Overall Comments
Miriam this
is a thoughtful assignment and you present 7 different portraits, The look and
expression you capture varies and you make good use of eye contact with the
model on some of your photographs. You have also sourced some interesting
locations which add variety and humour. All the images make use of daylight so
perhaps the inclusion of one or two photographs taken using artificial light
would have helped with the assignments request for each portrait to be
different. This may have required you to take longer than the day allocated to
the sessions which would be in line with the assignment suggesting: ‘These should differ in type and style, and each be
from a separate photographic session (there is no need to attempt this set all
in one day, and indeed it will be more useful as an assignment if you take some
time over it)’.
Overall these are a
competent set of images and your enthusiasm shows through but they do lack
variety in style mainly due to them all being shot as street photographs in a
similar light. Think about the coherence of the submission, you have used
different crops and aspect ratios across the set. If you were shooting a
magazine article then this may be fine and would allow for an interesting
layout. If for an exhibition you may wish to hang a set of images all with the
same aspect ratio and size (still could be landscape and portrait) to present a
cohesive statement. Reflect on this on your blog!
As we discussed future
assignments should contain some printed images, check my welcome letter for
suggestions concerning prints and the use of borders.
Assessment
potential
You
may want to get credit for your hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment
at the end of the module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong
learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely
up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or
to gain qualifications. Please consider whether you want to put your work
forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you submit Assignment
2. I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment
requirements."
Feedback
on assignment Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome,
Demonstration of Creativity
A good choice of aperture has been used to
concentrate sharpness on the models face, this is approximately the lens sweet
spot which is good. You ask for tips on sharpness, as you have not supplied any
hi-res images I cannot tell if your images are truly sharp, I need to view an
image at 100% resolution to be able to check this. To slow you down I would
recommend using a tripod, not always possible in a street situation, but will
help you to take more time over your photography. Also consider temporarily
covering your LCD screen with cardboard (shock & horror!) this will enable
you to consider each image much more without being diverted constantly by the
LCD screen. The photojournalist Rena
Effendi mostly shoots film because she likes to be slowed down, when she does
shoot digitally she covers the LCD screen with cardboard!
Red
Door. I really like
this shot, great location and the reflections add additional layers and
intrigue. God eye contact with the model. Her stance is perhaps not that
elegant as it has more of a street look. A slight criticism, where you are
making use of strong horizontal and vertical lines try to make them work hard
for you by keeping them exactly horizontal and or vertical, this may not always
be possible due to camera angles and space to shoot in though.
No
Tarking! Another well
seen location and you are very precise with the camera here and have vertical
verticals. Great use of negative space. The models expression and head tilt are
very similar to ‘Red Door’ so this is not helping the ‘different in type and
style’ requirement.
Raining.
A great location and
the use of direct sun is providing some variety in the quality of light you are
using. The models posture is relaxed but her expression has some tension which
is not helped by her crossed arms as this tends to give some body language
suggesting she is ‘fed up’. I find the umbrellas are great but the busy nature
of the rest of the background is distracting, as is the broom learning against
the wall. Did you try a shot at a very wide aperture to throw the background
out of focus, or cropping in tighter on the models waste to remove the lower
background? Best done in camera but could be looked at in post-production. If
you did try some variations it is good practice to include some contact sheets
on your blog and discuss why you chose the final image.
Reflections. This is a good variation and you
capture a pensive mood in your model, not sure about the wisp of hair though,
possibly a few more wisps rather than just one. I like your use of colour in
this composition, the dominant blues work well. I can see why you have much
space above your model but find the tight crop on the top of the Shard
distracting as it causes tension at the frame edge, pulling back slightly more
to allow a small amount of sky above would have helped or deliberately cropping
into the building just above the bird. The overcast top light is soft but as it
comes from the top it can make models eyes look quite sunken, by the subtle use
of a reflector this can be softened but you would need to be using a tripod or
have an assistant to help you.
Naughty
Dog. Well seen and a
good use of a humorous situation, soft overcast light and your models clothing
is very similar in all the shots. So although this works as a fun image you are
not creating much variety across the set. This shot at sunset with a shaft of
sun (if possible?) with your model in a different outfit, or even in the rain
with her holding an umbrella etc. Would create more of a variety within the
submission but may have required a return visit to catch different conditions.
Patriotic.
Another well seen
location with a different look and stance from your model. I feel here that you
are not using the location to its full extent. Perhaps if the models clothes
started to echo what was happening in the graffiti or waiting for the light to
become more interesting, due to the light her hand becomes almost the dominant
part of the image. Hands are very important within a portrait and can be used
to give us clues about the subject. The legendary photographer Yousuf Karsh
spent much time in arranging his sitters hands and also controlling how the
light fell on them.
Happy.
Simple use of a background with strong lines is
successful. Good use of light and the shadow on this image which starts to pick
up on your research image by Elinor Carucci, you missed an opportunity to
comment on this – good stuff for your blog as it starts to show how your
research may be informing your own work. This is the only time we see your
model smiling and you have captured a good expression which starts to impart some
of her character. You comment about the eyes and indeed they are very important
elements within a portrait, did you try a shot with her head turned slightly
towards the camera allowing slightly more light into the eyes? Contact sheets
on the blog would be good here?
The two genres of fashion
and portraiture often become confused, is a picture a fashion photograph or is
it a portrait? Fashion is generally about selling the clothes and or life-style
and the model is more of a prop or vehicle for that purpose, whereas in
portraiture you are trying to capture your model or sitters character. So
reflect on your images are some more fashion orientated? You do not really tell
us in your writing if you have captured Andreea’s spirit or character?
Learning
Logs or Blogs/Critical essays Context
Some good research books
and websites mention but I would like you to expand this much more. The Steve
McCurry image and also the lovely image by Elinor Carucci are great to include
and have influenced your own work as mentioned. Only by looking at lots of work
by critically acclaimed photographers (and artists) and also at the work of
acknowledged emerging talent will your own work stat to develop a style,
direction and voice.
Your exercises are well
handled and you include some excellent images, some of which have a stronger
and more relaxed feel as portraits than your assignment images. The ‘3rd image – Torso taking into
account arms and hands’ within exercise 1 is a lovely considered image that
captures character within the expression along with great posture and pose,
excellent use of shallow depth of field. This very strong image suggests to me
that perhaps if you allowed more time for the assignment you could have
produced a stronger set of images.
Some of the exercise
images also look to be shot on the same day as the assignment so again this
will dilute the strength of the assignment as you are trying to do too much in
one day and not allow enough time for the assignment.
Good layout and navigation
system on your blog.
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