IMG_0071.JPG
IMG_0030.JPG
IMG_0005.JPG The first picture shown here presents the subject, Josh, protecting himself with a shield. He plays the role of a pawn in a chess-board. I tried to angle the image in the right way but what impresses me the most is that even though conventions stablish that high-angled pictures make the
IMG_0019.JPG
IMG_0034.JPG subject look vulnerable, here Josh doesn’t look it, he rather looks ready for action, ready for the battle. He shows the same mischievous look in all the remaining images. He kinds of looks up with such a confidence that made all images suitable for any role in the strategic game of chess.
IMG_0047.JPG
IMG_0045.JPG
IMG_0003.JPG Even though he was a really good model and had a lot to give to the camera, I didn’t take all the pictures in the right way. Sometimes I had the zoom to close to his face and missed the other details that usually compose a good image. Sometimes, the iconography wasn’t on the right position and I had to correct
IMG_0049.JPG
IMG_0042.JPG him after realising both that the light didn’t fully reach it or that it was all too squished in. Naturally, there were times where I caught him blinking, so I had to discard this images. On the image 0003, the symbol of the crown was facing backwards so you could only see the crown without knowing what it represented.
Open the original file.
Finish darkening the background.
Burn the most highlighted areas with Burn Tool.
Add a layer of Levels to correct the light
Add a layer of Brightness and Contrast.
Add a layer of Colour Balance and highlight the tones that most interest you.
Try to isolate his silhouette.
Finally add a layer of Curves to enhance the tonalities.
I am really happy with the results of this shoot because the final outcome looks intense and vibrant. From the colour and the contrast between his figure and the dark background to the look in his eyes and the light lighting up half of his face. Besides, the subject is completely centred in the middle of the frame and the tonalities of the image merge you into a mysterious atmosphere that sets up the mood of strategy and makes you think already about what the project is about. I had fun editing the picture because I enjoyed seeing how it turned into something great from what it was.
DSC_0076
DSC_0077
DSC_0078
DSC_0079
DSC_0105
DSC_0106
DSC_0080
DSC_0081
DSC_0083
DSC_0084
DSC_0109
DSC_0110
DSC_0085
DSC_0086
DSC_0087
DSC_0088
DSC_0113
DSC_0114
DSC_0089
DSC_0090
DSC_0091
DSC_0092
DSC_0117
DSC_0118
DSC_0093
DSC_0094
DSC_0095
DSC_0096
DSC_0121
DSC_0122
DSC_0097
DSC_0098
DSC_0099
DSC_0100
DSC_0125
DSC_0126
DSC_0101
DSC_0102
DSC_0103
DSC_0104
DSC_0129
DSC_0130
DSC_0133
DSC_0134
DSC_0135
DSC_0136
DSC_0137
DSC_0138
DSC_0139
DSC_0140
DSC_0141
DSC_0142
DSC_0143
DSC_0144
DSC_0145
DSC_0146
DSC_0147
DSC_0148
DSC_0149
DSC_0150
DSC_0151
DSC_0152
DSC_0153
DSC_0154
DSC_0155
IMG_0155.JPG
IMG_0080.JPG
IMG_0147.JPG
IMG_0122.JPG
IMG_094.JPG IMG_0123.JPG These are some of the best pictures I could get of Adam, who kindly accepted to volunteer to be my model when I asked him to. As with the rest of subjects I asked him to hold certain objects that I had previously made for the shoot. I explained the positions on how to hold them and after some trial and er-
ror, we achieved the right results. Even though he seemed relaxed, I didn’t tell him to straighten up because the posture of his body looked right for the roles I had him planned to fulfil on the chessboard. I used the rule of thirds and tried to highlight the contrast of his hair and the background as well as the texture of it.
Here I present the pictures that didn’t fully-convince me. The first one shows the sword too close to his face and has a shadow due to the position of it. It should have been put forward so the light bulb positioned at his left side could reach the object without problem. There was also a gradient of light going from
darker to lighter in the background. It didn’t bother me too much at the time but I thought it would be better not to have so the edition process would be faster. The facial expressions are really important in this project, and here he is smiling. I require serious gestures to convey the values of strategy.
Open the original image
Add a layer of Brightness and Contrast
Select the silhouette of the subject and refine it
Fix up the levels of the image
Open your background image and replace it
Make sure the silhouette is well cut off
Make the background layer visible again.
Given that the original background was light coloured, I had it easier to remove it and replace it for the image I had thought off. However, it seemed difficult to me to select the little bits of his hair. I achieved a nearly good enough result after loads of concentration and time spent on refining his silhouette. I applied previous knowledge when it comes to levels, brightness, contrast and curves. The shoot wasn’t complicated either and it served me as experience talking to models and arranging the positions they had to make. I would recommend more practice on editing just to speed up the process.
