[Level 12] Senior Yr (mega post)

Darren Troy C · December 2, 2009

C&C always welcomed at my bar! Pull up a chair and have a drink.

1. (Lexi)

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12. (& her friend Gillian who tagged along for the fun)

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

Quincy T · December 2, 2009

These are some truly amazing shots you have here. 10/10, sir. The only thing I have an opinion on is, in number 15 and 17, the pictures seems underexposed/overexposed, respectively.

Thanks for giving me some great ideas and inspiration. Awesome stuff.

kidzmom · December 2, 2009

Wowza!! These are INCREDIBLE! I absolutely LOVE the entire first set!!!! Just priceless pictures. Your processing is so unique and individual. Each image is a work of art in its own right. That texture you added to a few of them is gorgeous. You do some phenominal work (very inspiring). I can't stop looking at them. NICE!

nightpixels · December 2, 2009

Awesome pictures with beautiful post-processing!

eL eSs Vee · December 2, 2009

Number 8 is the best of the lot, in my opinion. Love the composition and your unique color and processing. Very artistic and very well done!

nightpixels · December 2, 2009

Sword and Scales wrote:

These are some truly amazing shots you have here. 10/10, sir. The only thing I have an opinion on is, in number 15 and 17, the pictures seems underexposed/overexposed, respectively.

Thanks for giving me some great ideas and inspiration. Awesome stuff.

Perhaps the Artist's choice, if I were to guess.

The_Fat_Zebra · December 2, 2009

I love this series, and I don't think 15 or 17 are overexposed, great high-key stuff, I'm hoping to be able to do that someday. Eight also had me intrigued very much, maybe a bit soft contrast on the face, but great pic. All the others are great too, love the one with the horse.

Darren Troy C · December 2, 2009

Wow, thanks so much for the very kind comments from you all!

divamum · December 2, 2009

LOVE.

And your shot against the stairs has inspired me to see if I can use my own as a backdrop (I don't really have enough space, but it's a neat idea when they're DOF blurred out like that)

Love the processing, too. This set seems to be the perfect meeting between senior portrait and fashion-style shooting, with both ideas served well. Great job!

MissB · December 2, 2009

fantastic!!! I love the varying use of processing and textures. Adorable model I really like your style. I think i've gained some inspiration for my next senior photo shoot..thank you!

Wil Davis · December 2, 2009

OK…

1: OK
2: cropping? framing? vertical? Top right looks like the slide moved in the frame… (slide?)
3: Nice… …but (i) verticals (ii) she's on the wrong side of the frame, and she's looking out of the frame, which makes it look like there's wasted space on the right… If you're not very careful, the leaning verticals end up looking like accidents…
4: Nice, but crop just the head & shoulders, and have her look at the camera, and get her eyes in focus
5: Crop like mad; don't need the horizontal top of fence
6: blown highlights; focus
7: does nothing for her figure (#3 much nicer! mmmm!)
8: the frock is way too fussy; it takes the attention away from her very beautiful face; the frock looks like chain-mail which is fine if she's going for the "Mithril" look, I suppose…
9: eyes & face good, but focus needs to be really sharp; her body merges into the furniture; crop (square?)
10: Good idea esp having her in profile, but I'm concerned about the light-coloured cushion blending in with the background; makes it look like she's crouching over the chair (neither sitting, nor standing…) sort of weird…
11: she's confident, but I don't like the blur…
12: chopped head, chopped legses, blown highlights, noise and/or grain?
13: better if she'd been looking at the camera
14: those colours clash like hell! ouch! Focus is on the pattern in the cardigan (rather than THE EYESES!)
15: Too central - pillars growing out of head (change viewpoint slightly); also when sitting like that, that particular viewpoint makes her legs look short and dumpy, esp. with those very snug looking boots.
16: Full on shot makes her body look wide; blown highlights
17: er, um - well, the floor is good!

There you have it! (great looking girl, BTW!

)

- Wil

bloomphotog · December 3, 2009

Masterful. I love the consistency between the shots. What lens did you use?

