Blog 3 Statement of Intent 2 Motion and Movement

Motion Blur and Movement

The second subject I have chosen for this course is motion blur and movement. It's a subject that really fascinates me. Even though an image can be totally blurred there is still a sense mystery and intreague which really adds to the images fascination. I hope to produce a set of images of this type of photography over the coming weeks. I will be taking all of these images within the college studio or may borrow the college potable lights and set up a temp studio in my conservatory. I will be using various slow shutter speeds and different lighting effects to produce the images

I have taken motion blur pictures in the past but have never done any kind of this work in a studio, So I consider this to be a really important learning curve for myself. Using the studio again is expanding my overall knowledge and understanding of using different light sources and intensity's to compose different effects within a photograph

The purpose of the photography for this subject is to broaden my horizons using this type of photography. I intend to research some of the top photographers in the world to help me to gain more knowledge and give me a better understanding of the techniques and equipment used to produce these kind of images

Some of the photogrphers that have given me inspiration for this project are:

Joe Mcnally
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Shown on this page are some images taken from varoius photographers that have given me some inspiration

Shown here is an image by Joe Macnally a really excellent studio and portrait photographer. He tends to use motion blur in some of his images. I assume he has used a slow shutter speed to produce this kind of effect. This is a lovely image and this type of photogarphy I would like to emulate


I will be bringing my 19 year Niece Hannah into the studio to model for me she's very easy going girl and quite photogenic. I have a good rapour with Hannah which should make the shooting of the images run a lot quicker and smoother

I will be using a variety of slow shutter speeds to create different types of motion effects. I will be asking my model to dance around the studio in indifferent twirling motions. I want Hannah to wear a variety of flowing colourful clothing which I feel will add to the motion blur effect of my images. I will be shooting my images from all directions icluding the side,rear,front and from above. I want to experiment moving the camera around over long exposures while my model is in motion

Equipment:

The equipment that I will be using for this project will consist of the following:

Cameras:

Canon 7D
Canon 5D (College camera)
Canon 400D DSLR
Fuji F11 Compact Digital
LG Viewty camera phone (brilliant macro camera)

Lenses :

Canon 70-210 F4 zoom lens
Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS USM zoom lens

Velbon tripod

Sony Vaio laptop

Software:

Adobe Phototoshop CS3 for image manipulation
Adobe Elements 7.

Adobe Bridge


Sandisk Compact flash memory cards

Lighting :

I will be using the colleges studio flash heads listed below:

Bowens 1000 and 500 watt lighting unit/flash heads,these will be synced to my camera using a radio remote trigger using a transmitter mounted on my camera body and various receivers mounted onto the flash heads of the lighting system.

I hope to experiment using harsh lighting and soft ambient light to see what effects I can achieve

I intend to experiment with different light sources and intensity's using various studio lighting aids,such as,snoot's, barn door's, soft boxes and relectors
I intend to light my subject from varoius positions and angles to create various effects


Health and Safety

There are a certain amount of health and safety considerations to take in to account when using a photographic studio



1-Trip Hazards
There are various trip hazards in and around the studio,these include:

2-Tripods and lighting stands:
These are very easy to trip over and which cannot be seen easily in a darkened room. Some have long booms with large counter weights on their ends. Be careful not to bang you heads and be weary of low positioned lighting heads


3-Trailing power cables,
leads and extension blocks: Again easy to trip over and carrying very high voltages.Tape cables to the floor where possible with warning or hazard tape


4-High voltage Flash and lighting heads:
These units which produce the lighting in the studio can become extremely hot due to there high power outputs. The side casings of these units can become very hot, handle them with care. Do not hang or drape coats, shirts etc over lighting/flash heads. This could overheat the lighting and produce a fire risk


5-Strobe lighting and flash:
Be sure to warn people accompanying you into the studio that there may be a risk that the flashing lighting in the studio may trigger of epileptic fits


6-Water and liquids:
Be extremely careful if using liquids and water within a photographic studio. Liquids and high voltage electricity don't mix. Always use dry hands when using any electrical equipment within the studio



7 Fire Extinquishers
Make sure you know the location of the fire extinguishers within the room. Make sue you know the right kind of extinguisher to use on a fire. There are different extinguishers for different kinds of fires


8-Telephones:
Make sure you have acess to a telephone or mobile phone while using the studio. Sometimes the studio door may be locked or restricted for people entering the studio while a shoot is taking place. If an accident was to occur the use of a telephone is essential. Always notify people that you are using the studio

Blog 2 Statement of Intent 1 Low key portraits/Faces

Low Key Portraits/ Faces

Statement of Intent 1


The first subject I have chosen for this course is low key portraits/faces. The purpose and reason for this choice of this type of photography is to give me a new dimension to my skills and hopefully enable me to produce a much broader scope to my photography

I intend to to produce a set of low key portrait images or faces for my first subject. I will be using the college studio to produce these images

I don't really have much experience of using a photographic studio so I hope to to gain a lot more knowledge and experience of this subject over the next 15 weeks

