The aim of the diploma thesis was to study and analyse emotion perception in portrait photography. In addition, we studied the different means of taking photographs and creating surveys in a way that avoids introducing any new unwanted variables.
In the theoretical part of the diploma thesis we first examined how people show and recognise emotions. We familiarised ourselves with Paul Ekman’s theory of micro expressions and with the different light setups we can use to illuminate our subjects. Moreover, we familiarised ourselves with eyetracking technology and the different options and limitations one has when compiling an eyetracker test.
We invited our models to a studio where we were taking photographs. We instructed the models to portray five different emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, fear and disgust) and shot each of them twice, using first hard and then soft light. After the images were shot, we imported them into the computer for postprocessing, where we were cautious to apply all the changes to all photographs preventing the introduction of any new unwanted variables. With the photographs now edited we were ready to start making the eyetracker tests. We tested 103 people and exported the collected data to an Excel spreadsheet where we sorted and analysed the data. Finally, we summarised our findings based on the theoretical part and wrote down our conclusions.
The final product of our research was a series of forty photographs which depict five basic emotions and results regarding emotion perception in portrait photography.
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