DSC_0005.JPG
DSC_0006.JPG
DSC_0007.JPG
DSC_0008.JPG
DSC_0033.JPG
DSC_0034.JPG
DSC_0
DSC_0009.JPG
DSC_0010.JPG
DSC_0011.JPG
DSC_0012.JPG
DSC_0037.JPG
DSC_0038.JPG
DSC_0
DSC_0013.JPG
DSC_0014.JPG
DSC_0015.JPG
DSC_0016.JPG
DSC_0114.JPG DSC_0041.JPG
DSC_0115.JPG DSC_0042.JPG
DSC_0 DSC_0
DSC_0017.JPG
DSC_0018.JPG
DSC_0019.JPG
DSC_0020.JPG
DSC_0118.JPG DSC_0045.JPG
DSC_0119.JPG DSC_0046.JPG
DSC_0 DSC_0
DSC_0021.JPG
DSC_0022.JPG
DSC_0023.JPG
DSC_0024.JPG
DSC_0122.JPG DSC_0049.JPG
DSC_0123.JPG DSC_0050.JPG
DSC_0 DSC_0
DSC_0025.JPG
DSC_0026.JPG
DSC_0027.JPG
DSC_0028.JPG
DSC_0126.JPG
DSC_0127.JPG
DSC_0
DSC_0029.JPG
DSC_0030.JPG
DSC_0031.JPG
DSC_0032.JPG
DSC_0130.JPG
DSC_0131.JPG
DSC_0
0035.JPG
DSC_0036.JPG
DSC_0086.JPG
DSC_0087.JPG
DSC_0088.JPG
DSC_0089.JPG
0039.JPG
DSC_0040.JPG
DSC_0090.JPG
DSC_0091.JPG
DSC_0092.JPG
DSC_0093.JPG
0116.JPG 0043.JPG
DSC_0117.JPG DSC_0044.JPG
DSC_0094.JPG
DSC_0095.JPG
DSC_0096.JPG
DSC_0097.JPG
0120.JPG 0047.JPG
DSC_0121.JPG DSC_0048.JPG
DSC_0098.JPG
DSC_0099.JPG
DSC_0100.JPG
DSC_0101.JPG
0124.JPG 0051.JPG
DSC_0125.JPG DSC_0085.JPG
DSC_0102.JPG
DSC_0103.JPG
DSC_0104.JPG
DSC_0105.JPG
0128.JPG
DSC_0129.JPG
DSC_0106.JPG
DSC_0107.JPG
DSC_0108.JPG
DSC_0109.JPG
0132.JPG
DSC_0133.JPG
DSC_0110.JPG
DSC_0111.JPG
DSC_0112.JPG
DSC_0113.JPG
IMG_0086.JPG
IMG_0079.JPG
IMG_0143.JPG
IMG_0130.JPG These are some of the best images of the shoot. I asked her not to smile since I wanted a serious face to transmit emotion but restrained. I tried to follow the instructions given by my teachers and take the pictures vertically to conform to portraiture conventions, but I also wanted to experiment
for myself and see what results I could get if I took some in landscape mode. I concentrated all the light source on the upper side of her body, from her head and surroundings to her elbows. I didn’t pay too much attention to her legs or hips because I knew I was going to cut off that part of the image.
IMG_0143.JPG
IMG_0101.JPG
IMG_0055.JPG
IMG_0006.JPG Taking pictures to girls with long hair can sometimes be complicated because they cover the iconography or create shadows very difficult to remove later in post-production. On the first picture, for example, we can’t see the necklace, so I discarded the photograph and asked her to pull her hair back. This worked
and I got a very neat picture including her face, her hair and the necklace. I also had to set up the camera correctly because the light conditions had change since I had set up the studio, so some of the pictures were too dark at the beginning till I noticed. Sometimes it was the angle what didn’t convince me.
Open your original image
Select the silhouette and then refine it.
Enlighten the shield’s symbol by using Dodge
Add a Levels layer to bring up the light
Cut it, open your background and then paste it
Emphasize this by adding a Brightness & Contrast layer
This is how the final result should be looking like.
This shoot was successful. I feel I accomplished all my goals with it since I got enough footage to edit and use in my project. I experimented new techniques in Photoshop when selecting her silhouette. I didn’t make too much changes on her skin or face in general because they were no needed and also because I wanted to keep her as natural as possible. It was a challenge to change the background to white because it was originally darker, though not completely black. However I am happy with the results. I could investigate more methods of changing the background just to speed up the process of editing.
