MY Website

i have been working on my website:

http://www.rebeccahudsonphotography.com

maybe spending a bit too much time on it! i keep on finding myself spending hours changing bits, adding images, retouching....
I think that a photographers website is a crucial part of their practice, as you can be producing award winning images, however if you don't have a website that will profile them well  or that will do them justice then you may find yourself loosing work.

website should be clear, easy to navigate and simple and sharp!

I continually like to receive feedback for my website.
 some feedback has been:

FRONTPAGE:
image is very large- need to make smaller so that it fits on one page

ABOUT:
Clare Hewitt - have i asked permission to use her name on my site?

PORTRAITS:
on the homepage for this section is just plain, should i put an image here? or maybe some writing as an intro to the work that the viewer is about to see in the two folders i currently have?

TRAVEL:
same as porttait section feedback

i was reading.....

was interested in an article that i was reading. that spoke about the 'truth' of an image. and how a photograph can never identity in concrete terms this 'truth'. in a photograph we are shown a moment - a moment 'caught' 'stolen' or 'given' - and from this we are represented with certain visual details. I have though a lot about how truthful an image can be and is a huge subject for discussion. I think that an image isn't necessarily truthful, however what it does do is it lays down a mood/ feeling.

in this article there was a paticular sentence which really stuck out, as if i am honest i just DID NOT understand:

"Atmosphere and truth in flux are greater than absolutes or fixed meaning, and an antidote to the ineptitude of truth"

(i decided to highlight the words that confused me! )

WHAT A MOUTHFUL! 

so..... i decided to try simplify this, so that i understood.... and came up with:

atmosphere and truth within variation of images is much better than sticking to confines or fixed meanings. This creates a cure to the incapability of displaying truth

it still is a bit of a mouthful, but it does seem to make more sense! and i do agree with it. I think that this is why experimentation is good and i should ensure that i never feel myself falling into the confines of only producing work in a particular way. 

Image selection up to date!

I decided to go through the work that i had produced so far in this project and decide on which images i think have been my most successful and why! ( most importantly reflecting on why!!!!)

I tried this idea out with a fair few people and i guess continued to as i wanted to get the 'right' image! For me,  this is a blast of colour! and although displays nothing of this girls face is still showing part of her identity through her hair colour. The hair colour is the most prominent thing about this image and for this lady, she told me that her hair colour was one of the things that had constructed her identity and built her as a person. having gone through some years of bullying and coming through that, to know being confident in who she is. She is proud of her hair colour and i feel that this image demonstrates that story well! 

The framing of this image - having the girl to the left of the frame - i feel makes this a visually pleasing image. The use of black and white makes this a lot more dramtic and suits the tonal range. Using this gradient also allowed me to really make the freckles stand out even more. As a result allowing the viewer to realise that altho not in colour - that this girl had red hair. just need to remove bra strap mark!  

I think that these two images work well together. In the left hand image her identity is hidden. In contrast to the image on the right hand side - where we are presented full frame with who she is. There is a softness in this image, through the use of natural light which i think compliments her soft expression well. Because of the image on the left, we are aware of the colour of her hair - and the contrast in colour to her light pink lips creates a playfulness

Add caption

Very clean and sharp image. her central position in the image means that all focus is on her.  If you look at her long enough she almost makes you feel uneasy. Staring right at you, and it seems like she is going to say something, but is holding it in. The plain white background i think makes this image very striking and visually pleasing. 

After speaking to tutors about my prints. Overall the  consensus was fairly similar to what i was thinking. Obviously being my first time using large format the images weren't going to be award winning standard! however Angus and Nick agreed that it was a good start for me.

It wasn't as clear when it was a smaller image. However the image taken of Fanny with the large format    were slightly out of focus. and this became clear when i enlarged the images.
Therefore as Angus told me, i need to ensure my focus if accurate and that the camera is straight.

I spoke to them about how, like Roversi, I was interested in using natural light. They agreed that this would be a good experimentation to have and that i should obviously be aware that my shutter speed would be a lot slower and therefore my model would need to be patient.

LARGE FORMAT

in total i took 6 images on the large format. Next time i think i may look at using colour film. now that i have a feel for how it works :) i think that  need to enlarge some of these images. I think that the top right image is more successful than the top left as i feel there is a better tonal range. however in both i feel that there is too much white in the top half of the image and that my framing was off! i think that the bottom left image isnt as succesful as the previous image i posted in my last post of her. and the bottom right image was just a test!  

Especially when using large format i need to be careful and really take my time and consider my framing. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! 

i am excited to use more large format and to improve! 

time for feedback and to chat to nick! :)

LARGE FORMAT

the result is......

there is alot of dust on this image. however this isnt a problem as it is a contact image. i think that the tonal range is
succesful in this image and i think that she is framed well. Now i would like to enlarge this image! in hope that it enlarges well! Is interesting getting feedback from different people. As from speaking to Frank - to speaking to Nick, one told me that they loved the image just as it is. And the other said that it needed to be punchier. But what do I think??? 

