Assignment 208: Steve Pyke: Review of Selected Portrait Photographers

Steve Pyke - Born 1957 -Leicester

"For me photography is the investigation into the nature of being"

Steve Pykes trademark is to fill the the frame with the sitter's face. He wants the photograph to capture every texture, wrinkle and blemish of the sitter. This is achieved through the use of close-up attachments on a fixed lens to allow the camera to be placed very close to the subject.  He would more often take the photo in the sitters home to create a relaxed, intimate atmosphere - taking photo's whilst engaged in conversation with the sitter.

This particular image is from his World War II hero's.  The total focus on the face at such close range draws you to the lines on the face, the angle of the mouth conveys a sense of despair.

I liked this image because it took a different view to Jane Bowen's self portrait through a mirror.  In this image the harsh flare of the light in the mirror, and the partial image of the person 

Many of the images that I have selected so far for my portrait review have been black and white - this hasn't been by design - but as a result of the textures, and shades that come through the image of the person in black and white - these two colour image of Steve's attracted me as it showed that the type of image I'm finding interesting does not have to restricted to black and white.

The next images of Steve's demonstrate the power that the eyes can have on a photograph.  If you compare the image of Sinead O'Conner, a press shy musician, where the eyes were totally sheltered from   view capturing this sense of privacy - in these images the composition of the image is very direct, full frontal with the eyes being the focal point of the picture.

The photographers that I have selected so far have gone some way to helping me understand how to get the best out of the sitter - through personal engagement, and a glimpse into how to create the right effect to draw the attention to the texture and emotions of a persons face - lighting and proximity both have a place to play in this.

Also the angle of the of the portrait can convey a particular emotion, a sense of the person's personality.

So far my research has drawn me to single portraits in black and white.  Whether by design or by the nature of my search.  My next photographer takes us a step away from the gritty black and white single portraits to a photographer who focused on capturing images of the world around him.

Assignment 208: Jane Bowen: Review of Selected Portrait Photographers

Through my research the following photographs and photographers are the ones that I felt provided an ambience and structure that I want to bring into my final images.

Jane Bowen: 

Born 1925 - Dorset.  

"The best pictures are uninvited, they are suddenly there in front of you..easy to see but difficult to catch"

This photograph of Jane is a self portrait taken in a mirror.  What I like about this image is the contrast between the background and the subject - Jane has managed to capture the image without flare from a flash (as she hasn't used one), and without any hint of a shadow in the background.  It captures the essence of who Jane and what she is about.

Jane worked almost exclusively in black and white photographing some of the most famous people of the 20th century.  She strove to use natural light to capture her subjects - situating them close to a window or in a stairwell, or outside.  Her aim was to be unobtrusive, to get the sitter to relax and by using only natural light she was able to achieve this 'invisibility' to allow her to capture the essence of a person.

Jane liked to capture the essence of her subjects in way that they felt comfortable - and saw portrait photography as a joint achievement - for example in the image of Sinead O'Conner above.  Sinead was renowned for being press shy and the above portrait brings this out through the angle of the head and the lack of eye contact. however the strong light across the face and the tight crop of the photo draw you in.

This picture of Bjork demonstrates further how Jane believed that the process of a great portrait was a combined effort - as well as the skills of the photographer to bring out the personality of the person they needed to be relaxed and you need to be patient waiting for the 'pose' to present itself through some gesture as in Bjorks hands over her face.

Assignment 208: Research Methods

My research has been conducted using a variety of methods not limited to but including: websites, photography magazines and publications available through the library.  The aim of the research was to find portraits that were appealing to me and contained some element of my chosen theme, relating to the purpose of my photography as outlined in my statement of intent.  Having found a portrait that achieved this I would look to investigate the methods the photographer used to achieve the results and consider how I could emulate them in my work.

PHOTOGRAPHY ART CAFE Tips - Tutorials - Biographies - Discussions - Reviews

As well as searching out images and understanding what the photographer was trying to achieve and how - my research also spanned into identifying best practice tips and advice through photography magazines.  Magazines offer the opportunity to access archived articles on particular subjects, as demonstrated below, but also feature readers photographs for critic by a panel of photographers.  This can be useful in providing a range of views on the success or failure of a print which you can take into your own photography.

Shoot a gritty indoor portrait

Anonymous, 24 October 2007 14:54

When it comes to shooting portraits you need to match your idea to your subject, so when we had the idea of shooting a high-contrast, moody black & white image we needed to find a model with enough character in their face to suit this type of shot. Once we’d spread the word that we needed likely subjects it took a ...

Using different lenses for portraits

Anonymous, 24 October 2007 14:53

Which lens is best for portrait photography? A short telephoto lens around 70-105mm (or 50-75mm on most digital SLRs) is the classic choice for portraits, and most standard zooms have this at the longer end of the zoom. For digital SLRs with an APS-sized sensor the traditional 50mm lens is a great choice for portraits as they’re reasonably affordable, offer ...

Assignment 208: Principles of location photography: Theme 2: Street Photography

The original focus of my second theme was to be architecture but after starting my research for theme 1 on people and portraits and discussing my likes and dislikes around different styles with Steve I have decided to continue with people and portraits for my second theme - but focus on a different style of capturing people within a frame and context.

This style of photography is known as street photography and follows a more journalistic approach to capturing peoples portraits to tell a story.

Whereas in my first selection of photographs I will concentrate facial expressions and skin tones, the second set of images will capture a person within a set of surrounding.  