I intend to use the college studio for a 2 hour practice shoot initinally to help me to get used to the studio and the lighting. I then intend to follow this up by a lot more studio sessions over the next 15 weeks to complete the sets of images for my portfolio

I will be bringing my niece Hannah into the studio to model for me, she's a 19 year old and very photogenic. I intend to shoot images of Hannah from a variety of angles including, front, back, side and overhead

I need to learn about the different light sources available within the studio, their strengths and intensity's. These will include flash and ambient lighting

I think this will be a really good learning curve for me to help me to experiment and get to grips with this type of photography

I have been doing some research on low key images and understand that I will need to use controlled selective lighting to achieve the deired effects

Shown here on this page below are some examples of low key images. These photos  were taken from the internet. The images have given me sources of inspiration of this type of work which I would like to emulate. I think this will be a really challenging subject to undertake but hope to improve and increase my knowledge of this type of photography

Influences
                                                                     

I came across this  American photographer above his name isVal Tourchin, he produces a lot of low key images especially of black people.I have studied some of his images on  his website and found inspiration from this person. I have included a few images from this photographer shown below

Other photogrphers who I have been studying and whom I find could  influence me to produce this type of photography include Steve Pyke, Yousef Karsh and Irving Penn. They have all produced some low key work throuout their carees. Here's just a sample of some of their images.

Yousuf Karsh

Irving Penn Images

Hitchcock

Another of Penns Images

Steve Pyke

Below are some random images that I have found on the net that have inspired me to produce some low key photography

Randon photogrpher found on the net

The image above was taken by a random photographer from the Internet. I love this image for is sublety and hope to produve some simular kind of photography

Equipment:

The equipment that I will be using for this project will consist of the following


Cameras:

Canon 5D (College camera)

Canon 400D DSLR
Fuji F11 Compact Digital

LG Viewty camera phone (brilliant macro camera)


Lenses :

Canon 70-210 F4 zoom lens
Canon 18-55 Wide angle zoom lens

Velbon tripod
College tripod

Sony Vaio laptop

Software:


Adobe Phototoshop CS3 for image manipulation
Adobe Elements 7.
Adobe Bridge
Sandisk Compact flash memory cards

I will possibly use Photoshop CS3 to put some final touches and manipulationsto my images. I may lighten or darken some of them and possibly add selective focus


Lighting :

Bowens 1000 and 500 watt lighting unit/flash heads
Various snoots,barn doors,reflectors

I hope to produce and present my final images on cd or dvd


Health and Safety


During our first week at college we were taken into the photographic studio and given a health and safety talk by our tutor Steve Davis who outlined the dangers that are present in the studio

There are a certain amount of health and safety considerations to take in to account when using a photographic studio. Most of the work will take place in a darkened room so there are a number of dangers lurking for the unsuspecting photographer

1-Trip Hazards
here are various trip hazards in and around the studio,these include:

2-Tripods and lighting stands:

These are very easy to trip over and which cannot be seen easily in a darkened room. Some have long booms with large counter weights on their ends. Be careful not to bang you heads and be weary of low positioned lighting heads

3-Trailing power cables, leads and extension blocks: Again easy to trip over and carrying very high voltages.Tape cables to the floor where possible with warning or hazard tape

4-High voltage Flash and lighting heads: These units which produce the lighting in the studio can become extremely hot due to there high power outputs. The side casings of these units can become very hot, handle them with care. Do not hang or drape coats, shirts etc over lighting/flash heads. This could overheat the lighting and produce a fire risk

5-Strobe lighting and flash: Be sure to warn people accompanying you into the studio that there may be a risk that the flashing lighting in the studio may trigger of epileptic fits

6-Water and liquids: Be extremely careful if using liquids and water within a photographic studio. Liquids and high voltage electricity don't mix. Always use dry hands when using any electrical equipment within the studio

7-Fire extinguishers: Make sure you know the location of the fire extinguishers within the room. Make sue you know the right kind of extinguisher to use on a fire. There are different extinguishers for different kinds of fires

8-Telephones: Make sure you have acess to a telephone or mobile phone while using the studio. Sometimes the studio door may be locked or restricted for people entering the studio while a shoot is taking place. If an accident was to accur the use of a telephone is essential. Always notify people that you are using the studio

The links below show some basic health and safety procedures for studio photography:

http://www.ehow.com/video_2371507_photography-studio-equipment-studio-safety.html



Lighting and techniques

For this particular shoot I will be experimenting with lighting my subjects from different angles. I want to try to illumminate my model from the rear of her head giving the illusion of a silloutte

I will try to create a low key sillouette with lighting from behind my model. I intend to blow a fan on to the front of my models face then light her hair from behind her head as her hair dances through the breeeze of the fan

I will be experimenting 1,2 3 and posiibly 4 light sources with different intensity's to create different lighting effects and styles

I intend to take a mirror into the studio and experiment with some reflections

I may experiment with lighting 2 elements in one image, lighting the main subject in the foreground then lighting a 2nd subdued element in the rear of the shot,hopefully giving a feeling of depth

I may possibly transform all of my images from colour to monochrome