#theconstructedphotograph

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Actual Scans of the photographs for ‘The Copy’. Not edited versions.

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Evaluation

010520

Project Title

‘Visual Sound’ was the title that I selected in my project proposal. It is still a fitting choice for the theme of the work; however, ‘Stixman’ is the final title that appears in the magazine mock up of my submission. I thought the colours suggested that Ben was a superhero and the energy radiating from his drumstick was a superpower. There is also mirroring of this motion blur with the shape of the ‘x’ in the text.

Conceptual Engagement

Characterising the rigour of Ben’s drumming in a portrait, while staying true to his likeness, was the idea that I explored in this project. Staged construction of an artificially lit series was also specified in the brief. I felt that creating a scenario where my sitter could express himself freely allowed me to introduce a reportage element to my approach. Smith’s London Calling (1979) and Andrew’s Mura Masa (2020) were the initial visual references that set the tone of the piece - collectively they brought together authentic and revived retro nostalgia for music photography. I am satisfied with the final three analogue images selected for the layout, which I thought were most appropriate.

Creativity

A digital version of the assignment was produced in parallel citing Martin’s Deontay Wilder (2019) editorial shoot for GQ. This style was so close to my current photography that I have abandoned it for the submission. It represented a safer choice with a guaranteed outcome. A passion for film photography has been rekindled during my studies at Westminster University. It reminds me of the freedom that I enjoyed as a younger photographer, who at the time, paid no attention to technical criteria. The result is a rework of my first Constructed Photograph project. On this occasion, I examined the use of motion blur to express visceral emotions. It was a personal challenge and the surface appearance of the photographs is almost unrecognisably me.

Coherence

Two rolls of film were shot for the final piece. I did some digital tests to establish a baseline exposure setting then I sought results by pure intuition. Observing Ben’s actions allowed me to be selective of the moments that I photographed. There was a degree of choreography when I asked him to repeat ones that I knew to be visually stimulating. In the final edit, his drumstick is given the main focus by appearing first - it is the tool of his trade and a defining extension of his personae. The blurred images to follow, also in a furious red and colder blue, are further representations of him. It was commented during feedback sessions with my lecturer Ochi Reyes, peers, friends and family that I could perhaps have two triptychs of each composition. My justification for the final edit is that the series appears scattered in a similar manner to drumming itself.

Technical Control

The analogue process invites unpredictability and there is a charm to the faults that may arise. As a seasoned practitioner, I am comforted by technical boundaries and they have been conditioned in me to some extent. I was pleased with the approach I used for this project and it was a welcomed deviation. An analogue and digital hybridisation of photography is an avenue that I shall pursue further. This workflow gives me a balance between control and creativity. Colour darkroom printing was extremely demanding. Working in the dark took practice and an appreciation of colour balance is something that I will take away from this assignment. In the future, I welcome a return to the darkroom and perhaps producing photography of a larger scale.

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Production Journal - GQ

060320

The final presentation of my photographs for this project should be appropriate for a men’s lifestyle magazine. GQ is a publication that would print an editorial shoot of this nature and I shall use it as a case study. The magazine’s focus is fashion, style, culture, fitness, music, travel, sports and technology for a male market. An article by photographer Matt Martin is the basis for my project and I will consider the requirements of print and digital platforms.

Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ), formerly Apparel Arts, started as a men’s fashion magazine for wholesale buyers and retailers. It was launched in 1931 in the US for a limited run; however, its popularity promoted the advent of Esquire Magazine and other publications that built upon its success. Apparel Arts was rebranded as Gentleman’s Quarterly in 1958. The acronym GQ followed in 1967. It was later acquired by Condé Nast, who added articles beyond fashion. Various editors have influenced the reader base over the years - Nonnie Moore as fashion editor dressed up the pages to make the content approachable yet aspirational then Jim Nelson attracted younger and more casual readers. Finally, the term ‘metrosexuality’ was coined in response to the lifestyle that GQ promoted - ownership of an impulse to shop for high fashion. It is thought to trace back to a Mark Simpson piece for The Independent via his book Male Impersonators (1994), ‘The promotion of metrosexuality was left to the men's style press, magazines such as The Face, GQ, Esquire, Arena and FHM, the new media which took off in the Eighties and is still growing. They filled their magazines with images of narcissistic young men sporting fashionable clothes and accessories. And they persuaded other young men to study them with a mixture of envy and desire.’ (Condé Nast, 2020)

Matt Martin is a New York-based photo editor and photographer. At GQ Magazine he has held the positions of senior visuals editor and visuals editor from 2015 to 2019. As a former e-commerce and product photographer, there is characteristic precision to his style - colours are true to life with lighting that elevates the subject to appear pristine. In an editorial shoot with boxer Deontay Wilder, Martin worked as part of team involving a stylist, cinematographer and video editor. As a showman and undisputed champion in his weight class, Wilder has many visual traits that are the subject of tropes - a gold studded mask, crown, jewellery and boxing gloves. The styling of the shoot reflects his passion for luxury and he wears Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. In the video footage, the sitter is playful yet physical. Poses are clearly those of a boxer as he flaunts his form. The lighting is low-key with a background that falls into darkness. A soft key light, absent fill light and carefully placed back light emphasise the broadness of his shoulders and angular musculature. Metallic-based textiles and a black skin tone complement these creative choices. Cropping is bold in the video footage and high key still images. There are some full length and profile shots; however, cropping at the chin to frame his golden chain and presenting a lone tattooed fist are signifiers that are all unmistakably Wilder. (GQ, 2019)

