Photo © Eric Kayne/Houston Chronicle. Copied at 62mm, 1/20, f/5.6, ISO 200, Tungsten.
The course I’m looking forward to most this semester is Advanced Techniques in Photojournalism. The course is all about light, and using light to add emotion, texture, and contrast to pictures, and in my opinion should be the most practical course I’ve taken yet in my studies at the Missouri School of Journalism. We’re going to spend a lot of time in the studio and even more out in the field, using lots of lighting techniques and equipment I’ve never used before but always wanted to. But before we get to all that fun stuff, there are some “basic” methods taught in this “advanced” class, the first of which was a good old-fashioned copy stand shoot.
Photo © Annie Griffiths Belt. Copied at 70mm, 1/20, f/5.6, ISO 200, Tungsten.
We were told to select two images to copy, using a table and soft light setup in the studio. One image was to represent a quality of light that we thought added to the feel or meaning of the photograph; the other image was to have a lighting situation which was uncertain to us, with the intention of having a class discussion to determine how the photographer lit the image. My first photo was found in News Photographer magazine’s Best of Photojournalism 2009 issue, taken by Eric Kayne of the Houston Chronicle. It takes advantage of lots of unusual reflections and the effects of light play a crucial role in the feel of the image, which to me is surreal, contemplative, and somber. My second photo was found in the photography book A Camel, Two Kids and a Camera, authored by personal friend and National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths Belt. I wasn’t so much stumped by the lighting technique in this photograph––I’m almost positive it’s simply natural light––as I was confused why there are catchlights in the woman’s eyes when the angle of light does not strike her face directly. In class, Jarrad pointed out that the catchlights were likely caused by a reflection of light from the baby’s blanket, bouncing upwards. Good enough for me, I should’ve been able to figure that out myself.
Note: These photos, as with everything turned in for Advanced Techniques, have not been toned or edited in any way except for cropping and sharpening. I’m going to hate this, but I’m sure it’ll help in the end.