Unit 8- Final Major Project.

Introduction- In this project I will be doing a series of after dark portraits outdoors as this will vary my work as i will have a variation of locations and models however all photo-shoots will be after dark and every photo-shoot will have a speed light as my main source of light so those two factors will remain consistent throughout my project as my project is on going I will also choose a photographer's work that I will attempt to replicate as this will move my project a long and it will expand upon my artist research as I will be replicating images that were originally taken by someone and I chose Michael Austin's work as I liked the way the shots were framed and how the shots had the model in different positions as one model had her arms crossed and another model was stood with her head to one side these images are in my blog as I attempted to replicate those images.

planning- I will be doing a series of after dark portraits. I will be using a speed light as my main source of light as there will be limited natural light. I will use two separate locations as i will be doing a photo shoot in a field and then in a woodland, this will vary the background of my images as it will start off bland and then it will turn to a background of nature. I will be using different models therefore my project will be varied. I plan to do more than one shoot as i will be having more than one model and i will be using two separate locations. I can use more than two location e.g. i could use a set of stairs that are outdoors and get a model to sit or do a few poses on them as this would also vary my photographs as i would be using more than two locations.

Artist research- Michael Augustin I found his work on Lensculture whilst researching for inspiration for my project.

These are Michael's shots which I found on Lensculture, in one of my shoots I will attempt to recreate/replicate these shots.

Replicating Images.

I attempted to recreate the image on the left and went to a two story car park as the height of the ceiling would be a similar height in my photograph to the height of the original photograph, I attempted to replicate the image as best as i can as I went to a similar location to the original photograph and the background of my second shot you can see cars parked a short distance away from my model.

The Image I tried to replicate is shown on the left and my attempts at recreating it are shown on the right, if I tried to recreate it again I would find somewhere that has a big poster/advertisement that looks similar to the one shown in the original photograph, I got my model to stand the same way that the original model was standing however i took the shot from straight on rather than slightly to the side however the image is slightly similar rather than a close replication, I should have got my model to stand further away from the background as her shadow can be seen were as on the original image there are no shadows froms the model.

The original photograph is shown on the left and my attempts at replicating the image are shown on the right, I saw a neon sign that was similar to the original photograph however I had to use a male model as my female models could not attend, I did not use a speed light however when i look back at my images, I should have used a speed light that way my models face would be lit up and it would have the effect as the original photograph, my models face is mostly out of focus and there is barely any light hitting his face as the lighting was restricted were as on the original photograph has a lot of light hitting the models face.

Artist Research-

Alex Prager- She is an American filmmaker and art photographer, she was inspired by film and she was described by Ken Johnson as being influenced by other filmic photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Phillip-Lorca Dicorcia and Douglas Sirk , she often uses stage actors/models to create "meticulously designed mise en scène” , Alex's work is often described as "film-like and hyperreal", She has won many awards such as the Emmy award for the New-York Times commission piece on October 2nd 2012 then in the same year, she received the Paul Huf award from Foam fotografiemuseum Amsterdam which was awarding her for being "one of the most distinct voices in contemporary photography".

I got this information by researching on Wikipedia.

These images below are examples of Prager's work, I personally liked her work as they stood out to me as I like the way they are framed and how dynamic the models look in each shot and how the models stand out in each of her photographs.

Alfred Hitchcock- He was born on the outskirts of London and then he joined the film industry when he was 20 years old in 1919, he started off his career as a "title card designer" this was after he trained as a "technical clerk" he was also a "copy writer for a telegraph-cable company". In 1927 he has his first successful film "The lodger: A story of the London fog" this helped shape the thriller genre whilst his film "Blackmail" which was released in 1929 was the "First British talkie".

In 1935 he released a film called "The 39 steps" then in 1938 he released another film called "The Lady vanishes" both of these films are ranked among the "greatest British films of the 20th century".

By 1939 Hitchcock was a "filmmaker of international importance" and he was also a film producer.