DSC_0014.JPG
DSC_0015.JPG
DSC_0016.JPG
DSC_0017.JPG
DSC_0065.JPG
DSC_0066.JPG
DSC
DSC_0027.JPG
DSC_0028.JPG
DSC_0029.JPG
DSC_0030.JPG
DSC_0069.JPG
DSC_0070.JPG
DSC
DSC_0031.JPG
DSC_0032.JPG
DSC_0033.JPG
DSC_0034.JPG
DSC_0073.JPG
DSC_0074.JPG
DSC
DSC_0035.JPG
DSC_0036.JPG
DSC_0037.JPG
DSC_0038.JPG
DSC_0077.JPG
DSC_0078.JPG
DSC
DSC_0039.JPG
DSC_0040.JPG
DSC_0041.JPG
DSC_0042.JPG
DSC_0081.JPG
DSC_0082.JPG
DSC
DSC_0043.JPG
DSC_0044.JPG
DSC_0059.JPG
DSC_0060.JPG
DSC_0097.JPG
DSC_0098.JPG
DSC
DSC_0061.JPG
DSC_0062.JPG
DSC_0063.JPG
DSC_0064.JPG
DSC_0101.JPG
DSC_0102.JPG
DSC
DSC_0067.JPG
DSC_0068.JPG
DSC_0001.JPG
DSC_0002.JPG
DSC_0003.JPG
DSC_0004.JPG
DSC_0071.JPG
DSC_0072.JPG
DSC_0005.JPG
DSC_0006.JPG
DSC_0007.JPG
DSC_0008.JPG
DSC_0075.JPG
DSC_0076.JPG
DSC_0018.JPG
DSC_0019.JPG
DSC_0020.JPG
DSC_0021.JPG
DSC_0079.JPG
DSC_0080.JPG
DSC_0022.JPG
DSC_0023.JPG
DSC_0024.JPG
DSC_0025.JPG
DSC_0095.JPG
DSC_0096.JPG
DSC_0026.JPG
DSC_0045.JPG
DSC_0046.JPG
DSC_0047.JPG
DSC_0099.JPG
DSC_0100.JPG
DSC_0048.JPG
DSC_0049.JPG
DSC_0050.JPG
DSC_0051.JPG
DSC_0103.JPG
DSC_0104.JPG
DSC_0052.JPG
DSC_0053.JPG
DSC_0054.JPG
DSC_0055.JPG
IMG_0028.JPG
IMG_0027.JPG IMG_0054.JPG
IMG_0068.JPG
IMG_0078.JPG
IMG_0026.JPG Alex is a drama student so he already had some experience being in front of cameras or people asking him to pretend to do something. Working with him was easy and fun. He had no problems posing for me, and what I liked the most was the way he gazed the lens of the camera, with that mischievous look. It made the pictures
IMG_0113.JPG
IMG_0038.JPG more interesting. Even though he was wearing his Christmas hat, the iconography was perfectly seeable so I didn’t make him take it off. Plus, it was part of his style and personality, so I didn’t want to change that. The photographs are all centred and they all show colour and joy, another value.
IMG_0082.JPG
IMG_0001.JPG
I generally regret having the light bulb so close to my subject because he having a white skin, the light reflected on him really much. Sometimes the positions of his head wasn’t the correct one and the light messed up creating shadows were it shouldn’t or lines on the iconography. This was a good experience though
IMG_0108.JPG
because I understood what I was doing wrong and it prevented me of making the same mistake again. It could be said that this shoot particularly taught me some basic things I applied in all the shoots afterwards when it comes to positioning the model and arranging the light bulb position in the studio.
Open your original image
Add a Curves layer and play with the tones to bring up the colours
With a layer of Brightness and Contrast get rid off the exessive lighting in certain areas
Darken the background correcting the Colour Balance
Finally add a layer of Levels to enhance the dramatic effect and let the shadows surround the silouette a bit.
As I have mentioned before, this shoot was crucial. I had so many problems with the light that I was constantly wondering what was the cause of it. It made me apply all the theory I had studied about working in a studio, and this I consider a good experience because I had to draw upon my knowledge and experiment till I found the solution to my problems. When it comes to editing, I can say that I struggle with light again, but I could fix it adding layers of Brightness and Contrast and changing the amounts of each one to a considerable figure.
DSC_0242.JPG
DSC_0243.JPG
DSC_0244.JPG
DSC_0245.JPG
DSC_0270.JPG
DSC_0271.JPG
DSC_0272.JP
DSC_0246.JPG
DSC_0247.JPG
DSC_0248.JPG
DSC_0249.JPG
DSC_0274.JPG
DSC_0275.JPG
DSC_0276.JP
DSC_0250.JPG
DSC_0251.JPG
DSC_0252.JPG
DSC_0253.JPG
DSC_0278.JPG
DSC_0279.JPG
DSC_0280.JP
DSC_0254.JPG
DSC_0255.JPG
DSC_0256.JPG
DSC_0257.JPG
DSC_0282.JPG
DSC_0283.JPG
DSC_0284.JP
DSC_0258.JPG
DSC_0259.JPG
DSC_0260.JPG
DSC_0261.JPG
DSC_0286.JPG
DSC_0287.JPG
DSC_0288.JP
DSC_0262.JPG
DSC_0263.JPG
DSC_0264.JPG
DSC_0265.JPG
DSC_0290.JPG
DSC_0291.JPG
DSC_0292.JP
DSC_0266.JPG
DSC_0267.JPG
DSC_0268.JPG
DSC_0269.JPG
DSC_0294.JPG
DSC_0295.JPG
DSC_0296.JP
DSC_0271.JPG
DSC_0272.JPG
DSC_0273.JPG
DSC_0298.JPG
DSC_0299.JPG
DSC_0300.JPG
DSC_0301.J
DSC_0275.JPG
DSC_0276.JPG
DSC_0277.JPG
DSC_0302.JPG
DSC_0303.JPG
DSC_0304.JPG
DSC_0305.J
DSC_0279.JPG
DSC_0280.JPG
DSC_0281.JPG
DSC_0306.JPG
DSC_0307.JPG
DSC_0308.JPG
DSC_0309.J
DSC_0283.JPG
DSC_0284.JPG
DSC_0285.JPG
DSC_0310.JPG
DSC_0311.JPG
DSC_0312.JPG
DSC_0313.J
DSC_0287.JPG
DSC_0288.JPG
DSC_0289.JPG
DSC_0314.JPG
DSC_0315.JPG
DSC_0316.JPG
DSC_0317.J
DSC_0291.JPG
DSC_0292.JPG
DSC_0293.JPG
DSC_0318.JPG
DSC_0319.JPG
DSC_0320.JPG
DSC_0321.J
DSC_0295.JPG
DSC_0296.JPG
DSC_0297.JPG
DSC_0322.JPG
DSC_0323.JPG
DSC_0324.JPG
DSC_0325.J
IMG_0308.JPG
IMG_0333.JPG
IMG_0282.JPG
IMG_0243.JPG
IMG_0306.JPG What I like about this photographies is the seriousness of his facial expression. It enhances the power of the images and helps me transmit part of the main message of the project. In terms of composition they are all suitable for the final purpose as the lighting is correct and all iconography can be
IMG_0289.JPG
IMG_0270.JPG easily seen. The subject is centred using the rule of thirds which is always convenient when it comes to portraiture photography. I like the way the light reflects on the fabrics of the jacket he is wearing and how the same light creates shadows on his face, making everything more mysterious and dramatic.