Matt Martin, Deontay Wilder, 2019

Summary

The list of photographers and cinematographers that I have blogged about for this project is extensive - Smith, Andrew, Refn, Sigel, Norwood and Kander. Martin is being added for his clean-cut editorial approach. The opening sequence of my series will aim to recreate his low-key Deontay Wilder lighting that I have described. It champions the look that GQ has come to represent. Back lighting exaggerates the masculinity of a subject because angular features become more pronounced. Reflective textiles in this shoot were successful and Ben’s red jacket should create a similar outcome. Acting in combination with the lighting, a sense of the luxury will be inferred. The innovative cropping is effective for Wilder as he has characteristics specific to him as a boxing personality. Ben and I shall search for framing that defines him. Furthermore, there needs to be some dominant statement expressed with his drumsticks.

Production Notes

I have worked as a portrait photographer for the past eight years. Studio Photo Gallery is my preference of studio space. It is compact and well equipped for photographers on a budget. The owner provides Elinchrom heads with a variety of modifiers. Ben arrived with his clothing, drumsticks and hair product to prepare for the shoot. I set up the lighting as shown in the diagram. It refashions Martin’s design almost directly. There was a head with a soft box camera left and black polyboards either side of it. This prevented flare into the lens and flagged light from the background. A head with a snoot was placed camera right at an angle. Again like Martin, a hard back light enhanced Ben’s masculine characteristics. Finally, the black paper background was a few metres behind him. This imposed several stops difference between the subject and background, ensuring a pure black aesthetic.

My professional studio settings are f8.0, 1/125s and 100 ISO. I feel that this gives me the optimal performance of my lens and camera - Nikon D750 and 50mm lens. It is natural for me to work with people and empower them to present their personality. Ben had several ideas for poses. We started casually with his arms by his side and at an angle to me. There are variations between him looking at the camera and away. The way that he held the drumsticks came from him. Making a cross was aggressive and purposeful. We felt that worked well. Reaching with a single stick straight into the lens was another successful composition. I rejected poses that seemed forced, although I did not communicate this at the time. My final images have been retouched on Photoshop. His hair was reshaped and trimmed to remove any fly aways. His skin is free of most blemishes; however, I left some to maintain a rugged appearance. Otherwise there is relatively little post-production and the look I was attempting was captured as practical effects.

In a second phase of the shoot, I began to take more risks and to work outside of my comfort zone. I mounted my Nikon D750 and 50mm lens on a tripod and attempted long exposure motion blur. After many test shots the most efficacious combination was f8.0, 4s and ISO 200. If the shutter speed was too long then forms clumped together. If it was too short then there was no trace of a blur. Since my Mamiya 645 with 80mm lens is analogue, I had to wait until the film was processed to see if I was successful. The Kodak Professional Ektar 100 that I loaded performed admirably. It was pushed a stop to 200 ISO to reproduce the digital test shots. My lighting design was comparably simple. The head with a snoot was switched off and the head with a softbox had a range of gels taped to it. It was used as a constant light with the flash unit off and the modelling light switched on. Finally, a domestic table lamp with an open bulb was positioned under it. This had a contrasting gel taped to it. Red and blue was my preferred choice of gels. When it came to the movement, I asked Ben to be seated and to drum on his thighs to give the impression that there was a drum kit present. Music was played loudly and it was interesting to watch the movements that he would make. In the end, we selected several heavy metal tracks for him to drum to. Head banging added an extra dimensionality to the action. This definitively condensed the spirit of his music into a selective range of shots. It was Ben who suggested spinning the sticks in his hands and cropping him out. With practice he could hold still for 2s and then spin for the remaining 2s on the same exposure. This is how the solid outline of his hand was created with cyclical distortion appearing to emanate from it.

Using Photoshop, I pulled the saturation and vibrancy down on scans of these negatives. The grain gives the images a warmer and more vintage feel than a digital alternative. There was some clone tool used to remove excess blur, otherwise I felt it was necessary to preserve their rawness. A mock up magazine spread was created in the same vein as GQ. I kept the graphic design motifs minimal and made suggestions for where text could potentially appear. Each photograph is a different size to be indicative of the frenzied nature of drumming - back and forth, round and round. Ben is identified as a hand with a drumstick and two blurred profile images. I selected these latter shots because they were still identifiable as him amongst the chaotic blurriness.

