Studio In Context - Freya

Types of studio photography

Food

Fashion

Still life 

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I decided to use these two photographs as the subjects are in a similar position in terms of sitting down on something. The left photograph is by Jk Bruce Vanderpuije, taken in 1930's - 40's and the right one is by someone who I can no longer find the name of but is of recent years.
The left photograph is of a women in Ghana who was going to get married, theres also a picture of her with her husband that Jk Bruce took, and the lady on the right is of Gigi Fatale who is a pin up model and a burlesque dancer.
As from the period in which Jk Bruce took his photograph they tended to use designed backdrops that included flowers or patterns etc. They also would not have had any studio lights as are present in the right photograph. In the right photograph you can see a light has been used to the left side of the frame pointing towards her which casts them shadows underneath the seat and on her legs. The one on the right would have been taken with the camera which you have to put the blanket over yourself when taking the photograph. The purpose of the burlesque dancers photograph could be used in magazine or or to advertise her, while the women who is to be married or is married is for personal keep and memories.
The studios in which these photographs have been taken are vastly different, the old photography would have been taken simply in a room with the backdrop and a camera. Whereas, the other one is full of equipment like numerous lights on occasions and backdrop.
When comparing the two, you can see where, the way and how the photograph is taken varies between the two and in some respect and, how photography has 'developed'.

Evaluate two studio portraits.

The studio portraits by Martin Schoeller I like as they are most of the time of well known people. But its not that what I like about them, its of the style of being close up and in turn, i think, creates a nice detailed photograph of the person that I think represents a person well them well.
There are 2 4-bulbed kino flos bulbs on either side of the subjects face. There is a soft box above the head of the subject, a reflector with a grid is positioned facing towards the background. I think the composition is effective, and is something that I like about his portraits.

This is a photography by someone from a studio in Leeds. I like the photograph the way the composure is and I think its a nice black and white image. The light is coming from the top right of the frame. I think the purpose of this could be to advertise the old cameras, or it could just be a photograph for someone. I think that you could have positioned her different if you want to do different shot of her positioned with the camera, if that is what is intended, but the overall composure is not bad in any means. 

Experiments in photography – Freya

Chen Man was born in Bejing in 1980 and her field is of a fashion photographer. We went to The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery in Leeds to see examples of works she has produced.

Through her mother she was sent to drawing class and then later went on to graphic design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. The first publication of her work in 2003 was when she was 23 and still a student; they was produced in China’s Vision Magazine.  She then had publications in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan some of the biggest magazines going. She then started her own company in which she was providing photographs for Motorola, Adidias, Gucci for there advertising.
She does all of the postproduction of the photographs herself, in which she uses digital software such as Photoshop and 3D Max to edit her photographs.

One of the particular ones that I like is This one of a women with feathers in her hair. The reason for this choice is that it the photograph is simple compared to most of her other work.

I much prefer simplicity over complex with this style of photography where some her other works is well over processed and too ‘fake’ in my opinion, like the following.

Another example of her work I liked for the same reasons as stated above,

My overall opinions of her works is of not particularly liking them, because it isn’t my style of photography nor something that interests me in photography. There are some works that she has produced that I like better than others but the vast majority of them hold no appeal to me.

Words and Images.

Walker Evans and Kurt Schwitters  are two that have combined words and image in their photographs. I decided to pick Walker Evans as I have an interest in old advertising and signs and have looked at his photographs before. Also Kurt Schwitter as hes one I've have been looking at for a while now.

The following are photographs by Walker Evans that are example of what is stated above.

    

                                    

I like Walker Evans photographs as they portray the time they was taken well, by the advertising and signs that he has captured in his photographs. I think the way they are portrayed to the current generation of people, is that they can look at the advertising and signs and compare to how it is today and was then, which is what these style of photographs should do, or at least to me anyway. I like how if you look at his photographs you can see some errors such as spelling mistakes on advertising such as the top picture with 'fotos' written on the window. That alone also has an educational value on the viewer i think, by showing the education of some people.

So in his photos there are many elements that has an impact on the viewer which communicates to them.

Next is examples from Kurt Schwitters work, 

I like Kurt Schwitters work, because of the use of photographs to train tickets, paper advertisements and more is appealing to me. I think him adding these items adds a certain interest in looking at the pictures for the viewer as there is more depth to the image rather than just paper.

Camera-less Techniques

Chemigram - are produced in full light and is done by manipulating the surface of the photographic paper with photographic chemicals, varnished and oils. Chemigrams were invented in 1950's by Pierre Cordier, following is an example of one by him in 1961. I like the way this technique can look like in the following of a chemigram by Pierre Cordier.

Luminogram - Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and his wife Lucia Moholy started experimenting in the procedure to make a photogram (see below for photogram) in 1919 whenis a variation of a photogram but, light falling on the paper forms the image. Objects placed between the light and the paper but is not touching the paper, will block or filter the light, dependent of course whether the item is transparent or opaque. The following example of a Luminogram I do like alot but alot of the luminogram I have looked at didnt appeal to me.

Photogram - an image made without a camera by places objects directly on the surface of the photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The object also depend on the transparency of it to give of a certain effect. Photograms I liked and enjoyed doing, and am planning to do some more as I have a few ideas of a project I wish to do.

Calotype - or also referred to as Talbotype was a photographic processed which was introduced by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1841, which he was using paper coated in silver iodide. Not too keen on Calotype really.

Van Dyke Brown - is an early prinitng process. I like the effect this creates.

Cyanotype - Its a photographic printing process that gives a blue print. Sir John Herschel discovered this process in 1842, but the main person to introduce it to photography was Anna Atkins with her series of work in which she documented ferns and plant life. She placed an item onto the coated paper allowing the process on light to create a silhouette effect, by using photogram process. I do really like the plant specimens Anna Atkins did, as I have looked at them numerous time before with interest.