Individual researches were set for few weeks before started doing camera work, the point of these researches was to have some knowledge about the art of photography, that we all know it’s not an easy one. The point of the research is to interpreting, discover and to develop ways and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a different matters like science, business, arts etc. In my photography assignment I did many researches about the history of the art and the famous modern photographers in the twenty century, apart from those who we all went through during the sessions.
Photographers
As I mentioned above that in my researches I have gone through many famous photographers, such as:
• Anne Geddes
• Alfred Eisenstaedt
• Edward Curtis
• David Muench
• Dorthea Lange
But I decided to stay with those who were in our assignment brief list, who was Yousuf Karsh,
Karsh was born in Turkish Armenia and lived there till the age
Of fourteen then him and his family had to fled with very little
personal belongings on their backs, to Syria he lived two years there then his family sent him to Canada to work and live with his uncle Nakash, the uncle was a photographer, and soon recognise the hidden talent of his nephew so he sent to study in Boston, his teacher was one of the best photographers in America who was john H Garo, then he went back to Canada in Ottawa where he opened his little studio there, day by day Karsh`s star start shining in till his work works got the eyes of the Canadian prime minister at that time who was Mackenzie, since that he started travelling with him and cover most his visits around the world with his magic lens.
Mario Testino; was born in 1954 in Lima, Peru he came to London when he was 22 years old, he lived in flat in the heart of London near Trafalgar Square and then started portfolios for those who wannabe models just for 25 pounds and that included the hair and make-up. :
Through the days Mario had the chance to work for magazines, especially the vogue in till he his portrait start appearing on the cover of magazines, in different copies with languages they publish in, I must mention here that Testino and part of his magic that he makes the one he photographs their best look ever, this advantage made the right man in the right place for advertisements portrait and magazines
Testino`s style is more likely to be described as high-class and real images, where he does his best in his job, with so hard working as many say about him, therefore he achieved his goals of successful and reaching the top faster especially when there is the appropriate environment to success, as he has chosen the right place to be. Testino start making portrait for famous cinema stars such as Kate Moss and then he reached the top he became the favourite photographer of the royal family especially the princes of Wales Diana, Prince William and prince Harry.
In 2005 in Kensington palace his exhibition of Diana’s photos.
2003 He published portraits at the National Art Gallery, and in 1999 he published his book Any Objections which was about photography.
Studio work
In the photography studio where most of the needed equipments that I have researched were there, this was very helpful for me as well as the other students who have supported me, and I also helped them to finish their works. In my project I didn’t want to use somebody else images for my own project so I have asked one of the student to be a camera man instead of a model and I advised him about the way I wanted the portrait to look like. There were uncountable numbers of portrait I have taken, but to choose one or two of many wasn’t an easy task to achieve. There is some of the portrait that I wasn’t happy to put on my last project due to the lights direction and the camera distance from the model, we got this problem solved by using Espirt 500 DX,
In this portrait we had the problem of the light reflection as there were many lights in the studio, but we couldn’t find it on the final portrait so this problem was solved by using the Reflector Disc.
I found the portrait below is more representative as final piece of work
In the above portraits I went through Mario Testino style, of portrait where the light (the main source) from one direction and using reflectors near by the camera man just above him.
Conclusion
In my portrait where the face is there, semi direct from the top, if the model stood I straight way facing the camera, light from one direction with plain white background, its not very central portrait.
I think in this project the portrait that I have taken and I have not used should be saved, for the practical and development in the near future.
