PORTRAIT ASSESSMENT

Steven Meisel 

Steven Meisel is an experienced and talented vogue photographer who has performed counties projects for global brands such as Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Dolce and Gabbana, Prada,  Louis Vuitton and many more.

I felt that Meisel was a good photographer to continue looking at for the continuous theme of identity. Following my story of who we want to be. The very idea of a model can speak to many as desirable and perfection in society. As well as an acute sense to the latest fashion. My idea was to approach with a similar response elaborating my subjects figure in order to fit their desires and innermost needs. I want to do this because it ties in nicely with my story and it plays upon the wants, painting a mental picture of the individual and an insight to their thought process.

STEVEN MIESEL, JULY 2000.                                                                                                                            STEVEN MEISEL,JULY 2014.

VOGUE ITALIA, BY STEVEN MEISEL JAN 2016. 

AGYNESS DEYN VOGUE ITALIA BY STEVEN MEISEL, NOV 2006.

In this photoshoot I wanted to explore the styles of Steven Meisel  and incorporate it into my own portraits. I identified that Meisel chooses subjects with prominent facial features, and that he is best known to often choose professional models who would considered desirable in looks by mainstream society. I also observed that he rarely shows the subject plainly, instead Meisel uses story telling techniques within his photographs. I was specifically inspired by his portfolio 'Makeover madness.' Which shows the transformation of each subject through the makeover process.

MY RESPONSE 

I experimented with varying the amount and direction of the light that would fall upon my subject, using a light-box and artificial lighting. Shot using my macro lens, 24mm prime lens and 18-55mm IS lens, which achieved a range of close ups and wide angles. 

Overall this entire photoshoot was about 300 images and consisted of three different parts. Such a large photoshoot gave me time and creativity to come up with different features that could be applied to the subject. I was fond of how eventually my housemate, Dan. Began to absorb this role I presented immersing himself creating a visually mental understanding of Dan's nature. 

MY FINAL CHOICE 

I chose these images as part of my final selection because I felt that they produced the idea of who we want to be really well. The subject wore a fur blanket and much like a crown is often associated with wealth. This object highlights my subjects desire to be wealthy and successful. The face paint was used to detach my subject from his original self, obscuring the face that he wears in his day to day life ,thus creating an alter ego. Similar facepaint designs and colours were used by ancient tribes in America to show strength and power - used on my subject to show his wanting to be respected by his peers and society.

I intended to follow a story throughout my project that would show my representation of ideas about 'who we are, what we do, who we want to be.' I am confident that this has been presented well and I achieved what I mostly intended. Through my research I have learnt that identity through portraits can have many forms, different ways of telling the story.Yet I believe that portraits are a form of identification.The frame may stay the same, but the subject of interest will change. This allows us to construct a photograph that has reflective meaning onto the observer. Observers are able to interpret  the still actions of the subject within the frame and analyse the characteristics in these actions to build an emotional reaction to the image. Theses characteristics can be facial features,as in common with traditional portraiture or through body language.

 My ability with macro lenses to explore unusual compositions and angles has enhanced my knowledge of photography. I've also learnt how to manipulate artificial and natural light to improve an image to greater effect.

Overall I am happy with the work I've produced, but their are certain areas of improvement that could be made. I didn't explore much traditional styles of portraits which I would like to do in the future. additionally I could've shot a wider range of subjects, specifically people I didn't know so well as apposed to my little sister or my housemate. This could've given me the opportunity to explore more observational portraits. I do believe my skills in creating an impressive professional image has improved over the course of these nine weeks. Although I will confess it was stressful not being able to use editing tools in post production. I feel a sense of achievement in producing a raw image with only lighting, composition, exposure and much more at my disposal for which I am pleased.

However I cannot resist the urge to present my selected final few in a polished form of post production. However !! They are in no way or form part of my final piece but only a contributor! 

