The Selfie
Selfies are a unique type of photograph in that they capture an image of the photographers themselves. This makes them more personal and direct for the photographer, and makes them able to portray their ideas easier as they are the subject of the image.
We were tasked with taking selfies of ourselves in 3 different ways:
We were tasked with taking selfies of ourselves in 3 different ways:
Selfie Task 1: The Reflected Selfie
The reflected selfie is a reflected image of the photographer, usually including the device taking the photo.
The reflected selfie is a reflected image of the photographer, usually including the device taking the photo.
My Response
Best edit?
Selfie Task 2: The Obscured Selfie
The obscured selfie is an image of the photographer that has something obscuring the photographer's face.
The obscured selfie is an image of the photographer that has something obscuring the photographer's face.
My Response
Selfie Task 3: The Shadow Selfie
The shadow selfie is simply a image of the photographer's shadow
The shadow selfie is simply a image of the photographer's shadow
My Response
Character Recognition: Myra Greene
Character Recognition is the act of segmenting and recognising different aspects of something. Myra Greene did a character recognition series about herself with the question of "what do people see when they look at me?" due to the increasing bigotry both personal and public. She questions if the only thing they see is black? Is her skin tone enough to show her nature and expectations in life? Do her strong teeth make her a strong worker? She repeatedly explores her features using a photographic process linked to times of ethnographic classification.
Greene's intentions are to create a visual representation of a person without showing their full facial portrait. show how people are more than just their features, even if those features hold their own connotations, and that people are more than just their skin. The project is done on quite a small scale, due to the process she had to go through and all the detail in such a small space.
The process Greene used is a 19th-century photographic technique called the wet-plate collodian process, which was used as a tool for ethnographic classification and has ties to slavery and colonialism. The use of this process helps reinforce the imagery of how people of colour were seen during the slave trade: Nothing but their components. The stereotype has progressed through history and is still around, with people immediately assuming someone's personality or nature due to the colour of their skin.
Greene's intentions are to create a visual representation of a person without showing their full facial portrait. show how people are more than just their features, even if those features hold their own connotations, and that people are more than just their skin. The project is done on quite a small scale, due to the process she had to go through and all the detail in such a small space.
The process Greene used is a 19th-century photographic technique called the wet-plate collodian process, which was used as a tool for ethnographic classification and has ties to slavery and colonialism. The use of this process helps reinforce the imagery of how people of colour were seen during the slave trade: Nothing but their components. The stereotype has progressed through history and is still around, with people immediately assuming someone's personality or nature due to the colour of their skin.
Her work
My response
Black and White
Dark Room Edited
Light and Shadow: Valerie Kabis
Valerie Kabis uses light and shadow to make unique, dark and thought-provoking images. Her work consists of portraits where the background is obscured in shadow as well as most of a person's face. The portraits are also out of focus and includes motion blur, giving the image a more eerie feeling. Some of her work can be seen here:
Light and Shadow Task 1: Digital
For task 1, we had to take digital photos in the same style as Valerie Kabis, by using shadow, light and motion to mimic the style.
Unedited photos:
Black & White with increased contrast:
Lighting
We were next tasked to take photos using different kinds of lighting. Different lighting affects the overall picture and the emotions and mood the picture will convey.
Tungsten Lighting
Studio lighting
The Main Light
The main light is the brightest and most intense light, which controls the majority of the shadows. The light is mainly placed just above the head and to the side.
The Fill Light
The fill light is less intense and is used to fill in any unwanted shadows
The Hair Light
The hair light is placed above the subject, and is aimed down to strike the hair. The light does not have to be directly above the subject.
documentary Portrait
Georgetown - Lewis Khan
Lewis Khan feels that relationships can be developed through portraits, not only by the portrait itself, but the process before it. Being able to form a relationship with the person using photography is a way to open up opportunities to better understand people in a different way. Inspired by this, he documented a man by the name of George, a person he lived on the same street as and someone he would always say a casual hello to in passing. He started getting closer to George, and eventually was able to document him.
In Khan's own words: "The camera becomes a way of exploring questions you have or allowing a relationship to develop. Without being able to say “let’s make this film” or “take some pictures”, the relationship wouldn’t have grown in the same way. It’s a tool [the camera] that allows for that."
In Khan's own words: "The camera becomes a way of exploring questions you have or allowing a relationship to develop. Without being able to say “let’s make this film” or “take some pictures”, the relationship wouldn’t have grown in the same way. It’s a tool [the camera] that allows for that."
We were tasked with creating a similar work in response:
Ben Watts: The Big up portrait
Ben Watts is a photographer based in New York who photographs and records celebrities and people on the street. He was born in London and moved to Sydney and going to the Sydney College of Arts, before finally moving to New York. His book of portraits, "Big Up", is filled with portraits of rappers, skateboarders, boxers, and other characters you can find on the streets of New York.
Task 1:
We were tasked with creating our own versions of his work as a response using boxer Muhammad Ali:
We were tasked with creating our own versions of his work as a response using boxer Muhammad Ali:
Our Project
For my end of Portraiture project, I have chosen to do a documentary portrait inspired by Lewis Khan, made in the style of Ben Watts. I chose these styles both because I was previously unable to do them and because I find them to be the most interesting of the styles we have previously done, as well as being the most accessible to me now. These are the images I decided to use:
Portraiture Interim Assessment
A good balance of description, annotation and images. (AO2) The quality of your responses and the composition of your images is steadily improving. (AO3) Analysis is also improving, however, make sure you consider the intentions of your photographers. For example, Myra Greene is making explicit links to the slave trade. It is important to mention this. (AO1)
Appropriate experimentation with different lighting states. Some excellent images where you have used colour gels to alter the lighting. (AO2)
Fine tune your composition. Avoid cropping parts of the figure unequally and ensure that your camera is straight. (AO3). You can always use post-production to correct this. Make sure that you do include best edits for each task / set. (AO3)
A good balance of description, annotation and images. (AO2) The quality of your responses and the composition of your images is steadily improving. (AO3) Analysis is also improving, however, make sure you consider the intentions of your photographers. For example, Myra Greene is making explicit links to the slave trade. It is important to mention this. (AO1)
Appropriate experimentation with different lighting states. Some excellent images where you have used colour gels to alter the lighting. (AO2)
Fine tune your composition. Avoid cropping parts of the figure unequally and ensure that your camera is straight. (AO3). You can always use post-production to correct this. Make sure that you do include best edits for each task / set. (AO3)