Portrait - Rankin (John Rankin Waddell)

A photographer I've looked at again is Rankin, based in London, England. Ranking is from England and studied at London College of Printing. While studying there he met Jefferson Hack and after both of them graduating they started the magazine 'Dazed and Confused', now just known as 'Dazed'. Rankin is mainly a fashion and portrait photographer creating his works in the studio, while most of his work out of the two is focused on the fashion side of it. An example of his portrait work, as his portraiture work is most relevant to my current project, is this image below of Ian Brown. The background is something I expected as a plain white or black, sometimes grey, background are the most popular choices when shooting a portrait photograph. The black background in this image helps create this powerful photo as it blends in with Brown, as well as the fact the camera is further down than the actual subject's face angling itself looking up toward the subject, making him appear to be looking down on the viewer which adds to the feel of the photo. It looks as if to create the very dark image there was only one light used as is visible in his eyes, which appears to be a soft box.

The image of Ian Brown is found on the link below, the image belongs to Rankin.
http://www.fubiz.net/2010/03/17/rankin-portraits/
Something else which Rankin has done which I enjoyed watching was taking seven famous images from throughout the decades from other well known photographers and recreating them in his own way, giving his take on these iconic photographs throughout time and that have inspired many as well as Rankin himself. The images are all ones that paved the way for new thinking in photography and are timeless as they still make you feel the same after seeing them for the first time. They are the types of photographs you wish you had taken, they are original, different and most of all, like previously mentioned, inspiring to future generations of photographers, like Rankin.
The Seven Photographs that changed Fashion video link is below;
http://vimeo.com/60749359
An extensive selection of various styles and techniques in his portraits can be viewed on his website, just click on the link; http://rankin.co.uk/portraits/
A few examples of his portraiture work;
Jack O'Connell

 Daniel Craig

 Jessie J

 Andy Serkis

 Scarlett Johnasson

 Eva Green

Portrait - Initial ideas

My initial idea(s) for this project at first were blank as I was unsure with how to go about it. Once I knew I was going out for my first shoot of the project I had an idea and thought that I would like to keep it quite simple. However when I got out and started shooting once I chose where to go and what to have for my backdrop I positioned the camera and found the place where I needed people to stand, I took it from there. The photos I took are all full body length. My idea(s) quite vague but I think will work and fit as a body of work quite well. The three black and whites together, the black and white 20x24 exhibition piece and the six colour images. I think I will do both full body shots and full length and have various backgrounds. 

Portrait - Daragh McDonagh

This next photographer Daragh McDonagh I found on the British Journal of Photography website. After living in Manhattan, New York for a number of years as a professional photographer he decided to move back to his home land after feeling disconnected from the fast pace of the city and chose to photograph the Modern Shamans of Ireland after searching them online and feeling comfortable with both groups. He met up with them for a few months before taking a camera out which helped build a relationship with the subjects as well as trust amongst everyone and also the fact that he had a genuine personal interest with the subject itself. He shot on location for these images and used no backdrop and only natural northern light as he wanted to keep it simple and less intimidating for his subjects. It has the story on the website link below where the images are also found here -  http://www.bjp-online.com/2014/11/daragh-mcdonagh-the-modern-pagan/
An example of one of his images. I think one of his best from the series and actually my favourite. It's a great image, in my opinion. It is very central and is slightly over exposed but which he addresses and justifies. The look of thought on the woman's face is a great capture and creates and makes this quite a powerful image with meaning. You end up wondering about the woman and her life. I think it is also a good backdrop considering being on location, it looks like it could be a wall of a building very easily. The image is light and pale and the only real vibrant colour that stands out is the woman's top, her hair matches effortlessly with the backdrop, it almost blends right in.

