ASSIGNMENT 4 - ANNIE LEIBOVITZ (Work in progress)

Annie leibovitz's work from Morrighan Humpleby
This slide show is good because there is a lot of information on her and her work but also some analysis on
her pictures.

PREZI ON ANNIE LEIBOVITZ:

ASSIGNMENT 3: DEPTH OF FIELD - ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

Definition

Depth of field is the distance between the nearest object and the furthest object.

Depth of Field (DOF) is the front-to-back zone of a photograph in which the image is razor sharp. As soon as an object (person, thing) falls out of this range, it begins to lose focus at an accelerating degree the farther out of the zone it falls; e.g. closer to the lens or deeper into the background. With any DOF zone, there is a Point of Optimum focus in which the object is most sharp. There are two ways to describe the qualities of depth of field - shallow DOF or deep DOF. Shallow is when the included focus range is very narrow, a few inches to several feet. Deep is when the included range is a couple of yards to infinity. In both cases DOF is measured in front of the focus point and behind the focus point. DOF is determined by three factors – aperture size, distance from the lens, and the focal length of the lens. 

Aperture

The aperture is the opening at the rear of the lens that determines how much light travels through the lens and falls on the image sensor. The size of the aperture’s opening is measured in f-stops - one of two sets of numbers on the lens barrel (the other being the focusing distance). The f-stops work as inverse values, such that a small f/number (say f/2.8) corresponds to a larger or wider aperture size, which results in a shallow depth of field; conversely a large f/number (say f/16) results in a smaller or narrower aperture size and therefore a deeper depth of field.

Manipulating the aperture is the easiest and most often utilized means to adjust Depth of Field. To achieve a deep, rich and expansive DOF, you’ll want to set the f-stop to around f/11 or higher. You may have seen this principle demonstrated when you look at photos taken outside during the brightest time of the day. In such a case, the camera is typically set at f/16 or higher (that Sunny 16 Rule) and the Depth of Field is quite deep - perhaps several yards in front of and nearly to infinity beyond the exact focus point. Let’s take a look at these two photos as examples. The photo on the left has an expansive DOF, most likely shot around noon (notice the short, but strong shadows), with an f/22 aperture. The photo on the right has an extremely shallow DOF; probably an f/2.8 aperture setting. However, to achieve an identical proper exposure, the shutter speed is probably closer to 1/1000th to compensate for the increased amount of light entering the lens at f/2.8.

Comments

This photo is good because it has a strong deep depth of field and the steps give this depth in a very apt way leading up to the well illuminated castle, though Cinderella is the main focus of the photo after you have considered her, your eye drifts back towards the castle making the depth very good , this photo tells a story very well and i really like the way it is assembled, the lighting and also the depth.

If I compare this to this other picture of hers, the feel is very different. The other picture has a magical feel but even though they are both based on two successful fairy tales, there is no magical aspect to the Alice in Wonderland. The depth is shallower than in Cinderella as it's all about the clothes for this Vogue shoot. The models are the subjects in both pictures but there is a big disparity in them which clear.

Lesson 1b Depth Of Field from hweeling I thought this was a very helpful slideshare as it explains everything very clearly.

UNDERSTANDING DEPTH OF FIELD LINK - I thought this link might be good if anyone were still stuck.

ASSIGNMENT 3: LIGHTING - PEROU

Definition

Light is a fundamental part of photography. Photographers use light in their photographic compositions, sometimes taking advantage of the natural light of their surroundings and other times manipulating light sources to achieve the desired lighting effect.

Types of Lighting

Photographers use several different types of lighting in order to create the desired effect they are after. The two main types of lighting that photographers use are natural and artificial light. Within the two main types of light, there are other types of light to take into consideration.

Natural Light

Natural light is considered by many photographers to be the best type of lighting. Because natural light encompasses the entire light spectrum, there is little to no color distortion in the photograph. However, natural light is not constant; depending on the time of day, the position of the sun and cloud cover, the look of the light changes.

Artificial Light

Artificial light is more consistent than natural light; however, not all artificial light sources work with the entire light spectrum and can alter how the colors in the photograph look. Types of artificial lights include tungsten, florescent and flash. When using artificial light, photographers will take steps to counteract the unwanted color distortion.

Diffused and Direct Lighting

Controlling the direction of light is important in photography. Direct lighting hits the subject from one direction; it can be a great way to create strong high lights and shadows. Diffused lighting takes the light source and reflects it, so it hits the subject from multiple angles.

Manipulating Light With Filters

Often photographers will use filters to manipulate light further to their needs. To help reduce glare on a sunny day, a photographer may use a polarizing filter on his lens to keep the reflections from shiny surfaces from blowing out the subject she is photographing. Some filters only work with a specific spectrum of light; for example, infrared lenses. An infrared filter only lets in light in the infrared spectrum that it is not seen by the naked eye.