Darren Troy C · December 3, 2009

Wil Davis wrote:

OK…

1: OK
2: cropping? framing? vertical? Top right looks like the slide moved in the frame… (slide?)
3: Nice… …but (i) verticals (ii) she's on the wrong side of the frame, and she's looking out of the frame, which makes it look like there's wasted space on the right… If you're not very careful, the leaning verticals end up looking like accidents…
4: Nice, but crop just the head & shoulders, and have her look at the camera, and get her eyes in focus
5: Crop like mad; don't need the horizontal top of fence
6: blown highlights; focus
7: does nothing for her figure (#3 much nicer! mmmm!)
8: the frock is way too fussy; it takes the attention away from her very beautiful face; the frock looks like chain-mail which is fine if she's going for the "Mithril" look, I suppose…
9: eyes & face good, but focus needs to be really sharp; her body merges into the furniture; crop (square?)
10: Good idea esp having her in profile, but I'm concerned about the light-coloured cushion blending in with the background; makes it look like she's crouching over the chair (neither sitting, nor standing…) sort of weird…
11: she's confident, but I don't like the blur…
12: chopped head, chopped legses, blown highlights, noise and/or grain?
13: better if she'd been looking at the camera
14: those colours clash like hell! ouch! Focus is on the pattern in the cardigan (rather than THE EYESES!)
15: Too central - pillars growing out of head (change viewpoint slightly); also when sitting like that, that particular viewpoint makes her legs look short and dumpy, esp. with those very snug looking boots.
16: Full on shot makes her body look wide; blown highlights
17: er, um - well, the floor is good!

There you have it! (great looking girl, BTW! )

- Wil

Isn't SUBJECTIVE creativity wonderful?

Agnieszka · December 3, 2009

Oh pretty deliciousness!! Beautiful set

clap

BriShay · December 3, 2009

WOW, don't like 16 LOVE LOVE LOVE 17 its my fave, the rest are pretty FABULOUS too!!!!!

Wil Davis · December 3, 2009

Darren Troy C wrote:

Isn't SUBJECTIVE creativity wonderful?

I'm sure you're right, but perhaps you'd care to enlighten me by explaining exactly what you mean; however, consider which do you think you would learn more from:

1) A description of how I see each picture, including what I consider to be flaws

2) A simple "Me Too! Me Too! Me Too! Wonderful! Fabulous!

etc. etc."

Be honest now…

- Wil

VayCayMom · December 4, 2009

Very cool set, please share some PP tips, please...

Darren Troy C · December 4, 2009

Wil Davis wrote:

I'm sure you're right, but perhaps you'd care to enlighten me by explaining exactly what you mean; however, consider which do you think you would learn more from:

1) A description of how I see each picture, including what I consider to be flaws

2) A simple "Me Too! Me Too! Me Too! Wonderful! Fabulous! etc. etc."

Be honest now…

- Wil

All's well my friend.

However, things like....

she's on the wrong side of the frame. (There's a "right" side?)

crop like mad and have her look at the camera. (I asked her NOT to)

a too-fussy frock that looks like chain-mail. (She asked me if she could put it on and I said "Why, yes of course, it looks like chain-mail and that's pretty damn cool)

don't LIKE the blur. (really small apertures - and I'm not even suggesting you need to know this so please don't take it that way - especially when focusing on the EYES, lead focus to where you want it and in this case, her beautiful eyes)

colors clash like hell (I'm assuming your serious so we'll just let that one ride)

All SUBJECTIVE, every single one listed above....which is cool because we're allowed to be so.

The rest of the comments about blown highlights, OOF eyes, etc. are spot on and all OBJECTIVE. That was my point. I'm not ruffling feathers and don't whine when I receive less than stellar feedback. SUBJECTIVE decisions should NEVER be placed under a microscope, which I suppose is a bit of a misnomer around here because any image posted is subject to such.

Anyway, like I've said all along.....all's well.

Darren Troy C · December 4, 2009

VayCayMom wrote:

Very cool set, please share some PP tips, please...

Quite easy. I love working in layers. Duplication, desaturation, multiplying....in that order. I NEVER use pre-sets or actions. Not saying I wouldn't, just don't have them....have never set them up.....and don't plan on it until I can afford the whole stinkin' lot of 'em.

