Claustrophobia: Image Bank

Joshua Hoffine

A horror photographer, Hoffine creates scary photos. All of his images are staged, like a movie, and he only uses photoshop for small details. His full method can be found here. He grew up in Kansas fearing tornadoes and the monster under his bed.

I chose this image because he has juxtaposed something so widely feared with something so commonly protected, increasing the fear factor of the image since the child is seemingly defenseless. Yet interestingly enough the infant doesn't seem perturbed at all by the spider. The sepia tones also make the picture scarier.

Alexis Hunter

Alexis Hunter has been working as an artist through various mediums since the 1970s. Her artwork wrestles with her ideas about society and the role of women. She has been invited to do countless solo shows, as well as being displayed in various other places. Full biography here.

I chose this image because the woman seems constricted in her clothing, claustrophobic in her role. I like the composition, it's very eye-catching, and the fact that it's black and white can be interpreted to say a lot about the culture, most especially concerning Hunter's feminist ideals.

Yousuf Karsh Karsh was a photographer from Ontario famous for his portraits of famous people. He prided himself on getting the oul of a person in the image, which he said came from a split second where they briefly lift "the mask" that all humans conceal their true selves with. I chose this picture, a portrait of Georgia O'Keefe, because she seemed trapped in her environment, yet somehow free from it, as if she was transcending reality. For some reason the picture was calming. Picture Source

Claustrophobia: Theory Notes

Dictionary.com defines claustrophobia as "an abnormal fear of being in enclosed or narrow places." I tried to convey this with my photographs.

Since claustophobia is a fear of small spaces, I wanted to have intimate yet intimidating close-ups of a seemingly scared model, as if through the eyes of a perpetrator of some sort. I wanted to try and violate a visual comfort zone. I did so by taking picture of different, rather disjointed areas of her body in the same position, as if the viewer is looking her up and down, examining her fear.

For the final print, in which she is in a different pose, I wanted an attempted escape, breaking the pattern created by the intimidated look in the previous images.

Claustrophobia: Printing Compositions

This is the contact sheet I made for this project. I used the 4 circled images. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 seconds For my 1st print, I tried a test strip to make sure the contact sheet settings were the best. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50-70 seconds (10 second intervals)

But after I did the contact sheet I realized there was a lot of contrast so I needed to do an A4 print to make sure everything was ok. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 seconds

Then I decided the contrast was good, so I did a full print. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 seconds

Then I decided the settings were good for the rest of the prints, so I did another one at the same settings. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 seconds I then did another print at the same settings. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 secondsFor the 4th print I figured it was best to do a test strip first just to make sure the same settings were still good for this print. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 secondsThen I did a full print at that time. Aperture: 4 Filter: 0 Time: 50 seconds

Claustrophobia: Diary Entry

I think that this project is the best one I've done so far. I'm very proud of the composition of my shots, and I think they make a nice series. I can really only think of one setback, that I couldn't find my test strips one day, but that all turned out to work in my favor. INstead of using the settings I had for the previous test strip, I did another one and ended up doing a final print almost immediately, and then continued to do all of my prints at the same settings, which happened to be the settings for my contact sheet. One setback I had was that I thought I had finished the project with 3 images and at the beginning of the next class found out I needed 4, but I managed to get a print fairly quickly using the same settings and that flowed well with my series. Another frustrating event towards the beginning of my project was not being able to use the one print I was most proud of. It was too dark, but if I lightened it up it removed the effect of the picture, so I had to give up and work on other prints, but this worked out because then I ended up with a good series.

This is the print I made that I didn't end up using.

Lighting Pt. 3 (fashion- hair): Printing Composition 3

I had to reshoot to get pictures of 2 people, so I used Josh and Almu. The print I used is the 3rd from the left on the first diagonal test strip. My contact sheet was at: Aperture: 8 Seconds: 65 Filter: 0 The contact sheet was a bit gray, so I added a filter and then added time to compensate for it. Aperture: 8 Seconds: 130 Filter: 2

This was too light still, so I did a test strip at higher times.

