Exercise 1: Portrait – scale and setting & Exercise 2: Thinking About Location

OCA – People and Place

 Exercise 1: Portrait – scale and setting

The main purpose of this exercise is to consider both composition and the weight of attention you place on the face of your subject.

The brief was to find a suitable setting for a portrait and then vary the distance of all four photographs. These four compositions were the face, head and shoulders, torso and full figure.

 I used a wedding dress model within the confines of a public park.

A Nikon D300 camera with a Nikon 18mm-200mm telephoto lens was used during this exercise.

 

Photograph 1 – Face, cropped in close      

                                

 

 

 

This close up photograph has used tight framing, using a landscape format against the predictable portrait format at 1/125 sec and f10.

 

Photograph 2 – Head and shoulders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again with this photograph I used a landscape format, pulling back and using the telephoto lens.

Photograph 3 – Torso

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to crop above the knees, but to include the hands holding the flowers. I now changed to a portrait format to make sure the subject was composed properly within the photograph.

 

Photograph 4 – Full figure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again using the portrait format, I composed the subject centrally to even the composition. My personal preference is photograph 1, even though the eyes are looking away to the side, the smile and relaxation of the subject provides a warming happy feel to this photograph.

OCA – People and Place

 

Exercise 2: Thinking about location

 

For this exercise you had to play the role of a location hunter.

 

The brief was to find six different settings or backgrounds which could be used effectively and attractively for either a whole body or torso portrait.

 

I found these locations within East Anglia and they are a mix of indoor and outdoor backdrops.

 

A Nikon D300 camera with a Nikon 18mm-200mm telephoto lens and a Nikon D700 with a 24mm-70mm lens were used during this exercise.

 

Photograph 1 – Market Stall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sitting torso image was taken with a focal length of 80mm on a market stall. The location and background add to the attraction of this image.

 

Photograph 2 – Peterborough Cathedral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cathedral would give many different backdrops and lighting choices. No flash lighting is allowed within the cathedral and this shot was taken with a focal length of 18mm at ISO 800.

 

 

Photograph 3 – Ferry Meadows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ferry Meadows is a large open park within the City of Peterborough. The buildings, lakes and woodlands provide a selection of backdrops. The lighting within this photograph provides a pleasing tone.

 

Photograph 4 – Home Studio using Low Key

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a low key lighting set up at home, this background may not be attractive, but with the correct lighting gives an attractive tone to the subject which was taken with a 62mm focal length.

 

 

Photograph 5 – Shire Horse Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This image was taken at a local Shire Horse Show. The horses, trainers, buildings and public make this a good location for some interesting photography.

 

 

Photograph 6 – Urban Landscape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This local underpass provides and great urban landscape backdrop for a portrait photograph.

 

 

Photograph 7 – Urban Landscape Portrait

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I returned to the urban landscape location to take this urban portrait photograph using a focal length of 70mm.

The underpass was dark and I used the ISO capabilities of the Nikon D700, increasing the ISO to 800 for this photograph instead of using flash.

The graffiti provides an attractive and interesting backdrop.