Best of third photoshoot

Light Project - Photoshoot 3. A long photoshoot in 4 parts.

This was a bit of a long photoshoot so I divided it into sections so it is easier to decipher what I explored. I tried to look at different objects but I was insistent on exploring objects which had curves as the way the light hit them would be better. The issues that I found with these objects was that some did not have an interesting enough shadow, an interesting enough surface or were too big for the scene therefore the light hitting it was not as interesting as it was too close. This photoshoot below looked at a little key ring, some keys, a glass bottle, a capsicum, some broccoli, and my flatmates camera. I think that I have discovered there is something nice about the timber surface of the ergonomic man i took pictures of in my first shoot, although it is in black and white and of a high contrast, you can still tell it is made of timber through the texture that is created when the light hits the surface.

I also attempted to recreate this with some wooden spoons but found that these did not have interesting enough shadows. Once again all throughout this I was exploring different exposures in order to get the highest contrast.

This one above shows some more exploration of the ergonomic man.



The photoshoot above shows some exploration of the ergonomic man x2




In the photoshoot above I changed the photo settings back to standard to explore what the photos would look like in colour.

Weekly Task: Same Object, Same Light

Here I used a stapler under a lamp with a warm light. As the photo shoot went on I found myself mainly looking at how to focus or zoom in on the object, which I think is difficult with my particular kind of lens. 

Photoshoot 2: Best Images. Using a high exposure.

 I began the photoshoot as I did the previous but I found in the first image although there was a nice shadow, there was no focus on the shadow. There was something about this second photo, which was brighter and therefore the outline of the object was defined by its shadow on the edge as well as its shadow cast on the table rather then the object itself. I thought this was interesting so therefore I increased the exposure on the camera to gain a brighter image.

I found these images above to be the most successful ones. By increasing the exposure the object itself is lost in the white or negative space of the image, leaving the shadows behind. I would like to try this with a stronger light to create a sharper shadow on the table and also possibly different objects, but i now think I am getting somewhere interesting with these photos. I almost feel the images look like they have been inverted?

Light Project, Photoshoot 3: Playing with Exposure

Newest Photoshoot for light project. This time the photos were completed in the photography studio where the lights were clearer and brighter and the background was clean and white. These photos were taken using manual on the Canon SLR camera, playing with different exposures to allow for a brighter image.

Project 3, Light - First Photoshoot, Best Photos

These are my favourite photos from the photoshoot. This is a test series how ever and I do not like the line in the background which stands out (it is the line between the piece of paper the ergonomic man is sitting on, and the wall) I will need to look into getting a better backdrop. What I also learned from taking these photos is how to set the camera to black and white (or monochrome) photography and how to increase the contrast. However I think that I will need to use a better light source which can create stronger and larger shadows. As I used a desk lamp I found that I could not move it far enough away so that it created a darker and longer shadow. I think that I will next try this again in the photography studio where I can achieve better lighting and a better backdrop.

I also think I may try other objects, although I like this object I think it will be interesting to see what else I can look at that casts interesting shadows.

Project 3, Light - First Photoshoot

Here is the first photoshoot in contact sheets:

In this photoshoot I began looking at a pair of scissors, but as my project is focused on the shadow cast this wasn't working. Therefore I began to use my ergonomic man which was also sitting at my desk. This was a far better option as the object could be manipulated to cast a large range of different shadows. 

Project 3, Light: Proposal

We have been informed in our last two lectures that the best thing for us to do in this project, in terms of learning about light, and for ourselves as future designers and architects, is to focus on objects, and the lighting of these objects. This will be a useful skill to learn as we constantly create physical objects such as models and it would be great to know how to light these objects. I found a project from a former student of Victoria University online and am using it to inform my proposal for project 3. 

Bigger on the Inside, Second Year Architectural Studies (BArch), May 2010

by Michael Hatch

Source: http://mbharchitecture.co.nz/144490/1433259/portfolio-gallery/bigger-on-the-inside

This project focuses on creating an illusion of a larger space inside then it appears to be outside, and his second approach is what caught my attention. His second approach to this, as stated, was to create a shadow casting machiene that places a larger emphasis on the shadow formed then the model itself. 

I liked this concept of emphasising the shadow cast by an object and making it just as relevant to the image as the object itself.

I have also looked at photographs by Andre Kertez and how his images have such a deep contrast between black and white objects that there is truly just as much emphasis on the shadow as there is the object. I find that in the image below, the shadow is very prominent due to the lighting from above.

La Fourchette (The Fork), 1928 by André Kertész

Overall, my proposal is to choose object(s) and take photographs of them using different lights from different directions and create more or just as much emphasis on the shadow of the object rather then the object itself. I will explore this through my choice of object, picking something which casts a solid but interesting shadow and by exploring lighting techniques in order to create the most interesting shadow. I think that I will need to get an object that casts more then one shadow in order to create a series of interesting photographs. 

Research Post - Lighting gifs

Interesting gifs that I picked up from tumblr showing how the direction the light is pointing can really alter the way the face looks. From the music video sparkles and wine.

Link: http://vimeo.com/63602119

This was formerly posted at the beginning of this blog but I have now reposted it now as I think it has more relevance to the light project. What I ind most interesting and relavant about this is the fact that it shows how the direction of light can alter the perception of the object (in this case a person) due to the shadow it creates of the subjects face. 

Nuance by Marco-Antoine Locatelli

I find that these gifs above do not necessaily have relevance to my project, but I found them while researching light photography and found them quite cool. The series Nuance by Marco-Antoine Locatelli are gifs of a light and movement performance by dancer Lucas Boirat. The interpretative performance presents a push and pull between the human silhouette and a shape-shifting abstract energy. 

Source: http://www.cjwho.com/post/61225084095/nuance-by-marco-antoine-locatelli-gifs-of-an