Constructed Photography Journal

Constructed Photography Mellissa Pye Weekly Journal and Assignments

WEEK 1 During our first week of the module “constructed photography� we learnt how to assemble a lighting stand.

Firstly we were taught how to put up the stand correctly and safely by positioning the pieces of metal on the bottom of the tripod so they were parallel to the floor. This balances the stand correctly. Then altering the T shaped knobs you could change the height of the stand, but remembering to alter the lowest section first then working your way up .

Once the stand was at the correct height you can then attach the soft box to the bowens 500 flash head by simply twisting it till it clicks into place, this then fits onto the top of the lighting stand and is held into position by tightening the T shaped knob. The light will now turn on when the mains cable is attached to the back of bowens head and plugged in.

When linking the camera in the flash you can either use a sync cable by simply connecting the two, or by using a wireless transmitter. Also when photographing in a studio the colour of the background dramatically impacts how your photo will look. Using a colorama background you have the choice of many different colours.

This diagram shows how the bottom of the stand must look, the joining pieces of the stand must be parallel to the ground to ensure a sturdy stand for the light head.

WEEK 2

During week 2 we again practiced using the phase one DF with a camera to expand our skill set within studio photography. The camera we used was the IQ 140 Digital Back. I personally found this camera very advanced compared to ones I had previously used so it was good to push myself with something new. The task set was to capture a portrait of somebody else using specific camera and lighting.

A part of the camera will helped us improve our final images was the Diopter Correctional eyepiece. This allowed us to improve the sharpness as the image according to our own individual eyesight. Using this combined with the manual focus setting we managed to get clear sharp portraits.

As part of this module we have been learning about how photo shoots actually work within the industry and the paperwork that goes along side it, for example the call sheet. This is simply a document that shows the photographers name or sometimes the logo and the

concept of the shoot, then followed by a list of names of the people involved in the shoot and their roles. The trades present on a shoot can range from photographer to model or to something out of the ordinary such as an animal trainer.

Below is an aperture sequence combined with the appropriate shutter speed sequence below. The aperture setting relates to how small or large the lens is and therefore how much light hits the sensor of the camera. This is combined with the varying shutter speeds allows for a photographer to control how much of the image is actually in complete focus.

f2 f2.8 f4 1/4sec 1/8 1/15

f5.6 f8 f16 1/30 1/60 1/120

To finish this week A task for us to do in our own each of the four groups time this week was to watch got given their title for their the film based on photograph fashion briefs, my groups being Richard Avedon called “Bollywood Ballet”. As long as getting “Darkness and light” and our briefs for next week being about write a 200 word review. how to use lighting to create scary portraits, we also got set the task to create a presentation for ideas for our fashion brief.

WEEK 3 In week 3 our task was to create portraits of each other but with lighting that would create a scary atmosphere. To do this we set up 4 Bowens 500w heads with softboxs on tripods in specific positions that would create shadows.

Then using the Phase IQ 140 Digital Back camera linked to a Mac book Pro with a sync cable. Having someone check on the mac combined with the photographer using the Diopter contol on the camera itself ensured the photograph was in focus producing a sharp image. To capture this image we also used a radio transmitter and reviever between the camera and the lights to make sure evrything we were using was in sync. Both my original image and my edit can be seen here.

Along side develpoing our photoshop skills we also worked within the capture one software. When we opened the app on the mac we got the option to name our session, from here we could take images on the camera which would then automatically be uploaded into this session folder. From here we could see any white balance adjustment that was needed.

The images we took this week using this technique were then downloaded by our team leader for distribution to the rest of the group.

Original

Edit

In this weeks lecture were asked to produced our magazine cover shoot presentations showing our initial ideas which we present to the class nect week. We also got set the task for next week which was to prepare and prop ourselves to recreate a portrait by Richard Avedon.

