Term 2: Week 2 Library Research

Library Research:

How to read a photograph by Ian Jeffrey

Ian Jeffrey is a superb guide in this profusely illustrated introduction to the appreciation of photography as an art form. Novices and experts alike will gain a deeper understanding of great photographers and their work, as Jeffrey decodes key images and provides essential biographical and historical background. Profiles of more than 100 major photographers, including Alfred Stieglitz, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Paul Strand, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, highlight particular examples of styles and movements throughout the history of the medium. Each entry includes a concise biography along with an illuminating discussion of key works and nuggets of contextual information.

http://library.manukau.ac.nz

Ian Jeffrey has abundance of information about how to read a photograph. I will need to re-visit this book need to study and gain a better understanding of how the great photographer worked. Another way I have being sourcing work is online library quick and easy access. The library allows you to download PDFs in most cases. Ian Jeffrey is only in book format.

The highlight area I found to be interesting reviewed by Roger Hargreaves the amateur photographing the German soldier.

Motion picture and video lighting: by Blain Brown

Motion Picture and Video Lighting, Second Edition, is the indispensable guide to film and video lighting. Written by the author of the industry bible Cinematography, this book explores technical, aesthetic, and practical aspects of lighting for film and video. It will show you not only how to light, but why. Written by an experienced professional, this comprehensive book explores light and color theory, equipment, and techniques to make every scene look its best.




This book has so much information to offer for studio and outside scenes. Motion picture and video lighting a must read. A bonus DVD 2nd edition. "Lighting can both reveal the texture of the subject and add texture of its own."

Visual Creativity: by Mario Pricken

Inspirational ideas for advertising, animation, and digital design from a leading creative director.

Mario Pricken's previous book, Creative Advertising, sparked the imaginations of countless advertising, marketing, media, and design professionals. Now Visual Creativity goes one step further.

This practical guide is filled with tips and techniques specifically designed to create whole new worlds of visual ideas. Creatives from the fields of advertising, film, photography, computer animation, and game development will find a wealth of exercises and methods to help them hone their creative capabilities, produce inspirational campaigns, and move in new directions. Interviews with leading names in the industry such as Ben Snow, Daniel Kleinman, and Volker Engel give an insider's perspective on the sources and strategies of visual creativity, while their methods are vividly illustrated with hundreds of full-color images.

Fames on the Land Early Landscape Painting in New Zealand by Francis Pound 

Pohutukawa, Edward Friström, 1903-1915, 1967/9/1 Auckland City Art Gallery

DWARD FRISTROM Pohutukawa Trees, Manly Beach 1903-c1915

Oil on panel, 247 x 406 mm. (Auckland City Art Gallery)

 Landscape with Eucalyptus tree by Edward Friström Auckland City Art Gallery

Edward Friström painting are very inspiring. The painting look alive great detail and colours. I would like to photograph the amazing trees so they reflect their true character and colours. 

Term 2 Week 2 Portfolio Genre Questions?

What is your genre?

After doing a lot of research I've decided to photograph Creative (fiction) including Editorial (non-fiction) Life / Nature. This will allow me to be creative and use different technique including juxtaposition. Lighting will be a big part of the creative and editorial combinations. Starting point Day and Night. Definitly I will continue to photograph the amazing trees and incorporate this in to the portfolio.

What defines this genre?
Photographic contrasts with dual referencing to both areas side by side. Creating a contrasting juxtaposition using my creativity side. To create an impressive photo which leave the viewer thinking or emotional about the image. Could add a bit of humour and excitement to a otherwise just ok photo. Editorial documentary photography is great but I need to create commercial creative work for my portfolio. Potentially to impress clients.

'Juxtaposition is placing two elements or words side by side and letting the reader or viewer compare them. This act compares and contrasts the two elements and can show irony, humor or sadness.'

Juxtaposition Examples:

• Beauty and ugliness 

• Belief and denial 

• Bigotry and tolerance 

• Calm and chaos

• Civilization and wilderness 

• Dark and light 

• Despair and hope 

• Fact and fiction 

• Foolish and serious 

• Good and bad 

• Hot and cold 

• Leader and follower 

• Poverty and wealth 

• Success and failure 

• Summer and winter 

• Weakness and strength 

• Young and old

Who else is working in this genre?

Evan's photography is inspiring and creative. Researching his work challenges me with 
different ideas and concepts on what to photograph for my portfolio. 
This is another area I would like to move into later is experimenting with lights, 
movement and 3D. Documenting 'Editorial: Life and Nature' can creative interesting images 
using juxtaposition.

Evan Sharboneau Reference trickphotographybook.com

(There is something incredibly inspiring and invigorating about 

creative photography.

A lot of amateur and inspiring photographers dream of becoming 
a pro in this particular field, however some argue that being
creative is a gift for the few privileged ones.