BELOW ARE ALSO EDITED VERSIONS OF MY THREE PART PHOTOSHOOT THAT I CHOSE TO LEAVE ASIDE. HOWEVER IN DEDICATION TO THEM I ADDED A SELECT FEW IN EDITED FORM. ENJOY.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

STEVEN MEISEL JULY 2000 -

http://agonistica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/53.jpeg

STEVEN MEISEL JULY 2014 - 

http://eclectix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/steven-meisel-stylist-camilla-nickerson.jpeg

AGYNESS DEYN VOGUE ITALIA, NOV 2006 - 

https://pleasurephoto.wordpress.com/category/agyness-deyn/page/4/

VOGUE ITALIA BY STEVEN MEISEL, JAN 2016 -

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/563161128385567285/

DANCE RUSHES TEST PROJECT

As part of our second workshop into premier pro editing, we were tasked in recreating a dance video, using the rushes from a past students work in order to create our own edited version of the dance video. Although we got to use a vast array of tools to construct our videos, I was particularly annoyed  at the fact that I was having issues with downloading half of the clips in order to recreate my piece. This was because my hard drive wasn't compatible with the computer system I had access to, therefore I had to make do with what I had on the cloud. So without further ado, here is my edited dance video!

Dance Video Edits

Music by : Kai Engel - "Waking stars" from freemusicarchive.org// royalty free with artists permission.

TIM WALKER

TIM WALKER 

PORTRAITS 

Love Ghost, Photography by Tim Walker.

Mechanical Dolls, Vogue Italia, 2011. Photography by Tim Walker.

Self- portrait with eighty cakes, 2008. Photography by Tim Walker.

Tim Walker has bedazzled the fashion industry with his dramatically staged subjects. His extravagant styles and furor pieces has undoubtedly set his style and engaged audiences for decades. Although, his first major vogue exhibition was in 2008. Furthermore, Walker has begun to express his modus operandi in moving film. Walker's book 'Storytellers.', published by Thames and Hudson in 2012 is my area of concentrate for my portraits.

Story Teller published in 2012 by Thames & Hudson.

I intend to stage scenes, capturing the spirit of the moment, whist retaining that extravagant feel Tim Walker furnishes his photos with. I personally enjoy his images because they engage my mind and allow me to contemplate - in depth - the messages conveyed. What fiercely draws me to his portraits is the subject itself, such as the photograph below of Helena Bonham Carter. In particular, this photograph gives me a mental picture of lost hope and dreams unfulfilled.

Helena Bonham Carter, Photography by Tim Walker for vogue, 2010.

Furthermore, the image featuring Helena Bonham Carter is layered with objects that could possibly relate to the psyche of herself, and being encased in webs is presumably a measurement of time. There is more that can be said about this singular image, however its relation to my work coexists with my idea of who we are.

My response to Tim Walkers portraits was to create an elaborate scene. Through a few layout  and prop decisions I finally came to the conclusion of creating an Alice in Wonderland styled tea party,  using my little sister as the primary subject. I decorated the layout with objects from around my home. The idea behind this was to reflect the desires we have and implicate them into a mental picture that would create an image much like a dream to the individual.

The entire photoshoot took around two hours to complete.

The photoshoot produced over two hundred individual photographs. My favourite five were numbered down to just three, of which I chose to display here, simply because I felt that they are the most dramatic and I am personally very fond of. Once I had concluded down to my final three I used post editing software Adobe Light Room to give them an over opposed look and also heightened the colours using saturation techniques and strengthened the detail by raising the clarity.

Besides Tim Walkers affection for his estranged and exaggerated photography. His creativity extends into short films where he has directed, produced and occasionally written them. What intrigues me about his work with film is that he often uses a super 8 camera, which offers a more personal touch to the short films. Additionally I have found that mixing the old with the new can create a very indie or vintage feeling. A selection of Tim Walkers films have been collected below.

