Assignment 3

My first attempt working with the 4x5 camera was to practice and familiarize myself with how it worked, which I took in the studio using lighting. However, for this photo I knew I wanted to take it outside as my inspiration for my piece is the work of Judith Joy Ross, who's casual, in the field portraits capturing everyday peoples' emotions really spoke to me. As my model I choose my cousin Alex, a fine arts graduate from the UofL. Coming from this background I knew she would be a willing participant and as she didn't remember working with a 4x5 camera she was excited and interested to be involved in the process. It was a nostalgic experience for both of us as when she was a student, I often went with her. I wanted a shallow depth of field similar to the effect Ross has in many of her portraits, so I made sure I had my aperture wide open. I struggled with getting correct exposure for this picture as the light meter reading gave settings that were not available on the camera I was working with. So, I had to adjust, the only problem was dealing with keeping a shutter speed fast enough to not risk having any blurring. I ended up going with a shutter speed of 0.5 of a second and 0.6 of a second, with my aperture as low as the camera allowed. We were both a bit worried about movement, but Alex did a great job of staying still as the photos came out perfectly clear. In the darkroom I used a 3.5 filter and exposed it for 10 seconds when printing the image. I specifically chose not to give Alex any direction on her facial expression as I felt leaving it up to her would convey the same feeling of naturalness that I feel is reflected in Ross's works. Overall, I was very pleased with my end piece and feel it represents the style of Judith Joy Ross.