Saturday 13 April 2013

Review Digital Camera World 04-14-2013

Digital Camera World
Photo Anatomy: revealing personality in celebrity portraits
Apr 13th 2013, 23:01

In our new Sunday series on Digital Camera World, we select pictures by famous photographers and explain point by point what makes them work.

In our latest instalment Robert Wilson tells us how he captured his penetrating portrait of actor Mark Rylance and how he aimed to reveal a different side to a well-known person.

Photo Anatomy: revealing personality in celebrity portraits

Keeping it simple
Robert photographed Mark Rylance at a rehearsal room near London's Globe Theatre. Rylance was lit with three lights, and another was used to illuminate the grey Colorama background.

Shallow focus
Robert used a Hasselblad H2 body with a 150mm lens and a Phase One P65+ digital back. He chose an aperture of f/3.5 and set the focus point on Rylance's expressive eyes.

Post production
"Many of my pictures are colour graded and have contrast added, although this one had very little post production," Robert says. "Most of the work was adding the contrast."

Post production
"Many of my pictures are colour graded and have contrast added, although this one had very little post production," Robert says. "Most of the work was adding the contrast."

Skin texture
This powerful image is rich in the minute details of Rylance's skin texture, which have been brought out by the use of a high-quality 60-megapixel image sensor.

We say
"When you're shooting a tight, close-up face shot, avoid using a standard or wide lens, because they can distort features, often making noses look big. A medium telephoto lens compresses perspective and generally produces a more flattering portrait."
Chris Rutter, technique editor

READ MORE

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Shadow Art: abstract photography effects with everyday items
Apr 13th 2013, 13:00

Find out how you can use common household items to create striking shadow art. These simple photography effects can be achieved by anyone and can be shot anywhere, using anything!

Shadow Art: abstract photography effects with everyday items

Get creative this weekend – all you need for this project is a lamp, a plain wall and a bottle. By deliberately using shadows as part of a composition you can give a unique feel to your still lifes.

Glass props work well for this project, as they give off interesting shadows under a strong light.

We set up our glass bottles on a table, placing a flower in one to give a stronger silhouette, and lit the scene from the side using an anglepoise lamp.

You can also use a flashgun as a light source, but you'll need a cable or wireless trigger so that the flash can be placed away from the camera.

Another option is to set up your bottles behind paper or muslin and shoot through it – the shadows will fall softly against the surface.

How to photograph shadow art

How to photograph shadow art: step 1

01 Set it up
Set your props up in a dark room and place your light source to the side of the table. Now it's just a case of playing with angles until your bottles cast a strong shadow on the wall behind them. Try overlapping shapes and colours, and mixing transparent props and opaque ones.

 

How to photograph shadow art: step 2

02 Settings
Put your camera on a tripod. This will allow you to use a low ISO, such as 100 or 200, and leave your hands free to adjust your props. Use a small aperture, such as f/11, to ensure everything stays sharp. If you're struggling to give your shots an abstract feel, try changing the White Balance.

 

How to photograph shadow art: step 3

03 Get experimenting
Don't stop at bottles – scout around the house and you're sure to find a host of objects that will give you interesting silhouettes. Anything translucent works really well, or try shooting the shadows left by everyday items like a fork or a wedding ring to see what effects you can get.

READ MORE

The still life photographer’s guide to lighting: 4 techniques, 4 different effects
10 amazing still life photography ideas to try right now
Fine art photography: what you need to shoot amazing photo projects at home
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