Thursday, October 1, 2009

My Photos - Fashion (Lighting II)

Clothing




Clothing #1


  • 27 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2





test strip

  • 25, 3o seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2

I used a natural light source for this photo. The cardigan is the main subject of this, and i attempted to achieve that by having her look down at it slightly.














Clothing #2

  • 35 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2






test strip
  • 36, 38, 40
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2

I wanted to subject the jeans and wanted to think of a pose that would compliment them and make them stand out. However, it just turned out as an awkward pose, though i still really like it. I did two final prints of this, one was lighter and the other was darker. I chose the lighter one because, even though the darker one had stronger blacks, the lighter was just easier on the eyes.













Clothing #3

  • 32 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2





test strip


  • 28, 30, 32, 34 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter:2

The actual final print of this was too light and slighly grey, but i guess it scanned into the computer well. There was not a direct light source coming from one direction because it was kind of an overcast day, so the minimal sunlight was spread evenly across the sky.










Shoes




Shoes #1

  • 28 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2

I wish I hadnt gone so dark on this one even though I needed to, to get the black to be black. The composistion is pretty basic too but I think it does the job to make the shoes the subject and I guess advertise the shoes.












Shoes #2

  • 24 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2






test strip


  • 24 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2

This is my favorite one because of the composistion. Shoes was the hardest section for me because they all looked the same, so this was just different from the rest, so I liked it. But I do think it is a little too dark. I was trying to get blacker blacks and whiter whites but it just ended up being too dark by her legs and on her feet. And I think there is too much depth of field by her hand, which was kind of an accident.












Shoes #3

  • 32 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2

This area where I took the photo was a little darker then the other places because I didn't have as much sun light, so 25 seconds (which was my default time) was too light. I opened the aperture on my camera and then when developing it, I still had to add more time.









Accessories





Accessories #1

  • 22 seconds
  • AP 5.6










test strip

  • 25 seconds
  • AP 5.6

This is a nice simple compostion showing her necklace. However, I think it is still too gray. Unfortunately I didnt use a filter for this one, which I probably should have. This was taken on a slightly overcast day so I did not have much available light. I turned the subject so that the sun that was actually out would be on the necklace/chest area.











Accessories #2

  • 26 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2







test strip

  • 25 seconds
  • AP 4
  • Filter: 2


I had originally intended this to be a photo for shoes but after I printed it, I thought that the accessories on her hand stood out more. This was an easy print to do because her shoes, shirt, and nails are black against the lighter grass and that enabled me to tell if i had enough black and white contrast.









Accessories #3

  • 27 seconds
  • Ap 4
  • Filter: 2









test strip

  • 24, 26, 28 seconds
  • AP 5.6


So I did a test strip for this one without the aperature and filter. But then I decided that it would need a filter and i would have to open my aperture. And it then after I had established the correct filter, etc., I used these settings on the rest of my prints because it looked better and all of my photographs were taken at the same time and location.





Contact Sheet



  • 25 seconds
  • AP 5.6


Image Bank - Fashion (Lighting II)


Untitled
by Albert Watson

Albert Watson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is blind in one eye but he has overcome the odds with creativity and hard work. He has work published in magazines such as Vogue, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone. He also works with some of the leading brand names such as Revlon, Levi’s, and Chanel. He not only works in fashion photography, but he also writes about photography.

I really like this photo because it is different from others advertising accessories. Instead of wearing the necklace, she is holding it in a seductive manner I guess. Her hair color, her ivory skin and the green necklace with the brown background all compliment eachother and give this photo an earthy feel, even though it is advertising a probably very expensive necklace. So I like the contrasting ideas.





Untitled
by Donald McPherson

Donald McPherson is a very high profile fashion photographer. He started his career as an assistant with several other photographers and has transformed his career to become one of the most renowned fashion photographers in Europe. He has worked published in The Russian Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bizaar, and other leading fashion magazines. He has also worked with celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Keira Knightly, and Gwen Stefani.

