30.12.2010 High Key Lighting

This is my first post in a while because I’ve been enjoying the Christmas break. Before leaving for the holidays I completed my high key lighting exercise where I took portraits using the high key lighting and Hassleblad medium format camera, then processed and printed to get this finished portrait. To be honest I did very little research on the current and past use of high key lighting techniques but could tell by just generally viewing everyday commercial uses of photography to see that it is a popular aesthetic in advertising.

I then started looking at some of my favourite photographers and how they have used high key lighting in their own portraiture work. I started by looking at Richard Avedon’s fashion photography, of which he is best known and found I was pleasantly surprised by his portraits.

I really like this portrait of Truman Capote, a writer based in New York as I think that the simple aesthetic is cleverly paired with the pose/expression of Capote which could be read in many ways by different viewers which I think is important when photographing a creative person. I also find it very visually appealing and have noticed that, without realising it, I really enjoy black and white photographs. 

I also looked at the work of David Bailey who  has long been one of the most famous commercial photographers in the world. He has worked for magazines and newspapers from Vogue to the Daily Telegraph, photographing most of the key cultural figures from the worlds of pop music, literature and theatre with a simple and dramatic style. 

I particularly like this portrait of Jean Shrimpton (a model/actress in the 60’s) and after really looking at it I realised it was because of the contrast in the image. This photograph makes me want to experiment with using dark haired models with high key lighting as I really like the contrast between the bright whites in the photograph compared to her dark eyes and hair.

07/12/2010 Alasdair McLellan + My Own Project work

Before planning my 5x4 shoot I decided to research the area and the type of photography that I could draw inspiration from. I found the most inspiring series in ID magazine by Alasdair McLellan name 'Outside'. I really like the simple styling and the natural feel to the portraits.

 I realised that the location I had chosen had plenty to inspire me and when I arrived with my subject I felt that the less I styled/posed the model, the more relaxed and natural the figure in a landscape looked. 

07/12/2010 Hugh Lippe

While browsing through the Dazed and Confused web pages I found Hugh Lippe, born and raised in Texas, Hugh relocated to the East Coast in pursuit of an art education. He has had numerous exhibits including his most recent solo show, “The Dirt Under My Nails”, at Rare Gallery in New York. Having been influenced by the glossies at a young age he has turned his attention to that of the editorial world. Hugh lives and works out of New York City. His most recent shoot with Dazed's fashion director Karen Langley, is a black and white story for the current issue of Dazed. 

"It was very fast furious once the girls actually got in front of the camera, achieving the sombre tone came naturally to these young girls, many of whom all were neck deep in their first season of the notoriously and rigorous NYC fashion week. Not only were they wearied and worn, but they literally melted in the soft light as their worlds became turned inside out", Lippe said of the shoot.

 When I looked through his portfolios on his websites I found several images which I really liked, above are a selection of my favourites. His raw edgy portraits have a snapshot feel and I like how he uses only new faces and unknown models, giving his portraits the room to be deconstructed without the connotations of using well known models or celebrities.