Nude and Naked (Myself)

Photographing myself naked was cold, that is the main feeling I can remember while shooting. Not being able to feel my fingers made pressing buttons on the camera really hard. I had to put the camera on a 10 second timer just so I could press the shutter than get back into the position I wanted. So the pictures took even longer which wasn’t good when stood in the cold. I did learn from this exercise that how you position your body creates the images, you can create surreal looking images and  normal looking images just by changing the position of your limbs. I will not be showing the images anywhere, this was an exercise to find out how it feels to photograph yourself naked. I will be taking more subtle images soon inspired by Bill Brandt.

 

Photographing Someone I know Intimatly

This assignment was to get close to someone I already knew in their own environment, taking the camera to them. I chose to photograph my boyfriend David because he is one of the people in my life that I know best. I photographed him in his room because I didn’t want him to be distracted by the camera too much. I think I achieved this because he looks relaxed in the images just doing normal things without posing for the camera. I once again chose to put the images in black and white because I think it makes them look better and they show how handsome David is.

I chose to leave this image in colour because if I put it in black and white the detail would be lost. This is one of my favourite images.

I Love you David

Photographing a Stranger

I didn’t feel ready to photograph a stranger, so I decided to photograph one of my housemates friends Zachary Clayton, I had seen him a few times but never talked to him really, as I am shy talking to new people. At first the shoot was harder than photographing Emma because I had known her a little bit. But after a while we were talking and it felt the same as it had with Emma. The final pictures of this shoot show that Zach was talking a lot while I was shooting, and I didn’t mind this I like the informal feel of the pictures just like the actual shoot. During the shoot we talked about Zach’s girlfriend and her job working with dementia patients, I found out his last name and we talked about his involvement in the Coventry medieval society. So I think the shoot was successful.

Richard Avedon Portraits

“All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”–Richard Avedon

I first saw Avedon’s work in a University lecture and I was inspired by how he manages to capture the subjects personality in his images, with his subtle usage of light. I decided to include him in my essay to compare and contrast how he uses light against how landscape photographers use light to capture the ‘personality’ of a place.

For more than fifty years, Richard Avedon’s portraits have filled the pages of the country’s finest magazines. His stark imagery and brilliant insight into his subjects’ characters has made him one of the premier American portrait photographers.

During the early years, Avedon made his living primarily through work in advertising. His real passion, however, was the portrait and its ability to express the essence of its subject.

As Avedon’s notoriety grew, so did the opportunities to meet and photograph celebrities from a broad range of disciplines. Avedon’s ability to present personal views of public figures, who were otherwise distant and inaccessible, was immediately recognized by the public and the celebrities themselves. Many sought out Avedon for their most public images. His artistic style brought a sense of sophistication and authority to the portraits. More than anything, it is Avedon’s ability to set his subjects at ease that helps him create true, intimate, and lasting photographs.

Famous for their minimalism, Avedon portraits are often well lit and in front of white backdrops. When printed, the images regularly contain the dark outline of the film in which the image was framed. Within the minimalism of his empty studio, Avedon’s subjects move freely, and it is this movement which brings a sense of spontaneity to the images. Often containing only a portion of the person being photographed, the images seem intimate in their imperfection. While many photographers are interested in either catching a moment in time or preparing a formal image, Avedon has found a way to do both.

http://www.designboom.com

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters

http://www.theonlinephotographer.com

http://www.iwanttowearit.blogspot.com

I really like how Avedons images showcase the person in them. This is achieved by the minimalist background and bright lighting on their faces. He may have used a beauty dish to achieve the even tones on the face but to still capture some of the shadows that help us see into the persons personality. I will be using Avedon in my essay alongside photographers like Ansel Adams and David Hockney.

Research from www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/richard-avedon/about-the-photographer.com