One thing I have experienced through this "Frame Filler Learning Process" is my brain/eye's difficulty in letting me shoot tight enough. I found it quite difficult to frame the subject tight enough to achieve jeffreaux2's look and feel. For some reason it just went against all the "portraiture" rules I as an old timer had drilled in my head. I guess they are right when they say that it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

What I have found that brings me the results I finally have become happy with is that when I think I'm tight enough, get a little bit tighter.

This is the first "Frame Filler" that I am completely happy with. Except for the slight softness in eye on the right.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/5894719543/" title="Love My Teddy by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5894719543_4193dfb4b8_b.jpg" width="840" height="600" alt="Love My Teddy"></a>

Originally Posted by CASowers I put your tutorial to use during the recent prom season. Thank you for sharing!

I like the colors and framing. Her expressions are fantastic....she is having a great time!

The lighting is a tad hot.... especially on #2.

Thanks for sharing. Keep up the great work!

Originally Posted by jiro Mind if I share? Here's my little kid shot with a 50mm f/1.8D nikon lens. Light was coming from the main door at the right inside KFC resto. Aperture was set at f/4.5 at 1/30 second using my Nikon D70. I'm about 2 feet away from him. B&W conversion using LR and Photoshop.

REALLY nice capture of a GREAT looking kid.

Thank you for sharing here!

Originally Posted by Bryce Wilson One thing I have experienced through this "Frame Filler Learning Process" is my brain/eye's difficulty in letting me shoot tight enough. I found it quite difficult to frame the subject tight enough to achieve jeffreaux2's look and feel. For some reason it just went against all the "portraiture" rules I as an old timer had drilled in my head. I guess they are right when they say that it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. What I have found that brings me the results I finally have become happy with is that when I think I'm tight enough, get a little bit tighter. This is the first "Frame Filler" that I am completely happy with. Except for the slight softness in eye on the right.

Ahhhh, getting in tight is easier for me than learning to leave plenty of room for any possible crop option. I remember my first customer....when she wanted an 8x10 of a full length shot where Id cropped too tight. I was barely able to give her a 5x7. Yikes.

It comes natural now....but REALLY required some work to get to that point.

The "frame filler" shot is one of my favorites, too, but I don't always nail it! I tend to get too far above or to the side, which pushes the irises too far away from the center of the whites. I kinda liked this one, though, one of a series grabbed with my Lensbaby. The DOFwas actually too shallow, and most of the set suffered from missed focal points (I'm RUBBISH at manual focusing, and really need to remember to leave the f4 disk in the LB so I have a little more room to play), but this one nailed both eyes and I kinda liked it.

Originally Posted by divamum The "frame filler" shot is one of my favorites, too, but I don't always nail it! I tend to get too far above or to the side, which pushes the irises too far away from the center of the whites. I kinda liked this one, though, one of a series grabbed with my Lensbaby. The DOFwas actually too shallow, and most of the set suffered from missed focal points (I'm RUBBISH at manual focusing, and really need to remember to leave the f4 disk in the LB so I have a little more room to play), but this one nailed both eyes and I kinda liked it.

Diva,

I LOVE this shot! She looks beautiful...and about 20! I like your processing here, too. And I think the LB was quite effective. I've thought about picking one of those up. They look fun.

Thanks for the write up, Jeff. I just started thinking about going into senior photography and I'm realizing that I have to shift my way of thinking, in terms of composition. Gave me some food for thought. Thanks again :)

Originally Posted by divamum

Probably THE BEST image I've seen of your daughter. It's a hanger.

Awww, thanks Elaine and Buggs! I really enjoyed working on this one - it took a fair bit of processing, but I liked the result so much I even saved it as a preset . I will admit that the processing was inspired by some of our illustrious wedding 'togs (blnearle and tenoverthenose I'm looking at you.............. ) The only thing think I might tweak is to add some bokeh-brush "highlights" to the bg - with the increased exposure it loses a bit of texture :)

Originally Posted by divamum What is this f8 of which people speak? I'm with you - to me, "f4" is stopped WAY down (I seem to shoot at 2.2-3.5 a lot, according to my exifs)

Shooting with a 200mm at 2.8 in close as a frame filler, you'll get one eye in focus and the other eye out....stopping down to f/8 will put the entire face in focus and still blur the background...its all a matter of distance to focal length but if you like half of a face O F then 2.8 is the way to go.

Originally Posted by Swartzy Shooting with a 200mm at 2.8 in close as a frame filler, you'll get one eye in focus and the other eye out....stopping down to f/8 will put the entire face in focus and still blur the background...its all a matter of distance to focal length but if you like half of a face O F then 2.8 is the way to go.

Ah... but my longest lens is a 135 . Seriously, for 2 sharp eyes with that lens I go to 3.2 (sometimes f4), and it's just about right for a shallow dof portrait.

Your point is a good one, though - the appropriate aperture is ALWAYS going to be a combination of elements (light, distance to subject, focal length, how much of the shot needs to be in focus etc etc), and no "one size fits all approach" should ever be assumed!

Can't believe I have yet to post in this thread...

Originally Posted by Elaine Diva, I LOVE this shot! She looks beautiful...and about 20! I like your processing here, too. And I think the LB was quite effective. I've thought about picking one of those up. They look fun.

I agree with Elaine ...on all counts.


Man they sure grow up fast!

Originally Posted by anonymouscuban Can't believe I have yet to post in this thread...

Its a killer shot. Truely inspiring.

BUT

Ya gotta crop inb a little tighter to make it a fram filler. Shouldnt be room for hands in the frame!

Originally Posted by jeffreaux2 I agree with Elaine ...on all counts. Man they sure grow up fast!

Thanks, Jeff. I know you've been through it, so you know what it's like watching these "cute little girls" morph into alarmingly adult teens!!

'Course, we'll proabably all still think of her like this forever (amazing it's only 2.5 years ago!!!)

Originally Posted by divamum Thanks, Jeff. I know you've been through it, so you know what it's like watching these "cute little girls" morph into alarmingly adult teens!! 'Course, we'll proabably all still think of her like this forever (amazing it's only 2.5 years ago!!!)

Well...sure we all think of her "like that"!!!


....no harm there


My youngest has moved back home and will be commuting to school from here on out. Of course she also has a job....so we dont spend a whole lot of time together. Her older sister moved back into her apartment last weekend.

There.

Now you have something to look forward to!!!

Thanks for the tip.

I did the looking into the sun and opening your eyes trick with my son during a slow time at a soccer game. I liked it, next time I will try it with a clean faced boy though.

Jeff or any others... Which of my lens are most ideal for a frame filler? My gear is in my sig.

Should I use the 50 mm?

I think you can do them with any but your 70-200 is probably best since the focal length will cut down on the spacial distortion of the nose and such. Very important since you're getting in tight on the face.

Originally Posted by MDalby Jeff or any others... Which of my lens are most ideal for a frame filler? My gear is in my sig. Should I use the 50 mm?

It can be done with the 50, but you will want to use a breath mint first. 70-200 FTW:



110mm, f/2.8, 5DII. Although I agree with the other poster that a smaller aperture (f/5.6?) is better to get both eyes in focus. Here I got lucky that she was square to me.