Hitchcock was persuaded by David O. Selznick to move to Hollywood, when Hitchcock moved to Hollywood he then created and realised more successful films such as "Rebecca" which was released in 1940 then in 1940 he released "foreign correspondent" then in 1943 he released "Shadow of a doubt" and then he realised a film 4 years later in 1947 called "The Paradine Case" these films were highly successful and his 1940 film "Rebecca" was nominated for 11 Oscars and won Academy Award for Best Picture.

I was drawn to Hitchcock's work as his photographs are atmospheric and the second image shows the fear of the actress/model and Hitchcock's images are dynamic and the black and white effect adds to the atmosphere of the horrific effect.

I found the information of Hitchcock when I was researching on Wikipedia.

Gregory Crewdson- He is an American photographer, whilst he was at "Purchase college" which is also known as "State University of New York" he started to experiment with photography which he did not take seriously but he took it as a "creative outlet and hobby" he then began having a growing interest for Art and he started to get recognition in college, he graduated as an undergraduate from the State University of New York, then years later he attended "Yale University" this is where he received his "Master of Fine Arts", his first series "Natural wonder" lasted from 1992 to 1997, he found the inspiration for this series from a "senior thesis".

Gregory Crewdson has also taught at "Sarah Lawrence, Cooper Union, Vassar college and Yale University" , he is a professor at Yale University School of Art, he has been on their faculty since 1993. In 2012 Crewdson was the subject to a feature documentary which was released as "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters", within this film the construction of Crewdson`s shots were filmed and it also shows a "behind-the-scenes" and explanation from Crewdson and his thoughts and potential vision for the shots that will be in his collection called "Beneath the Roses".

Crewdson takes cinematic and dynamic shots that could leave a viewer of the photograph in wonder, his shots are usually taken in a small town that is located in America, his photographs often feature "disturbing" yet "surreal events", Crewdson shoots his shots on a 10x8 plate, he arranges his lights the way he visions the shot and then he will delicately place them in that certain position, this is what makes his photographs so dynamic and as a photographer it drew me in as the lighting creates an atmospheric feel and gives you a sense of wonder.

All information for my research about Gregory Crewdson was found on Wikipedia.

I also took inspiration from "Twilight-photography in the magic hour" as I am doing After dark portraits however I have photographed one of my models at twilight, the tone of the sky creates an atmospheric feel and the way I photographed my model was from over the shoulder but from a short distance away, this enabled my speed light to bounce of him which made him stand out from the surrounding area, the view of this photograph could leave a viewer in wonder as they would not know what my model was looking at or why he was sat in the location or why he was in that location at twilight.

These are the photos I took of my model at "twilight hour", you can see its twilight as the sky is an illuminated blue that is two different shades of blue as the the sun is still lighting up part of the sky as it has not reached dusk hour, I think is time of day is atmospheric and dynamic when taking portrait shots.

Philip Lorca Dicorcia-

I also looked at Philip Lorca Dicorcia`s work as his photos are filmic as are some of my own shots, Phillip`s photographs drew me in because of how atmospheric they are, I like Phillip's work the most because I personally love taking atmospheric photographs, this photographs drew me in as a photographer due to the way they are atmospherically lit and how they are dynamically framed.

Philip Lorca Dicorcia was born in 1951, he is an American photographer and studied at the "School of museum of Fine Arts" in Boston, in his photographs he shows emotion that is contained within a person and he inspires to show things the way they are which means his photographs contain real emotion which is also what caught my attention as a photographer as I prefer real emotion rather than a model showing a "posed" expression.

Philip Lorca Dicorcia received his "Master of fine Arts in photography" in 1979, he received his at Yale University, now he teaches at Yale University which is in New Haven in Connecticut.

His shots which are shown below could be described as "documentary" shots as they could tell a story, his shots are very dynamic and cinematic which is what makes them stand out and catch the eye he does this by linking fantasy with reality.

During the early stages of his career which was in the late 1970's Philip Lorca Dicorcia would photograph his family in such a strategic way that when his photographs were looked upon people thought that they were photographs of someones everyday life were as they were actually carefully staged.

I found this Information for my research on Wikipedia.

