Originally Posted by Sandy Thank you so much for this thread Yuri. I have an assignment tomorrow to do some more natural portraits of the model below for her acting portfolio using available light. This class will help me tremendously with choosing a location and in focusing on the elements needed to make a great portrait. Sandy

Sandy, I think I go on a limb here, but these three portraits look like they were taken with the aid of strobes. Am I wrong? And if I am - can you describe your light setup, at least briefly? TIA!

These photos were taken during a print shoot at the old Cecil B. DeMille studio at Hollywood and Wilton. The sunlight from the studio windows produced some awesome natural lighting. I took these with my 20d, kit 18-55 lense and the 50 1.8 w/flash There were strobes and studio lighting on the set, but these shots were not taken on actual set . I was working as the producer and was able to get some shots of the performers when they were relaxing between setups. I am attaching a few links to the work that was produced by Wayne Schoenfeld the photographer, and links to my background shots of the Circus'. He was honored for his work by Cirque du Soile for his charitable work w/Rotoplast. They travel to many places around the world and take clowns with them to entertain the children. He just returned from Nepal. All money from these shoots is donated to Rotoplast for their missions.

http://www.wschoenfeld.com/soleil/index.htm

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/Way...us_of_Life.fci

http://wschoenfeld.com/ethiopia/

http://sandra.smugmug.com/gallery/34...9mJY#191081358
http://sandra.smugmug.com/gallery/14...BxaFm#27900427

Originally Posted by Sandy These photos were taken during a print shoot at the old Cecil B. DeMille studio at Hollywood and Wilton. The sunlight from the studio windows produced some awesome natural lighting. I took these with my 20d, kit 18-55 lense and the 50 1.8 w/flash ...

Thank you for the clarification!

Natural light...
I am dropping this photo here because it garnered quite a bit of positive attention in the "People" forum where I originally posted it.

We were located in shade...not direct sunlight. The sun was to my left behind a building in overcast skies. The sky overhead was mostly clear blue sky. No reflectors or fill were used. We were also nearby some warm colored concrete buildings.

EDIT: I just realized this is my 1000th post!!! Thanks DGrin and Smugmug!!!

Date Modified 2008-02-26 06:22:09
Date Taken 2008-02-25 17:13:50
Camera Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Exposure Time 0.005s (1/200)
Aperture f/5.0
ISO 100
Focal Length 37mm (guess: 40mm in 35mm)
Photo Dimensions 3888 x 2592
File Size 6.32 MB

Jeff what a beautiful photo, great composition.

Originally Posted by Sandy Jeff what a beautiful photo, great composition.

Thank You.

I am pleased with it even if it was more or less an out take from a recent session.

Three lights: natural one from the back of the camera, one flash at the right and another on the left.

The light is too harsh. Next time I must use an umbrella and a soft box. Soon.

These are the portraits taken yesterday. It was challenging dealing with the natural light.

While watching this young lady's troupe perform on stage, I started thinking about the color of her hair and the hay you see behind her. When the show was over and the audience had vacated the bales, I asked if I could take this photo. She agreed, stepped off the stage and sat on a bale in the front row. I jumped up on stage and shot from above so that her eyes would stand out as much as her smile.

I chose the hay for its color, shadowing and texture, and stepped to my left to get diagonal lines in the bales. I used just enough depth of field to keep her hair in back from blending in with the hay.

Lighting is all natural; overcast skies and shade from a tree above and to her left. I increased the contrast, converted to jpeg and warmed the image in Photoshop.

All comments and critiques will be greatly appreciated.

Compressed RAW (12-bit)
Lens: 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 G
Focal Length: 100mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
1/160 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: -1.7 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 100

Originally Posted by eL eSs Vee While watching this young lady's troupe perform on stage, I started thinking about the color of her hair and the hay you see behind her. When the show was over and the audience had vacated the bales, I asked if I could take this photo. She agreed, stepped off the stage and sat on a bale in the front row. I jumped up on stage and shot from above so that her eyes would stand out as much as her smile. I chose the hay for its color, shadowing and texture, and stepped to my left to get diagonal lines in the bales. I used just enough depth of field to keep her hair in back from blending in with the hay. Lighting is all natural; overcast skies and shade from a tree above and to her left. I increased the contrast, converted to jpeg and warmed the image in Photoshop. All comments and critiques will be greatly appreciated.

