Difference Shoot

Location Portraiture Technique Page

What is Location Portraiture?
Location Portraiture is when you have a picture of a person taken in an environment other than studio.

How do I do it?

1. Make sure the camera is zoomed out so enough content can be seen in the image so that the background can be seen (the outside environment) 
2. The aperture must be set to the lowest f number to allow an element of depth of field to be shown
3. Make sure flash is on so that the picture will come out slightly lighter, also by doing this shadows will avoid being seen in the image 
4. Get a model to stand in front of an environment, for example, a building, however don't have her standing too close to the background
5. Take the picture and your final product will be that the model is in focus and the background is out of focus

Connecting Essays

(1) Jack Eames 

In this photo Eames has shot a woman looking fairly natural, you can see her imperfections and the black and white almost highlights them. I like the use of a black background as it makes her skin colour stand out, especially with the use of black and white. The colour of her face almost hits against the black backdrop as the contrast in colours is so different, its almost light against dark. In this image the woman is not posing and this emphasises how natural the picture is. The woman is looking into the image which defies the idea that this is a candid photo which slightly takes away how natural this is however I think it still comes across quite natural. In this image you can see the chapped of her lips and the freckles on her face, which are considered to be imperfections however i think this image is quite beautiful within itself and her imperfections makes her beautiful. I like the way the photographer has composed the camera for this photo, I like that not all of her is shown as it makes her face seem like the focal point of the image.

In this photo I took a self portrait of myself looking natural, in this image I have no make up on. In this picture I am slightly posing as I have my back towards the camera which takes away a bit of how natural the image is, however concerning my facial expressions I am not actually posing. I turned this image black and white which made the different colours of my hair stand out, especially with the use of the black background. In this image I have not used photoshop to alter things I would usually change e.g. the size of my nose or the size of my lips, therefore in this retrospect this image is very natural. In this image I like how the black and white makes my skin colour shine out more making me seem like the focal point go the image. I like the composition of myself in this image as it comes across as if I am slightly hiding myself.

Both of these images connect because they both have the theme of natural beauty, my hair is unruly in my picture and I have been left unedited and in Eames picture he has allowed the models imperfections to remain. Both pictures have faults with the models yet they both have came out quite beautiful. Both of these images also connect through the use of black and white, and the black and white both have the ams effect of making the model stand out because both have also chosen to use a black backdrop. Both images also don't show the entire model, only mainly showing the face, which means both images have focused on facial beauty.

(2) Camilla Akrans

In this photo Akrans has created a photo that falls under the beauty sector of photography however due to the lack of make up the woman and the picture comes across very natural. The picture also comes across as natural because of her action in the image, she seems to be covering her face so only a partial amount of her face can be seen. This comes across as very playful and therefore innocent because playful is usually related with children and their innocence. This picture has been put in black and white which makes the model stand out against the black back drop as her skins highlights in the image and almost glows. Despite the fact that this picture is natural and the model is wearing no make up and is pulling her little pose (almost as if she is slightly hiding from the camera as if she is slightly embarrassed) , the model still comes across flawless which stands for natural beauty. Her skin comes across as very smooth and she has her hair in a messy bun however she seems to make it look good. I like that in this image you can see not only her face but a slight bit of her body and it works well with the action she is pulling and allows the audience to see it how the photographer most  likely sees it.

This image that I have took is a self portrait of myself with no make up, it is from a shoot in my project where I wanted to highlight natural beauty, to emphasise this I left my hair in its natural state and had no make up on. I positioned myself in the corner of the camera however you can see my face and actions with ease. In this image I took out some saturations which make the back drop turn a bit grey which made my skin colour and hair stand out against the back drop which highlighted me , making myself the focal point of the image, which makes the naturalness stand out. In this image I put my arm across my face so that I am sort of hiding my face, which makes me come across as quite bashful and innocent, this is enforced with the smile you can't see but can through my squinted eyes.

Both of these images connect because the content of the images are the exact same, for example, it being a natural image with messy hair and no make up, being completely bare. These images also connect through the person that is portrayed, in both images the models have covered their face which suggests they are hiding themselves because they are slightly embarrassed or don't like the camera, which also comes across as very natural because most people don't like to be photographed. In both images the have almost the exact same amount of the model showing, they are just positioned differently, in Akrans picture you can't see a lot of the back drop, however in mine you can because of the way I put myself in the corner of the image.

(3) Ryan Doco Connors

In this image Connors has created what seems to be something inhuman, an image that could be considered disturbing and a little bit weird. He has  used props to enforce a character he has created, his use of lighting also enforces this because it is quite dark and dim. This photo is very hard to see because of how dark it is but if you really look at it you can see her eyes have been made black which to me suggests a possessed character. The image is quite contrasting against itself because the character comes across as evil however the model is in a white frilly dress which pink hair and a fairy headband which suggests innocence, however her stare and stance to the camera says that she should be feared. There is not a lot of backdrop in this image because the model takes up most of the image, you can tell she is the focal point of the image because she takes up most of the image.

