Just a couple from today...

divamum

Man, I'm whupped. Had an early start to take my daughter to an event, and went straight on to this afternoon's double shoot.

Despite having said I would never edit on the same day ever again, I just couldn't wait to see them, but I AM limiting myself to just one or two for the time being until I'm a bit less braindead!

However, here are the first two that jumped off the screen at me. I am seriously digging the natural light series we did - without a doubt my favorites of the day (so far )

I took some of this gal's husband, too - boy posing is harder for me than girl posing! Need to learn more about that. However, I think he'll be pleased for what he needs. More of those in due course.

In the meantime, just these two - there will be more (on that you may rely :rofl)

1. She wanted mostly studio shots



2. I was SO much better about giving myself more room to crop to 8x10... except for this one. I really do hate the 8x10 aspect ratio... oh well! (This was shot with sunlight being diffused by the infamous glass brick wall - the light was glorious )

Flyinggina

Beautiful!! I especially love the diffused light in the second one. What were you using to get the light in her eyes in that one?

She looks like she would be a lot of fun to shoot. Lots of personality and a sense of humor.

Can't wait to see more!!

Virginia

divamum

Thanks Virginia! She is indeed a lot of fun - glad it shows in the pictures.

The additional fill was provided by a silver reflector on camera right.

marikris

Oh my gosh, I totally see her sense of humor! I mean, no pun intended, but there is certainly a gleam in her eye

I love #2. The light is just perfect for the composition and her expression.

Nikolai

I think on the first one you put your flash too close. Her forehead is almost blown out yet the bottom part of the image is already fadiing.
Second one is lit more evenly, although a cross-breed of a horror lighting and a side lighting is not typically used without special needs. I'd also used a darker bg in this case. All in all, I like it better out of the two, she looks way more in peace with herself (and you/camera) than in first one.

D'Buggs

Good goin'.


I'm with you on the 8x10 format; just doesn't do much for me either.

I'm liking both the expression and light in #2. IMO, each compliments the other.... She kinda has a "Black Widow" thing goin on (I can luv ya,,,, but I can also devour ya ).

For me, it works.

divamum

Thanks Marikris and D'Buggs!

Nik, thanks for the specific comments. I think it must be my processing because I looked at the raw file and light is even top to bottom and forehead isn't blown - I'll redo that one and see what I come up with. This is why I didn't let myself process lots of them last night - I'm learning that my eyes seem to go dead at the end of a shooting day and I almost invariably wind up reprocessing them anyway!

Presumably "horror lighting" is uplighting from underneath? I saw that the catchlights were at the bottom of her irises, but I still like the light - I'll be using that glass wall again, I suspect (although in light - whoops, pun not intended - of what you say perhaps trying to position the reflector a little higher.... ::muses::). Thanks!

I'd say in general she engaged better with the camera in the natural light series, despite having said she wanted mostly studio shots. Another thing I'm learning is that what people SAY they want and what they really want aren't always the same thing.... My biggest challenge with her is she's recently put on a lot of weight and is NOT feeling too good about herself at the moment, consequently she was, not exactly self-conscious, but she already had primed herself NOT to like what she was going to see because she knew she wouldn't like seeing the reality of the extra weight she's carrying. I'm not sure I succeeded, but a lot of the things I tried were to make her seem as slender as possible - we'll see....

Nikolai

divamum wrote:

Presumably "horror lighting" is uplighting from underneath? I saw that the catchlights were at the bottom of her irises, but I still like the light - I'll be using that glass wall again, I suspect (although in light - whoops, pun not intended - of what you say perhaps trying to position the reflector a little higher.... ::muses::). Thanks!

Yes, exactly. It's not a bad thing, in fact clamshell lighting (with reflector or lights source beneath) is often used in fashion. However, yours is a deviation of that, and looks more like a specialty/fx lighting. Again, not a bad thing provided you wanted exactly this. My major point here - specialty lighting should be used, but not abused, otherwise you can quickly become one-trick pony.
And of course, one can call it "signature lighting" and simply run with it

whiterice

I LOVE #2.....fantastic pose/angle, beautiful lighting.

WingsOfLovePhoto

I really love everything about #2!!! I can't say that I am loving #1. I think for me it is the angle. I think it makes her look quite hefty, broad in the top and then her head looking a bit smaller. But that is just my first impression fwiw. Would love to see more

divamum

Thanks all!! Lots more to come (this one may run for a while as it's proving a slow shoot to get through)

I've now spent about 2 hrs messing around with this one photograph... just because. (note to self: get on with doing the REAL work and stop playing!!).

However.

This one's for me, not for her, really. When we were shooting, I stepped to a new angle and suddenly the reflection just jumped out at me. This was at the very beginning of the shoot before she warmed up, but I still am fascinated by the reflection - dunno, maybe it's just me! In any case...



(Yes, Julie L, that IS "your" pose!)

