All images without source were taken from the authors own portfolio
Outdoor Portrait Black-and-White Film Photography
Christopher Barlow
Introduction Outdoor portrait black-and-white film photography is an artistic process in which a camera is used skillfully to produce a creative abstraction of reality by capturing the mood and esthetics of an individual on monochromatic film. My interest in this process began in high school. Often, my teacher would tell me that portrait photographs stood apart from any other kind of photograph. When asked why, he would explain that most other shots could be taken and re-taken by anyone at any time, but a portrait captures a single moment in one persons life that can never be replicated. Scenery is always there; people arent, he would say. That is why I have always been fascinated with portrait photography, taking that moment in an individuals life and making it last forever. That being said, not all portrait shots are inherently flawless. There is a definite process for taking a good, well-composed outdoor portrait photograph with a film camera. Much of this process is based on mimicking how the human eye works, and it involves the following steps: carefully loading film into the camera, positioning the camera and subject, setting the aperture, adjusting the shutter speed, and snapping the photo.
Loading the film I will begin by carefully opening my camera. This is done by first locating the release mechanism, a small button typically found on the bottom of the camera, and applying a light force until a clicking sound is heard. Before continuing any further, I should make sure that there is no film already inside the camera. Opening the camera now could ruin any pictures I have previously taken. To do this, I simply check that the counter located next to the film-advance lever (see Figure 1) reads S or 0. Now that the release switch is engaged, I can open the camera by lifting the rewind wheel located on the left side. This will release the film door lock and spring the film door open.
Figure 1 - This diagram shows the location of various components involved in loading the film Adapted from: <http://cloud.lomography.com/576/354/c4/6b47017f060773cb0e28a6b2a6f36cdcfcddec.jpg>
Film-advance lever All images without source were taken from the authors own portfolio With the camera now open, I will take my film cartridge out of the canister and check its attributes. First, I will make note of the ISO printed on the label. ISO controls both film speed and image quality. Typically, a faster film speed - a higher ISO - will result in unwanted noise or grain. Therefore, unless my subject is a small child whose movements may be unpredictable, I will be using the lowest possible ISO (100 or 200). For examples of photos shot with different ISOs, see Figure 2. In addition to this, I will want to make sure that my film is 35 mm, a standard size that can be easily developed later on.
Figure 2 - These images show the difference between low and high ISOs; note the grainy texture in the bottom left corner of the image on the right <http://digital-photography- school.com/iso-settings>
Now that I have the appropriate film in hand, I can begin installing it into my camera. Placing the spool of film into the slot beneath the rewind wheel, with the protruding cylinder facing downward (picture a battery with the positive end down and negative end up), I will lock this into place by pressing the rewind wheel back down to its original position. Taking the strip of film across the backplate of the camera, I will insert the small spikes found on the sprocket gear on the opposite side of the camera into the holes along the bottom of the film strip. Once this connection is secure, I will close the camera and apply just enough force to hear the film door lock click. Now, recalling the ISO of my film, I will set the ISO meter on my camera to the corresponding number (see Figure 3). By simply lifting this wheel and twisting it until the correct number appears in the window, I will now complete the loading process.
Finally, I will test that my film is installed properly. This is done by snapping a photo and turning the film-advance reel (see Figure 3). If I feel a slight tension while doing this, I know that the film is set. If it turns too easily, or not at all, I will need to re- open the camera and start again.
Figure 3 This image shows the film- advance lever (left) and ISO meter (right)
Adapted from:<http://photo.net/modern-film-cameras> All images without source were taken from the authors own portfolio Positioning the camera and subject Now that my film is set, I will observe my surroundings as well as my subject in order to determine their ideal location. An overcast setting in the late morning is preferable. If the sun is exposed, I will try to find shade or wait for cloud cover; otherwise, I will place myself in front of the sun and my subject in front of me. I do not ever want this order to be reversed, with the sun behind my subject. Doing so would wash out my subject. In other words, the camera will not be able to put the features of my subject into focus, and only a dark silhouette will appear.
Next, I will align my camera lens with the eye-level of my subject. If my subject is shorter than I am (e.g. a small child), I will bring both myself and my camera down to their level, and I will remain there throughout the remainder of the process. Not only will this help me find the correct composition, but it will also allow me to establish a more comfortable environment for my subject while I shoot. If my subject is taller than me, I will likely need a tripod. It is important that I remain flexible for the subject. I do not ever want to request that my subject move in order to fit into the frame of my camera. The best portrait shots capture their subject in a relaxed, natural position.
