Portfolio & Context

PORTFOLIO AND CONTEXT: PT.1

BRIEF:

PT.1: Produce 12 Images of your own creation based on 4 techniques learnt from all 4 workshops

- HIGH KEY LIGHTING (x 3)

- DRAMATIC USE OF LIGHTING (x 3)

- ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS (x 3)

- NATURAL LIGHTING (x 3)

Taylor Wessing
Photo Portrait Prize 2023
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NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

WHAT IS HIGH-KEY?

High key lighting is a lighting style that results in a brightly lit frame with soft lighting, minimal shadows, and low contrast. In photography, film, and television, this lighting style uses minimal shadows with a majority of the frame composed of highlights. This is completely opposite of low-key lighting that relies on high contrast and harsh shadows.

I have never hear or experienced this technique before, but I am more than interested to work with this and to come up with creative ideas with lighting and the compositions that's applicable to this technique.

1 - Model in John Cavanagh's strapless evening gown, photo John French. Photograph. London, UK, Spring 1954.

2 - Barbara Goalen with gloves and hat, photo John French (1907-66). Photograph. London, England, c.1960.

3 - Model with earrings and bracelet, photo John French (1907-66). Photograph. London, UK, mid-20th century.

MOODBOARD

I managed to create a mood board filled with different ideas and different kinds of High-Key photography to not only display my own inspirations for my photography but also to give an insight as to what High-Key technique looks like. I want my ideal editorial outcomes to have the same elements (simplicity and a minimalistic theme) but also to have more focus on the face and sharp details on the body.

The background of these references will have a strong white backdrop, the faces and bodies will be well lit and show more details.

I see myself working towards fashion, magazine and portraiture.

WHAT IS LOW-KEY?

Low-key lighting is a type of lighting style used in photography, film, and television that draws attention to shadows, high contrast, and dark tones. The visual aesthetic of low-key lighting is usually achieved by using hard sources or key lights with minimal to no fill light.

This Low-key technique is used for:

* High contrast

* Harsh shadows

* Deep dark tones

* Minimal highlights and midtones

* Ominous or dramatic mood

1 - Floral projection on Paulene Stone, photo John French (1907-66). Photograph. London, UK, 1960s.

2 - Circle patterned projection on Nicole de la Marge, photo John French (1907-66). Photograph. London, UK, 1960s.

3 - Horizontal stripe projection on model, photo John French (1907-66). Photograph. London, UK, 1960s.

4 - Floral projection on model, photo John French (1907-66). Photograph. London, UK, 1960s.

ARTIST RESEARCH

HIGH / LOW KEY LIGHTING WORKSHOP

CALL SHEET

HIGH KEY LIGHTING PHOTOSHOOT - BEA

EDITING PROCESS

For these editing process, I went ahead and edited the 1st photo by cropping the photo to not only ensure that the photo stays straight but also to get rid of the extra space that was included.

I then edited the 2nd photo by applying brush onto the lips because I wanted the red coloured parts of this black and white photo to be slightly darker and the rest of them to be the way it is.

CHOSEN IMAGES

SELF REFLECTION

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MODEL RELEASE FORM

I'm am happy with the outcomes and I learnt a lot about the technique but I believe that it needs more work in having to find the right light and the positioning of them. In the photoshoot, I used 1 light instead of 2 because I thought in using just 1 light it would over the whole backdrop but I was wrong (plus, the backdrop didn't look properly lit as it should've been from the light. in fact, it was more grey instead of white).

In addiction to my mistake, I also used the reflector light on one side and not in front of the model to decrease shadows from showing in the photograph.

DRAMATIC USE OF FLASH

WHAT IS DRAMATIC USE OF FLASH?

Dramatic use of Flash involves purposefully employing artificial lighting (flash) to create striking, impactful, or dramatic effects in an image. Its a technique that uses flash which involves high contrast between light and dark and gives a dramatic feeling to your image.

ARTIST RESEARCH

D.U.O.F - LIGHTING WORKSHOP

CALL SHEET

MOODBOARD

Me and I out together a mood board to showcase our ideas for the photoshoot. My model already has experience in fashion designing and make up, so I did my board full of references of different photos to recreate and my model did her board full of fashion references (make-up, outfits, accessories) to create her own garment.

In the end of the pre-production, we decided to go for a Jazzy, vintage, spotlight kind of outcome.

PHOTOSHOOT

POST-PRODUCTION

FINALS

SELF REFLECTION

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MODEL RELEASE FORM

What went well?
I am satisfied with the photos that I did, especially the spotlight that I used in centre on the model to give a Marilyn Monroe, vintage outcome.

What didn't work?

I didn't use enough props for this photoshoot, and some of the poses were a but too strong for a minimalistic, vintage outcome.

What would you do differently next time?

I would use more props or maybe a chair to have my model be posed differently and try more lighting positions (geometric lining and shapes)

NATURAL LIGHTING

What is Natural Lighting?

Natural lighting in photography refers to any source of light that is created by the sun. Natural light is the most basic form of light there is. The quality and amount of light present depends on different variables, most notably the weather and the time of day.

I have done so many photographs in Natural light because:

1. I love the way I can experimenting in an environment where it's natural.

2. It doesn't need to be that complicated when it comes to the lighting set-up relating to any sort of reference.

3. Less means more.

I have always loved experimenting with natural light because I like to keep my outcomes simple but effective when it comes to expression.

