Headshot Marathon, 3rd (and final!) day C&C

divamum

C&C very VERY welcome! Please! Pretty please!!!

Final day of the college actors (previous sessions here and here)

~does the happy dance~

Don't get me wrong, I loved doing these shoots, but it was too much all at once when I don't do this as a full-time job, RL went nuts in the same time period, I don't have a dedicated photo-office where I can hole up uninterrupted, and both computers are right on the edge of being able to cope with running LR and PS at full-tilt for hours on end. I've got some GREAT portfolio material out of this, but I will be happy if I can spread things out a bit more in the future!!

Great experience for thinking on my feet though. It was invaluable to have a chance to experiment with solution-finding for different lighting challenges, different "people" challenges, and just generally seeing what I could come up with. Really, there is absolutely NO substitute for just getting out there adn doing it, and I sure had a chance for that!

Also, I have finally accepted my wide-aperture addiction needs to be tamed, and decided to take steps. I imposed a "nothing less than 2.8 unless you really intend to do a 'meltaway' shot". It nearly killed me, but I managed it. Mostly

In any case, a few from this final session. It was bright and beautiful so I had loads of light to play with; this also made my lenses happier, so WAY more keepers - in fact, I was able to shoot about 20% fewer frames overall, and still had the same number of deliverable shots. So, note to self... more light = better focus. Go figure :wink

In any case, some shots.

1. This was my problem child. Clearly he didn't take heed of the "what to wear" advice he was given, since not only did he wear this loud purple shirt, but the black tshirt under it had a HUGE movie logo on it. Sigh. I reckoned that the "natural light" look and background I was using on the set would be horrible with his look, so I improvised: fortunately, there was a LARGE diffuser in the office that I could snag and use as a white background -I stuck my flash in front of it to blow it out, and am pretty pleased it worked as well as it did!! Lighting's a little flat on his face, but this one was so NOT what I"d planned to do lightwise that I was kind of winging it.

He really couldn't/wouldn't take direction and was determined to do really crazy stuff. I think this one kind of works - it's not really my "style" BUT.... I really feel my brief as a headshot 'tog is to get a picture that captures the ACTORS style so... I think this succeeds on those grounds?!?!? :huh:rofl



2. Took a while for this gal to warm up, but once I got some more real smiles out of her she really started to come to life. I had cause to use that big diffuser again, since the light from the window was SO bright that it was giving us some bad hot spots. Was glad to have it! I added some fill flash from the front to try and lift it a little. Btw, ALL THREE of the girls were convinced they "aren't photogenic". All three were gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



3. And yet another one where all I really had to do was stick some light on his face and push the buttons. These kids are all SO good looking they make it easy! Apparently his dad's aphotographer, so he's used to "turning it on" for the camera, too - his eyes were always alive. This guys is just the sweetest young man - he's very good looking (quite tall) and I did so some "intense" looks of him as well, but I think it's his sweetness that came over in most of the his shots.



4 This one was a bit nervous, but we got some decent shots. The challenge with her was her hair vs which side we could light - if I turned her for some short lighting, her hair was in her eyes and it wasn't her most flattering angle. Since I couldn't move the window (!) or easily reverse her (obstructions) I had to try and figure out what to do with her. I'll be interested to see which of hers she picks in the end. I love how the colour of her hair is so rich.

(also - skin tone? She is really REALLY fair. If I warm it up any more, it's too much. If I leave it natural, she looks white. Suggestions?)

.

5. This gal is convinced she only takes horrible pictures. HOLY COW! She's so pretty in a very "current" kind of actress-y way - again all I did was push some buttons.

I like the mottled background on this as a "look", but what do you all think - do the highlights distract too much? I have a few from this position with the same backlighting (we were shooting towards a glass door), but I'll suppress them if y'all don't think they work.




In any case, DONE. Really enjoyed it, but I'll be glad when they all pick their shots and I can get the project entirely finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edited for typos

Mitchell

Nicely done, DM!! You've really progressed in your technique with this setup.

#1 - not my style. Not really sure that pose works as a headshot. Perhaps being so different will get him noticed.

#2 - Looks a bit cool on my monitor. Did you gel the FF?

#3 - You know I like this one!! I'd crop it even tighter. Excellent.

#4 - I think the skin tones are right on. I think you can bring in the left side crop a little tighter.

#5 - Excellent!! I think the best of the bunch. Sharp eyes on a beautiful woman. Crop tighter!!!

Am I a broken record??

adbsgicom

Nice stuff!!!
1. no comment on head-shot worthiness, but you took a great shot given it was what he insisted on. Great color, focus, etc..
2. Agree w/ Mitchell; a bit cool.
3. Very nice! My fave.
4. Color is fine, and think you did a great job with the color. My dd is really pale and it is a constant struggle. Looks like she's trying not to laugh, going for that Renee Zelweigger sort of smile...
5. Beautiful. I don't find the b/g distracting, but if you crop tighter it will likely be a net win. If you don't crop, you might want to remove that bit of a hair that is popping back into the frame on her chest at the bottom of the image. Sort of looks like a mole. Out of curiosity, do those nose rings come out? Might it be better for casting to not have it, or does having it carry positive connotations?

divamum

Thanks boys! Yes, Mitchell, I can crop even further. It cracks me up when you say that, though - I ALWAYS have to remind myself not to crop too close in-camera, which is my tendency - I seem to have gone to the other extreme now! rofl

Btw, Mitchell, feel free to play with the crop in #4 - I've twiddled with it for hours and am still not happy with it (I had it tighter on the left, but then it looked like it was "chopped" on that side; it just wasn't quite right). So yeah - if you're so moved, have at it!

I agree on the first shot, btw - I don't care for it, but I kind of had to pick my battles with that kid.

