Recent Seniors

Brieyasmom

Here are some recent Senior shots... any cc welcome

1

2

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Hackbone

The first 5 have a very flat lighting that is not flattering to her face. Try to get more shading similar to 6 & 8. That is much more flattering. Try not to photogrpahy ladies straight on as this makes the body as broad as possible. Turn the body away from the light source and the head back into the source. If you need to change the direciton of light try to hold a reflector or piece of art boad over her head to cut down on the overhead light and give some direction to the light.
Eight has the best light direction and exposure.

TenThirteen

I am not sure of some of the posing, but I love love love #4 and 5, looks like an album cover :-)

Bryans12v

I think you did a great job. I love her eyes in 3. 4 is one of my favs but she looks a little too soft. 8 & 9 she looks alot more comfortable in front of the camera here and it brings them over the top for me. Nice Set!

Icebear

Hackbone wrote: »

Try to get more shading similar to 6 & 8. That is much more flattering . . . Turn the body away from the light source and the head back into the source . . . Eight has the best light direction and exposure.

I'm really attracted to several of these images, despite their technical issues, particularly #4 and #5

Charles, I really try to pay attention to what you say, as you are a master, but you're confusing me here. You suggest turning the body away from the light and the face back toward. Then you point out two poses that are exactly the opposite of that as examples of better shading. Wouldn't your advice in this case result (usually) in a broadly lit face?

Hackbone

Icebear,

Thank you for the compliment, but I'm definitely not a master, just a guy who tries hard. In #8 I was trying to explain the shading on the face that makes the face look slim. Compare that face to the rest and you see a pleasing, distinct difference.

The following is from a traditional rule of posing......
On a lady if you turn her away from the light (the light coming in over her shoulder) and bring her face toward the light on a 45 degree axis this accents the bust line rather than flatening it and the light hits the shortened side of the face with the shadow side of the face facing the camera thus slimming the face. The short side of the face is from the nose to the ear. The side that has the less distance is considered the short side.

On a guy this is TRADITIONALLY reversed. Turn him into the light. You would still use a short lighting pattern to slim the face.

When you have a thin face you can light it almost anyway and it does not look broad, generally.

Pose 6 had the beginning of shading. If the black point was raised it would have been more noticable.

Hope that is clear. If not ask away and I'll try again.

Icebear

Hackbone wrote: »

Thank you for the compliment, but I'm definitely not a master,
QUOTE]

:bs

I think if a poll were taken, you'd be placed, by acclamation, in the Master category my friend.

I think I'd got my brain all tangled up and was mixing up the terms "short" and "narrow." Anyway, I don't want to hijack Heather's thread, but if it's all right with her, Charlie, could you post an example or two of what you mean, particularly wrt females. Once I understand what you're driving at, I can translate to males. If you think it would be poor etiquette to do it here, maybe you could start a new thread? Thanks.

Hackbone

John and any others, check out this video and study the facial lighting and shadowing. Don't forget to look at the bust area and see how it is accentuated. A good primer for ladies portraits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYUYTizW6Ag

briandelion

#4 & 5 are my favorites! You managed to capture such a nice mood. I like the idea of #3 but think it would have worked much better showing her arm(s) and hand beneath her chin rather than an amorphous shape. On #9 it's hard to tell at this size but it appears a bit heavily pp'd in the face area. Sorry if I unintentionally drew attention to a non-issue.

Note: you hit the jackpot when it comes to comments. These gentlemen have so much knowledge to share!

Icebear

The video is helpful in showing how important is can be to narrowly light the body separately from facial considerations. Thanks Charles.

Brieyasmom

Thank you!
You can hijack my thread any time!! The more to information to learn, the better.... Lighting is something I am trying to figure out so all the hints are great. My seniors love their pics so I am lucky they don't see everything , but I want to be able to see everything and make the pictures perfect I am getting busier and busier and want to have my work be top of the line and that is why i love dgrin and the advice etc... Thank you! and that was a great video!

lizzard_nyc

Informative thread--so if I may, I see so many senior shots here , but I never see senior shots in caps and gowns.
Are you not required to do so and they are rarely posted here because they are kind of blah? Or does someone from the school do the senior in caps and gowns? Something that has been on mind.

Thanks.

I'm learning still but I like the processing in #4 and #6.

Brieyasmom

I dont do many cap and gown pictures. But alot of the black drape for the girls. Now a days senior pictures are like a model shoot and they want multiple outfits and props etc. I don't have a studio so I have to set up a makeshift one and not my favorite thing to do. But looking around here on dgrin getting different ideas to try for lighting etc