I chose this photo because I love the lights in the background. The whole scene sets an atmosphere for the photograph and it compliments the dress. The lighting in this would be very important because, the scene helps advertise and represent the dress.





Untitled
by Richard Warren

Richard Warren was born in Houston, texas and later he moved to the pacific northwest. He is now based in Manhattan’s Fashion District. Warren was 26 when he made his first break in Milan, he had a 40 page Couture editorial in Itailian Bazaar photographing Valentino and other top name couture designers.

I chose this because i think her stance is a quirky way to model the shoes and make them look good. The stance gives the appearence of marching and this emphasizes the shoes, without drawing too much attention away from the whole outfit.





Untitled
by James Hickey

James Hickey is based in Los Angeles. He specializes in advertising, beauty and glamour photography. His styles include vivid color and lots of beauty.

I really like the dress in this photo and so I chose this photo because of how well the dress was photographed for it to really catch someone's eye. The pale blue lighting is really pretty and with the flowing of the dress, this photo has a fairy-like quality.










Untitled
by James Nader

James Nader is based in the UK and has worked all around the world, New York, London, Paris, Milan and many in between. He has been working on honing and developing his own unique editing style and has so far been very successful because he stands out among others with his creativeness. He works with many art directors and editors.

I really like this photo because of the oddity of the pose. It really stands out to me. I also like the single spotlight on her which creates great shadows and gives a nice personality to the photo. The shadows don’t take away from the detail of the bag, either, which is the main accessory being advertised.






Untitled
by David Leslie Anthony

David Leslie Anthony began his fashion photography career in Los Angeles, Ca in 1990. He started off self-taught. But in later years after working in LA and Canada for a while, he moved to Europe to further his photographic education and career, mainly focusing on fashion. He has been very successful and getting his name around. He is now settled in Chicago (after Paris and Madrid) while primarily working in New York, Paris, London, Toronto, Miami, and Los Angeles.

I really love this photo. The clouds and the blue sky behind her are beautiful. The light from the sky almost makes her look washed out but I think it is effective in this way. The light also makes the dress look lovely, especially where she is holding it up and the light comes through.







Untitled
by Adam Rowell

Adam Rowell is based in San Diego, California and dedicates himself to fashion, advertising, and art portrait photography. Adam’s photography production studio in San Diego specializes in fashion, beauty, and glamour photography and has many ad agency and fashion designer clients.

I chose this photo because I really like the back lighting. It sets a clear contrast between the subject and the background, and with the backlight, her hair is lit up just right, effectively adding definition and texture. The accessories are not over done and I think the lighting really compliments the necklace because it appears dark against her skin and really stands out.

Darkroom Diary - October 2, 2009

This time in the darkroom went extremely fast and smooth. I developed my film and completed 8 prints in one class (plus a couple hours in the openlab). I was kind of at a slight disadvantage because I missed two classes so I had to rush and do most of it in one day. This is really unlike me because usually I am a pretty slow worker and like to take my time to get it just right (or close to it...) so I could have used a couple extra days to do it. Oh well.

From the last project, this project, and the one due next, I can see that we will be expected to work much faster, instead of like last year, taking 3 weeks to do just 3 or 4 prints. I like this better, and take it as a "challenge" or whatever, because it will force me to be more efficient and not waste as much time.

Theory Notes: Lighting (II)

Low and Sun Light

Some low light situations would include concerts, the night sky, sunsets, or anywhere/anytime when there is not enought light. Since there is not a great enough light source, you need to increase your camera's sensitivity to light. To do this you would increase the ISO. Then, you also would need to let more light in so you would make your Shutter speed slower so more light is let in. Also, to let more light in you open your aperature.



The only light source here is the light from the sparkler. With a slow shutter speed, the image is blurred and you can see the sparkler's light trail.

To learn more about shooting in low light click here.