With the eyes as the focal point of the image, I will set the composition of the image using the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds states that, dividing the frame into 9 equal quadrants, the focal point of the image should be placed either close to one of the four resulting points of intersection or along one of the dividing lines and never in the exact center. For examples of good and bad composition, see Figures 4 and 5.
Finally, the eyes will be the only point at which I will set my camera to focus. I do not want any potential distractions behind my subject to appear in focus. Therefore, I will try to position my subject at least fifteen feet in front of any background objects. In order to fully achieve this effect, I will also need to establish a shallow depth of field (the range between the closest and furthest objects that appear in focus). This aspect of the shot is controlled primarily by the aperture.
Figure 5 (right) - This image shows an example of poor composition; the subject is placed at the exact center of the frame
Figure 4 (above) This image shows an example of good composition; the subject is aligned with the 2/3 line All images without source were taken from the authors own portfolio Setting the aperture Choosing the correct aperture is what will elevate my portrait shot from amateur to nearly professional. That is why I will almost always have my camera set to aperture priority mode when taking outdoor portraits. This is done by rotating the settings wheel to A (see Figure 6). Doing so will force my camera to adjust its settings according to the aperture I have set. As mentioned previously, the aperture determines the depth of field. A good portrait photograph will have a shallow depth of field, only focusing on the features of the subjects face and blurring out the rest. For examples of good and bad aperture control, see Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 6 This image shows a camera properly adjusted to aperture priority Adapted from:<http://photo.net/modern-film-cameras>
Figure 7 This image shows good aperture control; the background is completely monotonous and the subject really pops
Figure 8 This image shows poor aperture control; though the background is somewhat blurred, the level of detail is still too high and distracts the eye away from the subject <http://www.practicalphotographytips.com/>
A shallow depth of field is achieved by increasing the size of the aperture. To change my aperture, I will grip the inner-most ring on my lens and rotate it until the white line on the second ring aligns with my desired f-stop number. The lower the f-stop number, the wider the aperture, and vice versa. Under ideal conditions, I will typically set my aperture as wide as the lens will allow (around f2). All images without source were taken from the authors own portfolio Adjusting the shutter speed Set in aperture priority mode, my camera will suggest an applicable shutter speed based on the ISO I have selected. If I wish to take complete control of the settings before snapping my shot, I can do so by changing the settings wheel to any of the eleven numbers given. Each of these numbers corresponds to an equivalent shutter speed from one second to one one- thousandth of a second. Once I have selected my desired shutter speed, I should always double-check the exposure level by looking through the viewfinder and lightly placing my finger on the operating button. A typical film camera will display a red LED when the exposure is correctly set.
Figure 9 This image shows the operating button on the camera; a light pressure will active the LED inside the viewfinder <http://orlovac.eu/foto/x700manual.pdf>
Snapping the photo Now all that is left for me to do is to press the operating button down fully. This will cause the shutter to release for the amount of time that I have set (a mere fraction of a second) and expose the film to the different rays of light coming through my lens. These rays of light will burn an image onto the film, which holds a chemical compound sensitive to light particles. With black- and-white photography, a special kind of film called monochromatic film is used. The chemicals on this film only respond to different amounts of light hitting an area regardless of frequency. Therefore, color will not be recorded on the film. Instead, an abstraction of what the human eye sees will be reproduced on the film in grayscale.
Even if our eyes did not respond to color, however, we would still not see exactly like the film sees. Since the chemicals on the film respond to light, it is actually the brightest areas of the subject that will turn the darkest and most opaque on the film. Subsequently, areas where fewer light particles left the subject and passed through the lens will remain light and translucent on the film. Therefore, an inverse grayscale image is recorded. This is why we usually call a used film strip a negative. For examples of negatives, see Figures 10 and 11.
Figures 10 and 11
These images show examples of negatives
All images without source were taken from the authors own portfolio Conclusion Taking a good outdoor portrait shot with a film camera is an intricate process that takes both time and careful consideration. In the end, the best way to achieve the desired outcome is to consider how we see naturally. People enjoy looking at pictures that closely resemble what they see in the natural world. Similar to the retina in a human eye, a camera needs to be properly equipped with film. Additionally, the human eye tends to favor asymmetry. Thus, positioning of the camera and the subject in such a manner is vital. Expanding on this, focusing on more than one point at a time is nearly impossible for the brain to achieve. This effect can be duplicated with a camera by setting a wide aperture. Finally, a human eye is able to make numerous alterations given various levels of light to provide the most information to our brain regarding a certain subject. With some guidance, a camera can make these slight adjustments with user- controlled shutter speeds. Ultimately, by simply pressing the operating button, a record of the subject is instantly implanted on a thin strip of film. As a result, this record can be used to communicate information regarding the subjects past life to a wide audience for years to come.