In this image I have recreated the famous characters which take to the streets on the 5th of May, Cinco De Mayo, The Day Of The Dead. To do this I used face paint and followed the image of another persons face paint online, however slightly altering mine so that it was individual. In this image not much of the backdrop is showing however it is noticeable because it is pink which isn't a particularly subtle colour. I got the model to stare into the camera which with the heavy use of black around her eyes, produces quite a holding stare, which can come across as a bit disturbing to an audience.

These two images connect because both have what could be described as quite disturbing imagery due to the stares that both models hold in both photos. Both models in both images take up the majority of the image in each photo, displaying that they are the focal point of the image and this draws an audience to look at the extent of editing of each picture. In both images coloured back drops have been used which match to the colours of the image, for example, in mine I have used a pink which almost matches the light red around my models eyes, In Connors picture his backdrop matches the colour of the models headband and hair.

(4) Sue Bishop

In this image Bishop has took a close up of a flower and has created minimum depth of field which creates a blurred background with the flower in focus. By this image being close up, the audience can see the detail of flower, down to each little ridge in the patterns, also when blown up, the audience can see the texture of flower, which I think is a really nice effect. The colours in this image stand out as in the flower there is a subtle yellow, a  dark brown/black and bright purple, I think these colours are very eye-catching next to one another because they are each very different and very bold. In this image I like the mixture of colours in the background which is the out of focus flowers, I think this blends really nicely next to the flower as it brings out the yellow that bit more.

This is a picture i have taken of a leaf in college. in this image I have created a minor depth of field as the background is slightly unfocused whilst the red leaf is in focus. This picture is a close up therefore the details of the leaf can be seen by the audience, the lines of the leaf can be seen in detail. Also in this image due to the close up the audience can see the different colours within just one leaf and how it transfers back into the red, which I think is a really nice effect. In this image the leaf takes up most of picture therefore there is not a lot of the background to be seen, however this doesn't particularly matter because the background is simply a brick wall (which doesn't fit in with the natural feel of the photo) and it is out of focus due to depth of field anyway.

These two images connect because they both have the contact of nature, in Bishops image she has a flower, and in mine I have a leaf, both things that cannot be manufactured manually (well not that are real anyway). Also both images have a use of close up and depth field, both producing the same out of focus effect, however mine is much smaller to Bishops. Also both use colour which seems like a main theme, both use colours which stand out, in my image the red is very vibrant and the colours in Bishops photo seem to stand out, both colours are very eye-catching.

(5) Jamie Nelson

In this photo Nelson has used the material of glitter as a cosmetic almost like an eyeshadow. He has accompanied this with normal make up, for example face make up (foundation, bronzer, blusher) and more evident make up like lipstick and mascara. This makes the glitter come across very natural and almost every day because it is accompanied with other every day materials. In this image Nelson has made the face the only thing within this image and I think this was a good idea because it makes the glitter stand out more, if this was a full body shot, the use of the glitter would probably be unnoticeable. In this image Nelson has made it so the models eyes are closed so it is available to see the entire extent of the glitter being used on her eyelids. Despite the use of the glitter, the lipstick is the most eye-catching thing within this image because it is the brightest colour and the most bold colour within this picture, this is very clever as it makes the glitter on the eyelids seem even more natural.

This is my own image and in this image I have used glitter to cover my entire face, I have used a range of 3 different colours. Blue, silver and gold, this breaks up a solid one colour which would be quite boring because it is covering the whole of my face. In this image I decided to look away from the camera and look down, this allowing the audience to see how I have used this on literally my entire face as it can be seen covering my eyelids in this image. I used a black back drop in this image however it has came out a charcoal grey, the dull background colour allows the bring, sparkly glitter to be the focal point of the picture which is the intended focal point of the picture. In this picture it can be seen that only my face is covered, not my arms or neck, therefore slightly referencing to make up, the message behind it being how make up can make you shine, meaning make you confident.

These two images connect because the material of glitter has been used in both and as a make up reference, although Nelsons appears more natural, both give the message and idea of glamour and being sparkly and all done up. In both images, mainly only the face is showing, despite my shoulders and arms being in this picture, the focal point of both images are the faces due to the use of glitter. In both images dull backdrops have den used which keeps the attention on the portraits of the faces, and it allows the faces to seem more colourful.

Candid Work Diary

In this shoot I went into Harlow town and took pictures of my two friends just walking around normally as I felt the need to do a natural shoot involving a person in a natural element, like a candid shot. I tried to achieve a very natural feel to these photos which I think I achieved because it is simply of them walking around, or their hands just fiddling with objects like their phones. If I was to do this shoot again I would probably use more people however I think the shoot worked well with just two. What I have learnt with this shoot is that it is very difficult to take pictures whilst walking because I was trying to keep up with my models whilst they were walking, I didn't want to ask them to stop because I feel it would have taken away that natural element. I don't think I would do this shoot again because I feel I have got all out of it that I can. From my last shoot, I haven't improved on location because it is the exact same however in this shoot the location doesn't matter because it is not meant to be staged, it is meant to feel very natural, almost every day like.