All images belong to Daragh McDonagh

Portrait - Terry Richardson

The first portrait photographer I've chosen to look at is Terry Richardson who is from the USA and born in 1965. He has shot for labels such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and Yves Saint Laurent and shot for magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and Rolling Stone. His portraits of both models and high-profile celebrities are recognisable because of his use of bright white backgrounds, though now some slightly grey as he expanded into different backgrounds and also, in most images, the use of overexposure creating very light and white photos, he accomplishes this by using an attached flash on his camera. He shoots in both black and white and colour and shoots mostly in his studio.
A good example of his black and white overexposure is the images below of the English model Cara Delevingne. She almost blurs into the background, you can only just see her right (view from our left) shoulder which blends into the background, both being white coloured. Although this image, like his other bright, white overexposed images are visible and are very white you are still able to see the visible areas such as the darker areas where there is tone to see. For example you can see the darker zones in her hair, eyebrows, eyeliner and shadows in the first image and actually second image which are very similar, if not nye on the same. The second image is the same sort of style and has more shadows around the shoulders making it stand out a little bit more than the first image as it helps define itself from the background than in the first photo. In the third image of Cara you can see her wearing Richardson's glasses, which is expected in at least one of his shots with her as it is common and well know of him to always pose with the models, as well as the models posing on their own with his glasses, who swap attire and wear his glasses and sometimes his shirt, in return he sometimes wears something of theirs, for example, their glasses and/or headwear. Also in the third photo of Cara you can see that the background is now slightly darker and giving off a more grey tone which he seems to have done deliberately to match the darkness on Cara ( her black jumper and Richardson's black glasses) compared with the previous two images. Also all of these three images are light hearted and seen as fun as she is pulling a face in the 1st one, smiling with a thumbs up in the second and finally posing with his glasses and a slight different face in the third. These are also recognisable of Richardson as he is known to include humour within his images. The hat worn 'High Brow' is a joke on Cara's eyebrows as that is what she is famous and known for in the fashion industry, her thick brows which weren't as in fashion until she started her modelling career and made it fashionable.

Image above found on the link as well as many others of Cara by Terry Richardson. http://thesharper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/cara-delevingne-by-terry-richardson-may.html

Images of Cara Delevingne all belong to Terry Richardson and found between the two links to the sites below;
http://eclectic-society.com/it-girl-101-model-of-the-moment-cara-delevingne/
http://www.czytajniepytaj.pl/fashion/modelki/cara-delevingne-by-terry-richardson-october-2013-1954.html

An example of some of his images he uses without the bright white background and overexposure is also one in colour. This image is of lil' Wayne and the background may look white but in comparison to his other photos you are able to notice that it is slightly off shade and leaning more towards a light grey colour. He has decided to shoot lil' Wayne without a top on making his tattoos visible to the viewer, also his shades on top of his head and the chains around his neck, all of which he is known for. All of these portraying a certain image of him combined. The cigarette a simple prop for the image but has created a focus point in the centre with the smoke shape and could actually be argued that although a prop, for this portrait, is a main point in the photograph as the image itself is cropped from just below the shoulders and he is positioned just off from the centre, making your eyes look at all these things mentioned.

Image of Lil Wayne belongs to Terry Richardson and found on the link below;
http://www.lamjc.com/lil-wayne-gq-interview-terry

The image above of Gisele Bundchen belongs to Terry Richardson and found on the link below;
http://www.vibevixen.com/2013/09/20-favorite-terry-richardson-celebrity-portraits/10/
I have added both Gisele and Beyonce to further demonstrate Terry's subjects posing with his glasses, looking straight at/ into the camera (Gisele) and also including humour by pulling faces (Beyonce) and also the grey backgrounds which he started using instead of bright white all the time.

Beyonce image belonging to Terry Richardson and found on the site, link below.
http://www.kaylinfitzpatrick.com/2013/08/terry-richardsonphotographer.html
Here he has photographed the Current President of the United States Barack Obama. The first image has the least bright white background. It is cropped just below the shoulders like the lil Wayne picture but Obama is more central in this image and is further back, hence more space above the head and not as high up on the crop on the shoulders either. In all these image he is shown with smart attire which is representative of his job however in this first he has his shirt and tie on but with the tie a little loose and with the top button undone and portraying what appears to be a natural, genuine smile. All of this symbolising a relaxed approach compared with his everyday work, it shows him 'taking a break' from Presidential duties briefly. The second image is very much the same with him relaxed and smiling however this one has a more serious look as his top button is fastened, his suit jacket on and arms folded, portraying, still a relaxed look but one which appears to be more reliable and looks the part of being a President as he is smartly dressed for the role. The third image has a much more serious look to it simply because of Obama's facial expression, although his attire is more relaxed like in the first image . In regards to the other pictures shown it is the only one without him smiling yet could possibly be the most powerful. The last image is one of the typical poses that Richardson takes with all his subjects, a thumbs up and a handshake.

Site where I got the Barack Obama images below and photos belong to Terry Richardson.

http://www.whudat.de/barack-obama-by-terry-richardson-6-pictures/