LARGE FORMAT

i used large format for the first time! Frank was so helpful in reminding me and showing me what to do!  

After processing them i then went into the dark room and created contact sheets. 

TEST STRIP

starting with 8s, and with the contrast on 3 

1st - 8s x 2 = 32seconds

2nd - 8s = 16 seconds

3rd - 4s = 8 seconds

4th - 2s = 4 seconds

5th - 2s = 2 seconds

TEST STRIP


SO........... i am going for 4 seconds, however i am upping the contrast to 4! lets see what happens! 

Large format

some technical stuff:

• using the 210 lens - if the bellows length = 210 

NO COMPENSATION NEEDED

• if bellows = double the length of the lens, so...... 210mm lens = 410mm bellows extension 

YOU NEED TO PLUS 2 STOPS

• if bellows = half the length aditional to the lens, so....... 210mm lens = 210 + 105 = 315mm bellows

YOU NEED TO PLUS 1 STOP

TODAY

i am using the 210mm lens and the bellows are 25cm. As a result i need to add half, so half a stop.


instead of adding stops i am changing the light instead as i want to keep at f.16. Therefore my light is now on 378

black and white

emphasising the freckles! much more striking and interesting and captivating in black and white! 

words!

need to get better with verbalising myself/ expressing what i am thinking/ looking at!

need to go back and look at talking more around my work!!!

time to go to library and get out 'graham clarke - the portrait'  and 'the theatre of the face'

TIME TO READ! 

shoot with Martina - this time in the studio!

1. i like that this is just showing the hair and hiding the face/ her identity. however you can slightly see the chair by the left hand side of her body and this looks tacky! 

2. this is a bit lifeless. It doesn't really engage with the viewer or tell us much about the subject pictured. Which i think is vital in producing a great image! 

not sure if this works with the jeans in the image,.....

i like this idea of her being upside down... can't decide if it works??

having her top half nude... accentuates the hair colour against the pale skin. the contrast between the hair and the pale skin is more poignant.  However - after feedback from Jim and with Clare Hewitt in agreement - because of the size of her breasts, this image is slightly  provocative and perhaps could make some men feel uneasy.... Therefore should steer away from this type of pose (hair over breasts)

THUMBNAILS

Black and white....

Looking at producing images of people with ginger hair. However taken in black and white. This paticular image i have converted into place and white and then enhanced blue in it in order to get the freckles popping out.
This is a very clean cute image, sharp and in focus. It is a well thought out image. Starting to consider the advice from reading articles on photographer - Dave Alexander 

Shoot with Fanny

1

2

3

4

purely focused on the hair! colour! i really like this image, i think that the framing works well and shows  off the red hair well. 

5

this works much better in the studio. shows the hair colour off better. while still being able to see part of the face. 

6

facial expression isn't right in this image... however i like the movement in the hair here

THUMBNAILS

My studio shoot

Frank helped me to set up the studio - as admittedly i haven't used it in a while! i decided on a white backdrop, as i wanted to show of the ginger hair well. so.... LETS BEGIN!

angus's tips

so... i will be using large format in my next studio shoot. Angus's tips:

• for 5 x 10 - 210 lens is the optimum lens to use
• ensure that i am using lots of bellows
• use f.16

fujilab.co.uk is a good website to buy film from 

• pro 160
• fp100c (instant)
• 5 x 4 Polaroid (ebay)

Guy Farrow

studio portrait - very focused and posed. the hair color is shown off well against the black backdrop. something i woudn't of considered (using a black backdrop) 

similar to portrait by matt harris. however clearly in focus. not as keen on this as to me, it almost doesnt seem real. it isn;t very natural and looks heavily photoshopped. I find that combined with the background colour this image is a very strange one to look at. The one good thing about this image is that although i may not like it - the image has made me engage with it - to question why i don't! 

Showing emotion - very important! and again with the black backdrop.... interesting combination. The strong use of studio lighting against the heavy dense black backdrop i think is almost a bit too much for me! It feels a bit too forced and placed. the head is floating.... it doesn't seem to belong. 

Matt Harris

LOVE! even though the above image is a black and white shot. you can still see that he is ginger, with his freckles. The detail is incredible! This is the type of portraits that i would like to produce. using large format, so that you can reallly see the detail. the eyes telll alot... should make sure that they are relaly in focus in my work.

I reallly don't think that i could falter this image! the focus is perfect and the emotion that is shown in this young boys face, complements the feel/ style of the image. 

the eyes are the doorways to a person. They are what show emotions, expressions and are what ultimately will portray how a person feels. Therefore when photographing portraits i should be concentrating on the focus of the eyes and what they are saying. The eyes are what will draw the viewer in and keep them captivated. This is something that Roversi did so well throughout his work. 

Nadav Kandar

very posed

perhaps tooo posed for my liking. I think that i like something slightly more natural and softer (like spencer murphy's photography. For my work i am not sure that Nadav Kandars work is the most suitable to look at...
After looking at this work i was reminded of a project that she did entitled bodies: 6 women 1 man:

All of these images have a painterly feel to them. They are very soft and in my mind take me back to thinking about renaissance paintings. Although completly different in style to what i am focusing on - is interesting to see how others are photographing people with red hair. 

