Executive Photo

shatch

Our Chairman of the Board needed a new photo. Of course I volunteered.



Thanks for looking. Make it a great day!

Steven

Agnieszka

This is one of the best shots I've seen in a while ... Love it!

If anything .... I would have replaced the "vase" (does he have candy in there?? - haha) on his left side on the table with an old looking book ....

Scott_Quier

Agnieszka wrote:

This is one of the best shots I've seen in a while ... Love it!

If anything .... I would have replaced the "vase" (does he have candy in there?? - haha) on his left side on the table with an old looking book ....

Yup - - this is soo good on so many levels. Love it. I would have used books as well, a couple between bookends maybe?

I think I would have taken one with out the lap between him and his chair. Maybe used that in place of the candy container?

Regardless of these small nits, I'm thinking your Chairman is gonna love this shot!

What did you use to light him? A gridded strobe or something like that?

Nikolai

Steven,
lovely image!
My only nit is I find the RHP background a bit distracting. Maybe simply darkening that part in post would help.

shatch

Agnieszka, Scott, and Nikolai; thank you for the replies. Great ideas of replacing the candy vase with some old books or the lamp. Nikolai, you are right about the background. That is a good idea to darken up some of those elements in the background. Good eye.

Scott, I used a shoot through umbrella that is just out of the top of the frame. I kept it close to the subject to as to allow the light to fall off quickly. I also chocked up on the umbrella to minimize the size of the light source but allow some heavy light feathering.

Thanks again for the comments.

sweet caroline

Very nicely lit. Love the composition, as well.

scrapbooker

The focus light on his bald face adds the galre to the picture.

AngryRed

Great shot. The lighting is perfectly even throughout most of the picture but the top of the subject's head. Just wondering have you experimented with maybe evening out the highlights on the top of his head?

Again awesome shot.

divamum

How nice to see a really GOOD corporate picture (the ones I see around on posters and cards are often just ghastly), and one that's not the typical pose. The nits previously mentioned are worth considering, but I think overall it's a lovely shot. Love the warmth of the lighting - did you have to gel the flash to get it balanced like that?

VayCayMom

AWESOME!!!!!

Art Scott

VERY WELL DONEthumbthumbthumbthumbthumb

NeilL

shatch, I love the idea New and interesting.

I don't think it's quite 'there' yet, however. The main issue for me is the crop. ATM the desk is way way more important than the boss! Environmental, cinematic, yes, but the the boss is in it just to complete the 'scene'. The whole effect is 'anonymous'. Not flattering to to the boss!:D There is a dead area on the right of the frame which could be sacrificed to get more attention on the subject and reduce the overwhelming influence of that great expanse of wooden furniture. It makes me think that there is too much protesting in the pic about the 'classiness' of the boss.

Related to that are the props. This is a throwback to Hollywood 1950s. The books are fake props, any more books elsewhere would be even more fake. Even if boss is a professor of English, and I'm guessing he is a completely different animal, the books would be painfully cliche and passe.

Sure the statement, the main one that the photo is making, that the boss represents venerable, traditional values (even that kind of education, which I doubt) is a fine one to make, but this is hammered rather than just obvious. Is he really Ivy League? If not, there's a credibility problem.

Get him looking at us frankly. I suggest rest his hands from work on that beautiful desk next to a top model laptop and phone. Put a digital photo frame showing his family, or him fishing, where the candy jar is. Put some really exuberant art on those hallowed walls to show he is hip and chic and embraces sophistication of the past, the present and the future. There must be some reference to the future. People don't want a boss who is backward looking, stuck in an outdated rut, no matter how plush. The closed dimness of the office suggests he is out of touch with reality, no matter how atmospheric that might be. Open the office door, he is too isolated.

Yes, the bald pate is the brightest light in the office!

shatch

Thank you Sweet Caroline

Scrapbooker and Angryred...true on the high beams from the head (glare). There was actually a brighter reflection off the dome that I got rid of, but I should have taken it further.

divamum; thank you for the kind words. No gel. I did use a manual white balance which was a big discovery to me. Auto White balance doesn't always give the richest color.

Vaycaymom and Art Scott; wow! Thank you.

