EXAM QUESTION.
Portraiture.
Various approaches to portraiture have been used by many photographers. Interesting examples can be seen in the carefully controlled work of Félix Nadar, the more informal images of Jane Bown, and the work of Omar Victor Diop in which the backgrounds and props are important and add meaning to the portraits. Investigate appropriate examples and respond in your own way.
Various approaches to portraiture have been used by many photographers. Interesting examples can be seen in the carefully controlled work of Félix Nadar, the more informal images of Jane Bown, and the work of Omar Victor Diop in which the backgrounds and props are important and add meaning to the portraits. Investigate appropriate examples and respond in your own way.
In today society, almost every one wants their portrait photograph taken. We may sometimes not like the look of our faces in our personal shots (passport and identity card), but we however recognise the importances of looking right on these occasions. How we look to friends and family in photographs matter especially in our social rituals because we know they are part of how people see each other.
Element of Portraiture
Almost all portrait photographs are typically made up of four key elements.
Almost all portrait photographs are typically made up of four key elements.
- Face (including facial expression, hair, etc.) - personal appearance.
- Pose -manner and attitude, 'upbringing'.
- Clothing - social class, sex, cultural values and fashion.
- Location (or background setting) - social scene of the person in the picture.
Different types of portraiture (we might call the sub-genres) vary their emphasis on each of these component. Each element affects another in the overall potential for meaning, for example passport photographs usually have plain or simple backgrounds, which serve to foreground the face of the sitter the main function of this arrangement is to scrutinise the face.
Threshold Concept.
Photography is the capturing of light; these includes images that are made without a camera or film. The digital revolution has instigated a renewed interest in the materiality of photography. This materiality includes a consideration of both the photographic object and the way it is presented to the viewer. This threshold concept is relevant to my chosen question, as i think not all photographs are made using a camera or film especially back in 1820s where this two methods weren't been used to create photographs; for example Felix nadar didn't use cameras or film in his photographs as he used a method called the wet collodion negative process.
These formal and visual elements (such as line, shape, repetition, rhythm, balance etc.) are shared with other works of art. But photographs also have a specific grammar - flatness, frame, time, focus - that give structure to a photographer’s perceptions of the world. ‘Mistakes’ in photography are often associated with (breaking) the ‘rules’ and expectations of this grammar e.g. out of focus, subject cropped, blur etc. Some photographers reject formalist concerns in order to establish an aesthetic that represents their critical position and does not rely on conventional notions of beauty.
All photographs present us with a simultaneous then and now. Photographs remind us of people and things that have been. Photographs record what has been lost, what no longer exists, or what still exists but will be lost at some point in the future.
Félix Nadar. (1820–1910)
Felix Nadar was a publicist and a performer in a highly theatrical life. He took his first photographs in 1853 and pioneered the use of artificial lighting in photography. He had learned a series of posing tricks from painter friends and he applied them to his photography. He would position his subjects in three-quarter views, hide their hands to emphasise their faces and encourage them to create their own poses. Unlike other portrait photographers at the time, he used a lot of props in photo because of the very fragile and dangerous process that he was using to make the photographs. He also controlled the quality of the light using reflectors, screens, mirrors and even veils. in his early year, he looked up to artist like Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, and Eugene Delacroix. because of his passion for colourful, conventional and free, enabled him to have a good relationship with both generation of romantic writers and artist. in 1853 Nader opened a photographic studio that became a meeting place for literary and artistic celebration.
Félix Nadar's work strikes me as appearing very traditional and almost as if they're based around paintings, which in-some extent they were due to the very serious facial expressions and poses.
He photographed family, friends, acquaintances after he installed a dark room in his apartment making him an inside photographer because he likes to get to know his subjects and feels more comfortable photographing people he knows. For the time and era, this was an unusual thing because photography was a new concept, paintings were the traditional way to record what a person looked like, and this was a very different and new way. I like Nadar's photos because they are so simple and minimal, the subject being the only focal point of the image. They don't require the viewer to work particularly hard to understand the image, but still manage to result in a pleasing finish
.
Nadar didn't use a camera, he did something called the wet-plate collodion negative process which had just been invented and it changed the portrait studio business. It was a photographic process used to produce a negative. It was invented by F. Scott Archer (1813–1857) in 1848 and published in 1851. Wet-collodion-on-glass negatives were valued because the transparency of the glass produced a high resolution of detail in both the highlights and shadows of the resultant prints (see image below). In addition, exposure times were shorter than those for the daguerreotype or calotype, ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the amount of light available. Finished negatives were usually used to produce albumen prints, although salt prints were sometimes made during the 1850s and early 1860s.