Andrew, I'm not sure about the nose ring. It's not to my taste, but she's young and it seemed very much "part of her" if that makes sense - if we'd had more time and been somewhere with a makeup table (rather than a college hallway!) I probably would have asked to do some without, but it wasn't wonderfully practical...

Btw, this next one, from #2's set, is for me, just for fun. It was funny how as soon as she had the "prop" of her glasses she totally came to life - I will remember that next time I have somebody who wants to do the "pasted on smile" thing, and just give them something to play with and see if it helps! Anyway, silliness - and not much use as a professional headshot especially with all the toning - but I kinda like it for my own files (it's a LR preset- I was just playing around)



(she reminds me a bit of actress Jamie Murray, who we've recently been watching as we catch up with the BBC's program, "Hustle")

jeffreaux2

I dig #5....and the add on right above my reply here......but minus the vignette/edge.

lilmomma

very pretty!!! Seriously great work!! I love #5, beautiful

sweet caroline

Love #5!!! Diva, you have been doing some seriously good work. You could quit your day job if you wanted:) Or is it more of a night job?

Caroline

Macushla

I'm sad it's over. I loved looking at all the photos and reading how you did them. They are all fantastic.

Mitchell

Here's my take on #4. I just like the eyes in the upper left a bit more.

divamum

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I dig #5....and the add on right above my reply here......but minus the vignette/edge.

Thanks Jeff!!! Yeah, the vignette was part fo the preset - I kind of liked the way it almost made a border, although perhaps it is a bit de trop.... Will play with it. Thanks!

divamum

Thanks Melissa and Caroline!

(OT Melissa, how're you feeling?)
(OT Caroline I saw your latest musician set and didn't have time to respond - they were another great batch!)

Caroline, I figure that working on this now is to establish my "retirement plan" - when I decide I don't want to sing any more, I'll hopefully have enough skills in place to seque into something else! Not planning that for quite some time, but I see no harm in thinking ahead.... Thanks for the very kind words - you guys have all been SUCH a part of getting to me a point where I HAVE the skills that you should take credit for any good pictures I'm getting too!

divamum

Macushla wrote:

I'm sad it's over. I loved looking at all the photos and reading how you did them. They are all fantastic.

Thanks Mac - glad you've liked them! It's been a great learning experience, and shooting this much has really given me a chance to grow. That said, the sheer quantity has been a bit overwhelming!! And I can't do this for them next year at the rate they have historically paid; I agreed to do it at that fee this time for all sorts of reasons, but for the future, it needs to more accurately reflect the amount of time I put into it. ~10hrs of shooting plus TONS of processing and editing .......

Anyway, I've got some GREAT portfolio shots out of it and really learned a lot about what I can do to deliver a quality product no matter what gets thrown at me, so it's definitely been worth doing despite the minimal $. Next year, however.....

divamum

Mitchell wrote:

Here's my take on #4. I just like the eyes in the upper left a bit more.

Thanks Mitchell! Yeah, I see what you mean - I'll keep playing with it. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kidzmom

So sad to see your project come to a close...BUT I know you aren't, lol! LOVE LOVE LOVE #3...Heart-skippingly beautiful. Something about the landscape orientation that just works SOOOOOO well for me. Def my pick of the bunch, but they are all so charming.

divamum

kidzmom wrote:

So sad to see your project come to a close...BUT I know you aren't, lol! LOVE LOVE LOVE #3...Heart-skippingly beautiful. Something about the landscape orientation that just works SOOOOOO well for me. Def my pick of the bunch, but they are all so charming.

I love landscape for headshots - I'm so glad that it's "come into fashion" for a while (even 5 years ago it was still kinda "out there" to do them that way, but as digital has taken over, it seems to have made it more acceptable!)

Thanks for the kind words, as always!

And I have now uploaded EVERYBODY'S proof galleries, sent them emails with links and thus am up to date on all my "housekeeping" (the part I hate most lol). I have two more selections to turn into final copies from the previous session (they finally made their pick) and then just wait for these guys to make their own choices. Nearly there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sweet caroline

divamum wrote:

Thanks Melissa and Caroline!

(OT Melissa, how're you feeling?)
(OT Caroline I saw your latest musician set and didn't have time to respond - they were another great batch!)

Caroline, I figure that working on this now is to establish my "retirement plan" - when I decide I don't want to sing any more, I'll hopefully have enough skills in place to seque into something else! Not planning that for quite some time, but I see no harm in thinking ahead.... Thanks for the very kind words - you guys have all been SUCH a part of getting to me a point where I HAVE the skills that you should take credit for any good pictures I'm getting too!

I know what you mean. I'm not even close to wanting to give up teaching, but maybe when my kids are grown I'll want to be a full time photographer. Or maybe I'll just continue to be ADD and follow all of my passions.

I feel like you and I, and some others around here, have grown up together over the past year and a half! I have noticed that you get such consistently professional results now, no one would know the short amount of time you've been working on this.

Caroline

divamum

sweet caroline wrote:

I know what you mean. I'm not even close to wanting to give up teaching, but maybe when my kids are grown I'll want to be a full time photographer. Or maybe I'll just continue to be ADD and follow all of my passions.

I feel like you and I, and some others around here, have grown up together over the past year and a half! I have noticed that you get such consistently professional results now, no one would know the short amount of time you've been working on this.

Caroline

I say let's hear it for "add" Renaisssance Women with lots of different interests and skills!! thumbthumb

Thanks Caroline. Yes, your self-portraits that you posted when you got your flash are some of the first "serious" posts I remember following in the People forum when I first started reading here (I joined the site long before I started actually started *reading* it, more fool me .... ) it It's quite an extraordinary little online "family" here at dgrin.

Thanks again!