Above & Below: Class Practice

Before we start working on our main project for this term, we had a practice of taking photos and working with camera. Therefore, today we had a class task to explore different settings of camera, which are aperture, ISO and exposure compensation. We had to make two high and low-angle portraits and finally choose two portraits. 

In class we looked at the images of Corrine Day and Terry O'Neill, here is one of the examples. Despite the fact that Charlotte's leg is closer to us than the face, but her expression and the way she looks straight to the camera draws the viewer's attention. We also see a sharp and exact pose in which another leg is intertwined with a fence.  The photo is low angle which makes Charlotte more majestic in our eyes.

Charlotte Rampling (1976) by Terry O'Neill

I went to another building on the campus with my partners to find some interesting locations and took low and high-angle portraits.

After coming back to the class, we created contact sheets in the photoshop by clicking on File-Automate-Contact Sheets and then we chose the file which we created on the desktop with our pictures.

Then I looked at the EXIF details of my photos and now I will explain my shots and look at how the settings worked to make the whole portrait. As I made photos indoor, I hadn't got too much nature light as it would be outside, however it was enough to make pictures not very dark.

F4.5, ISO 400, 1/250, FL 30 mm, -0.5 exposure compensation

In this high-angle image I have used an aperture of F4.5 because I needed more light as it was inside the building. The ISO was on 300, although it was at day time, in the building it was a bit darker. I also made an exposure compensation to -0.5. I under exposed it because I wanted to make the reflective light in left side from Victoria more noticeable. I liked the way the light seems to go in the same direction as Viktoriia's view. However, I find it not focused well which I noticed only after looking at it on the computer. 

F2.5, ISO 200, 1/200, FL 50 mm, -0..5 exposure compensation

This shot is more focused on the girl who looks up to the light. I liked how the light comes divided into two parts which reminds me of projectors somewhere in the gallery. There are no objects in the background and we are more engaged in the colours of the shot which are all blue in different shades. It also reminds me of some underwater atmosphere like ocean or see and the light is similar to waves which go through this girl. Here I also underexposed the picture because of the light.

F2.5, ISO 400, 1/125, FL 50 mm, -1 exposure compensation

In this photo we see a picture of a girl who looks straight to the camera trying to find audience as ones who she can share her feelings. I thought it looks like she has been waiting for some friend for a while, she is tired to sit on one chair so from time to time she changes her pose. I liked this location because it has some objects but not too much. It doesn't affect our perception of the image because the viewer is focused on the model. I decided to underexposed this picture because it is a bit sad situation when you are forced to wait for someone for such a long time and you weren't warned about it. I thought that this little darkness will underline the girl's disappointment.

Here is my final piece that I have created. I called it "Light in the darkness".

Overall, I enjoyed this experience, it was interesting to explore something new for me. However, as it was my first experience of using camera, I have to learn more about settings and the way they work.