Photo Illustration Assignment

"Black Ops" is the newest installment of the Call of Duty video game series to
continue to allow gamers to enter the world of war and violence. Within 24 hours of going on sale,
the game sold more than 7 million copies, according to "The Independent."
The online multi-player mode is the most popular and is the game staple.

18 mm lens, ISO 100, f/18, 1/250

Idea & Execution
Although the idea initially began as a personality portrait, I thought it was more interesting as a photo illustration on how gamers (highlighted Call of Duty fans) become deeply immersed in the game. I did this by paralleling the "Call of Duty: Black Ops" cover, as shown below.

I executed this by first shooting the smoke. I didn't have a fog machine, so I back lit a candle using one strobe at 1/16 power and shot the smoke. I then shot Matthew with two strobes at a 1/16 power; one on either side of his body. I layered three photos of smoke and used the opacity option to blend them together. I feathered the image of Matthew and layered it over the smoke.

(Paralleled the Call of Duty: Black Ops cover)
http://tinyurl.com/28a4rxx

Lighting Setup for Matthew's Layer:

Additional Image: Photo Illustration

According to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, roughly 50 to 100 million
vertebrate animals are annually used for experimentation, which frequently
includes cosmetic testing. Experiments on animals commonly measure levels
of skin irritancy, eye tissue damage and toxicity. Most subjects are euthanized after being used.

50 mm lens, ISO 100, f/8, 1/250

I wanted to illustrate the use of animal testing for cosmetic products. I envisioned an extremely clean and bright white scene with scattered makeup products surrounding the cat. I wanted an eerie shadow on the background to highlight the cruelty in experimentation. I executed this using two strobes, one set at 1/16 power on the left of the camera and one on the right set at 1/64 to fill in excess shadows.

Lighting Setup:

Additional Image: Fashion

Farmington resident Danielle Graessle wears her lucky white top with her favorite black jeans
and cowgirl boots during sunset at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills.
"Fashion is defined by the person who wears it," she said.

50 mm lens, ISO 100, f/8, 1/160

I owe a big thanks to Kent for letting me switch assignment due dates because of a family emergency. The lighting setup here was relatively simple. My main light source was on the right of my beautiful best friend. It was set at 1/2 power. I used the sunset as a rim light for most of my images.

Secondary:

Lighting Setup-

I was not anticipating turning these in, so the lighting setup "photo" is a little inaccurate. As I said earlier, the main light was set to Danielle's right at 1/2 power.

Still Life Assignment

Situation I: "Falling Water"

Optical illusions often use color, lines and shapes to make the eye and brain

perceive an image that is different from reality.

35 mm lens, ISO 200, f/16, 1/200

The Setup-

I used three glasses filled with dyed water on top of a mirror and placed them on a slanted table. I put my camera on a tripod and adjusted its angle to make the horizon appear straight; this made the slanted water effect. I used one strobe on a foot, set it on half power and lit the glasses from behind and below. I additionally experimented with different lighting setups, including lighting from camera left and using two strobes.

Situation II: "Bolts."

When used with nuts, bolts is a basic component in how something is put together.

With the end of the semester quickly approaching, many students feel as though they're losing them.

35 mm lens, ISO 200, f/13, 1/200

The Setup-

I placed several different sized bolts on a white piece of poster board. For this particular image, I used one strobe with a purple gel set on an eighth power and lit the bolts from behind and above. I shot over the subject. For the majority of my images, I cross lit the bolts with two different strobes with different colored gels to create a cross effect (as shown below).

(Additional Image:)

Painting with Light

Situation I: "Feeling Like a Clown"

Alma resident Matthew Stephens recently graduated from college in May,

does not have a job and "feels like a clown." With the country's fallen economy,

many graduates, like Stephens, have fallen victim to the struggling job market.

35 mm lens, ISO 200, f/8.0, 20 seconds

Executing this concept was difficult considering I have a slight fear of clowns. After Matthew applied his face paint, put on his nose and walked to my truck in front of thirty starting people, we headed to the intramural fields. The whole concept started with Matthew "feeling like a clown" because he was graduated without a job. This is why he painted his face as a "hobo" clown.

I used a cable release and set it to 20 seconds. I flashed Matthew from camera right with his hand outstretched. (The strobe was set at 1/2 power, I believe.) I dropped the flash and ran to draw the balloon string with a small LCD. I then colored in the red balloon using a flashlight with a red folder (folded multiple times) taped over it.

Situation II: "Ghost Music"

A grand piano located in Farmington, Mich. has sat untouched in the Miller household for 28 years.

The owner, Patricia Miller, dreamed about learning to play and longed to fill the house with music;

however, she never took lessons after she had two children.

22 mm lens, ISO 200, f/9.0, 30 seconds

I originally wanted to highlight my viola, but I decided to take advantage of the piano in our living room when I went home this weekend. After experimenting with different ways to paint the piano, I decided on the above. I again used a cable release and set it for 30 seconds. After I started the exposure, I strobed the piano from camera right. I then used five glow sticks that were taped together to paint a messy staff.

Throughout the time I was making images, I changed and experimented with my exposure. I decided I wanted the piano to be darker and for the painted notes to highlight the keys to try to show that my mom's thoughts of music were the only thing actually touching it.

Fashion!

Location Lighting- "Circus Couture"

Mount Pleasant resident Layla Gilmore models a "circus couture" look below

Old Mission Rd. on Thursday, Oct. 7 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Although the style can be

interpreted differently, circus fashions usually include the use of layers and ruffles in red and black.

17 mm lens, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/200

The Lighting Setup–

I spent a lot of time with Layla using various props, poses and lighting setups. We arrived under Old Mission with a whip, a hoop and lots of make-up. My vision was to portray a dark and creepy circus ringleader.

In this particular image, I had a single strobe on a monopod placed to my right. I set the flash to 1/2 power and changed the zoom to create a spotlight effect.

Additional Images–

Studio Portrait- "Indian Fashion"

Northville freshman Neethu Jacob models a traditional Indian gown and shawl

on Sunday, Oct. 10 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Jacob said the clothes are worn on holidays or special occasions.

Indian fashion is known to incorporate and highlight colors, fabric and embroidery.

50 mm lens, ISO 100, f/14, 1/200

The Lighting Setup–

Indian fashion is colorful and captivating; which is the main reason why I wanted to use the style for this assignment. Neethu and I had a great time posing and experimenting with light in the studio. It was great to be able to take advantage of including her accessories.

The main setup included three lights; the soft box was used as the main light on Neethu's right. The light on her left was bounced against the wall. The third was varied from a hair light to a rim light. In this particular image, it was used as a rim. I found this more beneficial to create separation from her black hair and the background. (The lighting setup shown above was taken after the studio session.)

Fashion Exercise

35 mm lens, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/200

50 mm lens, ISO 100, f/16, 1/100

Last Monday, we had the opportunity to practice fashion on location and in the studio following a presentation from Traverse City photographer Dan Stewart. Dan joined our group when we went outside, and it was extremely beneficial to get advice from him. Although our time on location was limited, I took a lot from the experience.