Brett Harkness

Brett Harkness is a photographer based in Manchester, UK. He is primarily a wedding photographer, but he also photographs portraits and family events. Looking online and through his website, I found one of his portraits that I like.


From http://iforimportance.blogspot.co.uk/2010_10_01_archive.html

This image is well composed and I like the fact that the subject is not looking at the camera, but instead slightly to the right of the frame. The black and white filter shows the contrast between the man and the out of focus backdrop, as well as highlighting his features and wrinkles. I'm assuming that this has been taken outside, but even if it wasn't it's easily passable as an outside shot due to the lack of focus on the background, and this is something I have tried to incorporate into my shots, especially in terms of a couple taken in the market, as it doesn't actually matter where the subject is in the end. The props/distinguishing features to an individual make them more memorable when photographing street portraits. In this man's case, it is his hat, white beard, and the cigarette in his mouth. I also trued to look for people that may be memorable when taking my street portraits, such as the street entertainer wearing a silver monkey mask, people wearing hats, glasses or goggles, or people wearing costumes/headgear. Anything that is slightly unusual or more fun about a person's appearance makes them a more successful subject, especially if it makes the viewer think about that person after seeing the image.

Final Street Portraits

These are my final street portraits in contact sheet form. I did edit them in Camera RAW to amplify the lighting or to ensure each was in focus.

These are the RAW shots. I upped the contrast on some to make the person stand out from the background, as some were in front of plain backdrops. I used a f1.8 lens so that the background was always out of focus a lot, and just adjusted the shutter speed according to the lighting and time of day that I was taking the photographs. I tried to get some unique shots, such as the man with the sunflower hat/head piece, and the street entertainer who was wearing a silver monkey face mask, and the builder wearing the hard hat and goggles. I admit that the street entertainer may look like they are smiling slightly due to the design of the mask, but I thought it would be a creative addition to my set of street portraits.

Street Portraits: Contact Sheets

These are the edited contact sheets of all of my street portraits. I had to go out and shoot again a couple of times as some of the individual's faces were slightly out of focus or too dark.

I have put both the RAW and JPEGs on these contact sheets, but only edited the one half otherwise it would be repetitive, so only the edited ones are here. These were taken around Cardiff City Centre, and most people would stop to have their photograph taken, although others were slightly less friendly, something I've learnt that you've just got to put up with if you want to be a Photojournalist.

Final Environmental Portraits

These are my final environmental portraits.

I used a flash gun in the first image, and took it downstairs in the shop where my subject could be surrounded by records. The first image uses artificial light from the flash gun and shop lights. The second image uses natural light from outside the store, and I made sure that the theme of records was incorporated into the image by the record sleeves stuck along the door behind her head.

I photographed Meg Llewellyn, aged 19, from St Athens. This is her first job, and she has been working at Retro Vibes for about 2 and a half years. She said it's a great job as you meet lots of different people - and get to see their unique fashion sense! It's a fun job, and on her first day there she left having bought 6 Michael Jackson CDs. Her favourite music genre is star music, of which there is plenty in the store.

I wanted to make the shots, especially the first one, quite atmospheric, to draw the viewers attention in to not only the subject but what she is surrounded by - records and music. The second image isn't as moody and atmospheric, but that is fine as it is a more distanced shot, with the subject being farther away from the camera. I took the first image from an angle on eye level to try and capture the amount of records were in the room, and to make them seem bigger and that there was more of them.

Finished Environmental Portraits Contact Sheets

I went to Retro Vibes to capture my Environmental Portraits. I'd been in a few times prior to talk to who I would be photographing so that she was comfortable around me, and to sort out the best time and date for me to go in to do the project. I took the photos whilst she was on her break as the shop is usually quite busy, and I didn't want to interrupt her work. These are my edited contact sheets from the shoot.

 

I knew that I would need to alter my final chosen images a little on Photoshop to create a dramatic atmosphere that suited the store, as well as tweaking any lighting and white balance issues.

Retouching a Portrait

In class we learnt how to retouch a portrait on Photoshop. This is often used for advertising purposes, such as in magazines and shop windows (posters). The original image we started with was this.

We had to 'beautify' the subject in accordance with society's supposed accepted standards, and this shows how the media has altered the publics perception of what is 'beautiful'. I did this using layer masks, as I have explained how to use in previous posts, and each layer was used to 'fix' a different thing.

Here you can see that I used the Spot Healing Brush. This gets rid of blemishes and spots, as well as wrinkles, when the area is selected and highlighted.

I used burn to darken the irises and parts of the eye. I also altered the contrast of parts of the eyes as well to accentuate the natural colours and pigments in them. I also used the layer masks to highlight and shadow some of the face, to smooth out the skin.

This is my finished image that I ended up with after the alterations on Photoshop. They are minor, but the overall effect is of a 'finished' image as it is slightly smoother, and 'perfected'.

Creative Lighting

For this session I thought I'd focus on the Layer Masks, where people seem to float in mid air. For my image I took three different photos - taken by myself of course - and combined them to make it look as if someone was running on water. These are the three original images.

