Photography Applications

Emma

Advertising and Promotional

Advertising photography is found anywhere and everywhere and it can take different forms depending on what product is being advertised. It is all about creating an image which well best sell the product. Advertising photography refers to the art of taking pictures, which are used to make the public aware of the product or service its showing.
Jonathan Knowles is a London based photographer who specialises in graphic still life, liquid and people photography. The Carling poster on the right is one of Jonathans advertising images. Promotional photography is similar to advertising although it is used to raise to profile of the product, but the images are not used for advertising purposes. Promotional and advertising photographs are seen everywhere, but are usually seen in magazines, newspapers and even on billboards. The magazines and newspapers range depending on what is being advertised or promoted. The black and white photograph on the right was taken by Diana Field. It is a band promotion photograph. Diana is a young artist who has a lot of passion for sound, colour and light. The images are often very controlled and then thoroughly edited to get the best out of the product. Artificial lighting is often used as you can see from the images and by using artificial lighting, you dont have to worry about coming across any inconsistencies between the images after the shoot is completed. A range of lenses are often used depending on the shoot and the product; if you are photographing a lot of products in the same frame, a wide lens might be used.

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Artificial lighting is used a lot in advertising and promoting products. These photographs will be taken in a studio because in there you can get the correct lighting and backdrops for the product. The lighting in the left photograph is cleverly positioned as so to illuminate the product, making it the centre of attention.

Once taken, theses photographs will be edited. Depending on the product, different editing will be used, but on this product, they would sharpen and lighten the photograph rather than change them dramatically like a fashion magazine cover.

In the product on the right, a high shutter speed might be used as the bottle is being dropped into some liquid, so you would need to capture the right moment, whereas a close up shot will be needed and you could use a regular lens as the product isnt moving.

Fashion
The purpose of fashion photography is to sell clothes and promote fashion labels. This type of photography usually appears in magazines and newspaper, but it can also appear on the internet. Fashion photography has been developed over time because the clothes and fashions have been enhanced by the exotic locations or accessories.
Fashion photography can sometimes take on editorial work, and this might involve several pages in a magazine of a photo shoot which promote clothes from different shops and designers. These shoots often happen in studios or on sets that have been specially constructed, but they can also take place outside as well. Lighting is often manipulated, even in the natural light and the photographs are heavily staged and edited. These photographs are often seen as fake because they have so much editing done to them, it doesnt look like the beginning photograph. Depending on the designer, the style of photography will vary. Daniel Kennedy is a London based fashion photographer. He regularly shoots celebrities, advertising clients and for magazines. He took the top photograph on the right for a fashion client. Helmut Newton was one of the best fashion photographers of all time. He was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmut_Newton

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This shoot was done either in a set studio, or a specific inside location. They have chosen for the shoot to be inside because the model is in little clothing, so this shows that this outfit is for wearing indoors preferably. They will have used artificial lighting because the room is so dark, so shows that no natural light is coming through.

The photograph would have been heavily edited. The model has so much perfection, you will not be able to find any flaws. This shows how good the editing is. Not only will she be edited, it will have also been sharpened, colour enhanced and lightened. The dark colour scheme fits well because if you were to put her in light colours like white and cream, the photograph wouldnt look good.

Photojournalism
Photojournalists create pictures that contribute to the news media and they help to tell a story. Photojournalism is distinguished from other brands of photography. They comply with an ethical framework which demands that their work is strictly in journalistic terms.
Photo manipulation is a big issue in photojournalism. Some people think that adjustments should be made to the photographs, some think that none should be added because they want to show the natural image. The images are generally just observational rather than staged, although some light might be used for certain effects. Photojournalism is all about being in the moment. The natural photographs tend to look the best. The environment is very important for the photographs because they help to explain the story behind the image. David Burnett is a magazine photojournalist. He took the black and white photo in the top right corner. Half of his photos are in black and white, I think this shows sophistication in the images. If the photographer is close to the action, wider lenses are generally used, but if the photographer is close to the action. Telephoto lenses are often used. The photographers are like a reporter but they often have to make fast decisions, often when exposed to obstacles, e.g. danger, crowds

You would usually find photojournalism photographs in newspapers and on online news blogs. The usual paparazzi style photographs are probably the most popular as the photographer can get paid a lot of money for images of a celebrity.

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This is the image from photographer David Burnett. It is in black and white tones. The photograph wont have needed any equipment, except from the camera, to achieve this shot at the time. The shot will have been edited to make it black and white and probably sharpen it because its a dynamic shot. He may have had to use a camera with shutter speed to get the perfect image whilst the skier is in the air because they are moving at a fast pace. The picture is done so well as it doesnt show any movement lines, as if the skier is hovering in the air.

Natural lighting would have been used because he is outdoors. The image is to the right of the image, so it looks like the skier is coming into the shot which makes it look more effective.