However, the main disadvantage of the wet collodion process was the extremely short working time available between sensitizing and developing the plate – this normally needed to be done within about 10 minutes. This in turn required that a photographer have essentially a darkroom on site to make photographs. This did not pose any problem for studio work, but for work in the field it necessitated some sort of portable darkroom. The process of working with a plate coated with wet collodion and then dripping wet silver nitrate solution was also messy and potentially damaging to equipment. Collodion-based photography was also only sensitive to blue light; all darkroom work could be done under red or dark-amber lighting. However, in collodion images warm colours appeared dark, and cool colours were difficult to separate tonally. Thus, it was almost impossible to render clouds in skies.
Félix Nadar's work strikes me as appearing very traditional and almost as if they're based around paintings, which in-some extent they were due to the very serious facial expressions and poses.
He photographed family, friends, acquaintances after he installed a dark room in his apartment making him an inside photographer because he likes to get to know his subjects and feels more comfortable photographing people he knows. For the time and era, this was an unusual thing because photography was a new concept, paintings were the traditional way to record what a person looked like, and this was a very different and new way. I like Nadar's photos because they are so simple and minimal, the subject being the only focal point of the image. They don't require the viewer to work particularly hard to understand the image, but still manage to result in a pleasing finish
.
Nadar didn't use a camera, he did something called the wet-plate collodion negative process which had just been invented and it changed the portrait studio business. It was a photographic process used to produce a negative. It was invented by F. Scott Archer (1813–1857) in 1848 and published in 1851. Wet-collodion-on-glass negatives were valued because the transparency of the glass produced a high resolution of detail in both the highlights and shadows of the resultant prints (see image below). In addition, exposure times were shorter than those for the daguerreotype or calotype, ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the amount of light available. Finished negatives were usually used to produce albumen prints, although salt prints were sometimes made during the 1850s and early 1860s.
However, the main disadvantage of the wet collodion process was the extremely short working time available between sensitizing and developing the plate – this normally needed to be done within about 10 minutes. This in turn required that a photographer have essentially a darkroom on site to make photographs. This did not pose any problem for studio work, but for work in the field it necessitated some sort of portable darkroom. The process of working with a plate coated with wet collodion and then dripping wet silver nitrate solution was also messy and potentially damaging to equipment. Collodion-based photography was also only sensitive to blue light; all darkroom work could be done under red or dark-amber lighting. However, in collodion images warm colours appeared dark, and cool colours were difficult to separate tonally. Thus, it was almost impossible to render clouds in skies.
- In a darkroom, before the ether and alcohol evaporates from the collodion, the plate is immersed in silver nitrate solution for several minutes, allowing silver nitrate bonds with the iodides and bromides in the collodion.
- Light-sensitive plate is placed in light-proof plate holder and then loaded into the previously focused and prepared camera.
- The exposure is made – wet plate collodion displays a light sensitivity about equal to ISO 5.
- Plate holder is returned to the darkroom and exposed plate is removed. A developing solution of iron sulfate, acetic acid, and alcohol is poured evenly over the collodion side of the plate. The image forms within about 15 seconds, and excess developer is then washed away with water.
- The plate is removed from the darkroom and fixed in a tray of sodium thiosulphate (hypo) to remove unused silver halides and then again washed.
- Using a low flame, the plate is dried and then coated with a protective varnish while still warm.
- The resulting negative could then be used to contact print permanent positives employing either salt-based, albumen, or collodion printing paper.
First responds To Nadar's Work.
Studio photos using a DSLR camera (Canon 650D)
I did this photo-shoot because I was trying to experiment ways in which I could create images like Felix Nadar does, as I I'm very inspired by the very regal, sophisticated poses and facial expressions in his photos. I wasn't trying the copy the exacted method in which he takes his images because it will almost me impossible to do. so, I wanted to first experiment with the idea of using modern equipment’s to take a series of photographs of one of my male friends. With these set of images, I have used a DLSR camera to take these images because I wanted to be more in control of the number of images that I could take and the type of poses that the model could make. Although this might not be how Felix Nadar works because of the technical restrictions that he had, I however wasn't trying to copy his work but be inspired by it.
These are the four images that I thought best represented the whole experimentation of me using a DSLR camera. I edited them to added a-bit more contrast to some of the photos. Chose these selections of images because I love the poses and the facial expression. I would however like create something with a bit more texture like the work of Nadar. I am overall pleased with this images and would love to develop them further by using a film Camera.
Studio Photos Using a Film Camera.
(Using A JESSOPS PAN 100s Film)
After using my digital camera to take the first set of images, I then use the film camera to take these se of images because wasn't pleased with the quality of the images the I took using the film camera. What I wanted to achieve with these images was the very formal way in which Nadar takes his images; so, I was planning everything right to what the models should wear and how they should pose. my main concern wasn't with the type of film I used and what settings they were on because I was still experimenting and wasn't entirely sure with what was doing. However, I am not very pleased with how the images turned out because they are all under exposed because I didn't consider the amount of light that was in the studio before taking the pictures.
My plan for my next shoot using a film camera indoors is to:
My plan for my next shoot using a film camera indoors is to:
- Use a different background (preferably white).
- Make sure that there is enough light in room before taking the pictures, as I am only using natural light.
