Oluwatofunmi Adeosun

FDA Professional Photography

Studio Photography

Contextual Document
Initially I had many ideas that I needed to plan; how to do still life, commercial photography
and studio photography in the home because of coronavirus which means I can’t go outside
because of the health risks affecting people. I planned how I can get my ideas visually
communicated. Using my brain to imagine how with my creative skills I could communicate
my ideas, I visualised words in my head and used this to help me communicate them. I feel
open minded about my style. In the future I want to be become a part-time professional
photographer. I am thinking about how to achieve my aim of becoming successful but I feel it
will be difficult because I need to learn how to improve my strengths and understand how I
can creatively style in different ways. Sometimes I make mistakes doing things the wrong
way and edit too much brightness or darkness for example. I need to practice all the controls
I can bring to a studio in the home and take responsibility for my own learning. I feel like it is
a hard task because there is no studio equipment. So I had to get some ideas how to use
natural, floor and ceiling lighting. I have planned what I will be doing for still life, commercial
and studio photography in home. Sometimes I feel I have challenged myself because I want
to know I understand how to set up a studio in the home but I had to learn from experience.
For this photography using a studio within the home I used my uncle, aunty, their daughter
and I. I had to do some risk assessment because of using lots of wires which means there
were trip hazards.

Through this creative process I developed and improved my photography and composition
skills and learned more about image editing. I made plans about what photographic work I
would do when I was in lockdown in the home and imagined how I could showcase some of
my best work and achievements. This developed skills including; technical, interpersonal,
flexibility and creativity. I had to process how to develop my visual photography.

I challenged myself thinking how I could learn different skills for producing photography
using a range of techniques that I could use to create my own images. I wanted to show the
breadth of my research in this project. That’s why I started to make images that were more
involved technical. Also in my own life experience I have naturally progressed over time. In
my view the best shots I have ever taken have been ones that communicate powerfully to
the viewer.

In my studio at home you can see how I set portraits and background. I used a Nikon
D3300 camera, set at 800 ISO, a micro lens 18mm -55mm and all the scenes needed a
practical lighting set-up. By using a photography studio in the home I can develop myself by
controlling the mood, body language and feeling from a scene. Using my uncle, Aunty and
their daughter. I know that I need to practise these skills repeatedly so that they become
practical working knowledge. The shoot has creative potential through using background
along with working with other techniques such as photoshop.

I have researched into the work of two photographers who are Koen Hauser and Adrian
Gaut. They have their own photography skills and experience and I wanted to see what this
was like to compare with what I might photograph in my studio in the home. They influenced
me to focus on developing strength in my visual photography.

Koen Hauser is a Dutch fashion photographer who works with photography and film, in an
artistic practice he has become best known for his professional photography and his
experience relating to the way he processes his photography. Koen wants to visualise and
then plan how to achieve this end with his studio photography. He understands theory and
how to show culture and spirituality in a visual manner.
Oluwatofunmi Adeosun
FDA Professional Photography
Studio Photography

I looked at the history of his Dutch culture, and my culture too, and can really see how it has
changed a lot. He makes me feel enlightened and ignited an interest in me to learn this
history. This fashion of Africa, called “Vlisco” is influenced by Dutch fabric and particular
West and Central African. Koen Hauser wanted to plan with a team, stylist and art director
Maarten Spruyt to shoot this below image. It is inspired by the regal women who wear the
African colourful fabrics.

Compare my Aunty who wears a blue and white African dress. They are similar in that they
are standing as is their body language but they have different material backgrounds. In my
views they are most different because of the framing and long capture. Koen and I compare

but with different skills.

(Source, 2013)
(Source, May 2020)

Adrian Gaut worked with landscapes, still life and portraits. His photography is very skilled
and shows power and graphic simplicity which he established in these early photographs.
Adrian wanted to understand how to set, for commercial photography, for the perfume
“Chanel No 5”, which is the most popular in the world aimed at wealthy people in a luxury
market. The image is traditional and makes the product look special.

He has a very special focus on his camera when he shot this image showing black and
white, some shadow and some light blur. I feel like he has great knowledge about how he
will achieve his image. You can compare my plan of how to set a perfume on the table. I
used floor lighting and a DVD as a reflector. I felt I had gained some understanding about
planning, framing and lighting when I set the studio up at home. I had some difficulties with
this image because it’s very hard to focus especially the details and achieve good contrast
with dark and light.
Oluwatofunmi Adeosun
FDA Professional Photography
Studio Photography

(Source, June 2019)

(Source, May 2020)

My own work through this process I have developed my understanding of how to use
effective lighting, and to have the background and the angle of the shot prepared before the
real photo shoot in the home studio. I learned how to use some technical aspects in the
Photoshop editing process, crop and some changes to background. I tried to be creative with
my photography style and had to keep this in mind through the editing process. Making
photographs for my Uncle, Aunty and their daughter doing portraits of each of them and
keeping them in a visual cultural style of photography. I had ideas how I could be creative
with a studio in the home, I used floor standing lighting and ceiling lighting. The below 3
images show different perspective, framing, portrait and shadow. Compare the different body
language and the naturalness of the subjects when I shot them. I used bright background
colours, gold and brown which I think shows a link to cultural photography and creates a
powerful visual imager. I had to be well prepared and have thought things through in
advance. I wanted to show them in the best possible way so I knew I needed to prepare well
and I will prepare everything for my new project myself when I have set up a studio at home.

I have progressed in my practice when I shot them. I made sure of what I was doing, I

planned for photographic control of lighting ratios, contrast and exposure. I feel able to
absorb the visual language and understand the interpretation from these photographers
work and then make it my own.

(Source, April 2020) (Source, May 2020)

(Source, May 2020)
Oluwatofunmi Adeosun
FDA Professional Photography
Studio Photography
I have researched so I understand both photography critics and visual culture and I imagine
and then plan how I will get creative ideas for photography. I feel more confident to work
alone because I have proved that I can focus on my project work and achieve my aim. I will
have high skills and also have developed the visual my photography. I can take
responsibility to plan for some risk assessments and make sure that I plan my project using
information I have learnt in still life, commercial photography and studio work at home. I feel
like have challenged my self.

Reflecting back I have progressed technically, creatively and with my critical thinking by
developing my understanding of the process and through visualisation. I was curious
through this project because it interests me. I felt my own photography would develop
through this process as I understood more what my project was about.

I enjoyed starting the project but I had a hard time finishing the work with visual
photography. That is all I think needs to be said about this particular subject. It made me
build up my confidence to work with and style creative ideas. Many times before I have
taken pictures that I think are about things. This photography style shows that I have
developed a process that is part cultural photography, fashion photography and portrait
style. It makes photographs that are stronger. That’s how I worked for studio photography in
the home. I understand the interpretation from these photographers work and then tried to
make it my own.

Word count: 1538

Reference
Hommage L’Art(2013) “BLENDBUREAUX”-
http://www.blendbureaux.com/2013/12/30/hommage-lart/ [Accessed date: 31/05/2020]

Artists (2020) “Theravestijngallery”

https://theravestijngallery.com/artists/koen-hauser [Accessed date: 31/05/2020]

Itsnicethat (2013) Fashion: Photographer Koen Hauser pays tribute to Africa's textile design”
https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/vlisco [Accessed date: 31/05/2020]