Bibliography

Condé Nast (2020). GQ. Condé Nast. Available from www.condenast.co.uk/gq [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Martin, M. (2020). Deontay Wilder Always Prefers the Knockout. GQ. Available from www.gq.com/story/deontay-wilder-tunnel-style-profile [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Lighting Diagram

Digital Shoot, f/8, 1/125s, ISO 100

Contact Sheet 01

Contact Sheet 02

Analogue Shoot, f/8, 4s, ISO 200

Mock Up

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Nadav Kander - The Meeting

210220

Nadav Kander (Born 1961) is the first photographer that I cite in conversation about which practitioner has influenced me the most. He was born in Tel Aviv and based in London, although he does not regard himself to be British. His photographs are a part of the collections at the National Portrait Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Kander began taking pictures at 13 years old with a Pentax camera. In the South African Air Force, he processed film and printed aerial photographs. In 1986, he moved to London where he currently resides with his wife and three children. Portraiture and landscape photography are the main genres that he is best known. I have an appreciation for the consistency in his career, which has traversed 30 years across fine art and commercial platforms. He has photographed celebrities, models and a multitude of other sitters. In 2009, his 52 portraits published in The New York Times Magazine portrayed President Barack Obama and his closest associates. It is the largest portfolio of work that the publication has ever showcased. Later that year, Kander was awarded the prestigious Prix Pictet Earth for Yangtze - The Long River (2008). The shortlist of nominees included Ed Kashi, Andreas Gursky and Naoya Hatakeyama. The list of his other awards is extensive and includes a World Press Photo Award 2013 and 2014, Honorary Fellowship from The Royal Photographic Society 2015 and Outstanding Contribution to Photography from Sony World Photography 2019. (Lens Culture, 2020)

During the World Press Photo Exhibition 2014 at the Southbank Centre, London, I was particularly taken by Kander’s 3rd Prize entry of actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. The photograph first appeared in New York Magazine as a staged portrait to commemorate the British actor. Ejiofor, played a black man kidnapped in 19th Century America and sold into the slave trade in the film 12 Years a Slave (2013). He received an Oscar nomination for the role and won Best Actor at the BAFTA awards. Actors have a trained ability to respond to a camera. He appears poised yet relaxed. Kander’s characteristic turquoise key light is apparent with a red back light to highlight the outline of the sitter. The lack of a fill light leaves a proportionate amount of this face in an enigmatic shadow. This low-key lighting design gives the photograph a sombre tone. Emphasis is placed upon Ejiofor’s eyes, which reveals the complexity of his role in the film. As a viewer of the work in person, I felt a closer affinity to the subject when it was close to life sized. Its considered forms had a significant presence akin to a drawing, painting or sculpture. (World Press Photo, 2020)

The Meeting (2019) is a book that acts as a homage to Kander’s career, with photography from his early foray into the genre to illustrious works recognised within the fine art and academic communities. The annotations add insightful anecdotes about each piece and the man himself. The opening, entitled ‘The Triangle’ outlines a relationship of personal interest to me between sitter, photographer and viewer.

‘I don’t photograph to tell stories. I photograph to make stories. The viewer, if they hold their gaze long enough, becomes the author of the work’s meaning.

Consider there’s a metaphorical suitcase packed with white, grey and darker clothing that we carry around with us wherever we go. When we meet someone, we choose what items to show; maybe only clean white shirts, perhaps darker one. This unpacking is symbolic of a meeting. Much like when I work with a sitter. Our stories collide and change depending on the day, the weather, our emotional states.

If I manage to make a portrait that stirs a viewer then they complete what I call ‘The Triangle’ by bringing their own story or state of mind to the picture. This is fundamental to me, but often missed or misunderstood, because photography is still considered by many to be a record of an event. It is that; but it is not only that. How can it be?

Perhaps if we replace the word ‘photographer’ with ‘poet’ the point becomes clear. It is accepted wisdom when it comes to poetry that every individual reader finds his or her own meaning in the poem and this perspective is unique - no more less valid that yours or mine. The same, in my view, is true of photography.’

In email correspondence between 4th and 28th April 2019 with David Campany, Kander describes his photographic process. These extracts resonated with me as a practitioner of portraiture and landscape photography.

NK - I’ve walked down one road since I started photographing when I was 13. I feel I haven’t deviated at all. I still need my work to strike the same chords in me that I’ve always longed and striven for. My photographs (however varied a viewer might find them) come from the same inner place. I seem to revisit a slowed-down reality, which is very beautiful and important to me. Slow, quiet and slightly uneasy, alluding to more going on beneath what you first see. The subconscious need to express what feels meaningful and profound never goes away. I just try many ways to revisit it, to come at it from different directions.

DC - The portraits you’ve made seem to have quite a special place in your work. As if a face, or a person, is a way to get to the tension between surface and depth. I feel the human face is somehow already an image before it’s photographed. It’s already a kind of presentation, or representation of the self, although a very fragile and elusive one.

NK - That is beautifully put! Yes, my photographs of people are an essential part of my practice.

They follow on from my photographing landscape. When first dealing with landscape I realised it wasn’t the natural environment I was after, but the man-altered landscape. I focused on a darker nature, our destructive ambivalence to our surroundings, but I shrouded these scenes in beauty using compositions that, purely from their form, colour and weight, would have an effect on me apart from the information shown.