IMG_0263.JPG However, in this shoot seen at all. In some of the images the objects there were some pictures that didn’t fully accomsuch as the crowns or the sword are misplaced. plished what I was exFor example in the picpecting to achieve. Sometimes the gestures or the ture 0263, the crown is body language didn’t about to fall. Or in the convince me at all and we picture 0333 the sword is too close to his face. had to re-shoot the same None of this pictures photograph. Sometimes the light didn’t cover the transmit the feeling I would like to convey at subject enough and the the end of the project. iconography couldn’t be
Open your original image
Select the silhouette of Add your background the subject
Add a layer of Curves to correct the colour tones and add more intensity to the image
Deselect the silhouette leaving it only with the background
Finally crop it in square form so it fits with the final template
The shoot and edition of these pictures was a new experience for me because not only didn’t I know the person I was taking pictures to but I also encountered several impediments at the editing process. Selecting the silhouette took me some time but after refining it and putting against a plain white background everything got easier. I am happy with the result because in comparison to other of my outcomes, this one didn’t end up having an aura of blur surrounding it and I would say that the mayority of the details are sharp. I’d say that for the next time I shoot I should try to be less shy and ask for what I really want even though I don’t know the person. That way I would get more confident results.
DSC_0100.JPG
DSC_0101.JPG
DSC_0102.JPG
DSC_0103.JPG
DSC_0128.JPG
DSC_0129.JPG
DSC_0130.JPG
DSC_0104.JPG
DSC_0105.JPG
DSC_0106.JPG
DSC_0107.JPG
DSC_0132.JPG
DSC_0133.JPG
DSC_0134.JPG
DSC_0108.JPG
DSC_0109.JPG
DSC_0110.JPG
DSC_0111.JPG
DSC_0136.JPG
DSC_0137.JPG
DSC_0138.JPG
DSC_0112.JPG
DSC_0113.JPG
DSC_0114.JPG
DSC_0115.JPG
DSC_0140.JPG
DSC_0141.JPG
DSC_0142.JPG
DSC_0116.JPG
DSC_0117.JPG
DSC_0118.JPG
DSC_0119.JPG
DSC_0144.JPG
DSC_0145.JPG
DSC_0146.JPG
DSC_0120.JPG
DSC_0121.JPG
DSC_0122.JPG
DSC_0123.JPG
DSC_0148.JPG
DSC_0149.JPG
DSC_0150.JPG
DSC_0124.JPG
DSC_0125.JPG
DSC_0126.JPG
DSC_0127.JPG
DSC_0152.JPG
DSC_0153.JPG
DSC_0154.JPG
DSC_0131.JPG
DSC_0156.JPG
DSC_0157.JPG
DSC_0158.JPG
DSC_0159.JPG
DSC_0135.JPG
DSC_0160.JPG
DSC_0161.JPG
DSC_0162.JPG
DSC_0163.JPG
DSC_0139.JPG
DSC_0164.JPG
DSC_0165.JPG
DSC_0166.JPG
DSC_0167.JPG
DSC_0143.JPG
DSC_0168.JPG
DSC_0169.JPG
DSC_0170.JPG
DSC_0171.JPG
DSC_0147.JPG
DSC_0172.JPG
DSC_0173.JPG
DSC_0174.JPG
DSC_0175.JPG
DSC_0151.JPG
DSC_0176.JPG
DSC_0177.JPG
DSC_0178.JPG
DSC_0179.JPG
DSC_0155.JPG
DSC_0180.JPG
DSC_0181.JPG
DSC_0182.JPG
DSC_0183.JPG
DSC_0184.JPG
DSC_0185.JPG
DSC_0188.JPG
DSC_0189.JPG
IMG_0181.JPG IMG_0125.JPG
IMG_0101.JPG IMG_0187.JPG
I liked the way this model was dressing that day. He had such an intelectual look. This is one of the values I wanted to convey within the project because, after all, intelligence is needed to use strategy and to play chess. Technically speaking, I am glad to be able to say that the pictures all conform to photogra-
IMG_0168.JPG
IMG_0170.JPG
IMG_0163.JPG
phy conventions since I have had in mind rules such as the rule of thirds, centering the subject and specially, making sure all iconography can be seen properly. I like the first picture (0187) because of the shape his silhouette produces in the picture overall. I think it would be a stunning token of the chess
The first image starting from the left side looks really dark. I wouldn’t have minded retouching on Photoshop but I preferred to take a good picture so the looks are more natural at the end. The second photograph has been well taken in terms of composition and light, and angles and so on. However, I wasn’t convinced with
his body language and position in general because he looked too stiff. So I decided to make him pose again till I got the result I was looking for. The thir image is a bit curved to one side because I didn’t hold the camera steadily and the subject was looking too up, so I decided to discard this one too.