I highly recommend taking a look at his photographs or short films on his website to discover more about him !  

http://www.timwalkerphotography.com

STRANGER THAN PARADISE - SHORT FILM

https://vimeo.com/148575334

THE MECHANICAL MAN ON THE MOON -SHORT FILM  

http://www.timwalkerphotography.com/videos/short-film

THE MUSE - SHORT FILM 

http://www.timwalkerphotography.com/videos/short-film

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Tim Walkers, Love ghosts-

http://www.timwalkerphotography.com/assets/photos/_compressed/TW_LoveGhost_R117F03-PANOc_web_1.jpg

Tim Walkers Mechanical Dolls-

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d1/43/e2/d143e2e754d873a6097652fc8d10f92a.jpg


Tim Walkers Self portrait -

http://www.thewhitereview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tim-walker_784x01.jpg

Tim Walkers portrait of Helena Bonham Carter-

https://jointhebreed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/TW3.jpg

Tilda Swinton by Tim Walker-

http://www.wmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/faar-tilda-swinton-tim-walker-las-pozas-v-760x947.jpg

The muse - short film by Tim Walker image-

http://www.timwalkerphotography.com/assets/photos/_photos/Mermaid_Ben.jpg 

CODE OF CONDUCT

THIS CODE OF CONDUCT IS A SET OF GUIDELINES DESIGNED TO SAFEGUARD THE PRACTICES OF THE PRODUCTION TEAM AND THEIR AFFILIATES DURING ALL HOURS OF FILMING.

Introduction

As part of the production team we must be committed to becoming an effective team and providing an experienced and enjoyful atmosphere to all of our team members. Whilst in the production team the following rules must apply and at all times be referred to, if necessary.


General principles

• Any activity that threatens the safety of our team members is strictly prohibited.
• Any activity that threatens the wellbeing of the general public or our contributors is strictly prohibited.
• Any activity that threatens the environment upon the location of filming without proper authorised consent is Prohibited.
• Any activity that will interfere with property owners, general public or tenants, without the proper consent or awareness is prohibited.

FURTHERMORE THOSE EXAMPLES OF MISCONDUCT THAT IS PROHIBITED WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO.

• Inappropriate profanity, vulgar or threatening language to peers, co-workers or the general public is strictly prohibited.
• Any disorderly misconduct on all premises is strictly prohibited.
• Operating any unauthorised or unapproved equipment taken or without a fellow team members acknowledgement is strictly prohibited.

THOSE WHO PERSIST TO DISRUPT, OR ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES NOT ACT RESPONSIBLY WITHIN THE PRODUCTION TEAM BOTH PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY, MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE UNTIL READY TO DO SO. IF DISRUPTION CONTINUES THEN FURTHER ACTIONS WILL BE TAKEN, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THEIR ACTIONS.

NAME_______________________                                                    

DATE______________________                                          SIGNATURE__________________

THE ETHICS OF REPRESENTATION

Reflective work on Ethics workshop.

As film makers it is our responsibility to ensure that both the film crew and the film footage abides by the rules and regulations set by the ethical code. There are specific points we must consider when working with contributors, especially contributors who may not be able to give consent under usual circumstances due to not being physically or mentally able.

Firstly, are they able to give informed consent and are they aware of the consequences of being filmed. An example of this can be the contributors losing a sense of privacy because they are willingly consenting to viewers having insight into their lives. How may they be affected by the process of filming, how will they be perceived and how truthful will they be portrayed, will it be true to their nature? One critical point when dealing with various contributors of all ages is Children. When documenting a film based on or featuring children, an entirely different criteria for consent is needed.

BBC'S CHILD CONSENT PROTOCOL 

If you wish to learn more about the children protection guidelines of filming with children, click the link below;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/child_protection.html

Or if you wish to know more about editorial guidelines of consent in general, click here;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines



In most cases the go to contributor to receive consent would be the parents or guardian of the child. However, how do you gain permission from a mother or father who is suffering from mental health issues or addictions? Trying to gain the consent from a parent in this capacity, especially if they are sole parents, is a much more complex and tricky circumstance that will not always have a direct solution. Nonetheless, whenever possible the best answer I can give, as far as I'm aware, would be to seek the permission of the social worker that might be working in the child's best interests or further lengths would be to go to the family doctor to determine if filming will affect the health of the parent or the child.

