Exercise 5: Eye Contact and Expression & Exercise 6: Review A Portrait Sequence

OCA – People and Place

 

Exercise 5: Eye Contact and Expression

 

The exercise explained the importance in the difference in the overall look and character of a portrait between images in which the subject is looking straight to the camera or looking away from the camera.

 

The location used was an underpass with a graffiti backdrop.

A Nikon D300 camera with a Nikon 50mm lens were used during this exercise.


Photograph 1 – Looking to camera      








 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The subject was leaning back against the wall, looking to the camera.

 

 

 

Photograph 2 – Looking slightly away from the camera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The subject is now looking away from the camera.

 

 

Photograph 3 – Looking away from the camera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time the subject is looking down and completely away from the camera.

 

 

Photograph 4 – Head looking away, eyes looking to camera
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Within this photograph the subjects head is angled away from the camera, but her eyes are looking in to the camera.

 

Photograph 5 – Looking slightly above the camera
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The subject is leaning against a wall, at a slight angle to the camera.

Her eyes are looking slightly above the camera, but head on.

 

 

 

Photograph 6 – Looking away from the camera
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The subject is looking away from the camera, giving a moody look to the photograph.

I found this interesting and gained the knowledge of how eye contact can easily provide a photograph with a different feel.

 

 

 

 

OCA – People and Place

 

Exercise 6: Review a Portrait Sequence

 

This exercise asks you to set up a formal portrait session, using a consistent setting and framing. The only variables between the series of pictures that you are to take will be the expressions and gestures of the subject.

 

The location used was my home studio, with a white background.

 

A Nikon D300 camera and a Nikon 18-200mm lens were used during this exercise.

 

The Studio Session

 

A number of images were taken over approximately one hour within the studio. As the subject was an active youngster, I decided to not only concentrate on his facial expressions, but also his gestures.

 

The gestures were focused on being masculine.

 

The images were a mixture of landscape and portrait composition and in particular I wanted a non-standard style of sitting or standing portrait composition.

 

The subject was directed at all times during the session and various staged poses were constructed. The facial expressions were also changed from happy, sad, excited and angry. My final decision to stop shooting came from the subject being tired.

 

Sequence Review

 

The final images were reviewed using Adobe Lightroom and rated in order of preference.

 

The final image was one of a masculine gesture, but a more subtle smile to give a relaxed edge to the image.