DC - Portraiture is often thought of as a two-way exchange, between photographer and sitter, but you’ve talked often of the viewer being crucial to meaning. That said, there’s a real intimacy to your portraits, as if these people have been given the freedom to forget their audience momentarily. We viewers can look, without feeling we’re being performed to. Is this how it is?

NK - I’ve had to think a long time about your question. Much of what I do is intuitive so finding the words is difficult. When I’m in front of a person (or a landscape for that matter), there’s nothing in my head that matters. I’m just looking with so much concentration that sometimes it feels as if I might explode. I do not want to be stirred so badly! All I want is for something to show itself, something that if I release the shutter will become an image that will stir me and unsettle me. To get close to this I must direct people very softly, subtly, and create the appropriate light so that they experience something of themselves. Any frivolous act for the viewer will never work; it would appear transparent. It has to be just for them and me. Only once this is successful does the viewer enter and make up the triangle. Artist, subject and viewer - each one a part of the whole.

From beneath the surface beauty, comes an existential call that touches on questions of destiny and the unknown. The works of Hans Bellmer, Man Ray, Raoul Hausmann, Dalí and Hans (Jean) Arp have also had a big influence on me. Although my work is not surreal, the feeling I get from the work of these artists is something I always search for. For example Jean Arp’s sculptures were very informative when I began photographing the nudes that became the series ‘Bodies - 6 Women, 1 Man’.

DC - It’s interesting that you put it that way. Very often I find myself wondering what landscapes your sitters were in just before they came to you, what it was - out there in the world - that is on their mind as you make the photograph.

NK - A portrait is one way of looking at some facets of our condition. There’s a precious and beautiful flicker of understanding, or the opposite, that shows itself for short periods and disappears. These periods, which I must see and try to photograph, are often responses to the light or the atmosphere that the light imbues. I must try to recognise them as an image that has what I love; depth of feeling, vulnerability and poise, pride and soul, a recognition of something more than just this moment now. Little of this clear to me, but this is the best I can do to explain it. (Kander, 2020)

Summary

It is an inevitability that a photographer emulates their heroes. Whenever I read that someone like Kander also had starting points for their practice, I am encouraged. I have covered in detail the practitioners that have inspired me for this project - Smith, Andrew, Refn, Sigel and Norwood. There are blog posts committed to each of them. However, I felt that Kander required more substantial meditation. There are parallels between his voice and my own - low key lighting and moody colour saturation delivered with a quiet temperament. He reveals that these attributes are the reflection of triangles that he forms between himself, his sitter and viewer. A sitter may choose to present themselves in any number of ways to his lens then this narrative is open for further interpretation by anyone that encounters his imagery. During his interview with Campany, he explains that he implements soft direction, free of frivolity to search for each photograph. He also explains a slow and quietened reality that he occupies beneath the surface appearance of what he sees.

The Ejiofor portrait inspired me during a formative stage of my photography. There is overlap with the other photographers and cinematographers that I have mentioned. Low key lighting is a continuous theme; however, Kander’s renderings have more depth. He is reluctant for media attention and I found The Meeting (2019) to be highly enlightening. His is the work of a ‘poet’ acting as a ‘photographer’, to use his own metaphor. As an analytical student, I have attempted to dissect what makes Kander, Kander. An awareness of his process is just the beginning. My lighting will resemble his, in addition my direction style is already collaborative instead of dictatorial. Any additional intricacies are unique to his voice. As I develop as a photographer myself, I am hopeful to have as reputable career and recognition. There are plenty more triangles that I am eager to construct.

Bibliography

Kander, N. (2019). The Meeting. London: Steidl

Lens Culture (2020). Biography. Lens Culture. Available from

www.lensculture.com/nadav-kander

[Accessed 10/04/2020]

World Press Photo (2020). 2014 Photo Contest. World Press Photo. Available from

www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2014/29789/1/2014-Nadav-Kander-PS3

[Accessed 10/04/2020]

Nadav Kander, Chiwetel Ejiofor, 2014

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Production Journal - Location Study

140220

Prior to completion of my current project brief, I have decided to set myself a mini brief. Its purpose is to experiment with colour negative film and establish an appreciation for the different types that we have been provided. In addition, the subject matter is a digression from portraiture and location studies will not depend upon me practicing with a sitter. My colleague Daniel J Norwood, is the photographer that has prompted this investigation. I shall study his methods and adapt them for my own needs.

Portra 400 Vs Ektar 100

A photographer’s choice of film is a personal preference, and during my time as a student, I would like to have a broad understanding of the main kinds. In the first project, we were provided with Fujichrome Provia 100F. This is a popular variant of colour slide film. Kodak Professional Portra 400 is the world’s finest grain high-speed colour negative film and it is the starting point for my experimentation. The manufacturer comments that it delivers smooth skin tones, exceptional colour saturation and it is adaptable for a wide range of lighting conditions. Given its versatility, it is used for portraiture, fashion, nature, travel and outdoor photography where the action is fast and unpredictable.