Open your original image
Deselect the silhouette
Select and refine the silhouette of the subject
Open the background you’ve chosen
Add a layer of Brightness and Contrast and decrease the Brightness so the background stands out.
Cut and paste the silhouette creating a new layer
Finally, add a layer of Curves to make the final tweaks.
The editing process of these set of pictures has been one of the simplests. The mayority of the pictures were easy to take as the subject cooperated and had a natural look that made everything easier. With practice, I am feeling I get better at defining the silhouettes and once I have made people pose for me on the same positions, I feel more confident knowing what I have to do. For future reference, I would recommend trying to schedule models to come all in the same day at different times as this time I achieved greater results having the studio set up on the same conditions for several shoots.
DSC_0001.JPG
DSC_0002.JPG
DSC_0003.JPG
DSC_0004.JPG
DSC_0029.JPG
DSC_0030.JPG
DSC_0031.JPG
DSC_0005.JPG
DSC_0006.JPG
DSC_0007.JPG
DSC_0008.JPG
DSC_0033.JPG
DSC_0034.JPG
DSC_0035.JPG
DSC_0009.JPG
DSC_0010.JPG
DSC_0011.JPG
DSC_0012.JPG
DSC_0037.JPG
DSC_0038.JPG
DSC_0039.JPG
DSC_0013.JPG
DSC_0014.JPG
DSC_0015.JPG
DSC_0016.JPG
DSC_0041.JPG
DSC_0042.JPG
DSC_0043.JPG
DSC_0017.JPG
DSC_0018.JPG
DSC_0019.JPG
DSC_0020.JPG
DSC_0045.JPG
DSC_0046.JPG
DSC_0047.JPG
DSC_0021.JPG
DSC_0022.JPG
DSC_0023.JPG
DSC_0024.JPG
DSC_0049.JPG
DSC_0050.JPG
DSC_0051.JPG
DSC_0025.JPG
DSC_0026.JPG
DSC_0027.JPG
DSC_0028.JPG
DSC_0053.JPG
DSC_0054.JPG
DSC_0055.JPG
G
DSC_0032.JPG
DSC_0057.JPG
DSC_0058.JPG
DSC_0059.JPG
DSC_0060.JPG
G
DSC_0036.JPG
DSC_0061.JPG
DSC_0062.JPG
DSC_0063.JPG
DSC_0064.JPG
G
DSC_0040.JPG
DSC_0065.JPG
DSC_0066.JPG
DSC_0067.JPG
DSC_0068.JPG
G
DSC_0044.JPG
DSC_0069.JPG
DSC_0070.JPG
DSC_0071.JPG
DSC_0072.JPG
G
DSC_0048.JPG
DSC_0073.JPG
DSC_0074.JPG
DSC_0075.JPG
DSC_0076.JPG
G
DSC_0052.JPG
DSC_0077.JPG
DSC_0078.JPG
DSC_0079.JPG
DSC_0080.JPG
G
DSC_0056.JPG
DSC_0081.JPG
DSC_0082.JPG
DSC_0083.JPG
DSC_0084.JPG
DSC_0085.JPG
DSC_0086
DSC_0089.JPG
DSC_0090
DSC_0093.JPG
DSC_0094
DSC_0097.JPG
DSC_0098
IMG_0058.JPG
IMG_0097.JPG
IMG_0021.JPG I have selected some of the best images of this shoot to show how I have used certain techniques. When taking portraiture pictures, it has been said that it is better to do it vertically. However, I have deviated from this a bit because in some ocassions (such as the image 0021) it came more suit-
IMG_0038.JPG
IMG_0075.JPG able to take it horiontally. The lightning was set up to partially illuminate his face and the iconography he holds with the other hand (IMG 0021). I tried to catch the shadows on the little details of his hair or clothes. This way it would be easier to enhance them in the post-production phase.
IMG_0029.JPG
IMG_0037.JPG
IMG_0055.JPG
IMG_0065.JPG Sometimes the picture itself can’t be clasified as a bad picture. It is just that it is not convenient or appropiate for the purposes it has been taken. Here, I have selected some of the images that, in my opinion, aren’t that bad but I can’t use them on my project due to the lack of seriousness or strenght in the picture. In other aspects
we can also highlight that certain techniques doesn’t work. For example, when taking this pictures I didn’t realise that it would have been better to back off a few steps just so I got more detail on his surroundings. For the final format I needed his whole body composition, including shoulders.
Open your original image
Select the silhouette of the subject and refine it
Deselect the selection by pressing Ctrl+D
Inverse the selection
Fill the bacground with a plan black colour
Add a layer of Levels to increase the light source in certai areas.
When having a nearly plain background already when shooting the image, it is easier to edit it later. This is a clear example of fast and easy post-production of images. Here we originally had a easy background, we only had to make a good and refined selection and then colour the blackground with black. I have also learned that it all depends on the model. Sometimes their hairstyle helps a bit when it comes to making a clean selection, sometimes the colour of their skin and the background they’ve been posing against makes it easy thanks to the contrast created between the different colours. Here it was a matter of playing with different tonalities.
