Photo Idea Index Read online

  This photo was shot on a jetty that extends over a bay in the Lummi Reservation in northwest Washington. The jetty is part of a vast, undeveloped plat of grassy fields, saltwater marshes and rocky shoreline. It's one of my favorite places to take pictures, and few people outside the reservation even know it exists (photos were all shot here). Do you have any favorite and little-known photo-shooting grounds near your home? If not, maybe it's time to go hunting for one.

  One pair of legs hangs from the surface of a pool while another extends upward into the depths. Photos of feet that are not in contact with the earth sometimes convey intriguing notes of visual mischief when they are flipped on their heads. Check it out when you're deciding how to best display an image of a person whose soles are not bound to the ground.

  A set of toes enjoys the heat and texture of a warm lawn on a summer afternoon. The pink paint on the toes and the yellow petals of the dandelions add nice accents of color to the scene.

  Got any long-haired friends? What about introducing their manes to a blast of wind and snapping some photos? To freeze the movement of this model's whipping and waving hair, the camera was put in rapid-fire mode and its shutter speed was set for 1/1600 of a second. With these settings, I was able to aim the camera at the subject's head and let it record in bursts of five to ten quick shots at a time. Favorites were chosen from the hundred or so images that were taken during the session.

  Actually, the wind was barely blowing on the day this photo was taken. To imitate the effects of windy weather, I sat across from the model in the back of a pickup truck while an assistant sped the vehicle around a deserted parking lot. (I held onto the camera with one hand and the side of the truck with the other.)

  Artistic exploration: Hair was used to create the sun-like graphic on this page. The subject lay back with his wetted hair arranged on top of a light table (a table with a surface of frosted glass lit from beneath). Once a photo of the hair had been recorded, it was brought into Photoshop where THRESHOLD and INVERT treatments were applied. The image was then cloned and repeated in a circular array.

  How about creating an abstract photographic composition using hair and light as mediums? This photo — like the one used for the graphic on the opposite page — was shot by arranging the model's hair on a light table. A handful of round steel beads were sprinkled into the scene to provide visual contrast against the free-flowing strands of hair. A keychain light with a red beam was used to illuminate the beads.

  To focus attention on the rose in the near image, its stem and petals were selected with Photoshop's LASSO tool. This selection was used to punch a hole in a BLACK AND WHITE adjustment layer's mask. The adjustment layer's opacity was put at 90% — a setting that allowed a hint of color to show through even in the layer's masked areas. The soft-focus effect of the second image was achieved by placing a blurred duplicate of the original on a layer of its own, selecting “multiply” from this layer's pull-down menu, and reducing its opacity to 20%.

  Passion, pleasure, anger, menace, silliness, humor — mouths are masters of expression. How about spending an entire photo session with a friend and exploring the range of expression that can be generated between a pair of lips, a set of teeth, a tongue and a few props?

  5

  Talking Hands

  Many of the communicative roles of the eyes and mouth can also be performed through hands. For instance, when the mouth is mute, hands can sign, and when it's too far to yell, arms and hands can gesture. Hands also have ways of echoing the emotional conveyances of the face — as when a clenched fist confirms the thoughts behind a wrinkled brow, or when the hands of a gleeful person are clapped in celebration.

  Given the expressive talents of hands — and the fact that their communicative powers are particularly well suited to visual media — why not consider featuring hands in addition to (or in place of) the face of whomever it is you're photographing?

  If this woman were using her voice (instead of a familiar hand signal) to call for a ride, we wouldn't be able to discern much about her intentions by looking at the photo. It's her hand — her thumb, in particular — that conveys at least a slice of the story behind this scene. Whether you are taking posed pictures or snapping shots of spontaneous actions, keep in mind the photogenic qualities and communicative abilities of hands and fingers.

  My model and I drove to a railroad crossing near my home to shoot the photos for this spread and the next. I've always seen this particular place as one rich with conveyances of travel, industry, connection, departure, change, fun and sorrow. Given the distant and faintly questioning gaze of the model in this photo, the feeling in this scene tends toward melancholy and uncertainty — conveyances bolstered by the low-key, monochromatic presentationon of the photo.

  Consider using this “loosening up” exercise the next time you're taking pictures of a friend or client: Have your subject run through a few spontaneous hand gestures and finger configurations (feel free to supply her with ideas if she begins to run short). Not only does this exercise tend to lighten the mood of a photoshoot, it also helps the subject become comfortable with the idea of involving her hands, arms and entire body in the photos that are about to be taken.

  What about supplying your subject's hands with props, such as finger puppets, rings, string, paint, a set of keys, a musical instrument or some coins? Hands can also deliver messages of a less-than-polite nature (messages that can be hinted at even beneath the stamp of censorship), as seen in this page's near image.

  In this image, hands find expression through paint and paper. Need something to do with your child, friend or significant other on a rainy afternoon? How about picking up a roll of white butcher paper and some finger paints and initiating some arts and crafts? Include your camera in the fun, too: Have one person paint while the other shoots pictures of the artist and her creation. Explore a variety of vantage points: up high, down low, near and far.