During my final project, I shall be shooting in a studio. Kodak Professional Ektar 100 provides the finest, smoothest grain of any colour negative film available. Further specific traits include 100 ISO speed, high saturation, ultra-vivid colour and exceptional sharpness. It is considered the film of choice for professionals and advanced amateurs. It is not suitable for location studies shot with available light because its ISO is too low. Pushing the film several stops will interfere with its listed qualities. Both films have the following specification listed on the manufacturer’s website - ideal for scanning, extraordinary enlargement capability from a 35 mm negative, optimized sharpness, distinct edges, fine detail and printing compatible with other Kodak films. (Kodak Alaris, 2020)

The Angle of Descent

Daniel J Norwood is a documentary photographer and lecturer. He discovered photography via graphic design and illustration. Its ability to record a heightened sense of space and psychogeography guided his exploration into the medium. After undergraduate study at the University of Plymouth, Norwood worked as a forensic photographer - an appropriate match for his methodology. Postgraduate study at Westminster University broadened his understanding of documentary photography and photojournalism. He has exhibited at the University of Westminster, Truman Brewery and Cambridge University. (Lens Culture, 2020)

The Angle of Descent (2013) is a survey of the Heathrow area, which consists of annotated photographs and a self-published newspaper. It caught the attention of the BBC and received a Shutterhub Award at the time. Norwood documented the threat of the airport extension scheme by covering the impact upon the global economy, local communities and surrounding landscape. The series portrays the interactions between the environment and individuals affected by the development. However, my interest is in the compositions that are sparsely populated and implicit of human engagement. The South West Perimeter Wall (2013) is minimalist in its geometric forms. A divisive wall separates barrel grassland and a river from the blue of the sky. The inclusion of a solitary aeroplane tail fin implies a malignant threat from expansion of the airport. His formalist influence is evident in Outside the Sofitel Hotel, Terminal 5 (2013). A billboard intersects other artificial and natural divisions of the frame. The trees are perpendicular to the road and the horizon line is perfectly straight. In isolation, the semiotics of the photograph are ambiguous; however, as part of a series it is given an accumulative weighting. (Norwood, 2020)

In a text message conversation, we exchanged the following thoughts about his photography. It was an opportunity to ask direct questions about his style and learn about a colleague outside of work.

LD - What transferable skills are there from forensics to arts-based practice?

DN - That depends on what you mean - recognising the significance of the mundane perhaps. The forensic is bandied about in the art world. It’s part of the furniture, you could say. In fact, in my last project I took that sensibility but twisted it to focus more on the aesthetic.

LD - What is the starting point for each of your works?

DN - That poses quite a question. My starting point is perhaps the subject itself or myself or a combination of the two.

LD - Your photography is compositionally very precise. Is this a conscious choice?

DN - My composition is drawn from a mental image of what I am trying to achieve. I tend to quote Ansel Adams who said you have to see the image ‘in the mind’s eye’ before you make the picture.

Daniel J Norwood, The South West Perimeter Wall, 2013

Summary

No matter the subject, I have an inclination to arrange the contents of my frame. It is the consistency of Norwood’s photography that I would like to recreate during this mini brief. The film that he used for The Angle of Descent (2013) was Kodak Professional Portra 400. Its adaptable quality and faithful colour reproduction are apparent throughout. My Mamiya 645 Super is relatively compact and light compared to other medium format film cameras. I will be working without a tripod, so 400 ISO film should be appropriate for the daytime lighting situations that I encounter. Finally, given that it is so highly regarded, I would like to form an opinion about its performance. A suburb of South West London shall provide an exploratory cityscape. It is predominately residential and an abandoned gas works dominates the skyline. The silhouette of this structure is appealing and my intention like Norwood’s is to consider the relationship that exists between it and the residents that live nearby.

Production Notes

The Kodak Professional Porta 400 ISO film that I used was pushed to 800 ISO. This allowed me to shoot at f8.0 and 1/60s. This decision was made so that I could hand hold the camera and achieve a relatively shallow depth of field. The colour reproduction was accurate and only deviated due to different lighting conditions - sunlight seemed more yellow than shadows. I was content with the grain in each negative. The lab that processed it created low resolution scans and even in these there is a substantial level of detail across the whole dynamic range.

At the start of the shoot, I observed telephone pylons that created strong compositional lines. In one photograph, I looked upwards at a pylon with convergent cables directed into the middle of the frame. Lowering my camera and shooting along the length of the road was also compelling. Norwood’s approach in The Angle of Descent (2013) was the inspiration for my image portraying a tree and its shadow against a wall. Pure form is examined in this piece allowing the actual contents of the frame to become unidentifiable. This effect is intensified due to the hard lighting from the sun. A Mamiya 645 has a characteristic aspect ratio that was comfortable to work with. Favouring long, elongated prints comes from experimenting with test strips. Processing half a sheet at a time seemed like a waste of paper, so I decided to make the proportions into a creative statement. It worked well for the photograph with the abandoned gas works that appears as a silhouette against a blue sky and white clouds. If the full negative was used then a large area of green grass became too imposing. By detaching the grass, I felt that this made the photograph simpler and satisfying. The theme of human dependence upon industry and its connection with our survival is implied - it is the man-made structures that dominate over nature in the series.

