Inspirations from paintings and photography.
Basics of lighting, composition and colour to create emotion.
The presentation was compiled for a workshop with film students.
Raghu Rai | Sunken suffering eyes, the refugees waited to return home, 1971
As cinematographers, we are constantly dealing with human faces. The complexity and diversity of emotions that a human face can depict is amazing. In this article below, we shall try to look at other forms of visual art and understand how one inspired the other.
PAINTINGS
Edward Hopper was an American realist painter (1882-1967)
The setting is bathed in natural light pouring in through the windows, highlighting the geometric patterns of the chairs and casting an array of sharp shadows throughout the scene.
Chair Car (1965) by Edward Hopper
This artwork portrays a lady alone in an automat enjoying a cup of coffee. The viewer can see the deep darkness through the windows behind her. The inventive application of oil paint creates a reflected light that contributes to the feeling of isolation.
Automat (1927) by Edward Hopper
Johannes Vermeer (1632 - 1675) was a Dutch painter
He is particularly renowned for making masterful use of light in his work. Most of his work has been in the indoor setup with household backdrops. It is due to this phot realsitic depiction of the light in his paintings, it had been claimed that he could have been one of the earliest users of the camera obscura.
The Milkmaid / The Kitchen Maid | 1657 |
Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665)
The Geographer | Johannes Vermeer | 1668
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571 –1610) was an Italian painter
His paintings have a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting. Caravaggio made the technique of Chiaroscuro (we shall discuss about the concept of Chiaroscuro later in this article) a dominant stylistic element, darkening the shadows and transfixing the subject in a blinding shaft of light.
The Calling of Saint Matthew (1600) | Caravaggio
David with the Head of Goliath, 1609 | Caravaggio
Rembrandt (1606 - 1669) Dutch Painter
Rembrandt lighting is characterized by an illuminated triangle under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face. It is named for the Dutch painter Rembrandt, who occasionally used this type of lighting.
Self Potrait | Rembrandt (1606 - 1669) Dutch Painter
This video is from a series of videos that talks about the influence of Art in Films.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Raghu Rai is an Indian photographer and photojournalist. He was a protégé of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Rai became a photographer in the mid 1960s, soon joining the staff of The Statesman in New Delhi. He is one of my personal favourites. When it comes to photographing human faces, Raghu Rai's work is something which comes to my mind before anyone else's. The following are a few more such examples of his work.
A brilliant use of motion in a single frame. During rush hour at Churchgate Station in Mumbai, people appear and disappear within minutes. It’s like a human deluge. Use of long exposure creates a beautiful texture.
Raghu Rai | Rush at Local Train Church Gate, Mumbai (1996)
Raghu Rai| Burial of Unknown Child, 1984 | BHOPAL
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) was a French artist and humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment.
Notice the use of a few classical approaches to composition, the rule of thirds and the golden spiral.
Among a few contemporary examples:
Steve McCurry a photojournalist, captured this portrait of Sharbat Gula in a Pakistani refugee camp during the time of the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan. The portrait was first published on the front cover of National Geographic in 1985.
Notice the red headscarf against the green background makes a striking composition, along with her piercing stare.
Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry (1984)
Kevin Carter was a South African photojournalist who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for this work. It was probably one of the more harrowing and saddening portraits captured by him during the famine of Sudan. The picture was published in The New York Times. Unfortunately, the moment had a profound effect on him. He was regretful he didn’t help the child more. 4 months after being awarded, Carter committed suicide.
Logically, the composition suggests only two possibilities — either the vulture feasted on the child, which the viewer feels certain was only a matter of time when the photo was taken, or it did not. But these possibilities don’t exist just as possibilities, they become loaded with emotion and turn into haunting questions.
The Vulture and The Little Girl by Kevin Carter (1993)
Many thought it was a paparazzi moment caught on camera but the truth is that the moment was all scripted, Monroe’s character was to exit a movie theatre and stand over an air vent whilst the underground train passed and a plum of steam rose up in turn lifting her skirt and revealing her bare legs. It had its own share of controversy during the 50’s.
Monroe’s portrait displayed her playful and teasing mannerisms which captivated so many male audiences. A perfect receipe for fashion and glamour with the contrast of the flowing white and a flattering lighting on her that makes her pop out of the dark canvas.
Marilyn Monroe’s Flying Skirt by Sam Shaw (1954)
There is so much inspirational work done by brilliant photographers over the world, that one can go on and on. However in the interest of this program and the limitations of time, I have put across a few to initiate a conversation that appreciates portraits as a medium to tell a story beyond what is there on the face of it, well literally!
BASICS OF LIGHTING
LIGHT & SHADOW
Chiaroscuro
ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN FACE
See from1:30 to 7:45 (Chapter Free Asaro Head 3D Tool from Art Station)
Try it yourself at https://www.artstation.com/artwork/GX3Ax1
FRAMING & COMPOSITION
To achive an interesting andintriguing image, visual storytellers including photographers, cinematographers and even painters have gone back to the golden rules of composition. A few of them include:
Leading Lines
Rule of Thirds
Golden Spiral
Symmetry
Frame within a frame, etc
Raghu Rai | Among The Goddesses, Calcutta, 1991 (2010)
COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
The Scream by Edvard Munch, Norwegian Artist in 1893
Vincent Van Gogh (1889)
LENSING
When it comes to the use of a camera, photographers and cinematographers have exploited the charecteristics of the medium and its optics. A few tools that come handy in creating a story in an image are:
Depth of Field
Lens Perspective
LENS COMPRESSION OR PERSPECTIVE
In the context of this particular workshop involving cinematography students, we shall try to understand the relevance of lighting, framing/composition and movement in creating drama and underline one or more emotions through visual storytelling.
See section 9:38 to 18:18 (Chapter 2 - Shooting Emotions)
VISUAL EMOTION THEORY
Visual storytelling amplifies the emotional tone set by the script. Cinematography plays a crucial role in conveying emotions; shot composition, camera angles, and lighting all contribute to the mood. Close-ups can capture subtle expressions and intensify emotional moments, while wide shots can underscore isolation or vastness. Color palettes also influence emotion; warm tones might evoke comfort or passion, while cool tones can suggest sadness or detachment.
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