Two from today's shoot

divamum

C&C always welcome!

Never got to try using the porch - it wasn't merely "overcast" but downright *dark* today, so artificial light was a must, if only to boost the available daylight. So... my living room had to suffice. The Photek once again proved its worth - that was a REALLY good investment! I love the thing.

R sings the big leading tenor repertoire, and needed some new promo shots, mainly for program use. He's at a point in his career (ie fairly established) where he doesn't so much need his pictures to "sell" him to promoters or to prove himself, as to work the image a bit - he's quite a casual, always-laughing kind of guy IRL, but his roles are brooding and sultry, hence why we mostly went for more serious expressions. There are some smiling ones - once I start processing for real, I'll share if any of them are worthy...

Windowlight left behind camera+flash bounced off the window right and behind to boost available+reflector



Softlighter camera left, reflector camera right (I didn't want to completely separate hair and background - we did a few like that, but I prefer these where it just kind of merges)

Qarik

the 2nd shot is so much more interesting due to the light

divamum

It's interesting, isn't it? I greatly prefer the eyes in #1 because of the complex catchlights, but the modelling shadows and planes of the face are far more interesting in the second. I will say that headshots these days often seem to favour quite flat, bright lighting - like beauty lighting - I"m not quite sure when (or why) the more "dramatic" look began to be eschewed. Maybe as a backlash to the somewhat overlit 80s "soap star" look? . I'm sure more dramatic lighting will come back into fashion at some point - what goes around comes around....

That said, that's why I try to give people both styles to choose from - they can make their own decision about which they like best. We did some other looks too - hopefully can get to those later today.

kidzmom

Two awesome captures! You are getting so amazing with these headshots!!!!!!!!!!

Hackbone

Perfect way to light a man. Light coming into his chest and great ratio lighting with a short light pattern. Great job.

divamum

Thanks Kelly and Charles! He seemed pleased with the shots he reviewed on the computer before he left, so hopefully he'll feel he has plenty to choose from. We had a good time - he's a real hoot to work with (despite the ueberserious looks we went for in these!). We did a show together a couple of years ago and laughed so hard for three weeks I thought I'd break something - not surprisingly, we have a lot of very silly outtakes from this session!

Here's one more I kind of like:

(whoops - I think I may have oversoftened under the eyes - will review that)


I will say that I want to work on extracting a broader range of looks and personality facets from each person I shoot - I seem to find one or two things that really work for them, but I'm sure that I'm only getting *part* of their personality, even in people I know. Actors who film, or model do well in front of a lens (they make it easy!), but in general, stage performers tend to get stiff and most singers I know (myself included) get very self-conscious in front of the camera. I feel sure there must be a way to get stage performers to translate their skills to the camera, but I haven't quite figured out an exact "method" yet. Still working on that....

WhatSheSaw

Maybe you need to get your stage performers and singers doing something they are familiar with. Ask the stage performers to do a soliloquy and your singers to sing a bit. Take a few shots while they are doing it and then work into something more formal. I don't know if it would work. Just a suggestion.

divamum

Thanks, WSS. I've tried a bit of that, and it didn't really work very well since stage/singing techniques are just too BIG for the camera, especially in close quarters. Also, the direction of the energy is different, if that makes sense - I once heard the difference described as triangles facing the opposite way (ie for stage, the point is at the actor, and you have to make it wider to fill the theatre and reach audience, which is the wide side; for the camera/film, it's the opposite, so you are the "wide side" and have to condense everything down into the point of the triangle which is the lens).

Best two tricks I've come up with to date are 1 to have them look away from me and then, on my count of 3, turn back with a specific "emotion" or idea in mind and 2 to remind them to take a breath just as I got ready to press the shutter, invoking that "just about to walk onstage" feeling (for me, I certainly have a "suspended animation" moment before I step out of the wings). These two don't work consistently, but it's helped some shots. I'm just trying to come up with something that may work universally, kind of like the "Sniff the temple" and "hug like it's the last time" tricks the wedding 'togs are using for their shoots. I feel sure there must be something.... I'm working on it!! (and all other suggestions warmly welcomed )