COMD 1340 D087 Fall23

Robin Michals | COMD 1340 Photography 1

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Final Project Statement and Mood Board.

My final project is all about lighting for mood.Throughout the semester lighting for mood has been my favorite topic so far.I like how we were able to create the mood, tone and feeling of something that has no feeling.Things such as stuffed animals and toys.I will be using a table and white background in my home as a “studio” and small table lamps for my front, side and back light.I will also be using a variety of stuffed animals. My goal for this project is to create a theme or a story just by using different lighting quality, direction and color.

Below are some examples of what I will be going for.

Final Project

20 pts. The goal of the Final Project is to create a series of 10 related images on a theme. The images should show your range as a photographer. Depending on the project, each image should be visually engaging and contribute to your story in a unique way.

You may choose to do either:

A series of portraits (not 10 pictures of 1 person but 10 pictures of 10 people) OR

A portrait of a neighborhood

OR another theme that you are passionate about: dogs, skateboarders, basketball players, street fashion to name a few possibilities.

Deliverables and dates:

Due Week 11: Nov 14 – a 300 word final project statement posted to Openlab with “a mood board”

Due Nov 28: Shoot 1 – minimum of 40 images in an album on Flickr

Due Dec 5: Shoot 2 – minimum of 40 images in an album on Flickr

Reading Day – Dec 12

Due Dec 19: Shoot 3 -minimum of 40 images in an album on Flickr PLUS

  • final 10 images selected, adjusted in Lightroom, and posted to an album on Flickr
  • a presentation to the class of the final images.

Total = 4 albums: 1 for each of three shoots, 1 with the final edited images

All coursework must be submitted by no later than 11:59 pm on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.

Lab: Two and three light portraits

Photograph your classmates in each of the four set ups:

  • Three point lighting
  • Butterfly light
  • Wide angle distortion
  • color

Create a wide range of mood.

Post at least 20 photos to an album on Flickr with at least one of each lighting style. Send your two best to the class group.

Week 12 – Portraits with two and three lights

For the next class

On November 28th, if you have a flash light bring it in. You can also use your phone but you might want to have a charger so you aren’t left with a dead phone for the rest of the day.

Review Portrait Lighting Styles

Inspiration

Mamadi Doumbouya

https://www.mamadi.co

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/reader-center/mamadi-doumbouya-photo-portrait-talk.html

Focal Length

The focal length of a lens is defined as the distance in mm from the optical center of the lens to the the sensor when the lens is focused on infinity. This varies on the camera and the lens.

Focal length controls: Magnification and angle of view

Focal length is described as short, normal ie close to human vision, or long.

Wide Angle Distortion-created when using a wide-angle lens AND the camera is very close to the subject. The object close to the lens appears abnormally large relative to more distant objects, and distant objects appear abnormally small and hence more distant – distances are extended. 

Focal length and proximity to the camera affect how a person’s face looks in a photograph. A wide focal length and proximity between the subject and the camera create wide angle distortion and will distort a person’s features.

Think about selfie sticks. What are they for but to get the camera away from your face? This makes the photograph look more complimentary to the subject. This is really important with a cameraphone because it has a wide angle lens. The center of the lens and the sensor cannot be very far apart given the thin design of cellphones.

When working with a crop-frame sensor, approximately 65 mm will be the most flattering to your subject.

Lights

  There are three basic types of lights (these are the physical lights not portrait lighting styles):

  1. The Main or Key Light-This light provides the brightest illumination and casts the shadows

2. The Fill Light-this light brightens the shadows. It can be a reflector or an actual light.

This video shows how to use a reflector as the fill light.

3. The Separation Light or Background Light-creates separation between the subject and the background. This light can be aimed at the background or it can be aimed at the subject. If the later, it would be called a hair light. If accenting the edge of the face or shoulders, this light would be called a rim light or a kicker.

3-point Lighting

– standard lighting for portraits, video and film, uses all three: a main light, a fill light and a background light.

Lab Exercise

Two and Three Light Portraits

Homework

Final Project

Final Project Statement and Mood Board 

For my final project, I would like to focus on a series of portraits that display the people I interact with every day. In addition, I would like to represent the people I see. I would like to include my coworkers in the portraits because they have an outstanding look that an average person would not have daily such as eyebrow piercing and face tattoos. Also, I will be taking a trip to Puerto Rico, and I want to take a portrait of people that I will be interacting with during my trip. For my coworkers, I will capture them in their workplace or take them outdoors to get indirect lighting. For Puerto Rico, I would like to display the various people that live in Puerto Rico. I will be capturing their photos outside or inside their workplace.  

@chogiseok

@lee_jeffries

@markseliger

@meldcole

@stillz

@therealpeterlindbergh

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