Tone

Tone (definition).

•This refers to the lightness or darkness of something. This could be a shade or how dark or light a colour appears.

•Tones are created by the way light falls on a 3D object. The parts of the object on which the light is strongest are called highlights and the darker areas are called shadows. There will a range of tones in between the highlights and shadows.

•Without tone Form does not exist, tone is therefore an important aspect in the visualisation of 3D objects.

Different tones are used within images to portray different feelings/meanings.

The tonal range of this image connotes strength and masculinity. The dark shadows and tone around the face accentuate the cheek bones and other elements of the face giving a sharper look to the mans face.

The tonal range of this image connotes femininity with the brighter, softer lighting. The tone is not harsh but darker on her dress. However the sequins allow light to reflect off of the dress which emphasise the idea that she is a very feminine women because she almost radiates lighter tones. This image was shot by Richard Avedon in 1957.During this time, a lot of the ideas and stereotypes about women were breaking down. For example a lot more women were starting to work and divorce was becoming quite common. However the ideas about female beauty and elegance persist. There was and still are ideas about how a woman should act, pure and chaste. Therefore the colour white links directly to purity and innocence.

Research: 

A photographer from Spain, born in 1958, Chema Madoz is recognized for his monochrome surrealist images. From 1980 to 1983, Madoz attended Universidad Complutense de Madrid to study the history of art. During this time, he discovered the wonders of photography through his classes at the Image Teaching Center. From Madrid’s Fine Arts Academy, he studied from the photography workshops as well.

Chema Madoz uses photography to create optical illusions. Whatever that is shown, is unlike the reality of objects. At times, one thinks, “that’s not possible!” Madoz’s photographic subjects are perfectly balanced and interestingly composed to make a visual illusion. He takes at the minimum two objects unrelated to each other yet when they are kept together in Madoz’s way, they entirely and surprisingly blend as one. Often the objects are placed in visually unpredicted settings but they coincide creating new meaning altogether.

Chema Madoz has been taking pictures of objects beyond 20 years of his professional life. In this time he has developed a sharp skill to use common objects and craft them into a visual poem. He makes his objects or creates compositions only for the purpose of photography; he does not display them directly in an exhibition. The essence of his work lies not in what people see but what people don’t see – his work requires the viewer’s participation in order to be complete. His work compels people to see and think and this is how Madoz’s photography becomes extraordinary – it forces people to engage intellectually. Madoz’s photographs created tensions between what people see and what their brain deciphers. His photographs are untitled which in itself is a paradox.

Some of his most known photographs include a shoe with its lace made of hair; a matchstick on textured wood; a cloud appearing to be trapped in a cage; a spoon’s shadow being a fork; a toffee with an eye; and many more photographs that are untitled and sound unusually interesting to explain.

This particular image has been taken from a birds eye view and the subject has been placed on a white surface. The darker areas in this image are shadows due to the positioning of the main light source. For example  just underneath the toilet roll as the newspaper begins. There is some slight shadow on the front of the toilet roll and to the left of the toilet roll too as the source of light is clearly above the subject.

In this image Chema Madoz has used books to create an archway. Not only is this image carefully thought out but must have taken a lot of time and effort to perfectly create this illusion. He has used a range of darker and lighter books in no particular order and played with shadow. Darker tones are shown in the top left and right corner and on each side of the arch while the lighter area is right through the arch. This image could have religious connotations with the idea of walking through the arch to arrive in a brighter place.

 This image includes every tonal range from zone 0-10. It's like a spotlight effect with the middle white and brighter than the rest of the image, gradually getting darker as it reaches the edge of the image being completely black with only water droplets reflecting the light. 

 Chema Madoz has used a natural shadow outside of the studio in this image. He has used what is called 'The decisive moment' a photography concept introduced by Henri Cartier-Bresson. It refers to capturing an event that is ephemeral and spontaneous, where the image represents the essence of the event itself. He might of planned this image and waited for the shadow to hit the wall, or might have shot it spontaneously not knowing of the result he would get. The floor is the darkest area of the image being a very dark grey, while the light on the wall is a pure white and the rest of the image falls in between these two zones with different greys.

