Studio Portraiture

My Introduction to 5x4 cameras (large format photography)

For this project I could use a new format, one that I haven't used before 5x4 or large format photography if you prefer!

On the right is an image of a large format camera, as you can see it already appears very different from the digital cameras that we are used to using today.

The 5x4 camera is made up of a front standard (the bit at the front with the lens on) a rear standard (the one with the focusing screen and grid) a bellows focusing system (that's in the middle) a rail at the bottom and loads of different knobs, switches and sliders that are for an array of different things.

I've had a hands on introduction to the camera and it's workings and have had time to have a little mess around to get used to it's features and it takes no time at all to realise that large format cameras are much more hands on than today's digital compacts and SLRs.






This type of camera uses slide film that you have to insert into a light tight holder (as seen to the left)

When composing and focusing on a large format camera you have to be in relative darkness by throwing some kind of dark sheet over your head and the back of the camera, you'll notice that the image seen on the rear standard is upside down. It isn't until you've achieved the results that you want in your image do you insert the film holder as you will no longer be able to see what the camera sees!

 Here's an image I found on flickr of a 5x4 negative, click on the image to be taken to the photographer's Photostream on Flickr

The main advantage of using a 5x4 camera, other than the high quality photographs, are the 'movements' Slide, Tilt, Swing/Swivel, Rise & Fall and this effects the image in different ways when using front standard and the rear standard. Basically the front standard controls focus be it everything in focus from horizontal and vertical bands of focus, something which is unique to this type of camera. The rear standard controls the shape of the resulting image as well as part of the focus.


Research

     Richard Avedon

Below are some 5x4 images that were taken by Richard Avedon, they are from two different projects of his.  

Ronald Fischer 1981 Richard Avedon

This image is from his "In The American West" series where Avdeon travelled around the USA photographing different people using a large format camera, he just positioned a white sheet behind the person he was photographing. The image I have chosen is my favourite from the series the one of Ronald Fischer a beekeeper I really like the way that Avedon has titled each image with the person's name, what they do and where and when it was taken.

Andy Warhol 1969 Richard Avedon

Here's another 5x4 image by Avedon, I'm not really sure which collection this is from but I know the story behind what is going on here. Avedon had this habit of getting the model in front of the camera (in this case it's Andy Warhol, the artist!) and start saying and doing things to get the reaction that he desired for his shot, in this example he has said/done something that has clearly shocked Warhol and caused him to experience some discomfort. Avedon believed that by catching someone off guard or taking them out of their comfort zone he could capture a true representation of that person.

     Martin Schoeller 

 Below are two portraits by the portraiture photographer Martin Schoeller.
I first found Schoeller's work in his book 'Martin Schoeller Close Up' that was full of larger than A3 images of celebrities and well known people's faces with incredible focus and detail!
 

Jack Nicholson, 2002 Martin Schoeller

  These two images are Digital C prints -I've looked into this and I can only describe them as digital images that are exposed through a digital head enlarger onto photographic paper.

Cindy Sherman, 2000 Martin Schoeller

Schoeller used Kino Flo lamps for this project, Kino Flo lamps are a fluorescent tube based system that have been set up for the colour temerature of film. These kinds of lamps are generally used for motion picture lighting as they are reasonably portable and let off less heat than other systems. In the series above Shoeller has used two lamps, one at either side of the model's face.

These images are very predetermined in the way that they are taken, almost like a passport photo I like the way that the people he has photographed are very famous although are not smiling or posing in any way for any of the images.

My Project Plan 

As this is more of a technical project my idea is simple, to obtain two relaxed / semi relaxed portraits of two different people as I believe that the meaning is in the eyes of the beholder.

It is a requirement that one image is in black and white and the other in colour as well as this I would like to add my own twist of taking my portraits in a landscape orientation as I feel that this contributes to the final portrait. I'm going to have one shoot only to capture every image for this project so this ensures fast thinking for ideas, set up and actually doing it instead of thinking about it, although I have basic ideas like having a black background and fairly low key lighting - although this is down to personal preference.

The Shoot
21st March 2012, afternoon.

So today was the day of the shoot and I am pretty happy with the results, my models were Helena and Katrina. I tried to keep the studio of an energetic but relaxed atmosphere -this was helped by the use of a chair at one point. The chair was also handy as Katrina is pregnant so she needed to sit down a lot!

Below are three images from the one and only shoot - with lighting diagrams that I have drawn and scanned in.

So this is my first image of my girlfriend Katrina (A.K.A. The Wife) in this image I wanted to capture both her and our unborn son (a.k.a. The Bump) However my preference for a black background clashed with her chosen clothing and she merged in making it difficult to distinguish her from the background I got around this by introducing another light into the equation - which I have now nicknamed 'The Bump Light.' The light was lowered down to the height of the bump and set to a lower power level than the primary light by almost half, below is my full lighting diagram for this image.

Katrina & Bump lighting diagram
*Please note that I have this annoying habit of calling the spill kill a reflector, just like in the diagram above.

Helena Burrough

My next image is a portrait of Helena, in this image she is actually sitting down and leaning on the back of a chair. I believe that the chair was the main source of calming during the shoot as it allows the model to be seated and by looking back at the images of the models both sitting and standing there's definitely a more relaxed calmer expression and posture going on. Below is the lighting diagram for this shot.

Helena Burrough Lighting Diagram

Katrina Harmer

My final image is a portrait of Katrina, this shot captures her natural expession as she was not aware that the photo was being taken at the time as we were between shots. Below is the lighting diagram for this shot.

Final Images

I have chosen these two as my final images as I feel they fit together best from the images that I had taken as they are the same orientation. The compositions I have chosen for each shot allow for the spaces in each image to be filled, they only other way I can describe what I mean is by saying they are like bookends and can be put together easily.

I chose to have Katrina in colour because her red lipstick was complimentary to the blackness of the image, the image of Helena in black and white almost reminds me of the type of portrait that you would find of an author in a book. 


Rounding it up

 I think that doing everything in one shoot was a good idea for this particular project plus it also fits well with how I work - less planning and more on location! The shoot was a success.

If I  were to improve the shoot I might have got myself a studio assistant as it took time moving the lights around then having to keep going back to the camera to see if it looked right for the shot but other than that it was good. I showed the models the images and they are very happy and although there was some clear scepticism about the use of the black background they both agreed that the images look great as they are.
 I could also say that I need to improve on my time management as I didn't actually get around to printing my images before the deadline but this is because of other  issues seperate from my college work.
Never the less I have images that I am very happy with and that respond to the brief!