I like the skin and the light.
She seems a bit tense, though, probably tired after the show and not "trusting" you yet.
Choosing the hay as a bg is a dual-prone fork for me here: for one, it tells me that her beautiful hair are of the natural hay color; OTOH, they blend together and thus create a huge hayish spot on the image. I'm not sure what could have been done here without some heavy lighting artillery, like having a hair light to separate the hair from the bg.
She's very fairly skinned, so I don't think bringing more contrast would do her skin any good (prolly would nuke it red, which we don't want). However, the whole image look rather flat. Again, I understand the tough lighting conditions and I'm sure you did the best you could considering the circumstances.
HTH

MA 2.17 Part II. Composition 4. part 4
Properties of forms

Now its time to discuss the properties of different forms. After all the composition is just a harmonious combination of simple figures, which create an image.
pic 1


The circle and oval symbolize the perfection and the completeness.
The equality of the elements in all three dimensions tells us about the static character of the form – sphere, cube, square. Such a figure is visually static, shows a quiescent state. So does a contour of the model’s figure, which can be ‘inserted’ in such a figure.
And we have the next effect here: such figures associate with the smaller size then they really are! And if the side’s ratio is different, then the more difference of the sides - the more visually bigger figure is seeing. For example, the circle is taken smaller then the oval of the same area. That is why it is recommended to the full-bodied to ware the clothes with drawing in the form of figures, equal in all three dimensions, whereas to the thin people - vice versa.

The figure of the model is static if visually it is inscribed into the figure with equal sides, or if this figure has a run bigger than an altitude.

Again I must apologize for my so-so English. I only can imagine how naïve my language is. Sorry. And also I must say that first I wanted to post here my photos with figures of the models inscribed into red-colored triangles, circles, ovals and so on… But then I decided that we are grown-up enough to draw them in our minds :-) But if you’ll have some difficulties, please feel free to tell me.


Here are some static poses
pic 2


The figure of the model can be inscribed into a triangle with two equal sides.

Two other examples of static poses:
pic 3


and
pic 4


But if only we start to disturb this balance, the dynamics (action, movement) appears.
It seems that the object starts moving itself. Or the viewer’s eyes start moving along the long side of the triangle, parallelepiped or a cylinder.

Compare these two:
pic 5


pic 6


The subjects and figures make an illusion of the movement along their most long side. This must be taken into consideration while choosing a pose for the model.

pic 7




pic 8


If the figure into which the figure of the model is inscribed is visually unstable (upturned triangle, oval, any other figure which will fall down in a real life :-), than this feeling is transmitted to the viewer.


pic 9


On the other hand it brings some vitality, as we assume that model must apply some force to stay in such a pose.

The most dynamism is given to the form by its narrowing in the direction of the size decrease. And also any form which reminds of an arrow.


pic 10


This can be model’s waist, dress elements, body’s bend. Generally, any narrowing, which looks like an arrow, adds dynamic in the narrowing direction.

pic 11


Dynamic is also can be added by the texture, which rhythm is gradually decreased. Movement effect is created by the reduction of the distance between the parallel lines. This is also can be said about the color which changes from deep to bright, or from warm to cold.

This this counts ?
Is this any good, regarding your posts ?
I must correct this magenta cast in the last one haven't I ?
What else ?

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MA 2.18 Part II. Composition 4. part 5 Balance of the composition.
The composition may be balanced and unbalanced. The most simple way to make the composition balanced is to place the object in it’s center.



But this is not the good choice. If we move the object to right or left we disturb the balance.



One part of the photo becomes ‘heavier’ and visually outweigh the other. It seems that the shot wants to turn clockwise
In order to straighten out the unbalanced composition we must put some object into the empty part of the photo.



If you will be asked what is heavier - 100 kg of lead or 100 kg of hay, in this case of balance composition the answer will be ‘hay’, because its size is bigger.
In photograph the weight is replaces by size, color or associations with heavy objects.



The figure of the model in composition can be balanced due to various movements. If the model makes a hand movement to one side, then the composition can be balanced by the movement of the leg or head turning to the opposite side. In other words gesture to one side of any part of the body can be balanced by the gesture to the opposite of the hand, leg, head or any body turn.



With respect to models any movement is an act of thought. This psychological effect assume the presence of some free space in the direction of the movement or in the direction of the model’s look. That’s what we call Developing movement principle. We take human photo not as a static object, but as a clot of dynamic energy. Power, which assume movement. In order to have place for this coming out energy, or this moving object we need this place.



In case of photographing models Developing movement principle may be formulated as an indication of the developing action. Images of movements of hands, feet, heads, bodies are taken as if model applies force, though the pose may be static.
The same about gesture. Any movement of a model which shows pronounced emotion concentrates viewer’s attention. This makes gesture the center of the composition and all the rest is just addition. Even lines of power become minor parts in this case.
We can also use this method to visually hide exterior defects.
Besides, the Developing movement can be replaces by the look’s direction.



