Deep in Thought

I've been trying to get work done more often lately to expand my portfolio. I hope to dedicate myself enough to get at least one work done a month. This may seem slow but I work full time and have other projects going on as well. Not only that but the process I use is very time consuming and I normally only use one picture from any one portrait session.

Currently I think it would be a good idea to bring out more emotion in my work and that is what this became about. The feeling in this piece is subtle enough to convey the emotion without being overpowering. I would like to do some more work with emotion in the future though as I really think I need to capture some stronger emotions.

The colors in this piece did turn out really well though. I enjoyed having to color the tie separate from the shirt as I feel they really compliment each other very well. Also they are brought out nicely again the opposing background. In the future it would be nice to try a portrait with and elaborate costume that would take even more effort to color. I would love the challenge of a complicated and intricate piece to color in this style. Also it would allow a lot more variety in the color of a single piece. Another piece I would like to work towards is a full nude. This would allow an intricate working with the coloring and tones of flesh. If anyone happens to know anyone that might be interested in doing a picture in this style with full nudity please let me know by emailing me at robhasacamera@gmail.com.

Man with Knife

In this work I wanted the viewer to become an onlooker, a voyeuristic viewer powerless to prevent any action but too curious or consumed about what was happening to look away. The view from the back emphasizes this as animosity and leaves us asking who this person is or what emotions are occurring in this moment. More then anything I wanted questions to occur when viewing this piece. I wanted each person to interpret the image their own way, adding a piece of themselves to the image.

One thing I got to do while working on this piece was to streamline my process. I want to be able to easily reproduce this style to make it easier to refine and experiment with it. This gave me the freedom to do something different with the background. I enjoyed how it turned out and believe the stark red adds heavily to the strong emotions I’m hoping to invoke.

Blessing (test)

This piece is currently a work in progress. At one point I decided to experiment a bit and deviate a little from my regular style. I enjoyed the experimentation of it and like the results. The sepia tone turned out better then I would have expected and has several rich tones to it. The selective focusing helps to blur out the unnecessary details. it also helps to provide the work with a more antiquated appeal.

I may incorporate some of these techniques into future pieces. I am still gong to work on this one however and hope to Have a final version ready within a week or so.

Self Discovery

Been very busy lately. Just got done working on a side project for extra money. No it wasn't art related, however I'm using the extra money to get some new lighting equipment and a Lensbaby. Now that I'm done with that project for the moment I can get back to working on my photos.

I wanted to create a piece that made people feel strange. The person portrayed is staring at himself but doesn't give any indication of a reaction, he's literally frozen in place. This figure on the ground is slumped and pale leaving a question of whether he is alive or not which could be the very horror that the standing figure is facing in his mind. This work was more of a color experiment then anything else. I wanted to go a different direction in my color without making to drastic of a change at one time. It was very difficult to keep a neutral tone to the background and still have the color stand out strong like this. I really enjoyed how it turned out overall however and I will continue to experiment with color in future photos. Also when I get my new equipment I'll most likely try out different lighting techniques as well. Ill be very excited when I get the Lensbaby as it will afford a chance to try doing softer photos to see if they can work in this world that I'm trying to create.

Claimed by The Hatter

I have always been fascinated with the world and the characters created in Lewis Carol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. More then anything though the Hatter at the tea party (aka the Mad Hatter) has held my interest. I love the unique personality and the unreasonable logic that he puts forth. I also enjoy the variations and diversity he receives when portrayed in other works, especially when he plays the role of a villain. So when trying to think of the title for a piece that involves madness the Hatter from Lewis Carol's book eventually came into mind. The person portrayed in this piece shows someone that has just broken the edge of his sanity. He is a normal person just like Alice that has gotten himself thrown into a world in which he doesn't belong. Stress and confusion eventually bring him over the edge and he finds that he can be just as inflicted with madness as any other character.

Color selection was difficult for this piece. Lately I have been trying to expand my color palette while striving to keep colors looking bright and passionate. It is especially challenging to create works as such and keep enough diversity to make sure they don't all blend together entirely. The red shirt again in this piece becomes a symbol for aggression and acts like a warning. The background compliments the shirt and helps to highlight the character further. With the colors I really wanted to create that out of place feeling and make the viewer feel that something is not quite right.

Righteous Kill (The Slaughter of Man)

This photo continues the tale of the Self Appointed King portrait that I shot last year. Here our king has proclaimed himself a righteous man and found it to be his duty to rid his kingdom of the wicked.

Emphasis has been placed on the king in this work with the golden glow that surrounds him. He still carries the mark or royalty with the purple shirt he bears and everything about him is brighter. His pants are a better blue and his clothes are lighter in color. The man on the ground however is wearing much darker clothes. His pants on comparison aren't as bright and the dark red shirt he wears carries a foreshadowing of the blood that is to be spilled.

The thing I enjoy enjoy most in this photo is the pose that the characters are in. The king has a a great amount of tension on his form as he rises on the tip of his shoe before he strikes. The sword is pulled back as far as it will go like an arrow before its shot. The entire time though his face his calm and cool portraying him as someone that his only carrying on his duty. The man on the ground however is confused and struggling, the toes on his feet bent back as he struggles to get away.

The photo also has excellent angles that leads the viewer around the photo. The figures are connected were the hands cross paths and the viewer is guided to the man on the ground by the sword's tip. Altogether it creates a triangle shape that also helps to break up the frame.

I hope to keep up he story of the king in future works and also plan on expanding some of the other characters that I have shot as well.

Righteous Kill (BW Version)

I know it has been a while since I have posted last but I've been a bit busy. I went on a trip recently with some friends and I have also been working on my portfolio site. Not only that but I've been having problems finding models. In fact in my new portfolio site I am building a form for potential models, this way I can keep doing my photos. I'll make sure to post a link to the site when I have it done.

Currently I'm working on the photo that you can see to the left. Before we began the idea was that I was going to be knighted but part way through the shoot the idea changed quite a bit. I'll talk more about this photo once I get the color version done. The title may end up changing by then too but we'll see.