This image was taken without the models actually knowing which achieves the natural vibe that I wanted. In this image I used selective colour and I prefer this use of selective colour than the one in my previous shoot 'Exterior' because in this one the selective colour seems a lot more subtle and in this use of selective colour, a meaning is actually held behind it. The use of selective colour in this image shows them as the most important part of the picture and allows them to stand out against everything and everyone else. If I was to do this picture again I think I would do it so that you can see their whole bodies walking as it would of provided a lot more background and more of them to show they are the most important thing within the picture.

With this image I think I successfully made this shoot achieve the project title of beauty, I think this because of how natural this picture is, yet how beautiful it still looks. The models face is smooth yet you can still see all the curves and grooves of his face and of his hands. You can see that he is waiting within this picture and it is just as simple as that and I think the simplicity of this picture makes it very beautiful. I took some saturation out of this picture to make it a lot smoother and less bright, which makes me personally see it as quite a calming picture. What I learnt from taking this picture is not everything beautiful has to be staged and made up, for example, with make up. In a lot of my still shoots I mainly use females however this shoot has taught me to try and use males more as they photograph quite well and their naturalness comes across quite beautiful in its own simple way.

This shoot lead me to think what I could do in other shoots in the future and I think I could do another shoot of candids however in London so the candids are of more than just 2 people. By doing this it would show more of a range of people and a spread of different beauties.

Candid Work Diary

In this shoot I went into Harlow town and took pictures of my two friends just walking around normally as I felt the need to do a natural shoot involving a person in a natural element, like a candid shot. I tried to achieve a very natural feel to these photos which I think I achieved because it is simply of them walking around, or their hands just fiddling with objects like their phones. If I was to do this shoot again I would probably use more people however I think the shoot worked well with just two. What I have learnt with this shoot is that it is very difficult to take pictures whilst walking because I was trying to keep up with my models whilst they were walking, I didn't want to ask them to stop because I feel it would have taken away that natural element. I don't think I would do this shoot again because I feel I have got all out of it that I can. From my last shoot, I haven't improved on location because it is the exact same however in this shoot the location doesn't matter because it is not meant to be staged, it is meant to feel very natural, almost every day like.

This image was taken without the models actually knowing which achieves the natural vibe that I wanted. In this image I used selective colour and I prefer this use of selective colour than the one in my previous shoot 'Exterior' because in this one the selective colour seems a lot more subtle and in this use of selective colour, a meaning is actually held behind it. The use of selective colour in this image shows them as the most important part of the picture and allows them to stand out against everything and everyone else. If I was to do this picture again I think I would do it so that you can see their whole bodies walking as it would of provided a lot more background and more of them to show they are the most important thing within the picture.

With this image I think I successfully made this shoot achieve the project title of beauty, I think this because of how natural this picture is, yet how beautiful it still looks. The models face is smooth yet you can still see all the curves and grooves of his face and of his hands. You can see that he is waiting within this picture and it is just as simple as that and I think the simplicity of this picture makes it very beautiful. I took some saturation out of this picture to make it a lot smoother and less bright, which makes me personally see it as quite a calming picture. What I learnt from taking this picture is not everything beautiful has to be staged and made up, for example, with make up. In a lot of my still shoots I mainly use females however this shoot has taught me to try and use males more as they photograph quite well and their naturalness comes across quite beautiful in its own simple way.

This shoot lead me to think what I could do in other shoots in the future and I think I could do another shoot of candids however in London so the candids are of more than just 2 people. By doing this it would show more of a range of people and a spread of different beauties.

L.O.V.E Work Diary

In this shoot I decided to do a video. It is very much like my display of the technique however this time, since expanding my project to beauty I decided to make the video longer. This video is linked to my project brief because many say that love is beautiful therefore it fits into my brief. I really enjoyed making this video and I probably wouldn't of it again as I have done the same kind of thing twice, although to improve it I think I could of branched out into different places, this time I simply went to town which is only a 5 minute walk away, I think I should have gone to different locations in London. This shoot has taught me that location does matter as I wasn't completely happy with this video because of the locations and the limited things to do within this location, if I had went to London I could have shot clips of the different locations, which suggests how love travels. I also could of videoed more random people which would have broke up the video a bit more. What I tried to achieve with this shoot was to show the simplicity of love and show that it is the little actions that matter, I think what I achieved to show in this shoot was to show just the little actions of love, not that love is simple and the little actions make everything. I think what helped show the little actions of love was the music that accompanied the video. What I learnt from this shoot is that you can't just go to any old place, the location is very important for the video as I think my video would have turned out a lot better, or at least would have looked better if I had a better location.

By doing this shoot it has made me think of other possible shoots which I could pursue in the future, for example, as I have done 2 videos concerning love and how it is considered beautiful, In the future I could not complete a still photographic shoot of 2 people who are shown to be in love, i would complete this on location.

Candid Shoot