The truth is, creativity is an aspect of life and everybody has the 
power to be well-versed in creative photography.

In fact, an influential author, Paul Arden once quoted, 
“Creativity is imagination and imagination is for everyone.”
The value of imagination is limitless. Creative photographs flow 
from who you are as a photographer and breathtaking images 
are fueled by innovative ways of living and thinking.)

Term 2: Week 2 Digital Technology Evaluating an Image Exercise

Evaluating an Image – What do I see? How do I read it?

Evaluating an Image:
Sourcing information at the Library proved to be very difficult. Research alternative on finding a suitable juxtaposition image, my favourite the internet.

Rich Lam/Getty Images

News Media, Stay Away from Meme

June 19, 2011 by Kristen  Reference: https://milchtoast.wordpress.com 

What do I see?

A policeman in riot gear moving towards the camera man? A couple laying in the road kissing each other total absorbed. The background is full of activity with the riot continuing moving the people away out of the area. Evening late at night with angry people rioting. Low light, tension between the rioters and police. Why did the couple choose this place? Totally out of character. Traffic lights working with no vehicles only people. Bus shelter to the right.

What camera and compositional techniques have been used?

• camera focus point (one shot) is on the couple. 

• position rule of thirds with the police offer on the foreground, mid ground couple and the background the rioting crowd being chased.

• Wide depth of field

• No tripod

• foreground out of focus

• mid ground in focus

• background out of focus

• triangles in all four sections

• foreground blurred perhaps the photographer used a flash

• motion blur 

• shadow to the left of the policeman

• background blurred left to right

• mid ground in focus this could be because using the flash helped with the lighting.

• the street is a different colour to the background area. This could be due to the flash exposing the area.

How does this image make me feel?

Excited to find a juxtaposition image. A bit disturbing of the concept of the 'loving couple' in a riot situation? Looking at the image for the first time it looked like the couple where cloned into the image. But on reading the news this acutely happened. CBC article titled “Vancouver riot’s ‘kissing couple’.

What ideas is this photographer working with?

Great compostion. The couple could be so taken by each other that nothing was going to change this moment.  Interesting concept  love and anger. Two totally opposites contrasting side by side. Quick in capturing this image.

Term 2 Week 2: Digital Technogy King Size Studio Response

Kingsize Studio Research

“To offer the highest standards of service, studios & equipment rental in New Zealand”

Kingsize specialises in problem solving for the professional photographer, whether it be studio or location shoots anywhere in NZ or around the world. We regularly ship gear to the South Island or overseas.

Kingsize offers the largest, most varied, and specialised stills / HD-DSLR gear rental in New Zealand, backed by over fifteen years experience, with staff who are all working professionals. If you need large quantities of flash gear, or a specific light for a tricky shot, call us. We also have fluro, tungsten and HMI lighting hand picked for stills and HD video.

Kingsize Sales represents many of the best brands in the world. We only sell what we have tested and use in rental. We uniquely offer almost everything as demo stock from our rental stock for testing. We also sell common items like Pelican cases and Sandisk cards at realistic prices. 

Reference: http://kingsize.co.nz/

STUDIO 4

The beautiful daylight studio provides stunning light,

all day long. We can also completely black out the space.

Kingsize studios offer: RENTAL STUDIOS | RENTAL EQUIPMENT

© 2008 Kingsize Studios 
27 Sackville Street, Ponsonby, Auckland  | T +64 (0)9 378 1027 | F +64 (0)9 378 1025  | E shoot@kingsize.co.nz

Hub of commercial photographers links members of the AIPA association. Kingsize support new photographers with scholarship programmes Camera equipement and lighting film cameras. Resourse workshops for photographers at the studios.

Kingsize Studios offer 4x Studios + Garden Studio prices vary depending on the requirements packages are also available. The cost are generally passed onto the client. This is included in the quote supplied to the client. 

I am looking forward to the field trip to Kingsize studio's, a totally new experience and field commercial photography. 

Kingsize Studio Response

Luke White gave some interesting tips and information on different areas of the market. He listened to what we all would like to do once we complete the course. He then proceeded to give us interesting and valuable information and direction.

Luke recommended 2 books to read on portrait photography Annie Leibovitz at Work and Dan Winters his favourite. Kingsize Studios offer a range of discounts for students and workshops for free. Differently would like to get involved and find out more.

• Advertising tips • working in the studio spaces • Advantage for photographer ground work in studio vital foundation • AIPA Advertising and commercial photographers • Assistants data Aaron Kay • RNJ Lighting gear

Agencies to research: 
Match photographers http://www.matchphotographers.com/
IDC Collective force http://www.collectiveforce.co.nz/
Photographers:
Graeme Murray www.graememurray.com

This photo was taken by Graeme Murray it is intriguing. The thick mist with the netting and dustbins to the right creates the composition of image. Foreground in focus, with negative space in the mid and background. Not much in the photo but definitely creates interest as to what is in the distance a bit of a mystery.