Bibliography

Kodak Alaris (2020). Control. Expression. Creativity. Kodak Alaris. Available from www.imaging.kodakalaris.com/photographers-photo-printing/film/color [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Lens Culture (2020). Biography. Lens Culture. Available from www.lensculture.com/daniel-norwood [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Norwood, D J. (2020). Biography. Daniel J Norwood Photography. Available from www.djnorwood.com [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Contact Sheet

Location Study, f/8, 1/60, ISO 800

Location Study, f/8, 1/60, ISO 800

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Colour Darkroom

070220

Colour negative printing is similar to black and white printing - apertures and exposures are controlled by an enlarger. There are a few differences, which take practice to become accustomed to. Total darkness is needed to protect the paper from tarnishing. There is no equivalent to a safe light; therefore, the location of controls and materials in the darkroom have to be memorised. Perfecting the colour balance is specific to this process. In a digital era, a DSLR has the capacity to accurately record colours at the time of exposure. Modern editing software also allows these to be further corrected without much dexterity or practical skill. When working in analogue, every factor that affects the colour of a print needs to be considered. The lighting source is the starting point - daylight, tungsten and flash lighting each have a characteristic tone. Discrepancies occur between enlargers and an aging bulb can be an issue too. Finally, the film, batch of paper used and viewing conditions of the prints are some of the other aspects that a practitioner needs to deliberate.

Blue, green and red are the primary colours of light. All three combine to make white light. Two primaries combine to form a complimentary colour. An understanding of the relationship between blue / yellow, green / magenta and red / cyan is required for printing making. In the subtractive printing system, an image is made by blocking increments of unwanted coloured light from white light using filters. Colour heads are operated to vary the yellow, magenta and cyan that are dialled in. All colours can be created from combinations of these filters alone. As a novice, it is encouraged to keep cyan the same and only change the settings for yellow and magenta. Three filters acting together will require more exposure time and this causes reduced contrast with a lower colour saturation. There is usually a darkroom display to give guidance about correcting colour cast - add or subtract magenta or yellow separately or together. With repetition a printer’s eye sensitises to these conditions and if the negative, enlarger, paper and viewing room are kept constant then the same settings can be reused for each printing session.

The remainder of the darkroom technique is similar to black and white. Test strips must be half a guillotined sheet of paper. Three second exposures are carried out across the strip. The final steps of processing are entirely automated. In darkness, paper is fed into a machine emulsion side down, lengthways and as straight as possible to avoid jamming. There needs to be at least a five second interval between sheets and a few minutes are needed to let them dry at the end.

The following samples were photographed from my preliminary sessions. Using negatives provided by the technicians, the first were corrected by eye and each attempt was documented. Once the rough proportions of yellow and magenta were identified for accurate colours, I purposely shifted the colour balance for creative effect.

Shift / Filters / Time

Neutral Nil Nil Yellow -20Y -5% Green +20M +10% Cyan +20Y +20M +15% Blue +20Y +5% Magenta -20M -10% Red -20Y -20M -15%

Colour Balance

Colour Shift

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Drive

310120

As a lecturer, writer and photographer, my classes revolve around the art and media that has influenced me. Drive (2011) motivated me to understand the nuances of lighting and I direct my students to watch the opening scenes of the film. There is next to no dialogue and in its place are structured frames with consideration for the narrative. The viewer makes assumptions about the protagonist, who may be a hero or a villain and the plot unfolds to reach terrifying heights.

Drive (2011) was the first Hollywood movie from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Born 1970), whose international profile rose with the Pusher Trilogy (1996-2005), Bronson (2008) and Valhalla Rising (2009). The crime novel by James Sallis was the basis for the screenplay and it centres around an unnamed Driver, played by Ryan Gosling. By day he is a stunt driver and by night he is the man behind the wheel for a criminal underworld. He becomes involved with his neighbour Irene, Carey Mulligan and her ex-con husband, Oscar Isaac in a heist that turns into an ugly rampage of ultra violence. Refn said in interview, ‘I loved Sallis’ book. It’s an existential story about a stuntman who’s also a getaway driver. He lives in Hollywood, he can’t quite deal with reality, and he goes a bit psychotic at the end.’ Newton Thomas Sigel was the Director of Photography (DP) behind the film’s stylistic visuals. ‘It’s almost a mythological story, not a story about today or yesterday or tomorrow, so it was important that the movie have an almost indefinable time period,’ he explained while working on Jack the Giant Killer (2013) for Bryan Singer.

