Transition project tasks - Walter Hugo

This picture of actor Eddie Redmayne is one of Walter Hugo’s glass-plate 'Positives'. It is from a series of one off portraits of ‘leading London creative taken as part of the ongoing series Reflecting the Bright Lights: Capturing a Moment with Silver Nitrate’. I really like the technique and the material that the photographer has used as it makes the picture look like it’s from another time which adds a sense of mystery to it.

Walter Hugo’s choice of model I think is quite clever, Eddie Redmayne has quite an authentic British look; with his clean crisp white shirt and black blazer makes him look like a business man that works in London, but then the top button of his shirt being undone makes him more relaxed as if he could be going out to a cocktail bar.

I love the fact that the light is coming from the right hand side and is making the model slightly squint. The shadow it creates on the left hand side is really soft and turns the edge of his face into a silhouette that blends into his hair.

The models face being sharper than the background makes him the main focuses point but because the styles quite strong it encourages the audience to look closer at the rest of the image. The background looks as if it has been placed into a tray of water or some sort of solution. This may have been created during the developing process.

The image flows quite well as it is portrait rather than landscape, I think its because the models face is quite thin and his shoulders are in inline with the border; it almost elongates his whole body making it slimmer. This creates quite an interesting perspective. The picture has been taken from eye level so if it were to be hung in a gallery it may look as if someone is looking through a window. They are developed onto pieces of glass so they could be hung with light shone through or put in front a light box.