Principals of studio photography ( Theme 2 Hands & Feet )


Candidate Name - Faiz Ijaz
Theme - People and Potraits
Title of Theme - Hands and Feet


INTRODUCTION

Before i started my photography career, I used to work full time in a food manufacturing business, after biding my time their for a few years i acknowledged that a career in food was not an accolade of mine.

Sitting at home for a few months brought nothing in the form of career oppurtunities and it was not until a friend from America
arrived that i took a giant step into pursuing a career in photography.
I had never shared an interest in photography before but i was inspired by my friends photographs and the scope of features available to enchance a simple photo.
A few months later and after money well spent on a camera and studio, i created a knack for photography ( especially portraits ) and i find my self travelling every where with my camera .
To further develop my photography skills i joined a college where i met other keen photographers and the following portfolio of photographs were taken by me as part of my first assignment.

I hope you enjoy them!





STATEMENT OF INTENT ( Hands and Feet )



Intentions/purpose of the photography to be undertaken


Our hands are used for so much. From mundane tasks like scratching our heads to fantastic endeavours like painting a great masterpiece. They can convey our emotions and help us to survive. There are unlimited ways of taking photographs of hands, may that be of 1 hand or more. This is because their are different types of hands and feet out there, whether that be old, young, fair or dark etc... This can usually combine to make a unique photograph and therefore no two photographs can ever be the same. Other objects can be present such as books or other body parts, but the main focus should be on the hand(s). The hands can be doing something, showing emotion, helping, or giving a message of some kind.  This makes the hands and feet assignment quick, easy and unique.


Reasons for selection of theme (including inspiration from the work of others)


My inspiration to shoot Hand(s) photography are Alfred Stieglitz and Mary Katherine Keown, You can find out more about them from my research page, Alfred  has some interesting hands and feet photographs and Mary is a freelance photographer who also has hands and feet photographs. After completing my research I decided the main focus of my theme would be detail in the hand using depth of field. This would maintain the focus of the image on the hand rather than the background. This would allow the viewer to focus in on the hands in the images and not be distracted by the background..

The photo imaging equipment and medium that will be used and why .

I took most of the photographs at the college studio but there are a couple of photos that are taken at home. The equipment
i am using will be my Nikon D800 camera built in flash, and some college studio lighting equipment such as Bowen lights at both home and college and some medium and large soft boxes, a snoot, a tripod etc... Because i am taking the photographs in a studio and only one  out side of the studio, I have come to conclusion that if would maintain the focus of the image of the hand rather than the background,


Techniques that will be used and how they will help convey the visual message:

I used two techniques which are Low key lighting and High key lighting to change the effects of the image and convey a visual message within my photographs.



How light quality can be used to help convey the visual message 

The high key lighting will be used to make the background white and will only be used for the darker skin tones whereas the lower key lighting is all black behind the subject and will only illuminate the subject.



Safety Procedures

When in the studio i have to be careful of loose wires and tidy them up when taking photographs, when i use lights i have to be careful of the heat and i will let them cool down before using or changing them and lastly children should be under strict supervision so they do not touch the wires or lights.



Research 1


Alfred Stieglitz,
 the son of a wool merchant, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on 1st January, 1864. Stieglitz was sent to Europe to complete his education and was studying at the Berlin Polytechnic in 1883 when he discovered photography. He switched from mechanical engineering to photo-chemistry and began taking photographs. Stieglitz took a keen interest in the history of photography and over the next few years became a leading authority on the subject.
Stieglitz returned to the United States in 1890 where he obtained a reputation as a photographer who liked to overcome technical problems. This including taking the first successful photographs in snow and rain. He also experimented with flash powder so that he could take photographs at night.
Stieglitz was the most influential member of the Club for American Amateur Photographers. A member of the the Camera club he joined with  Clarence White Edward steichen, Alvin Langdon Coburn and Gertrude Kasebier in 1902 to form the Photo session group.
Stieglitz also edited the quarterly Camera Work (1903-17) where he passionately advocated that photographs deserved to be judged as works of art. Stieglitz opened the Little Gallery on Fifth Avenue, to promote the work of photographers such as Paul Strand and Edward Steichen He also ran the Intimate Gallery (1925-29) and An American Place (1929-46). Alfred Stieglitz died on 13th July, 1946.








Research 2


Mary Katherine Keown
I am a freelance journalist and documentary photographer.
As a journalist, I specialize in human interest and social justice features, as well as in-depth photo-essays. My reportage includes the impact of chromite mining in northern Ontario; the impact of climate change on Maasai pastoralists in northern Tanzania; the challenges facing multi-generational households in East Africa; the unique vulnerabilities of women in Tanzania to HIV infection; the challenges facing orphans and marginalized children; the implications of cultural tourism; the link between female genital cutting and HIV transmission; the growth of Islam in post-genocide Rwanda; HIV/AIDS in northern Ontario; the effects of PTSD amongst veterans of war; and homelessness in Sudbury, Ont. My work has been published in the Toronto Star, the Sudbury Star, Women’s e-News, Verge magazine, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Intercultures magazine, the Tanzanian Guardian, The Africa Paper, the New Internationalist website and the East African.
I am also a non-profit mobilization specialist, with experience in Egypt, Canada, Tanzania and Rwanda. I have worked in the fields of media development, mental health, women’s rights, HIV and AIDS, and climate change, with a focus on communications, marketing and strategic development. In 2013, I expect to graduate with a Master’s degree in communications and social justice, from the University of Windsor in Windsor, 
