This image has taken absurd amounts of retouching and PP to get the look I want - probably not worth the time I've put into it, but everybody needs the occasional Captain Ahab moment, I guess

More to come in due course. I haven't even STARTED on the photos of her hard-to-pose husband!

D'Buggs

WOW!
It gets better?


I really like what you're doin' with 'The Wall'.... and 'shop.

Flyinggina

I love it - the reflection, the pp. I only wish her expression were a little more relaxed.

As for spending the time on the photo, consider it educational. Besides, if we can't run creatively wild with some of our photos, what would be the point?

I hope that you find the photos of the husband are better than you think. That happens to me - once I get started processing a set I always find something that I like and/or can do something with.

Hope you are feeling all better now.

Virginia

Khristen

The glass wall looked like it worked out pretty well! Good job!!

divamum

D'Buggs wrote:

WOW!
It gets better?


I really like what you're doin' with 'The Wall'.... and 'shop.

Hey, thanks Buggsy!! You're always so generous about my work - much appreciated.

The beauty of that glass wall is that it is in the building where I teach and nothing to do with the photo department per se, so I'll be able to use it any time I feel like. It makes the most AWESOME diffuser. There are some in that series where I actually have the college hallway behind her, but between the wide app on the 85 1.8 and the wonderfully diffuse light, you'd never know it was ugly tile and institutional walls. It's a gift (at the right time of day in the right weather, of course!! :giggle)

Most of the 'shop work was actually on her expression (see my post to Virginia below). It's good for me to practice these more advanced photoshopping skills and I really do love the comp on this photo (I'm sure it breaks all sorts of rules and is'nt "right", but I like it!) so it kind of took over last night. I twiddled with the conversion for a long time, too. Good for me!!

divamum

Flyinggina wrote:

I love it - the reflection, the pp. I only wish her expression were a little more relaxed.

BINGO! That's what took the time.... but is also probably why it looks a little forced. The photo that had the best reflection had a very deadpan expression, so I lifted her mouth from another shot and composited it in. Which led to having to adjust a bunch of other stuff to make it look as natural as possible. It took her a while to warm up and she never really went for the smile thing, which is funny because - as you all spotted - she actually has a wonderful sense of humour and is laughing most of the time! Go figure. I think she has a very strong idea of how she wants to look in photos, and the semi-serious thing is it. Learning curve for me working with somebody like her who isn't "frozen", but isn't necessarily able to completely turn it off and on.

I hope that you find the photos of the husband are better than you think. That happens to me - once I get started processing a set I always find something that I like and/or can do something with.

I just made some dufus mistakes, like not realising how far his shirt sleeves were out of his jacket sleeves (that whole series is tossers for that reason, in my opinion), and struggled a little to find flattering poses for him since he's a fairly substantial guy. I'll post some later because I simply MUST get on with this today!

Feeling much better 10 days on, thanks - was a really bad one (and no, it was NOT swine flu!! )

divamum

Khristen wrote:

The glass wall looked like it worked out pretty well! Good job!!

Thanks! I'll be using it again, I'm sure - it's the most awesome natural light source, and very readily available to me. Woohoo!

divamum

Finally getting to the male half of the shoot... As before, I'm happiest with the natural light shots - that hallway is almost (!) as good as The Magic Garage!

Unlike his wife, he is NOT a singer, but instead needed some all-purpose shots for his consultancy business, as well as for a more corporate business card (hence the suit and traditional pose/look series).

Continued C&C more than welcome (and very appreciated!)

1.


2. (need to tweak the processing on this one- it's reading too hot on this monitor)


3.


4.

sweet caroline

Good work here Diva. Definitely try the reflection thing again, with a relaxed model. That wall is very cool.

Caroline

Nikolai

divamum wrote:

Finally getting to the male half of the shoot... As before, I'm happiest with the natural light shots - that hallway is almost (!) as good as The Magic Garage!

Unlike his wife, he is NOT a singer, but instead needed some all-purpose shots for his consultancy business, as well as for a more corporate business card (hence the suit and traditional pose/look series).

Continued C&C more than welcome (and very appreciated!)

I like ## 2 and 4 !

dnie

divamum wrote:

Thanks Marikris and D'Buggs!
My biggest challenge with her is she's recently put on a lot of weight and is NOT feeling too good about herself at the moment, consequently she was, not exactly self-conscious, but she already had primed herself NOT to like what she was going to see because she knew she wouldn't like seeing the reality of the extra weight she's carrying. I'm not sure I succeeded, but a lot of the things I tried were to make her seem as slender as possible - we'll see....

I certainly couldn't tell she was feeling anything but confidence! Beautiful girl and yes, she looks like she was having fun and would be fun to be around. Great job to both you and her.

Flyinggina

I love #2of the husband!! Such a great sparkle in his eyes.

Even if these four are all you end up for him, you did a great job and he will be really, really pleased.

Virginia

divamum

Thanks everybody!

Still waiting on the final picks, but choices so far mirror my own so we're good on that. We'll see which ones make the final cut!