Johannes Vermeer-

Johannes Vermeer was a painter that created powerful images of "middle class life"

Vermeer was a dutch painter and he specialized in "interior domestic scenes of the middle class life", in his lifetime he was successful but not wealthy upon his death he left his "wife and children in debt" he did not produce many paintings but the ones he did produce had a dynamic touch and each told a story in their own way, Vermeer had a slow but delicate work rate and every painting he had made is evidently made with such precision and delicacy, his paintings were made with very expensive "pigments" this also showed the detail of his paintings, the light used within his work is what made him "renowned" as he was showing natural lighting in a painting the same way a modern day camera would show it.

Although a lot of time and effort went into Vermeer's paintings he was barely mentioned in "Arnold Houbraken's major source book on 17th-century Dutch painting"

These paintings show how the middle class lived and the painting also shows the style of clothing that was worn in those times the main source of light that is being shown in these paintings is the natural light that shines through the window that is being shown close by.

The lighting was mainly from the window and the over head light so this creates a mixture of natural and indoor lighting, these shots were not made to replicate the images above but the natural light and the warmth of the indoor lighting is similar to the warmth of the lighting in the first image shown above in the Johannes Vermeer's images, the mixture of light and the composition of my shots could contrast with Vermeer's paintings.

Context-

Research- I have found inspiration from 6 different photographers each photographer is similar with the work they do but they are different by how they set their shots as Gregory Crewdson creates a set for him to photograph rather than going out to a location however this is different to Brooke Shaden who will take a portrait of a person but Photoshop them into a landscape photograph that she has previously taken so each photographer is getting a portrait within a landscape however Gregory's shots are "staged" where as Brooke's shots are edited together by Photoshop, I did not chose Brooke Shaden in my Artist research section however her work does differ from Gregory Crewdson's work and both of their work differs from Johanne Vermeer's work and their work is different to Philip Lorca Dicorcia's work howver each Artist listed all have dynamic and powerful images which links them together.

Technical research- I will be using the speed light a lot throughout my project so it was suggested to me by my tutor that I should do research about them and how to properly use it to fully light up my models within my pictures as the lighting from the speed light will separate my model from the background and create a depth to my photograph

Problem solving- I came across the problem of the speed light over exposing my model and the solution I found to that problem was to move the speed light further back from the model but also keep the speed light out of the framing of the shot. Another problem I found was that on my last shoot, I could not put the speed light in the position it was in as the line of sight could not reach it therefore the speed light was not firing so I then had to move the speed light and also the position I was in but after that I had no further problems.

Planning and production- I plan to do after dark portraits using different locations and different models so my work has a variation each shoot will have the same light source e.g. a speed light, I plan to do multiple shoots as i will have a variation of models, if i have free time during my project I will choose an artist and recreate/replicate a few of their photographs which will be shown in my blog, I will edit my images to darken the background which will make my model stand out and it will give my images a deeper atmospheric feel, which will also catch the eye of people who look upon my photographs.

Practical skills- Throughout this project I used a speed light as my main source of light, this also helped me to apply my skills of positioning the speed light when it is detached from the camera however it also helped me build my skills and apply them further by putting the speed light in a certain position so I can light the model and the background which brings the photograph into deeper detail and when I only light my model from the background it creates an atmospheric photograph and also brings my model into full focus and by doing this I am show casing my model in a greater detail, I also applied my skills as a photographer by lowing my perspective to make my model look dynamic, I also took a few shots were I was stood on a higher platform than my model which made my model look smaller but this also gave a dynamic feel to the photograph as I was showing how small my model was compared to the surrounding.

First After-dark photoshoot.

For my first after dark portrait shots, a friend of mine volunteered to be a model.

I got my model to sit on a set of stairs.

I started to shoot from the left side of the model to vary the angles which I am shooting at.

I then started to shoot from the center of my model from a distance and then I got closer to my model which gave me the photograph on the right.

I then did some close up shots of my model whilst she is sat in the same place.

The shot on the left is a natural expression as i made my model smile by making a humorous comment and the photograph on the right my model is posed and is in a comfortable position.