'SOCIAL WORKER' BY ANNE PARISIO - Figure 1

One documentary that is a good example of this situation being faced was 'Social Workers.' Which is part of a series by Anne Parisio. A task we were given in our production teams was to analyse and evaluate our responsibilities within the film. When watching the clip from the 'Social Workers', it seemed to demonstrate that the actual social workers had the majority of power over the family dealing with issues. 

It is true that as a spectator and observer we must also respect the privacy and emotions of the contributors. This allows control to be given to the contributors on how they would like to be portrayed. Naturally when discussing the documentary it provides an insight into what we will be doing for the contributors, this is to hopefully convey the message we want to send across to our viewers and often tends to help the 'permission to film' be negotiated easier.

When filming, we must avoid any complications that would prevent us from shooting the crucial moments because that is where the most tension occurs. In the clip seen in Figure 1, the crucial moment would be the moment where the mother has acknowledged her incapacity to care for her child whilst facing complicating health problems. This moment creates sympathy which allows an emotional connection to be established between the viewer and the mother. Why people might agree to be filmed is unclear but perhaps it would be primarily to build an understanding of the situation within the outside world, or perhaps in the hopes it could create closure for the individual if more people were to comprehend the situation.

Making our documentaries we must consider our audience and ensure no defamation has taken place within the film. Our films must comply with all laws such as fairness, copyright protection, data protection, legal obligations and more. Doing so minimises the chances of a claim being made against the filmmakers or filming under false pretence.

Thank you for reading, if you'd like to leave a comment below please do so. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

BBC'S child consent protocol-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/child_protection.html

Clip image of the 'Social Worker' by Anne Parisio-

https://myuca.ucreative.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/ethicsrepresentation/displayContent/mode/view&content

 people and processes short final 

PREMIER PRO WORKSHOP

Reflecting on the Premier Pro Workshop

What is Premier Pro?

Premier Pro is a video editing software application created by Adobe suitable for both amateur enthusiasts and professionals. It has been used by many major studios on a variety of feature films, television programs, music videos and other productions. The software is accessible by subscribing to the Adobe Creative Cloud.

EXPERIMENT 

We looked at the basics of using Premier Pro, like cropping the image or jump cutting. We also got to edit our own pieces into a sequence of scenes that would flow continuously to provide a minutes length of documentary. This was to purposefully teach us the basics of film editing and provide us with insight into creating film feature length documentaries. 

Below was my sequence of scenes that I used with footage provided by Lynda.com to experiment and   explore the uses of premier pro. In my short scene I used footage with an overlay of voices to fit with the flow of imagery and also experimented with green screen, which I had quite a bit of fun with as you can see.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Printing Press Footage used was from their website.

https://www.lynda.com

SIX MODES OF DOCUMENTARY

Nichols Six Modes of Documentary

During this workshop we discussed the various modes of documentary and were set into groups as part of a task to research and analyse film documentaries. Here are six modes of documentary.

What are the Six Modes of Documentary?

The theory was first pioneered by Bill Nichols who is known as the founder for the study of the documentary film. Within the theory are six sub genres of documentary film that filmmakers can use to convey the truth within their area of exploration. These six modes are poetic, expository, participatory, observational, reflexive, and performative.

Poetic Documentary 
This form of documentary drifts away from continuity editing and tells the truth by arranging clips into a specific order, with the intent on evoking emotions through the use of juxtaposition, tone and rhythm.

                                       Samsara by Ron Fricke, August 2012.







Expository Documentary
The expository documentary tells the audience a specific point of view, using footage to support this. Usually an authoritative voice over will be used.

                               March of the Penguins by Luc Jacquet, December 2005.








Participatory Documentary
This mode of documentary tells the truth through first person accounts, often in the form of an interview. The subjects are invited to 'participate' and give their opinions on film.

                              The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris, August 1988.