Aperture: 8 Seconds: 160 + 20 seconds intervals Filter: 2

This was still too light so I did another test strip at an even higher time.

Aperture: 8 Seconds: 300 + intervals of 30 Filter: 2

Then I tried a full print at 590 seconds.

Aperture: 8 Seconds: 590 Filter: 2

Then, I forgot that I had done a large print already, so I tried another full print based off of the test strip's settings. Aperture: 8 Seconds: 390 Filter: 2

Then I wanted more black in my print without so much time, so I opened up m aperture a bit and left the time the same. Aperture: 5.6 Seconds: 390 Filter: 2

Lighting Pt. 3 (fashion- hair): Image Bank

This is a photo by Ted Szukalski. He is a Polish amateur photographer living in Australia. He likes to take candid photos of people in everyday life. His "day job" is writing internet programs for an Australian company. He has a wife, 2 kids, a dog, and a cat. I chose this picture for the same reason he chose to photograph her- her hair. Her style is very eye ctaching, and her hair only adds to this. I love her pose and the contrast of her unique style with the drab background. I chose this picture by David Byun because I love the way the model's hair flows behind her and the serene tone of the entire picure. However, I couldn't find a bio on him. :(

I chose this picture because it caught my eye. the stark contrast between the black and white really adds to the desolate mood. I don't know if it's the lighting, photo quality, or what, but the light gray and black scheme of the photo adds so much to the intended mood. This picture was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. He became famous for his work at LIFE magazine. He began working there in its beginnings and had over 2500 assignments for LIFE. He has recieved many awards and published several books of his photography and otherwise. Many museums have also displayed his photography. He is known as the "father of photojournalism." He was born in 1898.

Sources:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2005/Atomic-Moral-Threshold1aug05.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2005/Atomic-Moral-Threshold1aug05.htm&usg=__OasYwZU0lX9L3Rc-yik3kmDyxws=&h=239&w=300&sz=23&hl=en&start=30&sig2=t1xGZNEYXSvjFFTv-f-djA&um=1&tbnid=JnMsYDvxoWmRiM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=116&ei=-aslSeKzC5TcwgGs0eAg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalfred%2Beisenstaedt%26start%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GWYE%26sa%3DN

http://shao.kelake.org/a/picts/hair.jpg

http://www.digital-photo.com.au/v/People/Street+Photography/Girl_with_hot_red_hair_MG_5732.jpg.html

http://mydayinphotos.com/Ted+Szukalski/

http://artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles1997/Articles0397/AEisenstaedt.html

http://www.gallerym.com/artist.cfm?ID=16

Lighting Pt. 3 (fashion- hair): Theory Notes: Flash and Light Meters

The purpose of a flash is to light a scene that otherwise doesn't have enough. But it's hard to know how much flash you need or what settings to use on your camera with or without a flash, so that's where a light meter comes in. There are several types of light meters:

Reflective Meters

These measure the amount of light reflecting off of a subject. You use this type of metering by pointing the meter at the subject. This type of metering is a little complicated, because someone in white will have more light reflecting off of them than someone in black even though (theoretically) they should turn out the same on film. However, this is the only type of metering you can do from a distance. You can use center weighted or spot metering (or matrix for computer controlled cameras). These all try to get the right exposure.

Center weighted metering takes an average metering of the whole scene (as seen through the camera) with more emphasis on the center of the scene. This means you can take the contrast into consideration.

Spot metering focuses on a small portion of the scene (1-5 degrees of the angle of view). This means you can measure the contrast in different portions of the image to make sure it's alright.

Incident Light Meters

These measure the amount of light falling on a subject (as opposed to the light reflected off of them). Usually it's measured through a small white dome on the metering cell. You measure incident light by pointing the meter towards where the camera will be while standing in front of the subject. The meter measure the amount of light falling on the subject and gives you a number from that. Incident is easier to use than reflective, because you don't have to calcualte the amount of gray, etc.

