Florian Ritter

Why I chose Florian:

Florian Ritter is a worldwide photographer who takes images of the different cultures and environment around him. He has taken photos on every continent of the globe and displays him work into different ways. He divides his work into different categories, landscape, life, people and reports. Reports are photographic discussions where he comments on his travels through the different photographs he took. I love the work of this photographer as it is completely different from the other main photographers that I have chosen. This work differs from others that I have researched as he takes landscape photographs which show different tones and colours while also focusing on different objects to highlight where he is in the world. 

Bio:

Born in 1981, July, Florian grew up with his younger sister and older brother and his mother in Nieder Erlenbach, near by Frankfurt am Main, Germany. His mother is an actress and runs her own children theatre since 1985. Seeing his mother writing and creating new stories, and later helping with the design on set and asseccories, Florian was already interested in art from a young age. Since the age of 7 he has strongly developed a skill for drawings and later illustrations  In 2006 Florian has started to study media design at the ‘Berufsakademie Ravensburg‘ in Germany. While studying illustrations, film, photography and graphic design for 3 years he has parallel worked in classic advertising and produced numerous concepts for car advertising in print and TV. His love for photography has started by the year of 2007, when he felt the pull for the world and left the strictly organised world of advertising and Germany. After this, his images have captivated the world through travelling the globe, taking landscape and portrait photographs of the culture that surrounds him.

This image shows Florian' extent to showing colour and landscape in her images. The use of the white sheep among the dark blue night sky show contrast while also give the image context. We can make out silhouettes from the man, which stands out as a figure among the clear white animals. The orange in the back show colour and give a sense of warmth for the viewer, while the different blue tones in the night sky enhance this. 

Lines in this image is one of the formal elements exaggerated. The depth in the image comes from the different layers of the lines and the light tones show a sense of cool and crisp. If they were dark dull tones, it may give a feeling of warmth, however, the whiles and silvery gloss display fresh feelings.  

Reflection and Tone are the two main formal elements Ritter uses in this landscape shot. The image shows some rocks over the sea, the weather is not great and this is reflected by the different tones in the sky and on the rocks. The reflection enhances this as tones are shown again in the water, which can also show reflection as we can see the ripples of the waves.

The main formal element in this image is contrast and colour. The different colours in this image are the dark pinks and they are extremely strong in contrast to the green grass. There is a contrast conceptually also with manmade and natural as the barbed wire separates us from the beauty, which can be shown by the tall trees, which can be seen as strong and the Earths anchor. 

Influence and Summaries 

Florian Ritter's work has influenced me through his range of different styles while taking landscape images. He combines a range of different formal elements when doing his work and it stands out in several different ways. He contrasts colours and tones in the environment to enhance the photo while also makes his images stripped back by using cool white pastel colours. When we went on the autumn walks, his work stood out in the back of my mind and I have taken photos that have been influenced by his work. Below is one of my images which was heavily influenced by the work of Florian Ritter. By looking at his range of different landscape photography, I was also to gain a range of different ideas and techniques in order to create similar work. I took this photograph quite late on in the day and the original image was fairly dark, although the location was similar to what Ritter would create. By editing this in photoshop, I edited the lighting and brightness to make my work follow the same style of his work. I also adjusted exposure, as a lot of Ritter's work is enhanced to create a cold atmosphere. 

Overall, I still like the work of Florian Ritter as his stands out from the other photographers that I have chosen to study in photography. From the 20 that I had in my research log, his landscape and environmental work stands out as the best for me and I am going to continue to aspire for my work to  look like his work when I go out to shoot landscape in the future. 

Studio Form Colour - Straight Images

Mario Testino

Why I chose Mario:
Mario Testino is one of Britain's most elaborate photographers who has taken many photographs in a range of different styles. Unlike other photographers, Testino's work touches on many different formal elements and his work is fun and contemporary. However, one of the things that strikes Testino for me is how his work also grasps a formal aspect. He has taken work for the Royal Family which show class while also magazine shoots that are different and the different compositions are outstanding. His style of work is portraits of some of the worlds most famous faces. I also chose Mario as one of my main photographers as he highlights beauty and other topics for his shoots. They all express meaning and context. Below are 4 photographs that display the work of Testino. 

Bio:

Nationality: Peru
One of fashion's most sought-after snappers, Mario Testino was born in 1954 in Lima, Peru. He came to London in 1976, took a flat in an abandoned hospital near Trafalgar Square, and began selling portfolios (for £25, including hair and make-up) to wannabe models. Today he is best known for his highly polished, exotically bright ad campaigns and his exquisitely styled photographs of the couture scene all of which carry a deceptive air of nonchalance. Now at the top of his profession, Testino has shot Madonna for Versace as well as photographing the late Diana, Princess of Wales for her famous Vanity Fair cover in 1997. His popularity with designers and fashion editors stems as much from his professionalism and good nature as his unerring ability to take beautiful pictures which sell clothes. 

In this photograph, Testino highlights the formal elements of pattern via the use of the feathers covering the female models face. The pattern comes from the same feather repeated several times. The use of form is shown through the shadow from the different facial features. This shows Testino' portrait work although they do not have a direct relation with the audience, beauty is enhanced through the model and the contrast from the background. 