Every single image, while somewhat similar in PP technique, has different values either on contrast-brightness or desaturation-color curves, etc....or all combined. I will tweak an image until I LIKE it, simple as that.

Thank you all for your wonderful and helpful comments and critiques.

mtbparker · December 4, 2009

I like this series quite a bit. Very nicely done. I now have another thing to work on.

As far as any constructive criticism.

1) I love the horse, the scene, the colors. It's a very peaceful scene. But I wish she were actually touching the horse and connecting with it. She comes across as hesitant and therefore lacks that feeling of love that would up that photo several notches.

#2 & #3 are just awesome.

7) Doesn't work for me. I think it's more the outfit and a body shape that's not working for me.

10) (and others) This is a comment about me and nothing about your work. I simply don't understand those Eskimo boots. It's a fashion I'll never get. #10 is a beautiful picture of a beautiful girl, sexy slender figure, then at the bottom are these two boat anchors. Had she gone with a light weight shoe, socks, or perhaps barefeet, I'd feel that everything fits.

A very, VERY nice set of photos.

Tom

adbsgicom · December 4, 2009

Very nice series.

My little nits:
#1. Feels like she's tilted away. Also, if she were touching the horse, you'd get a profile of the hand and connection. Like the processing.
#2. Tilt doesn't bother me. I cant see any detail in her hair tough and there is a bit of black on the far right that you may want to clone out. I assume it is the other side of the door jamb.
#3. Not liking this one as much. Feels very grainy and face isn't in focus.
#4. One of my faves of the group. A bit dark, but nicely composed.
#5. Like this one. Another fave of the group. Still on the darkish side, though.
#6. Love the idea, but her face is too blown for my taste.
#7. Like the processing and texture a lot. Her face seem too much OOF though.
#8. Thee a bunch of red color shift around her face. Neat idea though.
#9. Nice image.
#10. Not digging the legs. The loss of detail makes her seem like she's bow-legged. Upper half is very nice.
#11. My favorite of the set.

Didn't seem to like this part as much:
#12: Very grainy.
#13: bit dark on my monitor, nice setup.
#14: focal point seems off. Sweater is more in focus than face.
#15. Ditto.
#16: Reds are totally blown on my monitor and eyes seem a bit soft.
#17. I don't like this pose at all. The chair doesn't work well here, and the wires in the corner don't help. I get the high-key aspects, but just not working for me.

In all, though, I like the varied places and looks you have, and I suspect that she will be very happy with what you've produced, and I appreciate you sharing them for critique.

Darren Troy C · December 4, 2009

Thanks so much for the encouragement and extra pointers! One of my most fun sets, yet.

CTUphoto · December 5, 2009

I know I'm a little late, but....

Darren Troy C wrote:

Quite easy. I love working in layers. Duplication, desaturation, multiplying....in that order. I NEVER use pre-sets or actions. Not saying I wouldn't, just don't have them....have never set them up.....and don't plan on it until I can afford the whole stinkin' lot of 'em. Every single image, while somewhat similar in PP technique, has different values either on contrast-brightness or desaturation-color curves, etc....or all combined. I will tweak an image until I LIKE it, simple as that.

I hate being the 94th person to chime in with "Me Too! Me Too! Me Too! Wonderful! Fabulous!"

So I'll just say what with regard to the above, I'm way impressed that your work is all preset/action free. I wouldn't have bet money on it. Your PP is nothing short of amazing. Great work Darren.

Why, yes of course, it looks like chain-mail and that's pretty damn cool

<< still laughing at that.

~jb

jeffreaux2 · December 5, 2009

For me....the vertical oriented frames especially are too large to get the entire image on my monitor without scrolling. My hunch is that some of the compositions at their current ratios won't allow for cropping to a more common print size.....but....without being able to see them in their entirety.....no critique from me!:D

ivar · December 6, 2009

Darren, I really enjoyed these

JulieLawsonPhotography · December 6, 2009

My comments reflect the others. Wonderful series, love the use of texture in #7. She looks so relaxed in front of the camera.

[Level 12] Senior Yr (mega post)

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