But looks can different and they need different free space in the photograph. Calm, friendly, half asleep look needs less free space. A furious, fatal, seducing – more. A look with self direction needs no space at all.

Here are my background homeworks.

(Face position is where the red stars are.)

#1 I can shoot a dark haired woman or man on this background.


#2 Light or darkhaired woman



#3 Child



#4 Dark haired woman or man



#5 Dark haired woman or man on the outer parts, light colered hair or old person with white hair in the middle.



#6 Dark hair, long legged woman from low angle.



#7 Dark haired woman seated



#8 High angle woman or man standing



#9 Dark haired woman or man, middle mark depicts a crouched possition.



#10 Light haired woman, with reflector bouncing light back in her face. I imagined a nice rim light from the back.

Proportions


It is useful to know some universal proportions of the body. Painters assume that our body is divided into 7.5 and 8 parts correspondingly for men and women (taking into account 4 cm of women’s heel). And one part here is the height of the head. So, if we will look from top we will have 2 ‘heads’ to the nipple’s line, 3 ‘heads’ up to navel, up to groin – 4 ‘heads’, and to the knees – 5.5 ‘heads’. According to this principle the classical proportions of the head are four parts with the unit of the nose length. One part from the top of the head to the line of hair growth, up to the bridge of the nose – two ‘noses’, 3 – to the nose base, four – to the chin.

According to the ‘ancient square’ formula, the height of a human is equal to the width of hands moved apart or four times the length of his hip. A human with his hands raised and a bit putted apart and his legs moved apart can be fitted in a circle with the circle’s centre in his navel. According the Pythagor’s golden rule of the ideal proportion of the body, the distance from the top of the head to the navel refer to the height of the human as 1 to 3. The height of a human changes during the day and becomes shorter in the evening for 2-3 cm.




The model’s hand in ideal is divided into three equal parts: from finger’s end to wrist, from wrist to elbow, from elbow to shoulder.

Some parts of figure also have some proportions in width, but they don’t play much role for our portraits aim.

I noticed that there was 1 year between the last two posts. Yuri, are you finishing this class? I am really loving all of the amazing information. I was really worried that the class had been dropped without including the last chapter. Will you be going over post-processing, etc.?

Keep the info coming. It is fantastic.

Lisa

Here is a natural light senior pictures that I took last month.

<img src="http://www.admitphotography.com/SeniorPictures/Ethan-2010/Ethan-Suttle022/651338816_nzfxR-M-1.jpg">

While group shooting we can create our compositions, using bodies, looks, movements. All these triangles, squares, trapeziums made by hands, legs, bodies and looks are very attractive.



It is known, that the viewer can fully apprehend on the shot a group of only 6-7 persons. That is why we must create composition proceeding from this requirement.

If the photograph contains more people, then it looses its artistic value. It becomes a document, having its historic value that you were in this place at that time with those people, nothing more…




Fact is that human being recognize unknown object at a time of not less then 1/4 of second. There is no recognition in shorter time. Viewers, looking simultaneously at several objects or models, apprehend them not simultaneously, but one after another. We can keep in our mind only 6-7 objects at the same time.

In photography the too mixed, florid background dramatically reduces perception of the model in a picture. Meanwhile, relations and interconnections between the objects and models are much more important for the viewer then themselves. That is why the viewer sometimes see not what it is actually, but what’s gonna be as viewer thinks.

As for the psychological aspects, in any talk predominates the person most people are looking at. The same thing is with photographs.

It is known that there is a correlation between the distance during meeting or talk and the height. The higher the man is – then closer he prefers to be his interlocutor. And vice versa with women.
So during photo session (or talk) it is not good to come closer to high women, or undersized man. And vice versa.

Reflecting poses are very interesting.
We must know that distances between the models in life and at the picture look differently that is why we must make them shorter during taking photos, exaggerating poses.

Belonging of the object or a model to something whole is good when it is natural, has signs and indications of relationships with surrounding objects. As mentioned above the human can perceive at the same time not more then 6-7 elements. If more, he (she) subconsciously unite them into groups, using different ways – bordering, colour or semitone contour, relief, texture.
For photographic purposes in most cases its bad.

One of my beloved photos. “Three sisters”. I placed them together but asked to look in different directions.



They we together most of the time. But now… One stay here, another is in Spain. Dasha is in China…

Spasibo, and sorry for my English

Yuri

I'm subscribing Yuri.

I LOVE your work and I'd like to see how you do things and, maybe, adjust how I do them.

Great thread, please continue!

R/
Bruce