Performative Documentary
These forms of documentaries are much more personal and put emphasis on expressing a truth that is subjective to the audience. They might include hypothetical enactments of events in order to give the audience the chance to see the subject from anothers point of view. Sometimes using past events to compare against an idea that the filmmaker is intending to portray.

                                 Tongues Untied by Marlon Riggs, July 1989.







Observational Documentary
Footage is taken as a bystander of the subject without the filmmaker interfering. Essentially the filmmaker invites the audience to observe the subject and allow them to see the truth for themselves.

                           Tarnation by Jonathan Caouette, May 2005.








Out of all the documentaries studied and analysed within the workshop, I was particularly intrigued by Tarnation because I felt that the clip we saw had a powerful emotional impact upon its audience. It compelled me to watch the rest of the film which further inspired me to explore Jonathan Caouette' interpretation of the Observational Form in my own work.

                                                                    Scene from Tarnation, 2005 


Reflexive Documentary
This form of documentary shows the audience the subjects behind the camera, often the filmmakers themselves, as well as what is in front of it. Thus allowing the filmmaker to reflect his ideas about the subject back upon the audience. A good way to capture the true emotions evoked by the subject at the exact moment of filming.

As part of our group we were asked to look at reflexive documentary through the film 'Stories We Tell' by Sarah Polley. I found the techniques used by Polley to be very effective at inciting thoughtfulness upon to its audience. The form of documentary used fitted perfectly with the subject being explored. The reflective accounts created a powerful, intimate and emotional piece that may not have been achievable if it had been shot using a different mode other than reflective.

                         Stories We Tell by Sarah Polley, June 2013.







  

                               

                                Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Samsara-

http://filmtrailer.hu/wp-content/uploads/Samsara_DVD.jpg

The March of The Penguins- 

https://filmefuerdieerde.org/files/cover_marchofthepenguins.png

The Thin Blue Line-

http://www.altfg.com/film/wp-content/uploads/images/thin-blue-line-dvd.jpg

Tongues Untied-

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41iSMfMRqYL.jpg

Tarnation- 

http://www.newyorkerfilms.com/administrator/movie_posters/1312223529Tarnation_Poster_1.jpg

Stories we Tell-

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Stories_We_Tell_poster.jpg/220px-Stories_We_Tell_poster.jpg

XF305 CAMERA WORKSHOP

Reflective work from our XF305 workshop

XF305 CAMERA IMAGE PROVIDED BY CANON.COM

An overview of the specs:
- 3 Native 1/3" 1920 x 1080 CMOS Sensors
- 50Mbps MPEG-2 Recording
- 4:2:2 Color Sampling
- 60p, 60i, 30p, 24p
- MXF File Format
- Dual CF Card Slots
- 18x HD L-Series Zoom
- Multiple Bit Rates, Resolutions
- Dual XLR Inputs

Since the popularity of the HDSLR, many cinematographers don't bother with using a camcorder built specifically for video. However, there are still many advantages for using one - such as with the XF305. The XF305 comes with autofocus, image stabilization, and a 50mbps codec.

The video above was shot by me and my peers. We assigned one another specifics roles that would be part of a professional production. We used one XF305 fixed to a tripod, one boom stick, and a pair of headphones. I was given the role of boom operator, and managed the sound within the production. No lighting equipment was used, the film was shot using natural lighting - which meant that we had to stick to a tight shooting schedule in order to maintain adequate lighting. We experimented with different camera angles, such as the rule of thirds, over the shoulder and offset group shot. 

The film contains a three way (or group) conversation which required a more technical form of camera positioning in order to include all of the actors in one shot. We used the offset group shot to achieve this. Using this technique, we had all three of the characters sat in a triangle. The two passive characters are sat opposite each other on the left and right, and the character leading the conversation is sat in the centre - putting the focus on this character.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

      

Canon XF305 image-

http://www.canon.co.uk/Images/XF305_Default_tcm14-941753.jpg

LIGHTING WORKSHOP

INDUCTION ON LIGHTING  

Steve Jobs, photography taken by Albert Watson.