Picture 1


Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 55 mm,  Iso 400, Exposure time 1/30 sec,  F-stop f/ 2.8, Flash - Internal

This is a casual shot.
The hand is young in age, soft in texture and features clear skin. This shot was taken at home and without even looking at the subjects face, you can tell by the body language and the hands features that this of a younger person. Within the photo  I have used a blurry effect to blur out the background so all the focus is upon the subject.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( No change)
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Vivid )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -5 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 2


Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 58 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 9, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the studio.
Another pair of hands from the younger generations, the skin tone on both pairs differ as one is fairer, while the other is a more darker tone. The hands are locked together showing passion and strength.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to -0.5 )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to vivid )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -15 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 3
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 48 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 13, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the studio.
A young pair of hands which are identical to each other in terms of the design and positioning of the hands, although the hands are not parallel to each other as one is lower than the other. These hands show no signs of hard labour or being over used but they seem to have almost fully grown in size indicating that is most likely the hands of a teenager.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( No change )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to vivid )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -10 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 4
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 38 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/15 sec,  F-stop f/ 2.8, Flash - Internal

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
It Is a photo in reference to the set up procedure of the studio e.g. The lights and the subject.
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to +0.7Ev )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 5
Nikon D800 dslr  Focal length 56 mm  Iso 100  Exposure time 1/160 sec  F-stop f/ 9 Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
This is a picture of a hand which has reached its latter years of its lifecycle, it has developed wrinkles and has baggy skin. In terms of skin tone, it is quite fair. The hand is placed upon the subjects knee and has ring on its finger.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change the exposure from 0 to 1.0 )
Step 2 White balance ( change to Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to vivid )
Step 4 Contrast (change to 20 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 6
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 48 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 9, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
It features the same subjects’ hands that occur in the past photograph, therefore the features are the same, but the positioning of the hands is different. They now take up the sign of peace. 
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change the exposure from 0 to 1.0 )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Contrast (change to 20 )
Step 5 Brightness ( change to -10 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 7
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 70 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/200 sec,  F-stop f/ 11, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
These are the hands of a females, this obvious by the pink nail polish on the nails, this is a very fair skin tone and therefore the combination of pink and fair looks good. One hand is positioned upon the other and the fingers are spread wide open.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change the exposure from 0 to 1.0 )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to vivid )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -5 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image8
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 70 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/200 sec,  F-stop f/ 7.1, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
Like one of the building photos that I used in my other assignment, this picture features a mixture of old and new, both skins differ heavily as the left is a older, darker skin and belongs to a male whereas the right is younger, fairer and belongs to a female.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change the exposure from 0 to 0.5 )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Contrast (change to 15 )
Step 5 Brightness ( change to -10 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image9
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 58 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 11, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
This hand features a fair skin tone and looks to be in the middle age bracket, by looking at the hair upon the arm we can see that this hand belongs to a male.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change the exposure from 0 to -2.7Ev )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Brightness ( change to -15 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image 10
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 35 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 11, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
This hand like the one above seems to be a more middle aged hand, we can tell by looking at the skin which is not only fair but contains wrinkles which have not fully developed as of yet.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure Comp ( change to -2.7Ev ) 
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -15 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format 


Image11
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 50 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 11, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
These two hands differ in the sense that one is older and darker than the other which is fairer and younger as it has less wrinkles. This photo is also a mixture of old and new.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to -2.7Ev )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -15 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image12
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 31 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 9, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
At first glance this photo makes it hard to tell whether it belongs to a female or male, but it actually belongs to a female, the stand out thing is the tattoo's which cover the whole arms length  and makes a nice design. The skin tone is fair and light which helps the tattoo’s stand out.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to +2.0 )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -15 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image13
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 50 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/250 sec,  F-stop f/ 11, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
A change from all the hand photographs, these feet pretty much like the hands of the subject used are wrinkly and show age and heavy use, the skin though is clear and slightly darker in tone.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to -2.7Ev )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -20 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image14
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 24 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/8 sec,  F-stop f/ 2.8, Flash – Internal -2.3Ev
This portrait is taken in the college studio.
It Is a photo in reference to the set up procedure of the studio e.g. The lights and the subject.
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to -2.3Ev ) 
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .


Image15
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 70 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/200 sec,  F-stop f/ 9, Flash - external

This portrait is taken in the college studio.
This hand is the same older one used in past photographs, but the light composition works to make the hand look younger with the reduction of wrinkles around the sin upon the hand. By using a white background, the older hand has transformed too look much more younger than it actually is. 
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to -2.3Ev )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Brightness (change to -20 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .



Image16
Nikon D800 dslr Manual Mode, Focal length 70 mm,  Iso 100, Exposure time 1/160 sec,  F-stop f/ 8, Flash - external

 This portrait is taken  at home studio.
This hand is that of someone much younger than the others we have seen, the skin looks young and fresh as well as soft, something you would normally find on a toddler but just by looking at the sheer size of the hand we can tell its not a toddler! This hand is that of a teenager, the skin tone is quite fair compared to some hands in this portfolio but to others it is quite dark.
I shot the image in raw mode, so I'll start the processing in view the NX2 software which comes with my Nikon dslr camera. 
Step 1 Exposure compensation ( change to +4.0Ev )
Step 2 White balance ( Auto )
Step 3 Picture control ( change to Neutral )
Step 4 Contrast ( +20 )
Step 5 Brightness ( -20 )
After finishing the retouching i have saved the image and converted into jpg format .



END


















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