These shots were taken in Malta, the Forest of Dean, and Tunisia, so there's no way that any of the elements could naturally be together in one shot. I wanted to use the sunset from the one image, the wave from another, and the runner from the other photo to create one image. This is what I ended up with.

Here, I combined all of the elements from the individual photos that I wanted to make one shot. I used a few different layer masks to do this, and I explained the process in a previous post, so this is just a before and after look at the different images.

Photoshop: Layer Masks

We did a workshop on layer masks and how to blend people's faces together. I started by opening up a couple of street portraits that I took just for an example of how this works, as they are all composed the same and have similar lighting.

Here you can see that I have created a new layer and added in the other photograph. Both are visible at the moment as the show layer option is on.

In this screen shot, I have made the ruler visible so that I can line up the main features, such as eyes, nose, mouth and head size, so that both of the images match up. I have made the other layer hidden so that I can focus on this portrait.

Here, I have lined up the rulers so that the lines are in the same places in terms of her features. To do this I have had to increase the size of this portrait, and tilt the other.

Next, I added a Layer Mask, and selected the Hide All option so that it couldn't be seen whilst I was working on the other portrait.

Using the brush tool I have blended the girls eyes, glasses, and hair onto the boys face.

This is my finished image using a layer mask to blend the faces of two different people on Photoshop. You can see where I have blended the girls eyes and glasses onto the boys face, and have lighten his hair but kept the style using the girls hair. I decreased the opacity of the brush to do this. For a first attempt I don't think it is too bad.

Nick Wilson

This photographer's work caught my eye as I like the dramatic lighting as creativity he has put into all of his portraits. He has photographed many celebrities in unique ways, either by focusing just on the subject or by incorporating an interesting backdrop into the image as well.


From http://www.nickwilsonphoto.com/portfolio_category/people/
Nick Wilson's image of Eddie Redmayne.

I love the use of black and white in portraits as it seems to smooth out the image, whilst adding a dramatic atmosphere to the photograph. It also means that the contrast can be increased a lot without too much repercussion, and this helps the subject to stand out from the backdrop more. In this image only natural daylight seems to have been used, and the fact that the actor is British is accentuated by the background which features some buildings in London. The use of props draws your attention away from the subject slightly so that the entire image can be appreciated as well.

From http://www.nickwilsonphoto.com/portfolio_category/people/
Nick Wilson's photograph of Nick Grimshaw

This photograph exudes playfulness and fun, from the pose that the subject is in, to his facial expression and the composition of the shot. It not only features the subject, but what may or may not be his dog as well. It almost laughs at the stereotypical lifestyle of a celebrity - getting drunk at a house with a pool after some event including formal eveningwear. The contrast on the image is really effective, as the deep red of the subjects suit stands out well against the bright blue of the pool, once again drawing attention to the subject. By having he subject spread out throughout most of the frame ensures that the viewers attention will quickly return to him even if it strays for a short while. The lighting is directly above the subject, as no visible shadow can be seen, and all of his features are illuminated.

I like the dramatic way the shots have been composed, either from various angles or using filters. When I photograph my environmental portraits I think I may incorporate the style of making the background around the subject darker for one of my shots as this will bring them forward to stand out against the background.

Environmental Portrait: Research

Environmental Portrait: Someone in their natural environment - relevant to job, personality, hobby, obsession.

We have to shoot two environmental portraits about 1 person, photographs that say something about them, that give an insight into their lives and thinking. I would like to photograph an employee at one of the record stores in Cardiff, as I think that the images would be visually interesting due to the surroundings and layout of the shops. I have one shop in particular in mind that I have shopped in before, and that caught my attention due to the downstairs level that is completely full of records of all shapes and sizes. This shop is called Retro Vibes. If they agree to letting me photograph there I will take a couple of different lenses and a flash gun to use downstairs, although for natural light I would have to position an employee either in the doorway of the store, or outside.

My Final Pastiche

This is my final pastiche of the Neil Turner's image of John Redwood.

I used photoshop to dodge the end of Jack's hand and the cuff of his sleeve where the light is hitting it to make it stand out more, like how the light is hitting the side of his face. I used split lighting when I took this photograph, which makes it more dramatic and atmospheric. I have also found that it is a very flattering lighting effect, and it is often used for magazine covers or film posters due to its wide range of use. I used a black background to highlight the lighting on the subject, and the focus on Jack's face and hand is sharp. The clothing is slightly illuminated so that it is visible, but not too much as to distract from the overall effect of the image, and the focus of it which is the subjects pose and expression. I think that this image is quite a successful emulation of Neil Turner's photograph, and that if I did it again the only thing I would alter is perhaps a subtle change in the composition or angle of the shot.

Emulation of Rankin Portrait

I decided to try a couple of different photographs to emulate, and one image was by Rankin. Although, I do not know who the subject is, as I could not find the image either on his website or by scouring the internet. Instead I am having to use the image that our lecturer provided on a powerpoint.