Portraiture
Portrait photography is one of the most common forms of photography. Portrait, or Portraiture is the art of capturing a subject within the facial expressions of a person, although the entire body and background may be included.
The constructionist approach is when the photographer tends to construct an idea around the portrait, i.e.. Happy family or romantic couple. This approach is usually used in most studio and social photography and may involve artificial lighting and post production. The environmental approach represents the subject in their environment, whether its at work, leisure, social or a family environment. The candid approach is where people are photographed, but without their knowledge of it, going around their daily business. This captures everyday life as it happens. They are observational and rely on natural lighting.

The creative approach is where image manipulation is used to produce portraits. It is becoming very popular with high street studios.
Chris Gloag is a talented portrait and lifestyle photographer. He has photographed the likes of Gok Wan, Damien Lewis and Dannii Minogue. A lot of artificial lighting is used as it brings out the features in the face of a person. The lenses that are used are typically medium telephoto lenses, but it depends on the artistic purpose.

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Artificial is used which is High key lighting to highlight features in the face. Although the room is quite bright anyway, the lighting just helps to create a good photograph. This will have been taken in a studio so it looks rather formal.

Editing would have been done to remove all spots and blemishes if any were on show. In portraits, the eyes tend to be the part of the photograph you are drawn to most. In this photograph, I dont see this, but that may have been an error by the photographer.

A medium telephoto lens would have been used because you are only photographing his face. Portraiture is very symmetrical as you can see from this photograph. This is because they want you to focus on the person rather than the surroundings. They tend to dress in plain colours as so to retract from them.

High Street Studio

High Street Studio photography can involve different types of photography, so there isnt just one type. It includes portraiture and wedding photography.
It is becoming more and more difficult for independent high street photographers to survive. The high rent means that more and more photographers are taking to home studios, which are becoming very popular. These studios tend to use artificial light to create certain moods. The images often go through post-production which will edit them so that they look perfect. Wide lenses are usually used because of the restricted space you are working in. The models used are always positioned in a specific way so they can capture the right photographs, even if its trying to show a natural environment, everything is staged and edited to make all the photographs pristine so there are no spots or blemishes on anyone's skin.

There are lots of different styles depending on the company. Venture is a large franchise which specialise in photography. They focus on family and individual portraits using different lighting and camera styles to make each photograph different, although they are most known for using high key lighting,

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This photograph is very symmetrical and close up, showing the facial features. Artificial light is used in studios to create a mood. This mood shows a loving family. They have been placed very close together and they will have been position as it shows a family environment and are comfortable being close to each other.

This photograph has been highly edited to make the photograph look perfect, which is does. A wide lens has been used because the are working in a restricted space. In the photograph, the way that they are positioned looks like an upside heart if you follow the lines of them. This may have been done on purpose to show the love in the family.

The contour lines are important because the man and woman's face are in the correct position for them and your eye is drawn to them.

Architectural
Architectural photography involves images of buildings and structures that are aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Architectural photographers are usually skilled with the use of techniques and equipment,
The first architectural photograph was taken in 1826 or 1927 by Nicephore Niepce at Saint-Loup-de-Varennes. It is the middle black and white photograph at the right side of the page.

Architectural photographs can be used for architects, consulting engineers, construction companies and other building related job for a range of applications such as adverts, websites and brochures.
Depending on how the images come out, editing may or may not be used. The styles are different depending on the job they are being used for. An architectural photographer will take advantage of the available daylight, or if the images are being taken at night, ambient light from street lights, buildings and the moonlight will help you to see the building. They will also often include flowers, trees or ornaments/statues in the foreground as it will help to lead your eye the the main building. A fish eye or wide-angle lens is ideal for architectural as it enables the photographer to capture the entire building in the shot. It is also sometimes useful to use a panoramic format in case your lens cannot get the whole subject. Reflections are also handy because it adds an extra dimension. Urban environments are the best to use because they are surrounded by reflective surfaces like windows, water features and puddles.

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This is a very large building, but as it is a superior shot, you are looking up and it makes the building look even taller.

It is also symmetrical which helps your eye to follow the building, like its a line.

They may have used a shutter speed because if you look at the sky, it looks like it has been moving. That or the photograph has been highly edited and the photographer has added in hose effects.

Artificial lighting is used because the lights beside the building is lighting it up so you can see it.

A wide angle lens would have been used to capture the whole building in one shot. They would have been sanding quite a way back to be able to fir it in the frame.

Illustration
Illustration photographs are often used alongside newspaper articles to give the reader more information on the subject. It can be used to influence how the reader feels about something.
Illustration may take the form of detailed, step by step images which are designed to show information in text books or other kinds of literature used in education. Styles, techniques and equipment can vary hugely depending on the subject. The photograph at the top right is an illustration photograph of the title This seas a bit ruff! Benny the spaniel gets blown by a hair-raising gust of wind while strolling on a beach in Jersey. The photograph is giving the reader information about how strong the wind was in Jersey. It also gives the reader something humorous to look at because the dog looks like it is walking on hind legs.

