Portrait - Scale and Setting

Evie:

A walk along the Humber provided the setting for my first assignment and my niece became my ‘almost’ willing model.

The first image shows a very close crop of Evie’s face. Although I had already taken a few shots comfortably, Evie shied away from me zooming right in on her face, producing a coy feel to the image. The focus is out, being more on the hair slide than the eyes, although in some ways, this adds to the bashful nature by further obscuring the face. I decided to include the image despite this, as I do like the crop and facial expression.

Zooming out to include head and shoulders produced a much more relaxed image. I think of all the crops, this is the least interesting. The windswept hair hints at the outdoor nature of the shoot but gives nothing more away.

The inclusion of the torso widens the image to include the setting. Although soft in focus, it is just possible to make out the rocks and river in the background. The setting, hair, play clothes and sun shine start to show more of a theme to the portrait.

The final image gives a much fuller picture than the rest of the set. The inclusion of the feet in pink flip-flops confirms thoughts raised from the torso shot that this is a summer’s day. The relaxed position and setting hint at a family outing by the river. This is my favourite image of the set. 

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Amber: 

I completed the task a second time using my daughter, Amber. Being older, I could direct her more easily, creating much better results with regards to lighting and focus.

18: Using an older model has enabled me to focus on the closer eye bringing a more technically competent image. However, I feel that the obvious pose leads to a loss of the character shown in Evie’s close up.

11: The shallow depth of field creates a flattering head and shoulders image. I feel that the image feels less posed as a result of Amber facing away from camera.

9: Context is added in the torso shot as Amber displays her new skateboard. The face points downwards towards the prized possession as the eyes look up to camera. The slight smirk and body language show that she is pleased with her new toy.

2: This final image shows the setting, again giving more depth to the image. The smooth paths on the marina provide a perfect surface to practise tricks on skateboard and scooter. The props provide an insight into Amber’s character.