‘When I met Tom, I really dug his energy and his background as a documentary filmmaker made me confident, we could make our seven-week shooting schedule work,’ declared Refn about his choice of DP. He cited Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising (1963) as his initial reference for Drive (2011), ‘Ryan asked, ‘Why are you showing me a movie with a lot of guys working on motorcycles?’ And I said, ‘It’s how it’s shot - the sensual, sexual nature of it, the fetish, the objectification. That’s what we should try to go for.’ Sigel snapped potential locations on the Hipstamatic App on his Smartphone. Both Refn and Sigel were convinced that this was the aesthetic that should define post-production. ‘There are some colour palettes in that program that reference retro photographic looks, like Kodachrome or Ektrachrome. I showed Nicolas some of the photos and he wasn’t certain of the strange tonalities but he really responded to the vibrancy of the colours. We designed a lot of sets and costumes to make use of that kind of vibrant palette.’ commented Sigel. Refn added, ‘I’m colour blind, so I told Tom and Beth Mickle, the production designer, ‘I need contrasting colours and I like a lot of red.’’

Due to budget, and given that principal photography was due to take place in the evening, Sigel opted to shoot with ARRI’s Alexa digital camera. He explained, ‘I did some driving tests with the Alexa and it blew me away in terms of what it could do with existing light. I rated the camera at 800 ASA. I think the myth of digital is that you underexpose because it can’t hold the highlights like film. I find that when you underexpose digital more than a little bit, very often you increase your noise level significantly. What’s extraordinary about the Alexa is that even if I pushed the sensor to 1600 ASA there was very little noise, and I could actually underexpose quite a bit without introducing noise in the blacks. The dynamic range was mind-boggling.’ Furthermore, he diverged that he typically photographed night time scenes and interiors around T2.8 and day exteriors around T8.

Gaffer Anthony Nakonechnyj and the crew supplemented the practicals in corridors with Kino Flo 4' 2 bank fixtures and homemade solutions that housed dimmable Photofloods. Lighting Gosling in the car was important to characterise his silent rogue. Sigel elaborated, ‘As part of my test, I took Ryan out in a car, and Tony and I rigged the car with a rack overhead with all different kinds of tiny lights, such as LEDs and 150W ARRI Fresnels. We wired them all into dimmers in the trunk that could be wirelessly controlled, so we could turn lights off and on or dim them up and down. The lights were all so small and unobtrusive that they were never in shot, so Ryan could just drive around while Tony played the roof rack like a musical instrument. There were also times when we’d kill all of our lights - we’d pull up to a stoplight and you could see the light on Ryan’s face go from red to green.’

Summary

Benjamin Bell is the subject of my shoot. He is a drummer and a part time model, who is a fan of Ryan Gosling. As Sigel mentioned, Drive (2011) has an unidentifiable era, so I feel that this should be reflected in his clothing. I have asked him to bring a red bomber jacket, black jeans and a selection of plain tops. The sheen of the jacket material will light well and it could feature in the wardrobe of a contemporary or vintage film star. It also imitates Gosling’s costume, which has a similar appearance. I was encouraged to discover that the DP sought to emulate colour transparency films - Kodachrome was more iconic and Ektachrome had more variations. Apps, editing software and consumer cameras can recreate the appearance of both. However, it is fitting that this project will actually be shot on film and I shall experiment with several types. The final palette of the photographs will be determined by coloured gels placed in front of each light source. Refn’s closing remarks about being colour blind and expressing a preference for high contrast, red lighting is a media code that should transfer effectively into my still photographs. (Witmer, 2017)

Bibliography

Witmer, J. (2017). Road Warriors. The American Cinematographer. Available from www.theasc.com/ac_magazine/October2011/Drive/page1.html [Accessed 10/04/2020]

FilmDistrict, Drive, 2011

[westphotolukedas]

Project Proposal

240120

Project Title

Visual Sound

Subject

This extension of our module challenges us to construct photographic images, which combine staging and creative lighting. In addition, the final piece is anticipated to be a series with a coherent narrative. As an amateur guitarist, I am eager to photograph a sitter responding to musical stimuli instead of verbal or psychosensory direction. Drummer Benjamin Bell from the band Brightlight City has posed for several portraits with me in the past. He has a natural and distinctive camera presence that will be captured in a studio setting.

Aims / Objectives / Concept

My objective as a photographer is to portray the essence of Ben’s likeness with the energy of rock and roll drumming. The visual vocabulary of the film Drive (2011) is the basis of my production design. Its thematic colour palette is stylised, cinematic and transferable to stills photography.

Since completion of my previous project, I have invested in a Mamiya 645 Super - a medium format analogue camera. It is now a permanent part of my imagemaking process. Coloured gels were efficacious in the piece and they will appear again to recreate the neon lighting of the film. Furthermore, I shall explore studio lighting modifiers as a means to sculpt my subject’s features. It is my aim to accentuate Ben’s physicality by highlighting the angles in his face and clothing. He has some modelling experience; therefore, my photographs shall be inclusive of fashion and lifestyle imagery. With music of his choice playing in the background, I will assist him to find poses.

The final piece will be presented as a men’s lifestyle editorial shoot. Straight photography will be the basis of the work alongside an experimental triptych. The two artists outlined below inspired my initial photographic investigation.

Research

Pennie Smith (Born 1949) is a British photographer renowned for her music reportage works in black and white. Her image of The Clash’s Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar featured on the cover of their London Calling record and it is considered one of the greatest rock and roll photographs of all time.