WEEK 4

In week 3 we got set the task to prepare and prop ourselves to recreate a Richard Avedon portrait during week 4. Depending on our chosen portrait most of us used the white background lighting plan with consisted of 3 flash heads on tripod. To change the colour of the background we changed the colourama background roll, for my own image I used a white background. We then shot using a Nikon D800 which we connected to the mac with a tether security cable. Here you can see my image compared to the original Avedon portrait.

In this weeks lecture we learnt about the colour temperature scale measured in degrees kelvin, in which a photographer can see the different light temperatures depending on the source. We were given the task to create our own colour temperature scale and place 10 light sources on the Kelvin Scale.

Summer sunlight (8000k to 6500k)

Early morning sun (4500k)

Overcast sky (6000k to 7500k)

BLUE

Sunrise/ Sunset (2000k)

ORANGE

“Ultra Daylight” Fluorescent (6500k)

Tungsten Lamp (3000k) “Daylight” Fluorescent (5000k)

Household Tungsten Lamp (2500k to 2900k)

RED

Candle Flame (2000k) Match Flame (1000k)

In week 4’s lecture as a group we presented our first initial ideas of our magazine cover shoot. Above our some of the images we included in our presentation. We looked at bollywood themed images, existing bollywood magazines and bollywood inspired make up for our models.

To prepare for next week each group was asked to bring a light source, other then flash. We also got told to prepare ourselves in order to come dressed as a movie character for the task which will be set in week 7.

WEEK 5 Our week 5 seminar was very much based on light sources within a studio. Previously we had only been working with the Flash or ambient lights sources within the studio but now we got to experiment with lights where the colour temperatures vary. With 4 new different light sources we used the flash meter to get accurate settings for each light, depending on the source of the light the light exposure time would vary. For example the fainter coloured lights that were near the front of the frame needed longer exposure compared to the brighter lights.

In this seminar we also experimented with moving light sources within the frame to show the effect when there was a long exposure time set on the camera.

In this seminar we were also introduced to some new tools in the studio we hadn’t used before, such as the Bowens travel pack.

This is essentially a battery pack that we enable a photographer to use a flash head without having it attached to a main electricity socket. We also used a reflector dish on one of the light sources, this is a dish which can either be a specialised object can be easily improvised which bounces a light source back at an object. As part of expanding our skills for using multiple light sources within on frame we experimented using a coloured lighting gel over one of the modelling lights. This helped alter the colour temperature of the lighting source. We also used a Manual flash trigger which allowed us to manually set off the flash gun remotely.

In this weeks lecture we were introduced to the website A.O.P (www.the-aop.org).

This website stands for the association of photographers and helps protect photographs and their rights. This websites aim is to help and educate photographers in the industry but most importantly to protect and defend their rights.

We further developed our skills into the paperwork needed of working within the industry we looked at the purpose of a call sheet again, but also model release forms, licenses, copyright and permits. We learnt that permits are especially important when your both photographing in public spaces or property.

For next’s week task we were asked to bring an item of food suitable for using it in a white background demo.

WEEK 6 For this weeks task we once again used the capture one software combined with the Phase One IQ 140 camera to shoot our food on a white background. We set up one bowens 500 flash head with a wireless flash trigger to illuinate the frame and the white colorama paper background. The flash was set high to make sure all the shadows were eliminated from the background, this would create a clear white background. Also to make sure our item of food was in perfect focus we set the the camera to f22 to allow the depth of field capture the whole frame.

We captured the images in raw so we could edit them more specifically such as changing the levels, colour temp, cropping, reduce the hightlights and lighten the shadows. We also edited the saturation of the image so the white background was pure white (255). We then saved the image as a tiff.

WEEK 7

In this week we had to come prepared so we appeared to look like a movie character, I chose Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. We set up 2 Bowens 500 flash heads and took our images using the phase one IQ 140 camera combined with the capture one software.

For this week we were marked on how we propped ourselves including make up, wigs and props but also how we directed our model to look when we were taking their photograph. For this we had to position the model in various poses that would fit appropriately according to our film choice. For example for Wizard of oz I had a Toto teddy and had to look like I was lost. This meant good communication between the model and the photographer was key but also as usual, the communication between the mac operator and the photographer must but good to make sure the image was in focus.