I then took two photographs in the same location, this was the outcome.

the photograph on the left was taken using a speed light attached to my camera but the photograph on the right was taken with the speed light turned off, this gave me two separate photographs as the speed light lights up the model and the surroundings where as without the speed light my model became a slight silhouette as you can see the light hitting her shoulders but the rest of her body is not visible.

As my model and I were walking we spotted a water fountain and decided to take a few shots before walking to our next location.

I used a speed light as my main source of light and my model lowered her self down to the fountains level which gave the photograph a greater depth as my model shows that she can make herself the same size as the background.

As my final location of the night I used a seating hut that are used.

I used a speed light as my main source of light as there is limited natural light due to it being evening time.

I am using a speed light as my main source of light for my project as my project is an after dark portrait series.

I then edited these photographs into black and white.

I edited the images to black and white to create an atmosphere around my model.

In the second photograph there is a small patch of ground behind the model this creates an atmosphere, also you can not see much background, this makes the model stand out within the photograph which is also draws somebody`s attention straight to her rather than them looking at the photograph and not knowing where to look.

Second After dark shoot-

I then did a second shoot in a different location with a different model.

As you can see my model is kneeling on sand that has patches of grass, in the background is the beginning of a woodlands which I will be photographing on a later date.

I had the speed light detached from the camera and had it set up out of the shot so it would not be shown in the photographs, the photograph on the right is slightly over exposed as the speed light was close to the model, in order to improve my next shoot I will move the speed light further away from the model so the flash does not over expose the image again.

Third After dark shoot

Using a male model.

I used a male model to give another variation to my project, I also used the woodland which i previously stated I would do.

In the first photograph my model is sat leaning against a tree and I framed the photograph so you can see a leaf branch in the foreground and you can also see the tree in the background, both of these aspects as well as the

Both of these photos were taken to look atmospheric, the first photograph i am stood higher than my model so I am shooting down on him and i darkened the background to give the photograph a slight eerie feel as the viewer will not be able to see far behind the model so it also creates a sense of wonder, i did this so my model would stand out as he is also in a blue jacket which draws him out from the surrounding woodland.

The second shot creates a "dreamy" but atmospheric photograph as you are looking over the shoulder of my model but the viewer can not see what the model could see, i have darkened the background and my model stands out in the photograph because of the clothing he is wearing but the speed light brightened him and made him stand out from the surrounding.

The shot on the left my model was distracted by a noise in a tree that was near by i took this opportunity to take the photo.

The photograph on the right is was taken when my model was swinging from one branch to another.

All six of these photographs were shot in Ainsdale Pine Woods, I used a speed light as my main source of light

Evaluation and reflection- Looking back upon my work I did well with the photo-shoots however looking back on my original planning of the project, I did not stick to the rationale of creating a series of eerie and film noir photographs as I created a series of after dark photographs in different locations as well as different models. If I was to do this project again I'd take a different stance and re-create filmic type shots and use my chosen artists as an inspiration. If I was to do this project again I would take a series of eerie shots and portray them in such a way that draws someone into the photograph, I would use a speed light again for the lighting as I did not encounter many issues whilst using it, whilst reflecting on my work there are some aspects I would change as I stated earlier, I would stick to my rationale which is shown in my blog under the subtitle labeled Context and I would use my selected artists for further inspiration and I would select a few images of theirs to replicate, I enjoyed this project as I enjoy taking portrait photographs and I also enjoy taking photographs at night, I enjoyed going to different places to photograph my models so I really enjoyed doing this project and if I did it again I would take the photographs from a different aspect and perspective as I stated earlier I would create a series of dark,eerie, unsettling shots rather than well lit portrait shots, I think it would enable me to make dynamic shots that would draw somebody in and them wonder what was happening at that moment and what may happen next.

Whilst reflecting back upon the images I have produced throughout this project, I would take more time to edit my images and show the process of the editing by screen capturing the process that is being used on my screen, I think that by taking more time to edit my photographs I could have produced a series of eerie and unsettling photographs by reducing the brightness and the contrast of my images

Presentation-

To showcase my work, my photographs will be printed to A4 and it will be shown in a gallery which is an area within the college, my images are also shown in my blog so my images are shown both digitally and also as a hard copy.