However, "neutral gray" varies between companies, so it's necessary to adjust the meter to the type of film you use, how you develop it, and what type of detail you want in your print (shadows vs. highlights, etc.).

Flash Meters

Flash meters measure the amount of light in a flash (if the scene needs a flash), so you can adjust your settings accordingly.

Flashes

Flash is used to produce instantaneous artificial light for a scene that is otherwise too dark for appropriate exposure, freeze an image, or creating a different temperature light. Flashes can be built-in to the camera, manually connected via a hot-shoe, or external (stand-alone) and connected by a cable, light trigger, or radio transmitter. Initially, the flash bulb was used, an old type of lightbulb that would flash brightly for the picture, but took longer to ignite fully. Modern flash units, however, are typically electronic xenon flash lamps. These are made from tubes filled with xenon gas, these are electrically charged and produce a short, bright flash. You can also use a fill-in flash to give better ambient light. Another method of getting flash like fill-in flash is to "bounce" it- to point the flash onto the umbrella so it bounces onto the subject. this makes the light less harsh and more natural. It also gives less bright highlights and less dark shadows. However, it takes more flash power to do so.

When using flash, there are several important things to remember. First, don't have the flash too far away from the subject (especially with built-in flash) or the picture will be grainy. To prevent this, don't stand farther than 3 meters away from the subject. Another problem is that sometimes the flash is too fast for the camera- to solve this you should slow down your shutter speed so that the light is sure to get in. Red eye is a common problem resulting from flash as well. This is caused by the retina immediately reflecting the light back. To avoid this you can either have a "pre-flash" that causes the pupil to contract, or bounce the light.

This is an example of image taken using a high-speed flash to get a freeze-frame effect.

(from http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?lightmeters.html~mainFrame

http://www.thomasmayphotography.com/camera-equipment/flash-light-meter/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_(photography)

)

Lighting Pt. 3 (Fashion- Hair): Printing Compositions 1+2

These were my contact sheets for Ines. I didn't end up making a contact sheet for My pictures of Renee, so I only made prints of Ines initially. I used the circled image on the top contact sheet and the cut off image on the bottom left corner of the 2nd contact sheet.

Aperture: 4

Seconds: 35

Filter: 2

To start out, I did a test strip at the same settings as my contact sheet, but it was too dark, so I closed the aperture, increased the filter, and added time.

Aperture: 8 Seconds: 70 Filter: 3

Then, I realized that I needed to make the print A3, so I raised the enlarger and doubled the time.

Aperture: 8

Seconds: 140

Filter: 3

This was too light, so I did a test strip of longer times.

Aperture: 8

Seconds: 140 + intervals of 30

Filter: 3This was still too light and also too gray, so I increased my filter, closed my aperture, and increased my time.

Aperture: 2.8 Seconds: 250 + intervals of 50 Filter: 5

This was too dark, so I did another test strip at lower times.

Aperture: 2.8 Seconds: 100 + intervals of 20 Filter: 5

Since the last strip was still too dark, I did a final print at an even lower time.

Aperture: 2.8 Seconds: 85 Filter: 5For the next print, I reduced my filter, and left the other settings the same.

Aperture: 2.8 Seconds: 85 Filter: 3

This was still too gray and too dark, so I increased my filter even more and tried a test strip with different (lower) times.

