful is the softness of the water. I love how soft and clear it's looking. 


F/10.0, 4.0, ISO800

I do think that my shutter speed was 4 seconds it has made my photo softer, but I don't mind soft photos. I do like the way it has turned out, but I would be worried if it was any softer than this.
What I also have done is zoomed in my lens, to frame the boats and skytower so that the people from the other side don't show. I also did that so it can save me some time from copping out in photoshop.

The negative thing about this photo is that it's a little out of focus near the Sky Tower, I only noticed that on the computer hence why I didn't capture a better one. It doesn't really bother me as you really can't tell. I think it's out of focus because my aperture was too low. I should have increased my aperture to get the whole photo in focus, but at the time I couldn't tell. If I was to re-shoot this photo, I would have a higher aperture.

Self directed, Studio 3.0

So on Sunday I had booked out the studio to experience the 3.0 lighting. It was difficult because the hair light wasn't working, it would only work when I was to capture the photo. Working in the studio is lots of fun, and frustrating at the same time. You have to know where to place the lighting to get the lighting you aim for. It took me about 15 mins to get the right lighting I needed.

The good thing is that my two models were very confident and smiling away. I tried to make it as fun as possible for them, but I also was too focused on what was happening with the lighting. It was a very sticky, hot day so I was feeling really faint in the studio, so only lasted about a hour and a half in there.

I will post some photos below of the shoot I did.

 f8.0, 1/80 ISO100

  f8.0, 1/80 ISO100

  f8.0, 1/80 ISO100

 f8.0, 1/80 ISO100

I then started playing around with the White balance, and went to fluorescent balance. The photos turned out really cool. Will post a few below :) 

  f8.0, 1/80 ISO100

  f8.0, 1/80 ISO100

  f8.0, 1/80 ISO100




Saturday 6 September 2014

Week 7, Studio Lights

So I had finally made it back to class on Thursday, and experienced what it's like to be in the studio,  the lighting, and metering mode. In just a few hours, I learnt so much. I thought I wouldn't understand anything, as I had missed out on so much. I yet haven't set up the studio by myself, but I am hoping I can do that on Sunday.
I will post a few photos of last week.. .

Split Image. 
1/80, F8.0, ISO100

Rembrandt Light 
1/80, F6.3, ISO100

Loop Light.
1/80, F5.6, ISO100

1/80, f3.2, ISO100
Chiaroscuro light.

I found this lesson very interesting as it was my first time in the studio. I found it difficult at first, just knowing what lights do what, after a few run throughs with Sarah & Bruce, I sort of got the hang of it. I'm really interested to see how my photos will turn out on Sunday. Hopefully they'll be good.  

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Week 5 Light, direct, reflected, diffused

Photo in direct light using shadow to frame my subject. 
f5.6, 1/200, iso100

This photo is without the diffuser. 
f5.6, 1/200, is0100

Photo with diffuser. 
f5.6, 1/200, iso100 

Then heres one using the gold diffuser. 

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Self Directed, landscape.

Just before I got sick, I went out and took a couple of photos from the viaduct.
Here are some of the photos I took .


 f10, 13.0,  ISO200

A lot of people tell me that this photo above is too blue? I would agree, it has a lot of blue in it, but I don't think it has ruined the photo. In fact, it has made it so much better. I will post the original below. Without the blue, the photo looked so boring and plain, well to me anyways.

As you can see above, it's looking very boring. Hardly any colour in the photo. I also cropped it out, as the tyre jus doesn't match in with the photo. It's a little out of focus again, maybe because my aperture was too low. 
 f10.0, 4.0, ISO800
 F10.0, 4.0, ISO800

 F10.0, 4/0, ISO800
f22.0, 8.0, ISO800
This photo above was just a 'testing' photo, even though it turned out very well. I have also edited into black and white, in camera raw. It just suited b&w more than colour. Will post a photo of the original below.


Monday 1 September 2014

Week 6, Studio, re-search. Thomas Ruff

As I have mentioned in my previous posts I haven't been feeling so well, and have missed four classes. I am guttered I have missed out on such big classes. I have been trying to re-search, and figure out what I should be look for. So I re-searched and was looking at lighting. I was looking at how bright a studio can be, and how dark it can be. Positive and Negative lighting. I also tried looking at other blogs from our class mates, but couldn't see much.
I am trying my best to catch up with everyone, but having a chronic illness will always be a struggle for me. Here I am hoping I can get through the next two weeks without missing any other classes.

So for this I re-searched about Thomas Ruff.

Thomas Ruff Opening - Haus Der Kunst, Munich. Ana, Industrial Designer. 17. February 2012 
I love the light on the photo above. It really has captured her eyes, and her cheekbones stand out.
I think maybe they're using 3.0 lighting. As her hair is shining. It's framed in a way that you think it's been cropped, I wonder if it has been actually? It may be zoomed with the lens. 

Roland Fisher and Thomas Ruff at Gow Langsford Gallery 8 Jun 2006 - 2 Jul 2006.
Wow, I love the backdrop colour. It makes her eyes stand out. Love how soft her face is looking. 
I think the technique he's using in this photo will be gels? I'm only guessing this as I yet haven't worked with gel. Just from looking at my class mates blog when using gel looks very similar. 

Week 6 Flash, Artist Re-search

Ernst Haas, is known one of the most celebrated and influential photographers of the 20th century. He was born in Vienna in 1921, and took up photography after the war.
His earliest work on Austrian returning prisoners  of war brought him to the LIFE magazine. He declined a job offer as staff photographer to keep his independence.

 Ernst Haas, New York City Ballet, 1960s
So looking at this photos makes me wonder if that's a person he's brightened up in the background. The lighting of the arm and forehead is amazing. It blends in with the background so well. It's obvious he's made the photo black & white, and played with the contrast. 
Ernst Haas, Moonshine 
Now this photo is beyond words. I've got a very similar photo, this photo has got to be an inspiration for me. I'm trying to figure out if it was during daylight and he converted it to black and white. 

These two are such amazing photos, with amazing lighting, and composition. 


Marilyn Monroe, The Misfits, Nevada, 1960

What an awesome photo of Marilyn. Here is a photo I think he's using flash. I think that 
because of her being so shiny.