Advanced Techniques: Classmate Portrait

For the classmate portrait assignment, I worked with Colleen Lefholz. I have been eager to learn about studio lighting for awhile. I learned so much working on this project and I know there is still so much to learn. After talking to Colleen for a bit, I learned that she is a cake decorator. I love food, so I figured that this would be the perfect opportunity to not only use food during a shoot, but bring out a unique part of her life.

Multi-Light Source Select:

Colleen Lefholz licks frosting off a wooden spoon while posing for a portrait on September 28th, 2009. Colleen is a cake decorator during the summer and holidays in her hometown of St. Charles, MO. “When my friends find out that I am a cake decorator, I get a lot of requests for cake.” Colleen said during her portrait session.

Light Diagram:

I used a soft box, a gold reflector and a second light with a blue gel facing the backdrop. I used blue because it contrasted nicely with Colleen's hair color. I metered the situation using a meter connected with a sync cord. It gave me a reading of ISO200, f/13, 1/125 of a second. I bracketed in addition to that reading. Looking back, I think a second soft box on her left would have helped lighten her face and the icing on the wooden spoon.

Single Light:

Colleen Lefholz poses for a portrait on September 28th, 2009 in Lee Hills Hall studio.

Light Diagram:

For the single light portrait, I used a soft box and tried to go for the Rembrandt lighting. I metered ISO200, f/13 and 1/125 of a second. I had Colleen turn her back to me and slowly turn back around with her head directed at me. I wanted to do soft lighting to reflect the Colleen's self proclaimed soft spokeness. I bracketed, but I think I under exposed the image.

Outtakes:

Portrait Example Assignment

This week in Adv. Techniques we have been talking about portraiture. I think a great portrait can reveal the true identity of a subject, even when they are trying to hide it.

This is a portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Richard Avedon. The photo can be found at http://www.richardavedon.com/#s=10&a=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&p=4&at=0. I am only posting this for educational purposes and I take no claim or copyright of this image.

Many portraits of Marilyn Monroe have glamorous or dramatic lighting that added to her public persona. Richard Avedon has a beautiful way of using basic lighting to reveal her exhaustion away from the public eye. Monroe is known for a glamourous public life, while suffering from depression in her private life. I think it's interesting how she is wearing an elegant dress in the photo. It could possibly be a metaphor for the shell of her public life.

Advanced Techniques: 1st Assignment. Copy Stand and Meter Calibration.

For the copy test part of the assignment we had to find two photographs and with a with a white balance setting of tungsten, take a photo of each image. One image had to express emotions through lighting and the other photo was "stump the chump". This means that I couldn't figure out how the photographer lit the photo, so we try and "stump" our teacher with it.

Mood Lighting Select

Untitled by Michael Michaud. Copy test for educational purposes only. I don't take any claim or copyright to this image. Taken from JPG Magazine, issue number 14. Also found at jpgmag.com/photos/306652.

Stump The Chump Select

Lance Armstrong by Annie Leibovitz 1999. Copy test for educational purposes only. I don't take any claim or copyright to this image. Image from Vanity Fair Portraits book.

I chose this photo because the light that reflects off the rain and certain parts of his body confused me.

The second part of this assignment was using the daylight and tungsten white balance settings in a variety of lighting conditions.

Tungsten Exploration Select

Pencil shavings are scattered on the ground next to Grant Blackwell's foot. Blackwell was sitting outside of Lakota Coffee Company working on a drawing of 9th Street in downtown Columbia.

Daylight Exploration Select

Ezra Ryan sits between his father, Frank Ryan's legs at Stephens Lake Park on Monday September 7, 2009. The Ryans sat with other families and the fathers discussed fantasy football.

Turtles

Before going back to school in Columbia, I stopped in St. Louis for a few days to visit Zach. I told him about the photos I took in India and London of the different markets and butcher shops. He remembered an Oriental grocery store in St. Louis that would add something to my collection. The store layout was similar to those of other grocery stores, it was the small details that made the difference. Walking through the meat department, I noticed signs for all parts of different animals, nothing was wasted. Pig liver, chicken feet and packages that had an assortment of parts of the animals filled the aisle. I think it's so interesting what different cultures and religions eat. I am obsessed with the travel channel because I love the shows that look at the different foods from around the world. I am excited to expand on this project about butcher shops and grocery stores around the world.