Comments

This picture to the left is very defined as the light is high and that makes her cheekbones look more refined. The luminosity makes her skin seem smooth and sleek. Even though this appears to be artificial light, it creates the impression of naturality. The color of her hair also implies this.


The other picture is very elegant yet recherché. The light is coming slightly from the left and makes her face look illuminated. Since it comes slightly from the left, she gets a good shadow around her eye which makes her makeup darker and stand out against her pale face. 

Lesson 1c Lighting from hweeling

HOW TO USE LIGHTING LINK

how to create a gadget box

this is a link on how to create a gadget box

ASSIGNMENT 3: FOCAL POINT - VEE SPEERS

Definition:

It is the center of interest or activity. It's an act of concentrating interest or activity on something. In photography, this would be making something in a photograph stand out more than anything else. The focal point in a photo should draw your eye to it. The example in this photo, by Vee Speers, is the rabbit. This is because it is what is different in the picture as it is much more overcast and seems out of place in the girl's arm.

Comment

I think this is a powerful photograph. This is because as my eyes snap to the rabbit and then drift around the rest of the picture, it seems very out of place, as I mentioned before. Also her hair is a colour that isn't common for girls around her age. The immediacy of Vee Speers’ imagery is overwhelming. Faces look directly at the viewer creating a quietly dramatic tension urging a reaction from the viewer. Looking at these photographs, Speers strikes a chord within us to trigger our own concerns in relation to today’s paranoid society. The emotive responses to her work divulge more about the viewer than the viewed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a fitting Slideshare for this particular post, however, I have multiple links to sites which I thought would be helpful.

LINK TO HELP SITE  -  1

LINK TO HELP SITE  -  2

LINK TO HELP SITE  -  3

ASSIGNMENT 3: COMPOSITION - JOHN HEDGECOE

Definition:

Composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the organization of elements of art according to the principles of art. The term composition means "putting together," and can apply to any work of art, from music writing, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought. In the visual arts, composition is often used interchangeably with various terms such as design, form, visual ordering, or formal structure, depending on the context. In graphic design and desktop publishing, composition is commonly referred to as page layout.

Comment:

This picture is very interesting. There is quite a big contrast with the shade and makes it seem quite disheveled in a way. By using this black and white technique, it's as though the photographer, John Hedgecoe, is trying  make the subject look as old as possible also, the style of clothing he's wearing contributes to the old theme. My eyes are automatically drawn to this man's head. This is because not only is his head centered, but his hands look almost as if they're holding his head and the variation of size (having the head smaller than the hands) is odd and unnatural. His head is also highlighted whereas the rest of the image is atramentous.  

Context

This photograph is of the famous sculptor Henry Moore with his hands stretched out in front of him. This is representing what he does for a living. His hands which he used for making sculptures create a natural frame for his head, therefore making it more noticeable. 

composition in Photography from Mariamasfour

I thought this slideshare was good because it clearly states what composition is and what elements it should contain.

Help Site:

http://www.colorpilot.com/comp_rules.html

FIRST ANALYSIS - VEE SPEERS

Vee Speers

Factual

Vee Speers is an Australian photographer living in Paris. She studied fine art and photography in Brisbane which was followed by a five year career in Sydney with the ABC television as a stills photographer. A short stay in France in 1990 became a permanent move to Paris, which for Speers is a place with "unlimited potential and endless creative inspiration.

Speers first work was on a series of nudes which she photographed in Paris at former Bordellos. She photographed women as part of an extension of her learning ta school during art class. It was a way for her to interpret her meaning of the human form and how light and colour effect her work.
Another project that Speers worked on was a theme of birthday parties. She first shot this series on her daughter's 8th birthday where the children showed up dressed in costume as animals and other characters.

Context

These pictures are from a series called "Birthday Party" based on her child's 8th birthday party.

Technical

Speers used quite a high brightness level for the first girl whose skin, especially on the arm holding the bird, blends into the background. The other girls's brightness is also quite high as her collar blends in.

Aesthetic

The colours the girls are wearing are very natural colours that make her look quite innocent as it doesn't seem as though she stands out. Their hair is pulled back perfectly with both of them using a plait which also reinforces the theory of innocence as that so something I personally would associate with a young girl. I like how the girl on the right is very centered in the picture as if to make you look at her. The left girl seems more sweet and innocent than the girl on the right however-She is wearing a lighter colour suggesting she has a lighter personality and even though the bird she is holding is particularly light, she is holding an animal which makes me think she is trustworthy.