Aperture: 2.8 Seconds: 20 + 20 second intervals. Filter: 5This was still gray and a bit dark, so I closed my aperture and left the times the same so it would be a bit lighter. Aperture: 4 Seconds: 20-40-60-80 Filter: 5Then I did a final print at 75 seconds. Aperture: 4 Seconds: 75 Filter: 5

Lighting Pt. 3 (Fashion- Hair): Diary Entry

This was a succesful project for me in general. Although my settings could have been better, I certainly had it easier than a lot of other people in the class. My prints were gray, but other than that turned out nicely. For the majority of the project, the darkroom was fairly empty, which is really relaxing. I'm really proud of my compositions also. For some reason I never felt stressed out in this project. I never felt like I didn't have enough time even when other people were freaking out, which was kind of nice. I never felt concerned about the time limit on this project, and getting the extension made it even more leisurely. Although I didn't actually finish until the last class before the project was due, I still wasn't worried. It was also nice reshooting midway through the project. It was stressful trying to find a model, but when I finally shot Josh and Almu it was nicer anyway. It was intimate and I had more control over the situation, as well as being able to tell them exactly what I wanted. I think it was overall a more positive experience than being in the shoot with all of the class.

Lighting Pt 2 (Fashion Photography): Theory Notes: Shooting in Sunlight

An example of Lens Flare. Shooting in direct sunlight can cause many problems. High contrast, blown out highlights, lens flare, and overly saturated colors can all reslt from shooting in the sun. Subjects can also squint while posing, whih causes for some lesser quality pictures. One way to solve these problems is to shoot in the shade, under a tree, for example. With portraits and other "portable" photos, this is the quicest solution. If moving the subject is not possible, however, you instead can move. This can give you better light, and a more interesting shot if you use a less "typical" angle. Another simple solution is to make your on shade. You can use your body, a cardboard sheet, an umbrella, or a reflector to do this. Using the sunlight to their advantage here, by having an ineteresting angle in their picture. Instead of taking away light, it is also possible to help solve these problems by adding light. You can use a fill-in flash to even out the subject's shadows. Even though it is more common to shoot with the sun behind you (the photgrapher), you can shoot into the sun for a nice shot, especially if you have a good fill-in flash. Another way to even out dark shadows is to use a reflector (similar to in low-light situations). A diagram showing how lens flare is caused. Lens Flare is an extremely common problem when shooting in direct sunlight. It is caused by "non image-forming light" entering the lens and hitting the film. It reflects between the lenses of the camera and refracts before hitting the film. Luckily, there is an easy way to combat this- a lens hood. This is an attachment that goes on the end of your camera which helps to block out the additional light that causes flare. Lens hoods come in a regular conical (lamp shade) shape, or in a petal (flower, tulip, etc.) shape. If you don't have one, it's easy enough to make your own out of cardboard, or just use your hand. A lens with and without a lens hood (shown here is a petal hood). Another way to reduce flare is in the composition of the photo. If you have something inbetween the camera and the light source (like the tree here), this can help reduce flare, even if that object doesn't appear in the image intself. This tree helps block the sunlight and therefore reduces flare. Also, you can use a filter to help shooting in direct sunlight. Use a polarizing filter or a Neutral Density (ND) filter. These both help to reduce the amount of light that gets into your pictures, which then gives you more control over your aperture and shutter speed. Polarizing flters can also affect the colors of the shot, which can be a bonus or a drawback depending on the effect you're going for. A picture shot with (Left) and without (Right) a Polarizing Filter. Metering in direct sunlight is also hard to do. You can either choose to spot-meter the main subject of the scene you're shooting, or you can alternatively choose a more neutrally lit part of the frame- hopefully then the darks and lights of the photo will turn out relativel well. You can also take multiple shots of the same scene with different metering and choose the best image later. Also, shooting at different times of day can affect your shot. Shooting around dawn and dusk (normally about an hour after dawn and before dusk) can give beatiful shots with nice colors of light, as well as a better angle of light for your purposes. Finally, if all else fails, use the bright sunlight against itself. Sillhouete shots can be gorgeous, and are easy to do in bright sunlight! Sources: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/lens-flare.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_hood http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlight/ (Additional Images) http://www.dimagemaker.com/ktml2/images/uploads/photo/polar/b.jpg