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From light and beyond
Dear all.
I wanted to make this post to share some thoughts of my process of trying to work with light and human beings (portrait photography). This would be the 6th or 7th time I used my simple umbrella.
I would be sharing 13 shots today not for getting critique (I am not expecting one to do that with so many photos) but mostly to share how I feel over the process.
It might be that others have felt similarly in the past or it might be that it is just myself on universe. Whatever the reason this is my story.
I was asked to shoot some corporate shots for a guy. That was a friend that knew that I am very new on that and he was okay for me shooting him. For some reason people seem to be so much trained with cell phone shots so whatever you post in front of an umbrella makes them happy. This has two outcomes for me:
1.Makes my try and fail approach easier, since I am getting less complains and thus I can not be demotivated easily
2.On the other side though if everyone is happy with my shots (I mean relatives, friends) that gives me very little feedback to grow.
At the beginning to me everything was looking quite easy. Put the umbrella there, your subject there and I was getting this shot that looked way better of what my eyes were trained. The more though I start playing with my light source (only one light source mostly to allow me to learn the gear slowly) the more I feel that I do not know anything. I feel rather a bad amateur, I feel tiny to all the other photographers. I feel overwhelmed (and no I am not expecting to be that good as most people here because I tried few times).
I see my shots and they are always just full of mistakes. Too much cropped. Too less cropped. Too much light.. Too less light. Too bad light . Too bad facial expression. I think I am going to the point that I am getting overwhelmed with all the details. Where to start? Where to stop? Where to allow my self to be my amateur self and where to push me more? Even the post processing is a big headache. How I can select only two or three shots to share here to get some criticism when I am not sure which shot looks good or bad. I am always getting surprised on how different my taste would be with the audience (audience here are friends, or forum members picking up shots I would not pick as favorites).
In my portrait photography what I described above is just the small part of the „work“. The real work is working with anyone that is in front of my lens. Directing them on how to stand, how to move their body (For some reason I do „correctly“ the head tilt but on camera always the proportions with the lower shoulder are lost or look wrong). I do not think I am that bad on making my subject feeling relaxed, although I need a lot of work on this domain.
Then that brings me on the third part. What type of mood is right? When something looks like a good corporate shot? Which is the right mood for the CEO of Deutsche Bank and what type of style you would like to use for a pediatrician? What about shooting a portrait for a singer? This just something way ahead of what I know and that would be the longest part to „integrate“.
There are times I find my self that I should try and do some workshops, hire a professional to teach me and help me work more on all these question that are inside me.
I am not expecting any specific type of comments, I just feel better that I was able to share my inside „pain“.
Below are the shots. The first part are the Corporate type (on how I think a corporate frienldy shot) (A) ones and the second part (B) are just me playing (as I try to find what I like to shoot).
Regards
Alex
A.1
A.2
A.3
A.4
A.5
B.1
B.2
B.3
B.4
B.5
B.6
B.7
B.8
I wanted to make this post to share some thoughts of my process of trying to work with light and human beings (portrait photography). This would be the 6th or 7th time I used my simple umbrella.
I would be sharing 13 shots today not for getting critique (I am not expecting one to do that with so many photos) but mostly to share how I feel over the process.
It might be that others have felt similarly in the past or it might be that it is just myself on universe. Whatever the reason this is my story.
I was asked to shoot some corporate shots for a guy. That was a friend that knew that I am very new on that and he was okay for me shooting him. For some reason people seem to be so much trained with cell phone shots so whatever you post in front of an umbrella makes them happy. This has two outcomes for me:
1.Makes my try and fail approach easier, since I am getting less complains and thus I can not be demotivated easily
2.On the other side though if everyone is happy with my shots (I mean relatives, friends) that gives me very little feedback to grow.
At the beginning to me everything was looking quite easy. Put the umbrella there, your subject there and I was getting this shot that looked way better of what my eyes were trained. The more though I start playing with my light source (only one light source mostly to allow me to learn the gear slowly) the more I feel that I do not know anything. I feel rather a bad amateur, I feel tiny to all the other photographers. I feel overwhelmed (and no I am not expecting to be that good as most people here because I tried few times).
I see my shots and they are always just full of mistakes. Too much cropped. Too less cropped. Too much light.. Too less light. Too bad light . Too bad facial expression. I think I am going to the point that I am getting overwhelmed with all the details. Where to start? Where to stop? Where to allow my self to be my amateur self and where to push me more? Even the post processing is a big headache. How I can select only two or three shots to share here to get some criticism when I am not sure which shot looks good or bad. I am always getting surprised on how different my taste would be with the audience (audience here are friends, or forum members picking up shots I would not pick as favorites).
In my portrait photography what I described above is just the small part of the „work“. The real work is working with anyone that is in front of my lens. Directing them on how to stand, how to move their body (For some reason I do „correctly“ the head tilt but on camera always the proportions with the lower shoulder are lost or look wrong). I do not think I am that bad on making my subject feeling relaxed, although I need a lot of work on this domain.
Then that brings me on the third part. What type of mood is right? When something looks like a good corporate shot? Which is the right mood for the CEO of Deutsche Bank and what type of style you would like to use for a pediatrician? What about shooting a portrait for a singer? This just something way ahead of what I know and that would be the longest part to „integrate“.
There are times I find my self that I should try and do some workshops, hire a professional to teach me and help me work more on all these question that are inside me.
I am not expecting any specific type of comments, I just feel better that I was able to share my inside „pain“.
Below are the shots. The first part are the Corporate type (on how I think a corporate frienldy shot) (A) ones and the second part (B) are just me playing (as I try to find what I like to shoot).
Regards
Alex
A.1
A.2
A.3
A.4
A.5
B.1
B.2
B.3
B.4
B.5
B.6
B.7
B.8
0
Comments
Regardless of how i blow the technical aspects of a photoshoot if i can at least draw out their personalities I have succeeded. I have had clients pick out what I thought was the worst technical photo but they liked the feel of the shot.
My suggestion to you is get a mannequin and practice the technicals. Or get stuffed animals, go outside and take portrait pictures of tree stumps, etc. Yes, I am serious about taking pics of trees using lights. It is good practice of doing full body shots and seeing how light is different from certain angles. It also gives you an idea of camera settings when faced with similar lighting situations when doing portraits.
Then when you are doing portraits it is second nature and you can work on connecting with the subject. I tend to go without giving too much posing advice to clients unless they ask or look confused. Once they feel comfortable they work in their natural relaxed poses.
I think you are making this way too difficult and it shows in your subjects. This isn't technical thing with them. Have fun with it. We all have bad shots during the shoot. The reason you have difficulty in picking shots is because you are looking at the technical aspects, not the feeling a picture gives.
Thanks Jonh,
always good to hear from you
Alex
Sorry spelled your name wrong, meant jonh.
http://addiebee.smugmug.com/
"Hang on to your dreams with everything you got. Because the best life is when your dreams come true. The second-best is when they don't but you never stop chasing them." ~ Tim Dorsey