Colour is the main formal element shown in this photograph as the model uses very bright colours to enhance the beauty. They are all very bright tones where the only dark is present in the background. Form is another element shown where the different facial features are exaggerated to bring the viewers eyes to them. I like how bold and powerful this image is and the positioning of the deep orange to the right of the shot takes any wasted space that could've been previously present.  

The next photograph is a different style of work by Testino as it is a direct portrait shown in black and white. The use of form is shown through the different shadows in the face and on other parts of the body. I love the shadows and how where the shadow is coming from is shown in the image. The use of lines is also a main formal element in the shoot as there are lines all over. From the lines on the brick wall behind the model, the lines from the mesh and also the lines from the tie. I love the style of work Testino focused on in this shoot and how he enhanced his image through black and white. 

The use of the portrait shot in this photograph is shown great in this final example of his stunning work. Similarly to the famous Princess Diana shoot, the contemporary style is shown in the nature of this image. The use of form is one of Testino's strongest work and in this final image, it is excelled. With half of the face being emphasised with light and the other with shadows and highlights. The photo is clear and sharp and the use of tone contrasts the light skin tone to the dark shadowed hair. 

Influence and Summaries

Mario Testino is known for taking some of the most iconic portrait photographs around. One thing that differs him from other photographers is how he can differ the style of photography to the environment and create context in a stunning way. He was once described as being "the world's most prolific magazine and fashion trade photographer", which for me highlights his style of photography in a great way. I would also focus on Mario should I go back and take more portraiture shots especially in the studio and would look at him for inspiration.

The style of photography that Mario Testino takes is extremely influential to me through his approach to taking different types of portrait images. His work creates context in an intriguing way through close up shots to show emotion and all he focuses on is the subject of the image. He also uses a range of different formal elements in his images through portraits. While he takes simple black and white images to show emotion and his use of tones in the image highlight personal points in the image. He also contrasts his work by taking colour images where they burst and illuminate the screen. He has influenced me when I was taking work in the portraiture section, through his use of different compositions and the angle in which he positions his models. In the image above, I edited this image of form to the style of Testino after I saw his work. He inspired me to highlight the smoothness of skin, while also using shadows to an advantage. 

Overall, Mario Testino's work is still one of my favourites from the research log. As I have looked into them into them, the more I see of his work, aspires me to use the portraiture topic and adapt it to include a range of different formal elements. Like colour, form and tone which he did in the images above. Although all of his images are portraits, they are all different and interest me in different ways. 

20 Best Photographs - Portfolio

Location Back of Heads - Work Diary

Evaluation:

After doing studio back of heads, we had to go outside and take the same style of photography in a variety of different locations. Some of my locations included taking photographs in my group among a brick wall, coloured , doors and other scenes. I found this topic very interesting and I feel it expanded my spacial awareness. However, I struggled quite a lot with ensuring that the main focal point was the back of the persons head and the rest of the image was slightly blurred. Because of this, many of my images were blurry and not focused at all. One of my favourite images from the shoot was the one that follows:

I like this image of Frankie as I feel like the background is interesting while it is also shows the back of her head in a portrait style. It took me many attempts to get this photograph of Frankie as if the background was not blurred, the image was not focused and it did not match the composition that I was after. One photo that I did not like as much from the shoot was the next one. 

I would go back and take this photograph again from the shoot as I feel the background is interesting and different. I would also ensure that I took a range of different shots from different angles. 

Progression: 

If I was to go out and shoot Back of Head portraiture again in location, I would ensure that I used different backgrounds that contrast from the image. Like the above photographs, I feel like my range of backgrounds was good even though I could not use these images as they're slightly blurred. I will look into the studio and at a different range of performing this without literally photographing the back of her head. By doing this I could photograph the front of their face while covering her expression with a mask. It will also be done through photoshopping the expression off her face to disregard any relationship with the audience. 

Studio Back of Heads - Work Diary

Evaluation:

We were in the studio for this topic where portraiture was turned into back of head pictures. I struggled with the composition in these photographs as I struggled to position the head in the photos. Although I prefer working in the studio a lot more than going outside, it was very hard for us all to have a go and take a range of different photographs, however, we did manage to take a range of different photographs in the shoot. We changed the background three times between us. Especially on Frankie who has light blonde hair as we wanted her to contrast the dull background. This was effective and the image turned out ok. However, I feel like I would definitely go back to the studio to do back of head portraiture as I would choose the range of different shots for different backgrounds. One of my favourite photographs from the shoot was the following: 

This is my favourite photo from the shoot as I feel like the positioning of Josh is key while his posture is upright. I love the background and the use of colour as I feel the contrast is big but is not too bright. I also like how I have included his upper body. One of the photographs I didn't like from the shot was the one below. I did not like the photograph as it didn't contain all of Ellie's hair where I cropped it out. 

I would go back and shoot this image again perhaps in a portrait style instead of keeping the picture landscape. I feel like this would not involve as much wasted space when the whole of the person is not present and in this case, her hair. 