Born in London, Smith attended Twickenham Art School studying graphic design and fine art. Her early commissions were for Friendz Magazine - a passion project developed with Barney Bubbles and Nick Kent. However, her breakthrough work would feature Led Zeppelin on their 1970s tour. As a staff photographer for the NME, she became a cultural icon for other aspiring music photographers. Her camera lens has graced the presence of artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Debbie Harry, U2, The Stone Roses, Manic Street Preachers, Radiohead and The Strokes. She resides in the railway station that she bought and converted as a student and continues to freelance as a photographer.

Standing at less than six feet away from Paul Simonon at the Palladium, New York, Smith could sense that the moment was about to unfold. Simonon was in a particularly troubled mood that evening and the shutter of her 35mm camera instinctively released as hell broke loose. This abstract photograph - raw, grainy and enraged - came to define the punk rock ethics of The Clash. In 1979, Joe Strummer selected it to be the cover of London Calling, itself a masterpiece and influential to a multitude of recording artists such as Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen and the Beastie Boys. Later in Smith’s career, it was recognised by Q Magazine as the greatest rock n’ roll photograph of all time. However, she almost dismissed the shot on the technical grounds - it was out blurry and out of focus.

‘He was in a really bad mood and that wasn’t like him. You can’t really tell it’s Paul but I guess that’s the point. It wasn’t a choice to take the shot. My finger just went off. I said, ‘It’s completely out of focus, it won’t work!’ But Joe wouldn’t have it. He said, ‘That one is the photo.’ So I thought, ‘Ok I’m not going to argue. It’s your bloody album, get on with it!’ I’m pleased I took it, but it’s a bit of a weight around my neck. It keeps coming back to whack me on the back of the head - nicely in some instances, but aggravatingly in others.

The Jam stood like Englishmen - shoulder to shoulder in every photo but The Clash were tactile. They seemed more at ease and made better shapes. They’d hug each other, grab each other’s shoulders, fool around. They were slightly artsy, definitely non-conformers.’ (Walker, 2019)

Tom Andrew is a London-based photographer with a portfolio spanning music, fashion and portraiture. He has a distinctive experimental lighting style bringing together a plethora of imaging technologies. This project is named after his self-proclaimed subject matter - visual sound.

An appreciation of analogue photography started early in Andrew’s career while he worked in darkrooms and as a lighting technician. Film was a rare commodity while he was growing up and his parents encouraged him to be selective of the shots that he would take. This attention to detail is still apparent in his photography today. In order to introduce predictability, his works incorporate choreographed movement and he often references contemporary dance practitioners. This aesthetic has caught the attention of commercial clients that include Nike, Puma, Aquascutum, Warp Records and Sony.

Andrew’s lifestyle editorial shoot for Mixmag featuring producer Mura Masa is the main inspiratory piece for this assignment. The sitter is presented as a balance between lines, colours and textures, with a composition that unites the abstract and figurative. It is a comparative reinterpretation of Smith’s London Calling record cover. Swatches of light illuminate the darkened studio background. Opposing orange and blue forms represent Mura Masa’s eclectic music - clubland pop, soul, punk, folk and hardcore edits. He appears in full length and in conventional portraiture poses; however, the back of his head is included in addition to other poses that occlude his face.

‘I compose images with strong graphic forms while also looking to capture a spontaneous point of elegance, which often involves exploring colour and movement. I will meticulously plan out lighting before taking most pictures. I like my images to quite often capture things that are rarely seen in moving image or real life. My lighting facilitates this through commonly capturing movement and enhanced colours.

In Applied Composition, I wanted to take a collection of photographs where the application of line and colour compliment found compositions on the body - in some cases structuring the images with a fine balance between both these elements - to question the area of skin used or to forget the idea that the body is even present. The objective being to create images with a flow in concept, the project sits between beauty and painted art.’ (Kent-Smith, 2020)

Summary

It will be a challenge to amalgamate the platforms of music, film and photography. My voice is rather formal; therefore, the influence of each may be subtle. Smith’s iconic photograph is the aspiration for every music photographer - genre defining and timeless. The authenticity of the motion blur and soft focus are a potent combination. Although I am not a reportage photographer, I will create a scenario in the studio that allows my sitter to perform without inhibition. Music playing during the shoot will be imperative without any direction from me. Andrew’s technical lighting requires a degree of choreography. Coloured gels will be matched to reflect his palettes and the nature of my sitter’s musical preferences. There is a fluidity to a drummer’s movement that is visually satisfying. I shall attempt some shots that are rehearsed to ensure specific movements are recorded. Drive (2011) as a film has many facets and I shall analyse it in the next blog post.

Bibliography

Kent-Smith, J. (2020). Turning The Wheel - Mura Masa Is Setting Off On A Whole New Direction. Mixmag. Available from www.mixmag.net/feature/mura-masa-cover [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Walker, R. (2019). ‘We Had the Same Brain’ - How Pennie Smith Turned The Clash Into Icons. The Guardian. Available from www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/nov/11/the-clash-london-calling-pennie-smith-photography [Accessed 10/04/2020]

Pennie Smith, London Calling, 1979

Tom Andrew, Mura Masa, 2020