- Use a different type of film; something with a bit more grain and sharpness.
Editing My Film Photographs.
Successful Portraits.
Decided to choose these set of images because I thought that the embody what I was looking for when doing the shoot. However, I decided to edit the images just so I could increase the contrast and make the images brighter. Now that I have edited the images, it’s made the images ever more interesting in the since that, they have the early 1820s look that I was looking for. however, will like to use another type of film so that I don't have to edit the photos. overall I think the images worked perfectly because of the poses and the costume the models was wearing, I think it added to the whole image creation due to the fact that the styling of the models were very important back in the 1820s, as taking an image was something very exclusive as it was very expensive and the process in which the images were mades were dangerous; which made the photos a one time shoot, no retakes and costume change.
Developing the images in the darkroom.
Another Photoshoot Inspired By The Work Of Felix Nadar.
(Using A B&w Ilford Hp5 Plus 400)
Successful Outcomes.
Did this second photoshoot because I was trying to experiment with the different type of back and white films that I could use for my final outcome. The film that I used in this photoshoot was the b&w Ilford Hp5 Plus 400, wasn't entirely sure what the outcome of this film would be as I have never us either before, however I was very pleased with it because how sharp the images are. I think that changing the backdrop and letting more light in more light than I did before, contributed to the overall effect of the photos. In comparing to my other photoshoot, I went with a bit more modern look as I was also trying to contrast the very typically Nader image. I would like to think that I archive this with these photographs as my model has a different look to the other model that I used.
although this photoshoot was a success, I was pleased with all of the images as some of them don't meet the criterial of what I was trying to archive. However, these six images that I choose are a perfect example of what I would like my final outcomes to look like. the mixture of model and nadar style of photographing is what I'm interested in and would like to experiment more into this aesthetic. photos like when I zoom in to the face are not exactly how Nader photographs due to the restriction in the process the uses, but I think it makes the images more interesting and very personal as can't really hid all the blemishes on the persons like you would do in a digital photo. |
Jane Bown.
Jane Bown was a photographer for the newspaper called the 'Observer'. Some of her work was based around photojournalism, she then realised that she had a trademark style, the black and white, close ups. When doing commission work she had done no preparation what's so ever when she was doing a shoot, she would also have no knowledge of her subjects when she got requested to take images of them.I like the look of her work because of the amount of detail thats in her pictures, you can see everything on her subjects face from: freckles, wrinkles to facial hair and the reflection of the natural light in their eyes.
Another aspect I found in her images was that the background of her images are always blurred, this got me thinking to how she gets this every time; because she doesn't like to use camera equipment and prefers to work with natural lighting I didn't know if she uses a special lens such as a telephoto lens or micro-lens. However I also contemplated on whether she used photoshop to edit her images but because in on of the articles that is written about her it says that she likes to work quickly, this is because the best images were the ones she was able to capture the 'initial spontaneity of her subject.
Another aspect I found in her images was that the background of her images are always blurred, this got me thinking to how she gets this every time; because she doesn't like to use camera equipment and prefers to work with natural lighting I didn't know if she uses a special lens such as a telephoto lens or micro-lens. However I also contemplated on whether she used photoshop to edit her images but because in on of the articles that is written about her it says that she likes to work quickly, this is because the best images were the ones she was able to capture the 'initial spontaneity of her subject.
Response To The Work Of Jane Bown.
Another Photoshoot Inspired By The Work Of Jane Bown.
Omar Victor Diop.
Omar Victor Diop was born and works in Dakar, Senegal. He mainly does Fine Arts and Fashion photography as well as some Advertising photography. Diop developed an interest for Photography and Design as a way to capture the diversity of modern African societies and lifestyles. He mixes photography with other forms of art like costume design. We can see this in his photos because he uses tapestries or backdrops with a similar pattern to what his subject is wearing, or sometimes contrasting to what his subject is wearing, making his photos very colourful especially in contrast with Felix Nadar and Jane Bown. He is influenced by historical African portraitists.
First Response To Omar victor Diop Work.
(Studio shoot using my own fabrics and clothes)
Visiting The Photographers Gallery.
(DEUTSCHE BÖRSE PHOTOGRAPHY FOUNDATION PRIZE 2017)
The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize is an annual exhibition and award of £30,000 presented at The Photographers’ Gallery, London (and subsequently to select venues). Originally established by the Gallery in 1996 as the UK’s first dedicated photography award, it continues to identify, debate and celebrate innovative and original photographic practice from across the world.
Dana Lixenberg (b. 1964, The Netherlands) has been nominated for her publication Imperial Courts (Roma, 2015). In 1992 Dana Lixenberg travelled to South Central Los Angeles for a magazine story on the riots that erupted following the verdict in the Rodney King trial. What she encountered inspired her to revisit the area and led her to the community of the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts. Returning countless times over the following twenty-two years Lixenberg gradually created a collaborative portrait of the changing face of this community.