NeilL- Thank you for the detailed evaluation of my photo. Great insight and recommendations. A little more background into the photo. It was shot to be the header of a graphical email; sort of a "From the Desk of the Chairman", thus the pose of writing a message and all of the dead space to the right (used to span the width of the email). The tone of the shot and the closed door were to add to the feel to give an "after-the-end-of-the-day" email that looked contemplative and intentional with deep consideration of content.

Thank you again everyone for your comments and recommendations.

Best wishes,
Steven

NeilL

Well, it's now obvious 'background' might be better rather more to the fore if people's comments are to be relevant??!!:D

As a humorous tongue-in-cheek send up of a cliche I guess this is fine. I didn't see it that way. Who else did? Who else will, including the boss? It has a very appealing and expensive mellow nose but who will swallow it?

shatch

NeilL, I love the depth of your vocabulary. Very expressive and fun to digest.

Those who will see it and appreciate it will be those sitting across the desk from him or on the phone, will be the ones that appreciate it...or at least pretend they do...maybe... Well, I guess I am one who likes it too. But I guess as a photographer we ought to have some satisfaction of completion, but only to a level that leaves us reaching to grow to the next level also.

Here is what it looks like in use...crop and development by the marketing department. I didn't have anything to do with it but the photo.



It was intended to look different than the other emails that are sent from corporate.

Thanks again for your comments.

Best wishes,

Steven

NeilL wrote:

Well, it's now obvious 'background' might be better rather more to the fore if people's comments are to be relevant??!!:D

As a humorous tongue-in-cheek send up of a cliche I guess this is fine. I didn't see it that way. Who else did? Who else will, including the boss? It has a very appealing and expensive mellow nose but who will swallow it?

NeilL

shatch wrote:

NeilL, I love the depth of your vocabulary. Very expressive and fun to digest.

Those who will see it and appreciate it will be those sitting across the desk from him or on the phone, will be the ones that appreciate it...or at least pretend they do...maybe... Well, I guess I am one who likes it too. But I guess as a photographer we ought to have some satisfaction of completion, but only to a level that leaves us reaching to grow to the next level also.

Here is what it looks like in use...crop and development by the marketing department. I didn't have anything to do with it but the photo.



It was intended to look different than the other emails that are sent from corporate.

Thanks again for your comments.

Best wishes,

Steven

As I said in my first post I love the idea, it's new and interesting. As an email 'letterhead', at first glance it's magic. To my mind it's a pity it's not more 'real' when I pause to look more closely at it. Instead of looking forward to what this man might have to email me about I find myself beginning to be suspicious of anything he might say! That's the way the world goes round. Disregard the mind of the human beast and you peril yourself!thumb:D

Qarik

that is a rocking photo!

fredjclaus

Great shot. What type of lighting did you use for this shot?

Hackbone

Shatch, it was a neat photograph to start with but seeing how it was to be used I think it is outstanding and most importanyly different. The only nit is the head is bright. I find it useful to turn the photo upside down and the problems jump out faster. Great Job.

shatch

Qarik. Thank you for the kind comment. Stopped by your site. Great photos.

fredjclaus. Thank you. I used two strobes. One above and in front of the subject through a shoot-through umbrella, and the second was to add some lighting to the background...very soft.

Hackbone. Thank you for the complement. Great idea about looking at the photo up-side-down. Definitely puts a new perspective on a photo and you see things you didn't before. Kind of gives me a headache though...

divamum

shatch wrote:

Hackbone. Thank you for the complement. Great idea about looking at the photo up-side-down. Definitely puts a new perspective on a photo and you see things you didn't before. Kind of gives me a headache though...

Ok, Shatch, it's official: I have really, really REALLY missed you around here!! (am flashing back to Emily's birthday now.... )

Nikolai

shatch wrote:

Hackbone. Thank you for the complement. Great idea about looking at the photo up-side-down. Definitely puts a new perspective on a photo and you see things you didn't before. Kind of gives me a headache though...

DUDE!
!
AWESOME!

Richard

Rotate Photographer 180°

NeilL

Now the guys over in Comps should take the hint and do one on "The Most Athletic Photographer Not Standing"!

Shatch you would win it hands down/up/??thumb:D