Assignment 206 Statement of Intent - People and Portraits

Intentions/purpose of the photography to be undertaken

This is my statement of intent for my first theme People or Portraits.  I intend to create this theme around music and also produce the images in black and white.   I plan to use different instruments which could include the drums, guitar electric and acoustic, djembee drum and even possibly the mouth organ.  I am planning to shoot some of the images in the warehouse at work as there is lots of space and I hope the warehouse will add something to the images.  I will also shoot images at home and whilst out and about.  I intend to use my family and friends for the images.

Reasons for Selecting Theme

The reason for selecting this theme comes initially from the research I have been inspired by  Dennis Morris for his work with Bob Marley, The Sex Pistols and Marianne Faithful.  I have recently been researching Rankin looking at how he brings mood and emotion into portraiture and David Baileys work with John Lennon , Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and The who to name a few.   This research together with my love of music and passion for black and white photography has inspired my ideas. 

Photo Imaging Equipment and media that will be used and why

I will be using my Nikon D90 Camera and 18-105 F3.5-5.6 lens.  I have just purchased a Nikon Nikkor Macro AF-S 105mm IF VR lens which is a macro lens which is supposed to be excellent for portraiture.  I will be using my tripod which will help with framing and exposure should a slow shutter speed be needed.  I am planning to buy some, acquire some or make some kind of studio lighting to help create the images.  I need to research studio lighting techniques as I have very little knowledge at the moment. I will use photoshop to crop and desaturate my images.  I have been using my phone as a remote control which will work when connected to my laptop via bluetooth but I will need to buy a remote for when I am away from home.  Using a remote means there is no camera shake as there is no need to press the shutter release.

Techniques used and how they will help convey the visual message

I will be shooting my images in black and white and then using photoshop to change to black and white as this gives more control over the output of the final image.  I need to check with Steve if filters can be used or only the original black and white image.  I need to start looking at things with monochrome vision as good black and white photographs need good contrast, tone and texture as something has to make up for the loss of colour guiding your eye around the image.

How light can be used to create the visual message

As my images will be in Black and White I plan to use light to create mood and also to create tone and contrast within the image.  A photograph with dark tones can create a moody, dark and somber image whilst light tones can be delicate and upbeat.  I would also like to use light to create shadows within the image of musical instruments and people. 

Evaluation

This will be a ongoing statement of intent which I will add to when more research and ideas materialise.  I hope I have not taken on too much, but I feel I need a challange as my last assignment theme was nature which was quite easy to acheive.