DSC_0401.JPG
DSC_0402.JPG
DSC_0345.JPG
DSC_0346.JPG
DSC_0347.JPG
DSC_0348.JPG
DSC_0349.JPG
DSC_0350.JPG
DSC_0351.JPG
DSC_0352.JPG
DSC_0353.JPG
DSC_0354.JPG
DSC_0355.JPG
DSC_0356.JPG
DSC_0357.JPG
DSC_0358.JPG
DSC_0359.JPG
DSC_0360.JPG
DSC_0361.JPG
DSC_0362.JPG
DSC_0363.JPG
DSC_0364.JPG
DSC_0365.JPG
DSC_0366.JPG
DSC_0367.JPG
DSC_0368.JPG
DSC_0369.JPG
DSC_0370.JPG
DSC_0371.JPG
DSC_0372.JPG
DSC_0403.JPG
DSC_0404.JPG
DSC_0405.JPG
DSC_0402.JPG
DSC_0403.JPG
DSC_0404.JPG
DSC_0373.JPG
DSC_0374.JPG
DSC_0375.JPG
DSC_0376.JPG
DSC_0377.JPG
DSC_0378.JPG
DSC_0379.JPG
DSC_0380.JPG
DSC_0381.JPG
DSC_0382.JPG
DSC_0383.JPG
DSC_0384.JPG
DSC_0385.JPG
DSC_0386.JPG
DSC_0387.JPG
DSC_0388.JPG
DSC_0389.JPG
DSC_0390.JPG
DSC_0391.JPG
DSC_0392.JPG
DSC_0393.JPG
DSC_0394.JPG
DSC_0395.JPG
DSC_0396.JPG
DSC_0397.JPG
DSC_0398.JPG
DSC_0399.JPG
DSC_0400.JPG
IMG_0382.JPG
IMG_0391.JPG
IMG_0364.JPG For this shoot I decided to apply some of thecnical rules that I had learned throughout the course. For example, I founf really useful the rule of thirds since everything gets into place and you don’t miss any detail. As with the rest of the images I have been working on, I tried to lit his face partially to
IMG_0392.JPG
IMG_0405.JPG create this sensation of mystery. The images are well focused and all iconography can be easily seen which tells me that their position was right. Unintentionally, I created a vignette effect that surrounds him creating a gradient of light. In some ways, this will help with the enhancement of the shadows and highlights.
IMG_0350.JPG
IMG_0358.JPG
IMG_0373.JPG
IMG_0400.JPG The studio where I was working wasn’t fully blacked out, therefore some bits of light could entered through the blinds sometimes. There were other students working in there too so the model was distracted sometimes, but this is normal. There are some facila expressions that we couldn’t avoid making
when I tried to explain what I wanted from him in the pictures. Even though I like these pictures, they are not suitable for my project because they show confussion and a sensation of being lost or missunderstanding sometimes, which aren’t values I wanted to convey.
Open your original image
Select the silhouette of the subject and refine it
Deselect the selection made before
Open your background image
Cut and paste the silhouette
Cut and paste the silhouette
Crop into desired format size
This was clearly the first time my subject posed in a photography studio but I was happy to tell him what he needed to do and we got to an understanding. Once things were explained, everything went smoothly. This can be considered as experience working in the studio for both of us. In terms of composition and technical aspects of the shoot, I think everything was well set up. I didn’t have any problems, only the natural light that came sometimes from the door or the windows as I wasn’t working on a completely blacked out room. For future projects, I should consider practicing cutting silhouettes in a more realistic way and booking a studio at a convenient time for all the models to come.
DSC_0190.JPG
DSC_0191.JPG
DSC_0192.JPG
DSC_0193.JPG
DSC_0218.JPG
DSC_0219.JPG
DSC
DSC_0194.JPG
DSC_0195.JPG
DSC_0196.JPG
DSC_0197.JPG
DSC_0222.JPG
DSC_0223.JPG
DSC
DSC_0198.JPG
DSC_0199.JPG
DSC_0200.JPG
DSC_0201.JPG
DSC_0226.JPG
DSC_0227.JPG
DSC
DSC_0202.JPG
DSC_0203.JPG
DSC_0204.JPG
DSC_0205.JPG
DSC_0230.JPG
DSC_0231.JPG
DSC
DSC_0206.JPG
DSC_0207.JPG
DSC_0208.JPG
DSC_0209.JPG
DSC_0234.JPG
DSC_0235.JPG
DSC
DSC_0210.JPG
DSC_0211.JPG
DSC_0212.JPG
DSC_0213.JPG
DSC_0238.JPG
DSC_0239.JPG
DSC
DSC_0214.JPG
DSC_0215.JPG
DSC_0216.JPG
DSC_0217.JPG
DSC_0242.JPG
DSC_0243.JPG
DSC
C_0220.JPG
DSC_0221.JPG
DSC_0246.JPG
DSC_0247.JPG
DSC_0248.JPG
DSC_0249.JPG
C_0224.JPG
DSC_0225.JPG
DSC_0250.JPG
DSC_0251.JPG
DSC_0252.JPG
DSC_0253.JPG
C_0228.JPG
DSC_0229.JPG
DSC_0254.JPG
DSC_0255.JPG
DSC_0256.JPG
DSC_0257.JPG
C_0232.JPG
DSC_0233.JPG
DSC_0258.JPG
DSC_0259.JPG
DSC_0260.JPG
DSC_0261.JPG
C_0236.JPG
DSC_0237.JPG
DSC_0262.JPG
DSC_0263.JPG
DSC_0264.JPG
DSC_0265.JPG
C_0240.JPG
DSC_0241.JPG
DSC_0266.JPG
DSC_0267.JPG
DSC_0268.JPG
DSC_0269.JPG
C_0244.JPG
DSC_0245.JPG
DSC_0270.JPG
DSC_0271.JPG
DSC_0272.JPG
DSC_0273.JPG
IMG_0283.JPG
IMG_0210.JPG
IMG_0239.JPG
IMG_0271.JPG Here I hace some of the he looked different, and had his own style. Havbest pictures I got from this shoot. I liked working in mind what I want to convey I think it was a ing with him because he good decision. I achieved looked really photogenic on the camera and he the lightning effect that looked relaxed during I was looking for and I the shoot, as if it wasn’t even got this sparks on his hair which give more the first time he went detail and sharpness to through it. This relaxed me too and made things the photograph. easier. I chose him to be on my project because
IMG_0234.JPG
IMG_0273.JPG
IMG_0245.JPG
IMG_0249.JPG phy was very important However, not all the pictures were exactly suitato me, so I discarded ble to add into the final these pictures because template. Some of the I wasn’t fully convinced about the position of reasons are the angles in the sword, the shadow which I took them (0245) or light cutting off details on the shield and the or creating shadows. curved necklace of te Sometimes I was too bishop. Also, there are areas on his skin that close to the subject and are too bright because cut essential bits without intention (0249). The of the light bulb being position of the iconogratoo close.