ARTIST RESEARCH

MOODBOARD

CALL SHEET

PHOTOSHOOT

POST-PRODUCTION (EDITING)

I selected the best photos the I liked the most and I edited them, some of them are kind of natural (one is black and white) while the rest is coloured. There wasn't really much from these photographs that was needed to be adjusted (not much blemishes or scratches to adjust) so, I added some colour filters to photos. I added some colour in a photo with my model sitting on the

FINALS

SELF REFLECTION

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MODEL RELEASE FORM

What went well?

For this photoshoot for this technique, I was able to photoshoot naturally just by using the sun as my light helper. I liked the way I did one from inside and one from the outside but with fashion.

What would you do differently next time?

I would bring a tripod next time to capture some steady.

ENVIROMENTAL PORTRAIT

WHAT IS Environmental portrait?

An Environmental Portrait is a photographed portrait that captures subjects in their natural surroundings instead of in a studio or other artificial setup. Rather than focusing on what the subject looks like, environmental portrait photographers use the background to portray a truth or convey an idea about who the subject is.

Somewhere in between candid photography and studio portraiture is the environmental portrait: a shot that captures a subject at work, at home, or in another important location.

WORKSHOP

ARTIST RESEARCH

MOODBOARD

CALL SHEET

PHOTOSHOOT

POST-PRODUCTION (EDITING)

For this post production, I wanted my outcomes to be natural but with some adjustments. There wasn't really much to work with so what I did for my selected photos is crop them and straightened them to make the aligning of the images look straight and not too crooked. I then did some alterations with the exposure, high dynamic range and a little bit on the white balance.

A lot of my photos came out to be slightly warm on the white balance so I adjusted slightly into the cooler tone until the while balance in my photos are balanced.

FINALS

SELF REFLECTION / MODEL RELEASE FORM

SELF REFLECTION

What went well? (W.W.W.)

For this photoshoot for this technique, I was able to photoshoot naturally just by using 1 piece of flash equipment. I was also able to match a little bit into the technique and the props that I used was useful for a naturistic, "Work from Home" kind of theme.

What didn't work?

I couldn't be able to use a second type of flash to create to be used as a send light in background (at least there's a different kind of light that helped with the background a little).

What would you do differently next time?

I could've used a soft box or a any kind of back light to bring some light from behind.

PORTFOLIO

For my portfolio photoshoot, I wanted to deeply dive into experimenting with "Dramatic Us of Flash" technique. I enjoyed and learnt so much from the first time I tried. I now went ahead and made some changed in the Pre-production and chose to explore more into futurism fashion and while using the dramatic use f flash technique.

In this time, I have been blogging my process throughout my workflow and will now be showcasing what I did, how I managed to do it and my post-production.

ARTIST RESEARCH

CAST

PRE-PRODUCTION & PRE-VISUALISATION

My theme for this photoshoot is futurism. I wanted to explore more into fashion and the editorial processes. So, I went on Pinterest and search through all the references that I like and that I've been inspired from the most, and I produced a Moodboard with all the references and ideas that I wanted to experiment with.

(On the left is all my references and on the right is my client's (who is my stylist) Moodboard with all her references of make-up ideas and outfit ideas that she created.

LIGHTING DIAGRAMS

I used a 3D lighting diagram software to create some diagrams that I was going to use for the photoshoot.

EQUIPMENT LIST:

POST-PRODUCTION

The 1st selected photos have something in common when editing, and that is white balance. White balance is a very helpful tool to use for these photos because I wanted the colour to be different (I always thought that the colours blue and purple are the only ones that match and blend with the theme of Futurism).

For the 2nd selected handful of photos, I alternated with the colours and colour graded them (one of the photos, I blended them by using a bokeh photo for an overlay to give a Euphoria kind of look). This process of blending one layer to another is the same method that I did to the 1st photoshoot collection that I picked.

I firstly did the alterations with the photos and then for the blending process. I pasted it as an overlay on top of the image, decreased the opacity and selected the "screen" option for blending to make the image pop.

COMPOSITION

Mostly when I do photoshoot like this I tend to take the shot from top or centre or bellow or from behind but for this part of the photoshoot I wanted to test out using the studio itself instead just photo shooting from a backdrop.

I experimented with that area of the studio by bringing the lights to where the model is looking at the mirror.

BTS

This is the 2nd day of the Portfolio photoshoot but in the 2nd model and different lighting equipment

This was the footage from my 1st photoshoot.

This is the 2nd footage from my 2nd photoshoot with my stylist doing make-up and outfits.

FINALS

MODEL RELEASE FORMS + SELF REFLECTION

What went well?

I really enjoyed exploring the arts of futuristic fashion and experimenting with different kinds of lighting set ups. I am happy with the ideal outcomes that I came up with and I hope you experience more in the dramatic use of flash technique in the future.

What didn't work?

The only thing that I couldn't be able to do is use the same chrome sheet that I used in my 1st photoshoot with my first model.

What would you do differently next time?
I will use more props (like a necklace, cables, old cameras, etc.) and more movement instead of hand gestures.

Portfolio & Context

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Portfolio & Context

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