Managing to capture a similar photo with the rain and mist while traveling. The mist creates the question what is in the distance. This is not visible, the trees in the distance almost give a silhouette effect.
I am happy with the photo good effect and definitely adds a bit of mystery. Question does one really want to stop or continue?


Chris Sisarich http://www.chrissisarich.com/
Online tutorials:
Creative Live https://www.creativelive.com/
Luck White recommend assistant Boot Camp in about 8wks. Lighting camera gear. What to know? May not need to know? Dealing with clients?

Luke White highly recommends assisting photographers, is a good way to get into the industry and learn big plus. This was a very informative field trip would have enjoyed seeing the studios.

Experimentation:
Shoot 1# Setup at home studio portrait 

F4.5 1.0 ISO100
EF24-70mm@50mm

• light on both side of the subject

• to much shadow

• wanted a mood shoot

• background not dark enough

• tripod 
• photo taken mid morning
• may have better at night
• darker better effect

F4.5 1.0 ISO100
EF24-70mm@50mm

• movement
• blurred photo
• tripod
• only one light from the left

The movement effect I was trying to create did not work. The shutter could have being a bit faster.

• placed a black stocking over the lens
• tried to create a misty effect
• movement
• large f-stop 
• light for the right side
• to much shadow
• not dark enough

Evaluation: This is not working so I loaded the photo in to photoshop did some manipulation. 
Final changes done in Lightroom different effects. The old mood shoot is the best effect I was trying to create.

The photo I would choose is the above, but the shadow on the face could have being more intense. Perhaps using a different angle of lighting could have helped.

Shoot 2#

Experimentation:
• no lights
• red gel
• flash bounced of the ceiling
• shadows could be softer
Evaluation:  had fun shooting the second test
• warmer effect
• more research needed on lighting setup and technique
Contextualization: • moody effect
• 40s film • Yousuf Karsh • documentary portraiture genre • gangster looking                                  

 This it the best photo of the day good shadows cast with the lighting. The red gel was enjoyable and a lot of fun.

Shoot 3#
• lights both sides
• shadow behind and on the face
• background manipulated
• colours change with adding different effects
• duotone looks the best 2nd right
• bottom right colours too yellow and washed out

To yellow not working!!!

Not bad but the shadow to the right of the chin could be a lot softer.

Term 2 Week 2: Digital Technogy AIPA

Advertising & Illustrative Photographers Association

What do I see when evaluating the photograph of Alistair Guthrie?
Business and total contrast with the water almost playful.
The water is calm, the area where he is standing has movement. Shadows in front and reflection. The background is blurred with the reflection in the water. Splashing water and drops in focus. Black suit and well groomed subject tie and blue shirt. Hair and and beard styled natural look minimal makeup.

What camera/compostional techniques have been used?
Movement fast shutter speed captures the water. The water is sharp not blurred. Narrow DOF the subject is in focus and part of the mid ground, background is not sharp. A tripod may have being used. Natural lighting from the side and behind (sunlight). The top of the jacket and hair is highlighted.

How does the image make me feel?

I do enjoy the effect and concept the photographer has captured. Definitely would like to try repeat the style and concept. Playful and fun photography doing things a bit different to the normal shooting of a business man in a suit.
   

What genre do you think this photograph fits into?

Advertising / Editorial

What ideas is the photographer working with?
Advertising for a company, having fun outside the office. Something different than just the day to day business photo.

Find a Photo Assistant:

Who do you think has the best assistant profile and why?
Sonja Gardien
Phone: 027 672 2776 | Mobile: 027 672 2776
Speciality: Architecture / Documentary / Fine Art / Landscape / Nature & Wildlife / People & Portraits / Studio / Travel & Tourism / Weddings  
Location: Auckland City, Auckland, New Zealand
Email: gardien@ihug.co.nz 
Website: www.sonjagardien.com 

Looking at Sonja Gardien website and works could be the best assistant relating to my type of work and profile. I enjoy her concepts and how she manipulates the photos to look dramatic or vibrant. The creativity used in the photos do relates to my type of photography diverse and enjoyable changing depending on the mood and situations.

Contracts and Forms Section:

Model Release form:

It is really important that both the model and photographer have a clear understanding of what is required. The consent allows the photographer to use the photo any way noted on the contract, with no copyright attached to the photo. The model has to be 18 or over to sign the consent model release form.

AIPA Licence Form:

Why would you use this form?

Standard Photographic Terms and Conditions of Engagement – Wedding & Portrait. 

This contract covers question and disagreements that may arise during or after the photo shoot between the photographer and the client. 

It is a binding and legal document which clarifies the important details when taking a photos or photographing an event. Definitely needs to be used as it explains all the details for the client so they are aware and understand all the information at the conditions.