Photographers can also use their images to illustrate the items and routes at historic sites or museums. They can use the images to show their destination, along with a caption or title that tells people what they are looking for.
In conclusion, illustration photography is just what it sounds like, which is using photographs to illustrate an action, story or item which is better described using a something visual. This photographs tend to be natural and caught in the moment because journalists think that the public need to see things as they are. Depending on the photograph, a range of lenses will be used. For example if you need to take a photograph of a large crowd, you would use a wide lens because you have to capture a lot in the scene.

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I think they are a mixture of controlled and observational photographs, depending on what you are taking a photograph of. With animals they are unpredictable so they are observational and can sometimes take a while to get the perfect photograph.

Both natural and artificial light could be used, but it also depends on what you are photographing. If you are outside then you will use the natural light. If you were inside then you might use artificial light to highlight the objects you are photographing.

A telephoto lens would be used in this specific photograph because it is a nature photograph. They may also have had to use a fast shutter speed so you wouldnt get the movement lines in the photograph.

There probably would have been some post production in this photograph. As these images go into books and on news articles, you want them to be as bright as possible, so they may have sharpened the photograph and maybe enhanced the colour too.

Medical
Medical photographers produce accurate ad objective images that truthfully record injures and diseases. They also photograph the progress of operations and medical procedures.
Their work is used for measurement and analysis as well as to accompany medical or scientific reports, article or research papers. These photographs are also used for teaching medical students who want to get work in hospitals and surgeries. Most medical photographers work in the medical departments in hospitals or medical schools, so they are hired specifically by the hospitals for that purpose. They normally use digital camera and flash to photograph patients on the wards and in the operating theatre during the surgery. They also photograph bodies in the post mortem room as part of research into cases.

These photographers tend to already be doctors, nurses or crime scene detectives as they are already in the business and know what they need to photograph and why.
They have a variety of specialist photo imaging techniques and equipment for more complex situations. They have equipment such as thermal imaging, cinematography and micrography.

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This has been controlled as the equipment has been placed in order for the photograph to be taken, although it is in the natural setting.

This looks like a completely natural photograph. There will have been no Photoshoping done to this photograph because it is equipment

It has been taken using artificial light from light bulbs in the ceiling, and maybe also from the photographers own lighting equipment.

You can get specific medical lenses for this type of photography. They consist of a macro lens with a focal length between 100 200mm.

Fine Art
Fine Art photography can involve many different styles of photography and use so many techniques.
Subjects can be anything, although nudes, architecture and wildlife are the most popular. Images can be in colour, black and white or sepia. They may have large amounts of editing done to them, or none at all. Whereas photojournalism provides illustration for news events and commercial, photography is used to advertise products or services. Fine Art is made for no other service. Fine Art images are usually produced for sale as prints or in books, rather than being used in another context. Fine Art photography is created by the vision of the artist as photographer. It stands in contrast to other photography, such as photojournalism, which provides a documentary account of subjects and events. A lot of these photographs are taken in black and white. Ian Bramham is an award-winning fine art photographer and architect. He photographs the natural landscape and also the architecture of the environment. There are 5 main things Ian looks for in his photography: Beauty, Simplicity, Great Light, Truth and Individuality.

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He may have used artificial light, although its hard to tell. The lights on the water make it look like the photograph was taken at night, although the sky looks quite light.

This photograph has been edited because it is in black and white, although it looks quite natural so its not over edited.

It is clearly an observational photograph because the photographer has used the natural scene to take the photograph.

I think that a wide lens may have been used because the photograph includes architecture and they would have had to get a lot in the frame.

The photograph is quite symmetrical because there are buildings at each side of the water.

Your eye follows the water and the lights as they go upstream and draws them up the photograph.

Documentary
Documentary photography often describes working on long term projects with complicated, multi-strand narratives, whilst photojournalism concerns more breaking news stories.
This is usually done with observational photography rather than it being staged. Some images can be edited, but its not to the extent of fashion or advertising photography. A range of lenses can be used, depending on the story and situation. Documentary photography gives the photographer the opportunity to show life and the aspects of the daily life their subjects lead. Instead of trying to tell a story with a single image, which are produced to a specific deadline, like in a newspaper. Documentary uses multiple images to help tell the story. These images are better suited to magazines because they have a lot more space for the images, and this is where the reader expects to see the images and spend more time with them than in a newspaper. The photographs are mostly in black and white because they tend to be seen as sad photographs, and black and white effects seem to bring this out. It usually refers to a popular form of photography used to describe significant and historical events. The photographer attempts to produce truthful and objective photography of a particular subject which is most often photographs of people.

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As it is a documentary photograph, it will be observational. It's showing the natural day to day life of some foreign soldiers. Although the soldier looks posed, the people running off are not, so shows it is an observational photograph. This photograph uses natural light as it looks like it was taken in daylight. There is no artificial light that we can see, so it must be taken in natural light.

I dont think there was much, if any Photoshop on this photograph. The photograph isnt very sharp as there is some blurriness, but I think that is good because its showing you how natural it really is.

A range of lenses can be used, depending on the situation. This is quite close up, so a wide lens is used. The photographer wanted to capture the whole scene in detail.