for research for my carpenter shoot i looked into how, through the medum of photography, people are reresented and portrain their workplace throughout the 20th century, looking at david baily bill brand's friedlander's work in the 1980 focusing on walker evans work depicting workers in the mid of the Depression.
by BILL BRANDT
in bill brandt's investigation into social depredation in 1930's england, his series of photographs
portraying the working class in thier homes and work places, i notice throughout the series he did not just take standard studio portraits, he tookthe documentary approach of photographing them them in their environments to reprent the characters. for Example in the northumbrian miner at his evening meal, 1937, we can see this concept at work this approach is echoed in divid bailey's bailey's havana book,as we can see the shopkeeper's environment and his personality in how the shop is set out in clumsey and messy way. his body lamguage is open and friendly and the camera is positioned at eye -level
david baily
by
by david baily
james "son" thomas
in this series of photographs by lee friedlander,he has not photographs by lee friedlander,he has not taken classic portraits, where the subject is in eye-contact with the audience he has taken a more instant moment shot, where it appers that the photographer is not even there to create a more truthful image.
For this shoot, I chose to use the Ellam studio lights as this would allow me to use a high aperture due to the higher watts output than the Ranger kit
For this shoot, I tried various different types of lighting to create different moods and atmospheres, placing flashes behind the subjects to create back light and key focal points for the audience using up to two studio kits and two metz flashes that produced higher output light than the normal flash gun.
In this series of photographs, I intended to represent the carpenter as a very dominant masculine figure. In order to introduce Biblical connotations, I created a halo of lighting around the carpenter's head just as Jesus the Nazarene carpenter is portrayed in Biblical illustrations.
The Holy Grail Chalice
here is the light set up for these photos
I chose to use this photo as one of my final prints as I believe this clearly demonstrates the character of the carpenter and the connotations of his role
As we can see, his tools are laid out in front of him, demonstrating his craft and the carpenter is elevated above the audience thus empowering him. The lighting further helps to emphasize all the connotations I have mentioned as the halo effect is produced by the method of lighting which gives the character a God-like appearance.
Lighting Set up
Key light 90 degrees to the camera set at F4.5 Backlight set at F6 Due to it being extremely high
F stop this helped to create an over-exposed halo effect behind the character
Shutter speed 250 to create high contrasting shadows as the light is not given time to diffuse
F22 to create the intense level of detail and greater depth of field as I wanted to focus on the subject and his tools and the room itself
here you can see one of my light set ups key light f5.4 metzs 1-2 fill in light
To create this shot I used two lights - one a back light that was my key light at 180 degrees towards the camera set at F.6 to create over-exposed edges around the silhouette. The fill in flash is set at F.4
Here is another one of my final prints. I set up the lighting to produce a very atmospheric mood as the lighting comes from behind the subject and to his side a fill in flash
I feel that the expression on the carpenter's face helps to anchor the story and gives more meaning to this than to other photographs.
I feel that the low anglke helps to emphasize connotations of the representation of the character as a dominant patriarchal figure.
Here are some examples of some medium format photographs that I took on Mimaya RB67
on HP5.
This medium format camera enabled me to take more detailed photographs than would a standard digital camera. I was not able to place the wireless transmitter on the camera and this created less light but I feel that maybe it did not cause massive lighting problems.
In this photograph, I feel I have created a very inviting portrait to introduce the audience to the carpenter's workshop and his world.The fish eye helps to create a very open feel as the photograph appears to literally come out towards the audience inviting them to enter into the environment portrayed. Also, the fish eye helps to create an olde worlde lifestyle as the beams on the desk are made to appear as though they have become curved and twisted with extreme age.
The props on the table help to create a dramatic stage and conjures up the story within the photograph as we see the axe standing chopping into the wood, the chisel on the table and the haphazard arrangement of all the other tools awaiting their being put to use .
The composition of this photograph was a key factor as I wanted the subject to be positioned in the centre directly behind the beams creating a cross and the halo behind this suggesting the Biblical history of carpentry
With one side highlighted and the other in darkness, an atmospheric mood is created in the photograph
In editing, I chose to create very pictorialist colour tones, a pale, dusty, ancient palate with many touches of sepia coming through so that the photograph looks like an ageing painting
Camera Specks
Shutter speed 250 F Stop 22 to create the intense detail and depth of field. As you can see, the sawdust on the shoulders, the dust on the hat and the dirt on the hands.
D30 10mm fish eye equivalent to 17 in full frame