Rankin's photograph from https://unilearn.southwales.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-1540115-dt-content-rid-1597707_1/courses/FH1D01_2015_v1/portraiture.pdf

I like the idea of this portrait as it is incorporating props into the image, unlike many of the others. the lighting is from above the subjects head and slightly to the left, leaving shadows underneath his eyes and to the right side of his face (looking at the image). The lighting is powerful enough to illuminate his features, yet gentle so that the shadowed aspects are still visible. The subjects head is more in focus than his clothes towards the bottom of the photo, and the black and white filter adds a dramatic effect. The pose that the subject is doing makes him come across as playful and fun, yet his expression is quite serious.

This is the image that I took, attempting to copy the style and lighting if Rankin's photo. I took this photograph in my iPhone as Jack had to hold my camera as a prop for the image to be an effective pastiche. The lighting on the subject is in the right position, but possibly slightly strong, as his shadowed features are a little too dark yet still just about distinguishable from the background. I think using a lighter background would have been better, and in hindsight I would have changed it to a white one. The focusing on the face and hand is correct, yet by using my iPhone I could not control the aperture so Jack's clothing in the bottom of the frame is completely in focus instead of slightly out of focus. Also the photograph needs to have been taken ever so slightly closer to the subject so that the top of his head was cropped out. The composition and angle seem to be correct though, and as a first attempt taken on an iPhone I am quite happy with it as a portrait, but I will not be using it as my final pastiche.

Rankin

Rankin is a London based photographer who focuses on the creative aspect of his images, ensuring that each and every one of them is different and unique. He has photographed many famous celebrities, just for portraits, or for magazine or film covers. Some of my favourites are the individual portraits of certain celebrities he has done, as each bring an aspect of the subjects personality into the frame, meaning that the photo can not be replicated with the same intense emotion or atmosphere as it would just be a model wearing someone else personality as a front. These are a couple of my favourites.


From https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/121949102383352090/
Rankin's photograph of Mark Strong.

This image of Mark Strong could show how many of the characters he plays come across as imposing and how they are very dominant within the storyline. It's a very dramatic photograph, using natural lighting as well as a flash of some sort - this can be seen by the little white squares in his eyes that are the reflections of the flash going off. The combination of the two means that although the subject stands out, the background is still visible, in this case the backdrop is an atmospheric cloudy sky. The black and white filter only exaggerates the dramatics of the photo as it adds more contrast. By shooting from a low angle, Rankin has given the impression that the subject is bigger than in reality, perhaps to add to the imposing effect.



From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/5926066/Rankin-Live-and-Shoot-Me-Rankin-a-retrospective-of-the-fashion-photographer.html?image=2
Rankin's photograph of Queen Elizabeth II.

What immediately draws your attention in this image is the background of the United Kingdom flag. It's significance in the photo is to remind you of the subjects link to the UK as well as including a patriotic feel to the image. This is a normal posed smiling shot, as most people know who the Queen is and what she looks like, meaning that a specific and unusual pose may not have been needed. The lighting is subtle, without leaving large shadows across the subjects face and clothing, and seems to be coming from in front of her. This illuminates all of her features clearly for the viewer to see. It could also indicate how the Queen is used to being photographed often and does not shy away from the light and flash of the cameras.

Studio Work for Pastiche

Once I'd decided on emulating Neil Turner's photograph of the MP John Redwood, I had to find a model who would be willing to let me photograph them. I used a friend of mine who is taking the Performance and Media course at USW so they're used to being in the spotlight, although this turned into a 3 hour photoshoot as he wanted to use some of the photos to go into an online portfolio. I've included all of the photos taken - good and bad - in this post as part of a contact sheet just to show the range of poses and the couple of different lighting techniques I used. Although, considering not all of the photos are relevant to the pastiche, I only annotated the images that were. These are my contact sheets of the shoot.

I used the shot that I circled in purple, and edited it in Photoshop. I found that in some shots, either Jack's face or his hand would be in focus, not both. This may be due to a combination of the lens I was using and the distance between the light hitting his face, and the light hitting his hand. I decided to shoot the photograph from various angles to get a photo that not only best matched Neil Turner's image in terms of lighting, but that also ensured that Jack's face and hand were in focus. The light had to hit the side of his face and his hand in just the right place in order for the photo to be a good copy, and the composition also had to be very similar. Although his leg isn't as high as John Redwood's in the shot as we found that he must have been very flexible to have his leg up by his chin. Either that or he was in a very low chair, whereas we had a stool to use as a prop. Overall I think the photoshoot went successfully, and I found that I didn't need to reshoot as I had spent quite a long time preparing for the shoot by researching the lighting I needed, and after a few stops and starts I finally got it right. This is why the first few photographs are not very good in terms of lighting and possibly focusing in a couple as they were test shots to see if the lighting was right. After altering the ISO to make it lower, the lighting was just how I wanted it. If I tweak the final image a little on Photoshop, I don't think I will need to reshoot the pastiche. I also took a few shots on my iPhone, to emulate another photographer called Rankin.