This is one of Chema Madoz's lighter images mostly consisting of zone's 5 to 10 however the dark shadow on the top left side of the subject and the shadow being caste on the surface include zones 0-4. It is not completely clear what this image really is, it is an illusion up for interpretation like the rest of Chema Madoz's work. It appears to be an egg upside down with a teapot handle attached to the side.

   Image bank:

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

Contact Sheet:

Second contact sheet: (in the studio)

Another image I took in the studio:

My best images:

I really liked this first image to represent a darker tonal range, portraying a more depressing mood over all. It includes tones from zone 0 to about zone 6. The brighter areas highlight one cheekbone and the ridge of the nose. However it only reveals half of the face which connotes insecurity and reluctance to be seen. It's almost like she is revealing herself for the first time, stepping out of the shadows. Which could suggest she is revealing some kind of secret about herself, but her facial expression and the darker mood over all portray hesitation and maybe even fear. 

My second image portrays a lighter and softer tonal range. It suggests femininity and beauty as it softens the facial features rather than sharpening them. It includes tones in zones 5 to 10. The darker areas are in her hair and no where else. This image has a very different mood to it over all in comparison to my last image. This shows how much the lighting and tonal ranges effect the mood of the image. This model appears pure and simple, comfortable with being seen rather than vulnerable suggesting a strong sense of self and confidence. 

This image portrays a range of tones from zone 0-10. Because of the depth of the shadow and the variation of tones on the leaves, this image has spookier connotations. Additionally, the darker background contrasting with the lighter surface splits the image up and offers different levels of tone.

Images that require improvement

I selected the first image because I think it has potential to be an excellent photo if I changed a few things. Firstly I would use a larger light source to project a brighter light on to the subject. This would enhance the darker shadowed areas in the image, but also ensure that the righter half of the image does not fade into darkness. This image is also blurry and should be taken on a tripod rather than free hand.

For the second image I also feel that this could be a beautiful example of tone if I adjusted some things. I would also use a larger light source for this image to ensure that the white background was brighter, contrasting to the black guitar. This would also stop certain parts of the guitar being unclear as it is too dark. Finally I would shoot the guitar from a central angle and cut out other distractions in the image.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for recording tone was to photograph various objects exploring different shades and tones present either dark or light, harsh and soft. I was inspired from my research of Chema Madoz's black and white still life photography in regards to not only his ability to shoot an image with tones from zone 1-10 but the illusions he creates with random objects. His use of plainer backgrounds and simple subjects gave me an idea to follow similar guidelines. 

      The images came out as I expected, however I had to pay particular attention to getting the right lighting and positioning. 

      Referencing to my best images:

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used a Canon EOS 350d for all shots taken. I used a shutter speed of 1/50-1/60 and an aperture of f4.0. When I took the images I didn't feel like I needed to adjust anything as I felt that all of the images were coming out clear and with the correct saturation.

To improve my images I imported some of them onto photoshop to enhance the colours and adjust the contrast of my photo's to improve the over all look of the final image.

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

The artist research that I did was very helpful as it strengthened my understanding of light photography and the elements a photographer looks for when taking photos. Researching things about his personal life such as when he was born and the country he grew and lived in (America) supported me to gather a strong understanding of the context surrounding his photography. Looking at his images inspired me to search for colourful subjects and take my photos as a high standard. It also helped me to look for realistic images and signs and capture them. Finally, because of the research I developed a better understanding of the visual element 'colour' and how different colours can convey different feelings and emotions.

Philips pictures were of neon signs which were highly saturated which inspired me to tie the same approach and actively search for this. The purpose of the signs are to stand out so the saturation of these colours give the signs some punch.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of colour and saturation and Philip-Lorca DiCorcia's images. The final images produced were refined by developing the contrast and saturation. Similar to Philip-Lorca DiCorcia's images I have photographed shop signs that caught my attention and aimed to emphasise the saturation of the colours to make them bolder and more exciting than they originally looked.