Open your original image
Select and refine the silhouette of the subject
Get rid off the background
Cut and paste the silhou- Deselect the the silhouette Add a layer of Curves to ette into this layer by pressing Ctrl+D make tonalities stand out
Fill the layer with a solid and plain black colour
Final tweaks, Brightness, Contrast and Levels
This shoot ran smoothly than others because he was one of the last ones so I already had some experience in the studio and this worked in my advantage. Looking at the photographs now in the computer I feel conformed with his facial expression and the seriousness of his body language. He seems really sure and confident with himself, and these are values I wanted to convey within the hidden messages of my project. I am also happy with the edition of the pictures. One impediment I encountered was cutting off the edges of his hair.
DSC_0152.JPG
DSC_0153.JPG
DSC_0154.JPG
DSC_0155.JPG
DSC_0180.JPG
DSC_0181.JPG
DSC_
DSC_0156.JPG
DSC_0157.JPG
DSC_0158.JPG
DSC_0159.JPG
DSC_0184.JPG
DSC_0185.JPG
DSC_
DSC_0160.JPG
DSC_0161.JPG
DSC_0162.JPG
DSC_0163.JPG
DSC_0188.JPG
DSC_0189.JPG
DSC_
DSC_0164.JPG
DSC_0165.JPG
DSC_0166.JPG
DSC_0167.JPG
DSC_0192.JPG
DSC_0193.JPG
DSC_
DSC_0168.JPG
DSC_0169.JPG
DSC_0170.JPG
DSC_0171.JPG
DSC_0196.JPG
DSC_0197.JPG
DSC_
DSC_0172.JPG
DSC_0173.JPG
DSC_0174.JPG
DSC_0175.JPG
DSC_0200.JPG
DSC_0201.JPG
DSC_
DSC_0176.JPG
DSC_0177.JPG
DSC_0178.JPG
DSC_0179.JPG
DSC_0204.JPG
DSC_0205.JPG
DSC_
_0182.JPG
DSC_0183.JPG
DSC_0208.JPG
DSC_0209.JPG
DSC_0210.JPG
DSC_0211.JPG
_0186.JPG
DSC_0187.JPG
DSC_0212.JPG
DSC_0213.JPG
DSC_0214.JPG
DSC_0215.JPG
_0190.JPG
DSC_0191.JPG
DSC_0216.JPG
DSC_0217.JPG
DSC_0218.JPG
DSC_0219.JPG
_0194.JPG
DSC_0195.JPG
DSC_0220.JPG
DSC_0221.JPG
DSC_0222.JPG
DSC_0223.JPG
_0198.JPG
DSC_0199.JPG
DSC_0224.JPG
DSC_0225.JPG
DSC_0226.JPG
DSC_0227.JPG
_0202.JPG
DSC_0203.JPG
DSC_0228.JPG
DSC_0229.JPG
DSC_0230.JPG
DSC_0231.JPG
_0206.JPG
DSC_0207.JPG
DSC_0232.JPG
DSC_0233.JPG
DSC_0234.JPG
DSC_0235.JPG
IMG_0274.JPG
IMG_0218.JPG
IMG_0209.JPG
IMG_0155.JPG
IMG_0165.JPG
IMG_0226.JPG
IMG_0194.JPG These are some of the best images I could take of Ruari. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to capture him as a part of my project because he represents a lot of things that link back to my project. Starting with his appearance and personality, I can say that he shows certain level of
respect and dignity, seriousness and experience, as well as strength and wisdom. All these characteristics are well transmited through the way he gestures with his face and body language in general. I decided to use the rule of thirds and to take photographs vertically so I conformed to portraiture conventions.
