Assignment 3 / One Light

Using the 250 watt halogen bulb in the equipment closet, make a portrait by selecting a quality and direction of light to communicate an emotion that you feel about a person. Make an additional portrait that reflects the opposite feeling you have about the person. Explain in writing the laws of light that were at work in each portrait.

This photograph expresses my true feeling for Ala, and I chose to portray her as poised and pensive. My idea was to play with the shadows, and create as many Alas as I could. The source of light is facing her body, and my camera viewpoint is frontal.

This portrait expresses the opposite of my feelings for Ala. I was inspired by the Expressionist vibe of films like The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, and wanted to create a menacing shadow engulfing the model. My viewpoint was very low (lying on the floor), and so was the source of light. You can see where it hits the wall, around her legs.