  A laugh passes between a henna artist and her subject. (The ornate design taking shape on the model's arm in this photo can be seen in its final form.) I decided to lighten the flesh tones in this scene to accentuate the dark color of the henna paste since the image's original colors were saturated and deep. This was accomplished in Photoshop by adding a “deep red” PHOTO FILTER adjustment layer and setting the layer's pull-down menu to “screen.” CURVES controls were used to fine tune the image's values.

  The shallow depth of field in the quartet of photos on this page was achieved using a 50mm lens with its aperture opened wide. The images were converted to monochrome using Photoshop's BLACK AND WHITE controls (a versatile treatment that allows photos to be tinted once they've been converted to monochrome).

  As a longtime graphic designer, I've spent years composing designs and illustrating images. One thing I've noticed about creating images using a camera is that — for me, anyway — it's a creative outlet that often scores higher on the “fun” scale than processes involving a paint-brush or mouse. Take the photos on this page as a case in point. Not only was it fun to create the puppets from scratch, I also had a great time goofing around with the model as he put the puppets through their paces in front of the camera. Not a bad way to earn a living.

  The bottoms of the clay pots in the near image were chiseled open so the model's hands could extend through from below (the pots were supported by planks of wood resting on chairs). An Astroturf doormat was set in front of the pots, and a sheet of paper was hung in the background to complete the scene. The second photo was shot against a sheet of brightly colored paper. The red of the paper was selected in Photoshop and a pattern of illustrated bolts of lightning was pasted inside. Illustrated bolts were also added over the balloon.

  My model and I noticed some clothespins clipped to a line while taking pictures near an old building. Sensing the possibility of a photo opportunity, we played around with the happenstance find until we came up with this shot. Who knows, a photo like this is bound to be useful for something — maybe as an accompan
iment for an edgy article, poem or advertisement. The near image was snapped during the same rock-climbing photoshoot that produced the pictures.

  Here, an iconic graphic has been created by cloning and repeating a photo of a hand clenching a meaty hammer (the “hammer” is actually a wooden meat tenderizer that's been sprayed with metallic bronze paint). The model's arm and hand were given a thin coat of metallic body paint so that their appearance would echo that of the hammer. To finalize the image, the arm-and-hammer graphic was pasted over a simple backdrop of concentric circles.

  The hands in this symbolic image were photographed against a blue-screen backdrop. The backdrop was selected using Photoshop's color-sensitive MAGIC WAND tool. A low-key image of clouds was then pasted into this selection. A vintage metal globe was also photographed against a blue-screen backdrop, removed from its backdrop and pasted over the hands/clouds image. The globe was then cloned and resized to create a diminishing trail of worlds. The smaller globes were placed on layers with decreasing levels of opacity.

  Demonstrating depth of field, these four photos were taken with the SLR in “aperture priority” mode. The aperture setting was changed for each shot. The camera's primary focus was on the hand in the foreground, so this hand is in focus for each image. Note, however, how the background goes from being a soft blur when the aperture was set at f1.4, to being in nearly complete focus when the aperture was at f22. (Another depth of field demo — this time featuring more than one person — can be found.)

  I generally keep my SLR in “shutter priority” mode. Why? Because if I'm forced to shoot quickly (thus lacking the time or attention necessary to operate the camera in full “manual” mode), I'd rather have some control over the aesthetics of a scene's depth of field than over the speed with which the shutter is operating. The exception to this rule occurs when I know I'll be taking pictures of a rapidly moving subject — in which case I'll switch to “shutter priority” mode so I can choose an exposure time that will properly freeze the action.

  A player's hand hesitates before adding a piece to a game of Go (an elegant game of strategy — thought to have originated in China around 4,000 years ago). This image was recorded without a lens — light reached the SLR's sensor through a tiny hole that had been poked through the camera body's protective cap (the plastic cap that attaches to an SLR when no lens is in place). Take a look online to find out more about taking pinhole photos using your digital SLR.

  These are fabulously photogenic fingers. This pair of images was shot outdoors with the subject's back to the sun (thus eliminating strong shadows from the scenes). BLACK AND WHITE adjustment layers were used to convert the images to monochrome. “High contrast blue” was selected from within the BLACK AND WHITE controls since this is a setting that highlights wrinkles, scars and imperfections in flesh (whereas the “red” or “high contrast red” setting tends to hide such blemishes).

  6

  Body Decor

  Based on some of the earliest known renderings of people, it seems the body has been used as a canvas for expression for a long, long time. And for as long as there have been humans willing to decorate their skin, there have been artists willing and wanting to create depictions of these people and their pigment-enhanced flesh.

  Images of subjects whose skin has been decorated with ink, paint, henna or cosmetics can be captured by using the camera to record true-to-life photographs. Images of decorated people can also be created by using digital effects to simulate the look of appearance-altering body decor. Consider both approaches when using the camera and software to produce portraits of people with decorated skin.