WEEK 8 Week 8 was the starting week for each group to capture there magazine cover image. This meant when group one was in the studio to photographer their model the other 3 groups got given a separate task to do outside of university grounds then would come back to discuss how Group ones shoot went and share their feedback.

This system of each group being in the studio will continue for the next 3 weeks after this, meaning group 2 will be in the studio in week 9 and groups 1, 3 and 4 doing the other tasks.

This weeks task outside the studio consisted of us travelling outside university grounds to ask members of there public to be a part of our photographs. Our aim we to get ten photographs showing people with different age ranges. For example the first image would show a child aged 1 to 10 holding one finger up, the second aged 11 to 20 holding two fingers up and so on. I personally found this a good task for us to push ourselves as photographers as we had to be confident and approach strangers whilst acting professional. Within the 2 hour time slot I got 7 out of 10.

These tasks also pushed us to act under pressure as we also only had the two hour time frame to capture our images in. This was proven by the embedded meta data in the raw files which showed the time and date of when the image was taken. As Brief A was the first of our 3 briefs, B and C will be given on the next two mornings of week 9 and 10.

In the lecture this week we confirmed as how to hand in our journal and in what format. The journal must be saved as a PDF and uploaded on to an online blog such as tumblr or wix. After this we also revisited the theory behind the industry by looking at the industry map.

WEEK 9

As discussed in week 8 during week 9 it was group two’s turn in the studio to do their magazine cover shoot theme of gangster chic.

Whilst this was happening groups one, three and four where doing the washing line task in which they were given a brief and had to follow it word for word. This task challenged us to test how well we could follow instructions. A key part of this brief was that we were given 5 small pegs to hang things off a washing line but we actually only needed to hang 4 objects and leave one peg empty. This was a part of the brief a lot of people admitted to missing out on when we discussed it afterwards. A copy of the brief can be seen below.

Each “washing line” had to follow a theme, the five themes we were given were; identity, finance, consumption, waste and recreation/leisure. My five images can be seen here.

Identity

Finance

Consumption

Waste

Recreation/Leisure In preparation for next weeks task we were asked to find a small object that we would need for next week’s task. Unlike the other weeks we were told a little bit about net weeks brief. Our chosen object would have to be placed and photographed in 15 scenarios on which we would get on Monday. These images would have to be taken between 9am and 12 midday, this would again be proven by the meta data.

WEEK 10 As group 3 during week 10 it was our turn to enter the studio to capture images suitable for our “Bollywood Ballet� themed magazine cover. To prepare for this we had a model ready with a suitable costume and bollywood themed make up. To save time half of us went in the studio to set up the lighting on the white colorama background so it was completely illuminated, whilst a few of us went to help prepare the model.

Our shot ran smoothly with no problems besides a few glitches when we struggled with camera settings being right for the lighting. This week we were pushed to work together as a team so we all benefited but also as individuals when it came to doing our photographs and how we directed our model to how we wanted them. Some of my original images can be seen here.

WEEK 11 Due to brief C being set when my group was in the studio, week 11 was our 3 hour time slot to complete it. Our task was to insert an object of our choice within 15 different scenarios, I chose a mug for my object and went into the city centre to complete it. The 15 different scenarios were: 1. A shop assistant/cashier clearly in a shop environment, looking at the camera 2. An aircraft (airborne). Object should be airborne.

3. An animal that is kept as a pet.

4. A clock in a public place showing 11 o’clock.

5. A street performance/entertainer.6. Someone wearing red shoes.

7. A mannequin (you must not be looking through a window).

8. A statue of a human.

9. A vehicle registration plate where a word has been formed by the order of the letters/numbers.

10.Clothes hanging in a fashion store changing room.