Progression: 

If I was to go out and shoot Back of Head portraiture again, I would ensure that I used a range of different backgrounds and camera shots to show how the back of the head is shown. I would also change lighting as sometimes it was blurry. Overall, I would inspire for my images to be shown in an exciting way like the ones below: 

Studio Back of Heads - Straight Images

Portraiture - Image Bank

The following photographs display portraiture with the face being the focal point. I like how clear the images are, with them creating a direct relationship with the audience. This builds relations and adds effect to the image. If the person in the shot is looking towards the camera, it adds sympathy to the viewer. Similarly, those who do not look toward the camera and instead look away do not build a relationship to the audience. They instead display emotion and expression in a different way, perhaps by different shot types. An extreme close up of the lips, would question the audience as to why we are looking directly at the lips. The first two images in the image bank show a direct relationship where the third is looking away from the camera. This is effective as it makes us question what they are hiding from us. 

The next three images in this image bank show how portraiture can be displayed emotionless with the back of the head. These are great in showing different compositions although the majority are from the same angle. The first image displays different formal elements including colour and I think it is very clever. The second back of head portraiture shows pattern as there is a contrast between the males head and the background through the use of light and dark tones. The third image shows the full upper body instead of just the head and the shoulders as it shows the full length of the hair.

Portraiture - Definitions

Definition:

the art of painting or taking portraits

Describing Portraits:

expression, face, facial features, skin, mood, 

 Variety of Portraiture:

Extreme Close Up is the shot type used in this horizontal photograph. I love this shot as it looks at portraiture in a detailed and elegant way. In the photograph above, we see the girl looking directly towards the camera. She creates a relationship with the viewer as they can relate. This shot is not so good for displaying an emotion however it is at highlighting key facial features.

The photograph above shows portraiture in an indirect way as the person is looking away from the eyes of the viewer. This keeps the emotions and the expression on the face at an angle to the audience which differs from the others shown in these examples. 

Close Up, again this close up shows the model with her posture in direct relation to the audience. However, her eyes are elsewhere. The use of colour is also shown in this picture which highlights the focal point of the image. I particularly like this image as I feel it stands out and beauty is displayed through the face on shot to the viewer. 

Medium Shot, in this medium shot the formal elements of form are also highlighted to enhance different parts of the body and exaggerate the males looks. I like this image as the male is looking directly at the viewer and the contrast from himself to the background displays different tones. This portrait is different to the others as it does not just focus on the face. 

                                                        Personal Definition:

the representation of a face where an expression is predominant.

Shape - Work Diary

Evaluation:

During the photography session, we were asked to go and photograph Shape. Shape was intriguing for me as they make up every object just like line and colour. Shape can be seen in multiple different ways from angles in which I have not photographed before. I took several photos of the same object from different points of views to ensure that if there was any blurry or out of focus I would have some backup. However, many of the photos that I did like from that angle were out of focus and therefore I could not carry them on into the straight images. One of my favourite photographs from the shoot was the one of the leaf below. This is my preferred as I feel like the outline of the leaf is shown among the background. This also exhibits the formal element of colour as they contrast greatly. I also like how the focus point of it is clear and the leaves look crisp. 

I am going to try and interpret this photograph in one of my computer experiments as I feel it can be used in many ways. The picture below is one that I liked a lot, however it was not focused and appeared to be quite blurred. This is an image that I took many times from different angles, although the ones from different angles did not display form as well. 

The image above was unclear and although I liked it a lot, it was a shame that I could not use it as the focus point is different. 

Progression: 

If I was to go out and shoot Shape again, I would ensure that I used a range of different scenes and settings to display the silhouette of the shape of an object. Here are some pictures from the internet that I would aspire for my images to look like. I like these different ways shape can be shown through different architecture, in this there are hundreds of different shapes and sizes which build up the image. In the next images, there is just one shape which are all the same size. 

Shape - Straight Images

Studio Form - Straight Images

Photojoiner - Work Diary

Evaluation:
Photojoiner for me was definitely the most time consuming and challenging element that I have done so far in photography, both editing and practical wise. To begin with, I assumed it would be fairly simple taking many different images of the same building person and object. However, when it came to editing, I realised that I had approached the subject in the wrong sense by zooming in and out. This jeopardised my images as they were all different sizes when they were on photoshop and therefore all looked different. It did not fit the photojoiner style, instead it looked different. On the upside, I had taken many pictures from different angles and I was able to work around what I had to make some fairly good photojoiners. My favourite one that I did was the building as I felt it was easier to work around. The picture below is my final piece for my building which I feel was by fair my best photojoiner. 

Below is a photojoiner I did not like as much. The different photos I took of Frankie were all of different angles and I struggled piecing together the pictures. This is the one I had to work around in which I pieced together three different pictures of Frankie and merged them into one. I do not feel as though this is the best photojoiner however it is much better than it was before. 

Progression: 

If I was to go out and edit photojoiner again, I would definitely take more pictures using the same zoom at all times. This would ensure that when it came to resizing, they looked relatively similar. Rather than them not piecing together aswell. I would aspire for my work to look more like that of David Hockney, who also includes the setting around the object that he is photographing.