  The body can be a moving, breathing and emotionally active surface on which to apply color and decoration, using the flesh as canvas. I enlisted a friend to apply makeup to my model's face for the shots on this spread and the next. It was a fun afternoon for all three of us: my artistic friend got to express herself through the medium of makeup; my young model got a kick out of watching her identity disappear beneath powder and pigments; and I had the pleasure of photographing both the process and the outcome.

  I know next to nothing about the application of makeup and body decoration. If you are also someone who lacks knowledge of these arts, take heart: that's what friends are for. Most people have connections to someone who knows a thing or two about applying makeup, henna or body paints. Consider working out a trade with a person who possesses these skills — perhaps you could offer to snap some portraits in exchange for her services.

  Production notes: The model's collar (a “ruff”) was purchased from an online store specializing in Renaissance costumes (the same collar appears in different rol); the background is a gold curtain that was found at a thrift store; the headpiece is a scrap of shiny fabric that's been wrapped around the model's head and pinned in back; the face powder was purchased at a costume shop; and the makeup came from a convenience store.

  More notes related to the far image: A 1,000-watt light was aimed at the model from the scene's right. A white panel reflected light from the left. The model sat about three feet in front of the backdrop. The photo was taken with a 50mm lens set at f2.0. Photoshop's BLUR tool was used to soften the focus of the model's ruff and her feather boa. CURVES controls and a “sepia” PHOTO FILTER treatment were employed to finalize the image. The near photo was shot using the room's natural light just after the model's make-up had been applied.

  The two pictures on this page were converted to monochrome using Photoshop's BLACK AND WHITE controls. Note the difference in skin values between the two shots: one features relatively dark flesh tones, the other light. This is because “maximum black” was selected from the BLACK AND WHITE treatment's pull-down menu for the near image, and “maximum white” was chosen for the other.

  Henna is a traditional medium used to add designs to flesh. Henna is applied as a thick paste using funneled tubes (in much the same way a cake decorator applies decorations to a cake). Once the paste has dried, it is rubbed away — leaving its skin-staining pigment behind. (And, unlike tattoo ink, henna disappears a few days after application.) See for a glimpse of the henna artist at work on this model.

  Makeup, powder, paint, henna and tattoo ink aren't the only things that can be used to decorate flesh. The sun, too, can add intriguing, unpredictable and fleeting designs to skin. On this page, sunlight streams through the intricate designs of a carved window shade to paint bright designs on the model's back and shoulder — as well as on her bedding and the room beyond. (Okay, so the light is actually from a 1,000-watt halogen bulb, and the “bedroom” and its carved window shade were set up in a studio space — but you get the idea.)

  Sunlight bounces off a textured sheet of metal to project an intense, wave-like pattern in the top photo on this page. In the lower image, specks of sun find their way through the brim of a woven hat and onto the subject's face. A heavy dose of CURVES controls have been applied to this image to make the most of the contrast between light and shadow.

  High contrast, high impact. The subject in these photos was asked to dress in striped clothing and to don a pair of sunglasses. Then she was prompted to jump, twist and curl herself in front of a striped sheet of fabric. The photos were recorded under bright light with the SLR's shutter speed set at an image-freezing speed of 1/2000 of a second. The ultra-high contrast of these photos was achieved using Photoshop's THRESHOLD controls. A SOLID COLOR adjustment layer (set to “multiply”) was used to add color to the images.

  Other pattern-on-pattern ideas: How about photographing your subject wearing a flower-patterned dress or blouse while she hangs out in a field of daisies or dandelions? What about taking a plain pair of long underwear, covering it with painted polka dots, and then having your model wear this outfit while posing in a room filled with round balls or balloons? How about collecting an armload of patterned fabric scraps, wrapping your model in some, and using the rest as the backdrop for a photograph?

  What about using temporary tattoos (the kind tha
t are applied using water and removed with baby oil or rubbing alcohol) to add images or a textual message to your subject's skin? Temporary tattoos can be printed using a special kind of ink-jet paper; they can also be purchased in stores and online in a wide variety of designs.

  The text surrounding this subject's decorated face is from Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick (the excerpt is from the chapter where the book's central character meets the heavily tattooed and phenomenally skilled harpooner, Queequeg). The squarish tattoos on the model's face were added in Photoshop after the image had been treated with BLACK AND WHITE and CURVES controls. Got some favorite literary passages that you could combine with customized photos of your own?

  The bold artwork on this model's hands were not added with body paint, henna paste or tattoo ink. These stripes were created from 100% electron-based pixels, rendered in Photoshop. The sepia bands were added using the BRUSH tool on a layer above the original image (a layer mask was used to confine the stripes to within the area of the hands and arms). The layer's opacity was set at 80% and its pull-down menu was set to “multiply.” A subtle texture was added within the stripes by applying the SMUDGE STICK filter.

  The presence of the bold stripes in this photo seemed to call for a bold treatment of the image itself. The saturated, high-contrast look seen here was created by adding a BLACK AND WHITE adjustment layer with its pull-down menu set to “hard light.” A masked CURVES layer was used to lift the image's values in the especially shadowy area around the model's eyes.