My Final Photograph

Triptych

Lighting Set Up

Kevin Kertz

(http://www.gr8tfate.com/)

Nikon D90

f/11

1/25 sec

ISO 200

50mm

My PhotoShoot

Here is a selection of some of my other photographs from the shoot.

Books Research

I scanned in some pages of the books I have been using for this module for future references, things that I will find helpful when taking my photographs (the technical side) and when contextualizing my work (the conceptual side).


Photographic Lighting, John Child, Mark Galer.

Mastering the Model Shoot, Frank Doorhof.

 The Photo Book, Phaidon.

Using Artificial Lighting Outside of the Studio

I looked into the use of flash kits in outdoor or out of studio locations and found that for most commercial photographers (wedding and event photographers) it is an essential piece of kit. It allows the photographer to still have control of the overall look and feel of the image, without having to rely on available light (sun light). It enables one to shoot on a cloudy day, at night or in low light conditions. It allows you to have both the background and foreground properly exposed if needed, for example shooting against the sky would either under expose the sky or your model/subject, but if you expose for the sky then light your model from the front, both will be properly exposed.

I've included some photographs that I liked as an example from  http://www.prettygeeky.com/

The photos are almost dream-like with their vibrancy of colour. The first one features a baby and balloons outside on some grass. A flash seems to have been fired from just right of the camera, reflected in the balloons and creating a shadow silhouette on the babys face, and perhaps with an umbrella or softbox. The second one features a city at night and a lit up model in the foreground. The third is an outdoor shot of a model on grass, whose front is properly exposed but has a flash behind as well creating a rim of light along her shoulders and hairline. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duWEjm6clRE

An interesting video showing an outdoor photo shoot of a band.

Still Life Photography Research

Photographing still life in a studio set up is often used for purposes such as advertising, in which the photo will often undergo a lot or post processing in Photoshop. Studio still life photography also applies to food photography, for things like cook books and magazines.

http://jknowles.co.uk/

Johnothan Knowles photographs drinks for advertising pieces such as these examples here. The Carling glass is well lit and brightly saturated in colour. The dark background makes it stand out and the circle of light on the background emphasizes the glass as the central piece. The lighting is quite moody and dramatic that might reflect where the product would be consumed ( pub or club). The second photo is well exposed and a bit more innocent looking with its white backdrop. 

http://www.annabellebreakey.com/

Annabelle Breakey photographs food. I liked her work as it is very soft and elegant in its lighting, much like the sweet foods she often photographs. The cupcake image is very light, with no strong shadows that would make the food look unappealing. Again the second image only features very slight, soft shadows, enough to add dimension and define shape but not enough to make the food look unattractive.