Assignment 208: Principles of location photography: Theme 1: Natural Portraits

Theme:

My theme is centred around natural portraits of people- friends, family and people at work.

Intended purpose of theme undertaken:

The aim of my chosen theme for this assignment is to produce a portfolio of natural portraits of people as they go about their normal activities.  I would like to capture images where the subject does not appear to be posing for the camera, but captures life as it happens.

Through the assignment I will look to demonstrate my understanding of the most appropriate equipment to use and how to compose an image to convey a story.

Research and Stimulus:

My research will look to identify photographers whose work I would like to emulate in my 10 final images.  I will looking to understand how they achieved the final output - equipment, location and techniques they used to produce the final effect.

Equipment and materials to be used:

I have two cameras available to use:

• Nikon D70 - lens: 18-70mm and a 70mm-300mm
• Nikon coolpix compact camera

The main camera in use will be the Nikon to allow greater freedom in composition of the images, however the compact camera may provide additional opportune images as this camera is more portable.

Additional equipment that may be required:

• A tripod for stability
• Alternative lighting sources - such as a flashgun or reflector
• Remote triggers 
• Photographic software to manipulate images 

Consideration in the use of additional of the equipment will be dependent on the planned location and the desired effect.

Techniques to be used:

For this theme I want to concentrate on the facial expressions, and skin texture - with the background playing a minimal part of the composition.

Lighting conditions likely to be encountered and impacts:


Lighting can be critical in a portrait, particularly in extreme close up work, and if the images are to be taken or converted to black an white.

As many of the images are likely to be inside I will need to identify how to compensate for this through use of lighting techniques, and how this might alter or affect the emotion of the final image.

Safety considerations:


The main safety considerations will safe positioning of the camera and equipment to avoid tripping hazards or damage to the equipment.

My first portfolio

These photographs are some of my favourites from the last few years.  They have had very little, if any alteration - as you can probably tell - mainly because I wouldn't know where to begin - so they are as they were taken.  I like each image because for some reason it catches my interest makes me want to look at it time and again.

Portraits:

Shy Boy

I like that this is a side profile, a little soft around the edges bringing out the soft lines of his face and focusing on his long eyelashes.  He's grown up a bit now and lost some of that softness of a young face but this photograph always reminds me of that shy young lad he once was.

Cultural indifference

This was taken on a bus ride through Cuba - I do tend to like photos that have a lot of contrasts in shade and light.  James seems to be wrapped in his own ipod world indifferent to the beautiful and surreal surroundings.

Poser

Even though she professes not to like having her photo taken Emma always manages to pose for the camera somehow - I love how the light has brightened her face and her hair has framed her mouth and chin to bring the focus on her face and away from the background.

Visit to the Zoo

Not a member of the family this time but I like the texture of the animals skin -  this picture makes me think you could reach out and stroke the giraffe.  

Landscapes & Objects

Sea Urchin

I just managed to capture the sea as it broke around this urchin (at least that's what I think it is) - my only wish is that I could figure out how to photoshop out the random leaf.

Reflections

With this image I was drawn to the perfect reflection of the bridges in the canal, and the fact that the bridge was segmented allowing light in between the sections - not quite sure I got the dimensions of the photo right though.

Sunset

Another photograph that captures my interest in distinct shades of light and dark.  Capturing this scene at this time of day gives the entrance to the fishing village a beauty that isn't available in the stark light of day when the mud and disrepair of the boats is visible and the sea grey and uninviting.

 

Barrels

I liked the sweeping curve of these barrels in the distillery, the universal look of them - and the sheer amount of them as they disappeared into the darkness.

At sea

This boat looks so stark against the vast empty sea.  I was pleased that I was just able to capture the silhouette of the people on board giving a sense of activity to a scene that was quiet.

Eating out on the canal

We took a two week boating holiday through the south of France with friends a couple of years ago.  It was like stepping back in time, the villages so quiet and empty with little of the trappings of a modern town - the only clue that there were people and businesses around would be the random signs leading to you what could easily have been passed by as someones house.

North Down Burrows

An amazing beach that went of for miles, accentuated by the enormous distance of the tidal flow.  I love the fact that I caught James in the near right hand corner as this adds to the sense I was trying to give of the expanse before us.

Pipe

This pipe caught my eye on the beach - mainly because I couldn't figure out why it was there or what its purpose had been - mostly likely a storm drain or sewage pipe - but I liked how it made me wander - I really wanted to give a sense of looking down it to the sea, I didn't quite get the perspective right but I still enjoy looking at this piece of decaying, rusting pipe against the more natural beauty of the sea washed stone.

Lorraine's Photo's

Hello - why am I here - not sure - what type of photography do I like - not sure about that either - what I do know is that I would rather be behind the camera than in front of it - and I find images compelling - that could be images of people, or landscapes, or buildings.

A picture has to draw me in though - have an air of mystery around it that makes you wonder about that person, place or building - what are they thinking, what happened there.

My interest was sparked by taking sporting photo's of my son playing rugby - getting the expressions of determination and passion - capturing a unique moment in their life - the successes and disappointments.

When taking pictures of places or buildings I focus on some low level detail - a section of architecture, the detail of a tree trunk or its roots.

A photograph should make you want to know more - and invoke memories of a person, time or place in your life.  And I want to take photo's like that.

David Bowie- Starman

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust