Final photos (intended to be displayed in this order):

Best Image (consented)

From the rough selection, I selected a mix of serious and silly photos for the final five. I organized the photos to alternate between silly and serious. Overall, the techniques used (lighting, shadows) were not what I initially predicted: I originally planned to shoot jumping motion photos to reveal character, but the shooting environment did not allow for that (the legs could not be captured because the background curtains were too short).

I wanted to reference how Halsman, my chosen photographer, thought that jumping would reveal the character of the model. But Bobby was such an outgoing, cooperative, and silly person that I did not have to devote much effort to relieving his self-consciousness in front of the camera. He naturally smiled when he saw anything remotely funny to him.

My intent: To relieve self-consciousness caused by the widespread usage of social media. My final set of photos I feel achieves this purpose quite well. As I look at these photos, I see a strong contrast between the spontaneous laughter of Bobby and his serious surroundings. Conveying how you do not need to be restricted and act artificially in an environment that opposes your character. Bobby in these photos is free from the black suit, spotlight, and serious background. He expresses himself freely and the audience clearly sees his enjoyment.

Additionally, in the mix of serious and silly photos, we see how there are many aspects of Bobby: Serious, scheming, silly. He is not only happy in the photos, which was what I expected as that was generally the most common emotion to display in front of the camera. Bobby really surpassed my expectations and further elevated the purpose of this set of photos: Everyone is dynamic and diverse, do not refrain from showing different emotions in front of the camera.

In terms of technique, I cropped out parts of the images (images 2,4,5) to reduce headspace and focus the image. Additionally, the fourth image was originally a practice shoot for the technique of the dominant eye in the center. Which turned out beautifully. I also utilized the positioning of the spotlight to create strong light and shadow. I also took into account the contrast between the colors of his shadow, face, and suit. During this photoshoot, I actively tried to take photos of Bobby with his suit connected to his shadows. Almost as if his suit was blending in with his shadows.

Overall, this final set of images includes very strong contrast, light and shadow, and the sense of a story. Especially with images 2,4, and 5. In image 2, one prominent feature of the image is that the shadow almost completely encloses Bobby. Hiding his facial features and creating a sense of mystery. Additionally, the shape of the shadows around his neck and head is shaped like a boss chair. Paired with his thinking position and glasses, Bob is in a position of power and mystery in this image. Image 4 has similar features. Concealing half of the face, strong light and shadow, and a sense of mystery. I specifically chose this image because, with higher resolution, the lamp lights up dust particles in the air, creating texture and a movie-like feeling to the image. Image 5 is especially interesting. Bobby is smiling facing the camera, but his reflection in the mirror’s smile is less subtle. I utilized the angle of the mirror in this image to reflect Bobby’s side view while I captured the front view. So the Bobby facing us and the Bobby in the mirror convey slightly different emotions. I really like the composition of image 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for an amazing photography semester and have a great holiday!

-Mingming