Paul Thompson

Close up, intimate portraits. Within my portraits i would like to look to photographing something intimate like this. looking at this work has made me consider that using the studio will give more  of a definition to my portraits and is something i should look at using from now on.

spoke to angus

look at:

1. Spencer Murphy
2. Paul Thompson
3. Nadav Kander
4. Matt Harris (uses b and w film with a red filter)
5. Bob noris 
6. Paul Noris
7. Paul Murphy
8. Guy Farrow 

Tutorial with Nick

• how does my work exist through the wider work?
• pick apart essays/ reviews
• reading about portraiture - graham clarke (the portrait)
• read - the theatre of the face
• show that i am informing my project
• what do i want to leave with? ( commercial)

FOR SHOOT NEXT WEEK:

• large format and digital hasselblad

so what am i thinking??

up to date i feel that my research was at its strongest when i began this project. i feel that i need to include a lot more research and look into more photographers. i feel my shoots need more variety and hopefully i will achieve this through my next shoots. i need to book the studio and experiment in there as well as hoping to use the large format camera.
i need to start to think more about what i WANT and what i am looking to achieve. how do i envisage these images looking? the hair flicking with Andrea i feel was successful. unfortunately she isn't ginger but i do hope to recreate this with a shoot with someone who is.
Martina - being very photogenic/ natural in front of the camera. i feel this shoot was the most successful to date. however i need to re shoot her. i think in the studio and instead of the bland expression across the images.. look to get more from her like Roversi captures in his portraits.
With Daisy i was looking more at vivid colors and how this would work. it's very different from other work that i have done, however i feel that these images showcase the type of person she is.
Also VARIATION.... is good!

uncle paul was an interesting shoot... he has so much character.. however because of the light at the time it was very difficult to photograph him.

I have a lot i still need to do and i still feel that the main substance of work is missing from my project at the moment. I think in the comning weeks i just need to constantly be shooting and most importantly concentrate on getting feedback on what i am doing!!
not long now.... FINAL PUSH!!

Uncle paul - black and white

As I said in previous post - i wanted to try these two images out in black and white. And i am very happy with the outcome and feel that they work a lot better this way! The tonal range seems to adopt well in this gradient, as does the levels of light/ dark tones.

1. 

2.This particular image is the one that i am most happy with. This has turned it from an average image into something i feel is alot more striking. Although the hair colour is now taken from the image ( which defeats the object of this particular project) i feel that this is a strong portrait and i would be interested to see how well this image prints. I know that this image is slightly out of focus, however i do not see this a an error. i think that it works well for the image. With the smoke being blown out, the image is imprinted with movement and being black and white i feel lends better to this as well. 

Uncle Paul shoot with D800 and natural/ indoor light

1. The great thing about Paul, is his expressions and i feel that this
image is the strongest from the shoot as it shows a part of his personality,
which ultimately i feel is very important when photographing portraits. maybe
try this image in b and w? the expression may look more dramatic!

2. Looking back i needed to light the beard more and have more
of my concentration there. its a shame his eyes are shut here. Would
of connected viewers more. 

3. He is an avid smoker. Therefore wanted to show this, however
slightly blurred the image. i think that this would look better in b and w.

4. AGAIN this yellow light! need to stop going back to it! this
image is too much like an every day image that anyone could take.
Nothing special about it!

Thumbnails

I think that a couple of the images from this shoot would benefit greatly from being in black and white. Therefore this is what i will sample next! Need to consider my concept more and what i want! need to start to see myself as a professional and start producing work that shows/ says that i am!

9 weeks left!!

The plan may seem vague.. however is how i best plan things:

next 4 weeks - i want to continue to shoot lots!
i ant to do some studio based shoots
and continue with location stuff
MUST USE LARGE FORMAT.... at least once!!

then REVIEW!!!

1 more week of shoots! (concentrating on feedback and final outcome!)

final 4 weeks... post production... and sorting final image/ outcome!

Daisy (shoot) using D800 and indoor light.

After looking at the work 'root ginger' by Jenny Wicks. It made me consider that perhaps i should try step outside of my comfort zone and shoot in a completely different style and see what i thought. 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Thumbnails

I think that from looking at the thumbnails here. It is clear that i am not taking a enough pride and thinking enough about my images. I don't even know where to begin in talking about this shoot. I knew from the start that the lighting was wrong - yet i continued and the outcome is shocking. The yellow light Never works and because the lighting is so shocking, the focus and overall look of the images just doesn't look or feel right. A lot of post production work was involved in producing the above images which i have singled out. images 1 - 5. This included colour enhancing and changing levels/ brightness and contrast.
The overall feel of these images is that they are heavily enhanced and while this may suit some photographers styles, i feel that with mine it just doesn't work and i feel that the images look fairly empyt as a result. Similar to how i found the images in the project ' i collect gingers"