Studio Portrait Thomas Ruff- Technical Exercises

Thomas Ruff's photography style is distinctive due to the fact that the majority of his stylised images are all shot against a solid coloured background with the subject dead panning the camera.  

Below is an example of his work.

To recreate this image I used an orange backdrop and positioned my subject facing the camera head on with two box lights poisoned on either side of him (this can be seen below).

I then placed my camera on a tripod and set my camera to 1/125, F9, ISO 200.

Below is one of the images that I shot.

As I personally find Ruff's style to be somewhat dull I decided to add multiple imagery to my photos as this was an area which I wished to explore.

Below is the final image which I created.

Portraiture- Mind map

Portrait snoot- Contact sheet

Portraiture- Work diary

Evaluation

The objective of the assignment was to focus on the medium of portraiture by using inspiration from a variety of other artists.  This shoot went well as I achieved a variety of different shots whilst using a number of different subjects.

Favourite image

 1/125, f/8, ISO 200

This is my favourite image because of the way that the sharpness around the subjects eye creates a great deal of detail.  I also like the way that the reducing saturation of this image has given the image a cold appearance which makes the subject appear powerful.

Least favourite image

1/25, f/4.0, ISO 400

This is my least favourite due to the fact that the image is not focused very well which means that it is difficult to sharpen.

Progression

Overall I think the shoot went well as the majority of the shots were focused despite the wind due to the use of a tripod. The sunny weather also helped to achieve successful images.  In the future I would like to explore more locations as Harlow Town centre is at times limited in settings when attempting to achieve a variety of differently composed shots.

Aspirations

Antonin Kratochvil's work touches on an intriguing aspect of portrait photography that incorporates candid shots.

Portraiture- Straight images

These images have both been edited to reduce their saturation whilst the top images has also been edited to add sharpness to the image in order to enhance the detail around the subjects eye.  I have also darkened the bottom image.  I feel that these changes have helped to make the image seem more interesting the viewer by creating a larger tonal range in the images.

The top image has not been edited however the bottom image is a collection of Thomas Ruff inspired portraits I chose to do this as I felt that the original image was somewhat boring and felt that adding more elements to the image through multiple imagery would make the image more eye-catching and engaging to the viewer.

Portraiture- Contact sheet

Shoot 1- Outside

Shoot 2- Studio

Portraiture- Image bank

This image appeals to me because of the contrasting coloration of the models red hair and the blue background and body paint, this colour difference is particularly interesting due to the fact that blue and orange are both complimentary colour.

I like this image because of the way that the polaroid is placed over the subjects face to create a mask this could also represent someones internal pain and the way that society prevents them from speaking about their pain instead having them internalise it.  This is an intriguing piece of perspective photography.

I like the way that this image has been altered in editing to add a streak of colour over the image.  This effect would have been achieved through selective colouration in photoshop.

I like this image because of the fact that the smoke adds a fluid element to the image as well as going against stereotypes regarding the types of people who smoke.  This image's shallow depth of field allows the viewers eye to focus solely on the subject who's deadpan expression gives no clues towards their emotional state.  The fact that the smoke would be different in any other time and is impossible to identically replicate means that this image conforms to Bresson's "decisive moment".

I like this image because it is a full body shot which looks extremely natural due to the positioning of the subject in the foetal position in the images centre.   I also like the way that the green outfit of the subject blends into the background of green.

I like this image because of the way that the lighting comes from under the umbrella and highlights both the subject and the pages of the book and the rain drops.  I particularly find the tonal range and contrast between the bright white of the book and the deep black of the background.  The surrealism of this image also appeals to me.

Portraiture- Definition post

Dictionary definition- a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.
Personal definition- an image which depicts a subjects face or head.

Candid- a photograph of a person taken informally, especially without the subject's knowledge.

Posed- to assume a particular position in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn.

Portraits can conform to old fashioned portrait formats such as being face on.

Or they can break away from traditional practices to create far more interesting but less standardised images which can form a more emotional connection with the viewer.

The second image has an element of mystery due to the fact that the subject is not looking directly at the camera like the subject in the first image is.