At the beginning of the shoot I forgot to mention that he needed to get his ID badge off so the pictures looked more realistic. So there were some pictures that I could no longer use in my project, but there was no problem when I suggested to re-take them. Because he was paying attention to a lot of things at the same
time, I got him off guard explaining things to other students that were on the same room. These pictures won’t be used on the project. When it comes to lighting and facial expressions I have to say that it was a pleassure. He is different to the other subjects, he has style and a unique personality.
Open your original image
Deselect the the silhouette by pressing Ctrl+D
Select and refine the silhouette of the subject
Fill the layer with a solid and plain black colour
Add a layer of Curves to make tonalities stand out
Cut and paste the silhouette into this layer
Crop into desired format size
Working with Ruari, my photography teacher, has been a unique experience. I have to say that I was nervous to take pictures of him in front of him, and it might sound odd, but I really wanted him to see that I could take good photographs and that I knew how to use the studio, how to set the lighting and how to manage models leading them to do what I needed. So the preassure was on in this shoot, but it wasn’t a tense moment. I have now a lot of footage to include as a possibility into my project. In terms of the post-production phase, I only had difficulties cutting off a clean silhouette of Ruari’s hair, as it is curly and a bit tricky to get properly in a silhouette selection.
The exhibition was named after the idea of Francis Bacon, who named his creative project like that. The poster was designed by one of the students of A2, Adam Musaji and the pictured used was taken by Joshua Judd as part of his module. The exhibition exhibited the work of Photography A2 students at Pendleton Sixth Form Centre, Salford City College. It was all organised by the department of Creative Design. The event itself took place in The Hub, a large space where white panels were displayed strategically so people could walk around and see the work from different students comfortably. It was open to the public from the 21st January till the 23rd, though students could still see it until the 26th. During the event, there was music to set a cheerful but not too overwhelming atmosphere and there were also snacks to encourage people to feel like they were at home, not too much of a formal thing. At the end of the exhibition, there was a competition. Viewers could vote for the work piece that they most liked, and the owner would receive a voucher of Nandos and other prizes. Then there were other prices given by Photography professors to those students who had made an effort in certain aspects, either along the course or specially in the exhibition.
This is how my corner looked like at the exhibition. I had two big panels covered with a few little things, which is what demotivated me a bit on the day. What you can see on the left is the layout of my Summer Project pictures, all together forming a rectangle . At the right panel there are some of the best images printed on a larger format so viewers could appreciate the details of the tokens that, otherwise, wouldn’t have been able to see due to the size of it. I tried to be fair and put two holding a white origami object that I used on the chess-
board template and other two holding a black one. With the summer piece I wanted to transmit energy, power and the beauty on the everyday life. However I wanted it to be bigger and more full of colour, but those are small technical
problems. As for the other piece, I wanted to represent the equality between different people coming from different backgrounds and that yet they all have something in common, they’re humans. I wanted to convey that people can be stronger and happier when they’re together and not when they fight against each other. I wanted to transmit part of what the feeling is like when we all have been through something hard, and that’s why I also added the serious faces, to show that we all have problems but we all wake up everyday fighting to solve them, or just keep going. Both pieces are related to life, seen from different perspectives of view.
Even though I was quite happy with the final results on screen, they didn’t convince me a 100% when I saw them on the exhibition, and this makes me think that maybe the way I decided to show my work wasn’t the best one out of all the options I had. However, I took this evening as a unique and magnificent experience since, after all, you’re showing your work to people, it is not resting on your hard drive forever. I liked having to go through the planning process, mounting and printing and hanging on the walls bit because it taught me how much time little details take. I was really happy to see other people staring at the chessboard in the table, as if saying “Oh, that’s different”. It was a motivating experience, and a reassuring opportunity to learn the behind the scenes aspects.
The work commencing from left to right seemed good to me. I liked the dramatic feeling they transmit and the way the artist has displayed them all as if to make a clear and fast connection between the model and the viewer.
the pictures. I think I loved everything about it. It had a predetermined style, something not everybody has. The third work was studio work related. I read that the artist who made them, has already had experience working with Photography companies, which is noticeable when you see the lighting The work with the black roses was diagrams they’re used and the idea of one of my favourite ones because it using the glittering bits on their faces. seemed to me quite ingenious how It looks really nice. can one be when it comes to composing your pictures. Even though I also liked how the next one was it is not my style, I can say that I re- framed. It inspired me and gave ideas ally liked the idea and the mood on for a next project.
Finally, the one with all the pictures seemed dynamic, but I would have printed the pictures bigger to make the colours and textiles stand out and be more eye-catching. But I liked the way she used both frames and simple foam board. Or the way she played with the sizes of pictures and the imaginary grid she probably had to use when picturing that on her mind. As for the work next to that one, the monochromatic one, I like the way they have arranged the position of the pictures on the wall.
I wasn’t completely satisfied with the results at the exhibition because I honestly hoped for more. Looking at my outcomes on the screen, they seem loads better than in the exhibition. But I had several last-minute problems, including printing size, printer in general, layout on the wall and even content, as I didn’t know I had two panels for myself. Also, the chessboard was supposed to be interactive. It was supposed to be mounted on foam board so the public could move the pieces around. However,I didn’t realise that in order for it to work, I should have printed a plain chess board, without tokens, but the same format and then put the pieces at the top. On the other hand, the printer quality wasn’t the best, so it greyed out most of the pictures, making them look sad and lifeless. Next time, I think I will consider preparing everything earlier so I have time to check what could go wrong instead of just going on with it.