Freya (Studio in context)

One studio, so many uses

The different types of photography in a studio are:

Product -

How to recognise product photography:
There are no people in these photographs so the attention isn't taken off of the product that they're wanting to sell. The lighting is usually high key and most of the time the backdrops are black/white/grey.

Google image search on product photography:

I looked at the product photographer Hannah Webster, all her photography meets the criteria and characteristics for traditional product photography.

Here is some of my product photography that I think works well with this category. I used the studio and a product table and made my images clean, white and with high key lighting.

Catalogue - 

How to recognise catalogue photography:

They are full body shots of a person wearing the clothes from the catalogue. They are usually bright lighting and the model usually poses in a certain way. 

Google image search on catalogue photography:

I looked at the photographer Louise Paige for catalogue photography. Her images match the things you need to make your work look like it's for a catalogue, they are mainly based on the clothing.

Here are a couple of my images that I think would fit into catalogue photography:

I think they fit because they have a plain background so nothing distracts you from the outfit, which is the main focus of the photograph.

Fashion  - 

How to recognise fashion photography:

These photo shoots are usually colourful and bright or in black and white. 

There are most of the time in a set too, so the background isn't just plain. Also, the images are a lot more unusual to regular portraits. They dress in extreme outfits and are most of the time very colourful. But some fashion photography can be very plain and abstract, like the second photo down.

Google image search on fashion photography:

I researched David LaChapelle for fashion photography because I think his images match the description perfectly.

Here are a couple of my images that I think work well with the fashion photography theme:

I think these work well because in fashion photography people usually are dressed up in things you wouldn't see everyday. The models normally look more alternative to the usual person you'd see. Also, the dress is more eye-catching to an everyday dress you'd see someone wearing.

Hair and beauty -

How to recognise hair and beauty photography:

The photograph is a close up so the hair and face are what you see first. There are more extravagant hair styles and makeup styles in these photographs too. The models are usually female because the hair and beauty industry is predominantly targeted towards females.

Google image search on hair and beauty:

I looked at the photographer Jack Eames for the hair and beauty photography. 

Most of the time hair and beauty photography is used for hairdressers and makeup shops, they use the photography in the window on the outside.

These images are focused on the hair mainly, sometimes the hairstyles in this style of photography isn't the kind of hair you see on everyone so it makes them more unique and eye-catching.

These are two of my images I think go well with the hair and beauty theme:

I think these photographs work because they are focused mainly on the top half of the model, the face and hair. The whole point of hair and beauty photography.

Editorial -

How to recognise editorial photography:

These are the photographs taken for the front cover of a magazine etc. 

They are usually shot in a studio with a plain background. 

Sometimes editorial photography accompanies an interview.

Google image search on editorial photography:

I looked at the photographer Jan Masny for editorial photography. I think these photographs are good examples of editorial photography because they're usually facing straight forward and in the centre. Also, editorial photography is very similar to fashion photography and hair and beauty photography.

Family/portrait -

How to recognise family/portrait photography:

They are most commonly shot in the studio and have more than one person in them. They are also in high key.

Google image search on family portrait photography:

I looked at the photographer Paul Burns for family studio photography.

Food photography - 

How to recognise food photography:

The photograph is of food and doesn't have a set background. The background could be on a white product table or in a kitchen. All the food is always very well presented and always looks appetising.

Google image search on food photography:

I looked at the photographer Phillip Shannon for food photography.

Fine art photography - 

How to recognise fine art photography:

These photographs are usually a mix between photographs and paintings. They are a kind of photojournalism.

Google image search on fine art photography:

I looked at the photographer Gillian Wearing for fine art photography. I think these fit with the fine art theme because they aren't the usual staged photographs to look pretty and well composed, these are just someone holding a sign which they've wrote themselves and simple photo of it. 

Auto-portraits - 

How to recognise autoportrait photography:

These photographs are usually a digital photograph of a person mixed with an animated background.

I looked at the photographer Martin Parr for the auto-portraits.

I think they work well because they look like they're made to be quite humorous.

Old vs. New

Patrick Demarchelier (Shot on August 7th for December 2012 edition of Interview magazine)

- modern hairstyle

- digital photograph

- more modern/up to date clothing

- black and white image

- plain background

- good quality photograph

- lighting techniques used

- fashion photography

Adolphe Braun (Shot in 1856) Model - Virginia Oldoini

- first set of fashion photography

- old fashioned clothing

- fashion photography

- sepia

- old fashioned hairstyle 

- grainy/fuzzy quality

- light halo around the head from dodging/burning in the dark room

Comparing the photographs

Whilst these photographs are quite similar for example, they are both fashion photography. They are also very different. First of all the quality of the images changes drastically, you can see how grainy and fuzzy the Braun photograph is whereas the Demarchelier photograph is very clear and sharp. This shows straight away that they were taken in different time periods with different technology. This leads on to the technology and how it has changed.

 The first photograph has been taken digitally with a very quick shutter speed, light boxes have also been used to add shadowing and highlights to the face. The second photograph was taken with a 5x4, 10x8 or a pinhole camera and processed in the dark room; this would have taken a longer time for the shutter speed to end. This means the model would have had to sit there far longer holding her pose. The model is sat down in the older photo because she would have had to hold her pose for a lot longer than the newer photo, this would have made it a lot comfier for her. But in the newer photo, the model can have her hair in her face and stand how the photographer wants because she will be standing there for only a second. Just by seeing this you can see how much technology has changed.

These images are also different in the way the models look and are dressed. Looking at Braun’s photograph on its own, the fashion was obviously up to date when this was taken but then when you put it next to Demarchelier’s photograph you can clearly see how much fashion has changed over the years. 

Two-faced

I would say this portrait is a fashion/editorial image because of the outfit, the hair, the flowers, the pink background and the central standing of the model. The lighting is also fairly central, a little to the right because you can see her shadow stretched out of the left hand side a bit. The composition of the photograph works really well I think, because of the angle she is standing at and having the flowers on a chain dangling all the way around her just contrasts really nicely with the whole image and colours. I think this portrait is very effective because I think it was really well thought out, even if it might not look it at first glance. Everything from the small flower theme, with the flowers on her dress and then the ones she's holding to the lighting and shadow behind her. The shadow gives a more 3D feel, rather than having fully central lighting to make no shadow.

This photograph looks to me like just regular personal studio photography. It looks like there is a studio light facing the backdrop and that's what has created the bright circle behind the model. Then another light facing the model very centrally. The composition is also very central and symmetrical, with her arms stretched out each way reaching the same distance in each corner of the frame. I like the way this photograph is symmetrical, but I don't think the image itself is very effective. I don't like the light circle behind her, if you're wanting a dark looking photograph with just the model lit up, then I would have put two soft box studio lights at either side of the model and one in front. This would just light her up without getting the halo at the back, I think that makes it look inconsistent. I would also change the models outfit to make it fit with the makeup, maybe a dress or casual buttoned shirt.