11. A real traffic light with Red and Amber illuminated.

12. A bus stop with at least 4 people waiting for a bus.

13. A water feature.

14. An outdoor staircase (not ladder).

15. A wheelchair/disabled symbol painted on a road surface.

ASSIGNMENTS

1

Produce a monochromatic “head shot” of a ficticious author for use on the rear of a novel dust jacket.

(25cmx40cm at 300d.p.i)

2 Produce a street fashion series of images.

Twenty final images are required to construct a “picture only” feature. Create a double page spread with your final 20 images, ready to go to print in a named magazine of your choice.

I chose to use shoes as my subject for this fashion piece and my double page spread would be suitable for print in a magazine such as hello. My double page spread can be seen on the next two pages.

T

he Closet of a Shoe Queen

F

rom fresh nikes to flying high stilettos, it’s every girls dream...

3

Design a “call� sheet for an advertising/ editorial shoot to list all possible services/personnel.

Submit 2 versions, a black copy and one completed for your group fashion shoot.

Mellissa Pye Photographer

Photoshoot Call sheet Date: 30th November 2016 Time: 9am - 11am

Mellissa Pye Photographer

Photoshoot Call sheet Date: Time: Assignment: Location:

Media: Concept:

Photographer: Lighiting assistant: Assistant: Model: Make up stylist: Hair stylist: Wardrobe stylist:

Photographer: Mellissa Pye

Lighiting assistant: Assignment: Bollywood Ballet Euan Russell Photoshoot Assistant: Location: Headingley Campus Aran Whalley Studio Model: Media: RAW capture Rhianne Bedward Concept: Bollywood themed Make up stylist: Rhianne Bedward photoshoot of single model dress appropriatly on white back ground with no shadows Hair stylist: Kate Dixon Wardrobe stylist: Mellissa Pye/Verena Ellis

4

In assigned groups, you will be given a brief for a magazine cover shoot. You will design your own cover and make all arrangements for the shoot. Each member of your group will shoot images in turn and you will use one of your own images for your front page layout.

Submit a finished front page cover layout, complete with magazine title and copy.

The brief our group was given was Bollywood Ballet and my final cover can be seen here.

7

500 word Appraisal of the Module and Performance

At the start of the module Constructed Photography I at first struggled to understand the new terminology and the overall structure of this new genre of photography.

Due to having very little experience within a studio I felt slightly overwhelmed but after becoming more and more familiar each week with the equipment I soon began to gain confidence. I think due to my lack of experience I grew a dislike to the module at the start but fully appreciated the new skills I was developing and slowly began to enjoy the seminars more.

A part of the module I enjoyed learning about was the theory and planning behind a real photoshoot within the industry, and then having to put this in to practice for our magazine cover shoot was a good challenge. When planning for our shoot I felt we worked well as a group with good communication between us, which I think showed on the day of our shoot as we weren’t face with any unexpected problems. It was a good challenge to work within a group but also make sure everyones individual plans, and how they wanted their images to look, were considered. The shoot went very well and I was pleased with how my final images turned out but I also felt the skills I had learnt were reflected

in my work.

An area which I also enjoyed learning about was the how different lighting structures can effect the presentation of your photograph depending on the amount of shadows or light you wanted. This was particularly evident in the week where we created dark, scary images with lots of shadows within the photograph. I furthermore enjoyed this week as I felt it was very different to the other seminars in which we gained very important skills for studio photography.

Overall I felt I enjoyed this module the more knowledge I learnt as I became more comfortable in the studio environment. I also feel like I have achieved in improving my time management more this semester which was an aim from first year as I left a lot of work till late, meaning it wasn’t as good as it could have been. Learning from this I tired to continue doing my work throughout the semester as much as possible. This meant in some cases having to book the studio outside our class schedule when I missed a seminar.

Even though it effected my attendance slightly it also meant it pushed me to use my skills without having a lecturer to “check” I was doing it correctly. Even though I struggled at the start I soon found myself enjoying the module more and hope to use these new skills again in future work.