Our studio lighting induction covered the basic settings on the camera, such as how to adjust the aperture, iso and shutter speed in accordance with the type and amount of lighting used in a shoot. We were then introduced to the different lighting kits available to us, and the common setups the lighting could be placed in. We were also shown how to use a light meter to get feedback on how much light is being projected onto the subject, so that we were able to change the F. Number on the camera to avoid the photograph becoming over or under exposed.

 

During our lighting induction we discussed the various techniques used to create dramatic portraiture.  One of our group tasks was to recreate the portrait of Steve Jobs, taken by Albert Watson. This was to demonstrate to us of how we could create a dramatic portrait using lighting and positioning on the subject without post editing. 

diagram of Albert Watson's photoshoot layout. (Figure 1)

The above diagram (Figure 1) shows a basic sketch layout of how Albert Watson managed to set up his shots of Steve Jobs. Watson placed two lights with light modifiers attached (Umbrellas) behind Jobs one on the left and one on the right which illuminated the white background and removed all shadows.  The key light that helped make the infamous right shadow was placed to the front of Jobs on his left. If an additional light had been placed to Job's front right there would have been even lighting and no shadows. 

Figure 2

Figure 3

   

Each member of our team was assigned a specific role within the shoot. Our attempt to recreate this setup was not completely successful. At first we were able remove most of the shadows. However, we did not create the desired effect that Watson had in his original. The lighting was not even, and our front light did not give us the side shadow effect. The product of this setup can been seen above in figures 2 and 3. We had intentionally positioned the subject in a pose that was the opposite of the one seen in Watsons image.

Figure 4

Our final setup did achieve a somewhat similar effect as that what can be seen in Watsons original. We had positioned the lighting in a similar setup, and managed to recreate the partial shadow and remove all other shadows. However the lighting was not bright, or wide enough to light up the background at the levels seen in Watsons image. 

Our final photograph can be seen above in figure 4. Upon later researching further into the original setup of Watsons photograph I realised that he had used a white umbrella on his bulbs, which created a wider spread of reflected light.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Steve Jobs Photograph by Albert Watson-

http://guessthelighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/steve_jobs_albert-watson.jpg

Albert Watson's layout of his photoshoot-

http://guessthelighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/stevejobs_watson.jpg

LENS WORK - CAMERA OBSCURA.

Reflective work from our lens workshop.



LENS

The lens is the all seeing eye of the Camera that interprets a live scene using mirrors within it to capture a still image. To further clarify what is considered a lens, the oxford dictionary defines it has "A piece of glass or other transparent material with curved sides for concentrating or dispersing light rays, used singly (as in a magnifying glass) or with other lenses (as in a telescope)."


CAMERA OBSCURA

Camera obscura,  meaning 'dark chamber' in Latin and sometimes referred to as 'pinhole image', is the natural optical effect created when an image of a scene on the other side of a screen is projected through a small hole in that screen. Post 16th century the small hole would often have contained a lens. The Oxford Dictionary defines Camera obscura as "A darkened box with a convex lens or aperture for projecting the image of an external object on to a screen inside..." Camera Obscura was often used as an aid for painting and drawing.


EXPERIMENT

We focused on the aperture of a camera lens and the usefulness aperture has when deciding how much light should be let in to improve image quality. Knowing this has helped me to extend my knowledge of the techniques that I can use to take better quality images with my Camera.

Leading on from this, we then took part in a workshop where we looked at the many techniques that could be used with different lenses. Ranging from telescope lenses through to macro lenses. The task later set by our tutor was to bring in our own lenses and a box with reasonable proportions in order to construct our own DIY camera obscura.

A photo of our workshop with handmade camera Obscuras. 

Above you can see the types of camera obscura that we were able to create. I was particularly intrigued on how the obscura lens was able to capture an image using only a magnifying glass and a box. The process was new to me and I enjoyed recreating it. It was a refreshing reminder of the vast amount of creativity and technique that photography offers and how versatile it can be as a medium.