Reference to Caravaggio, Chiaroscuro, Tim Walker Photoshoot

Today we looked at artists Caravaggio, Chiaroscuro and Tim Walker in search for inspiration for our Short films/Music videos and also for tips on lighting and how different artists from different times used it.  I really like Tim Walkers style of photography with the lit up spheres as they seem to follow the lines of the human body when they are worn like a garment. It also helps light up the body and none of the area around it in low key lighting conditions.











 


What did I learn from the workshop: I learnt about how lighting really plays a key role in setting the mood for a scene. The Caravaggio sets the scene for a spooky or sense scene with less light. As the humans main sense is sight we tend to feel uncomfortable when the lighting is low or very dark as we cant see very well, this indicates that there is something in the dark that we cannot see. So the tension rises and that's why most thriller and horror films are typically set at night or in dark places. 

For example in this very short clip here from the Hunger Games Mockingjay part 2 we have Caravaggio lighting in very located areas in little areas of torchlight. This is very effective as it only reveals certain small areas of the set whilst the rest remains pitch black. This makes the audience wonder what's behind the darkness rather than the torchlight. Along with rising sus pensive music it makes a very good scene. 

Chiaroscuro is the complete opposite of Caravaggio lighting it is very bright but it can deliver similar effects. Very Bright light can be a code for disorientation. For example if you look at a bright light for long enough and close your eyes you can still see streaks of where you were looking at the light blurring your vision if you look into a darker space. This is used in the film industry to show disorientation. 

 

For example in this scene of Sherlock: The Hound of Baskerville, the bright light gives the audience a disorientated feeling when watching. The disorientation makes them feel vulnerable as they don't know what's going on as well as they could in normal conditions, this effect is added by the lens flare. Its similar to Caravaggio as both lighting techniques hides certain aspects of the sequence from the audience making them feel uneasy.