Seniors | Cate

JonDraperPhoto · April 5, 2011

Here's a couple photos I took at a photoshoot just yesterday! You can check em all out and Comment on my blog at www.jondraperphotography.com. Would love to hear what all of you guys think! Thanks!

<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv317/JonDraperPhotography/?action=view&current=6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv317/JonDraperPhotography/6.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv317/JonDraperPhotography/?action=view&current=8.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv317/JonDraperPhotography/8.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

zoomer · April 5, 2011

She looks like a lot of fun, I like that 4th shot. Nice job.

Zooming · April 5, 2011

Hi,

I'm new here and first I check this post, really amazing.
Beautiful picture, look like that she enjoys the photo shoots. Thanks for sharing.

JonDraperPhoto · April 5, 2011

Thanks guys!

chrisdg · April 5, 2011

Hi Jon,

Nice looking photos and blog site. Congrats.

two questions:

on that second photo above, is that ultra-shallow depth of field coming from the lens alone, or is there some blurring being applied in post-processing?

On the first photo, there is a small dark spot on the street to the far left of the pretty lady, perhaps a leaf or rock. Did you intend to leave that in the shot, versus cloning it out? It keeps drawing my eye away.

JonDraperPhoto · April 5, 2011

I actually meant to clone that out.. and it will be cloned out before the client can buy or anything like that. I just forgot about it during the actual editing and I already have thought about going back and doing that. Thanks!

And as far as the DOF, that is all out of my lens. It's a [Canon 85mm 1.2L] and is one of the best Canon lenses out there. I love it and the bokeh is just incredible

Mark1616 · April 6, 2011

Cool, you have some great shots on your blog, got to love the 85mm f1.2 on full frame

mpriest13 · April 6, 2011

JonDraperPhoto wrote: »

I actually meant to clone that out.. and it will be cloned out before the client can buy or anything like that. I just forgot about it during the actual editing and I already have thought about going back and doing that. Thanks!

And as far as the DOF, that is all out of my lens. It's a [Canon 85mm 1.2L] and is one of the best Canon lenses out there. I love it and the bokeh is just incredible

did you shoot that one wide open? what was the f-stop? When i shoot wide open with my 50mmf1.4 I can't get the entire subject sharp enough. What's your secret?

Icebear · April 6, 2011

I'm going to sound like some sort of curmudgeon here, but hope you take my comments positively, even if you totally disagree. The first image is IMO waaayy too much about the street and not enough about the girl. It's a great pose. If it were mine, I'd crop hell out of it.

While I really like the posing and expression in the second image, I think you let yourself get too carried away with the coolness of your f/1.2 glass at the expense of creating a pleasing image of a pretty young woman. Yeah, I know more chain-link fabric in crisp focus isn't going to improve anything, but your DOF is SO shallow that I think it actually accentuates the fence.

You were appropriately snapped in on her eyes but your technique looks (to me) like it would be more appropriate for an old lady, where you really didn't want to see her skin and hair too clearly. I think you would have had a better portrait had you shot that one around f/4.

reyvee61 · April 6, 2011

Icebear wrote: »

I'm going to sound like some sort of curmudgeon here, but hope you take my comments positively, even if you totally disagree. The first image is IMO waaayy too much about the street and not enough about the girl. It's a great pose. If it were mine, I'd crop hell out of it.

While I really like the posing and expression in the second image, I think you let yourself get too carried away with the coolness of your f/1.2 glass at the expense of creating a pleasing image of a pretty young woman. Yeah, I know more chain-link fabric in crisp focus isn't going to improve anything, but your DOF is SO shallow that I think it actually accentuates the fence.

You were appropriately snapped in on her eyes but your technique looks (to me) like it would be more appropriate for an old lady, where you really didn't want to see her skin and hair too clearly. I think you would have had a better portrait had you shot that one around f/4.

I tend to agree with John here or just change your angle slightly on the second one so that the fence is not so distracting (tack sharp focus) and aim your focus entirely on her face which I realize will not be entirely possible at 1.2. I realize done is done with these but consider this on your next outing.:D

JonDraperPhoto · April 7, 2011

I understand where you guys are coming from. Though I really wasn't shooting at a low aperture because of the lens or being able to brag about it or anything. The light ouside was almost completely gone and I really needed the extra light for the shot. I also consider myself contemporary and I try to do things not so traditional. So I do have photos I took up closer to her in the middle of that street.. but it was because of the street and the shot itself that I chose to use the one less cropped in. I kinda model myself after photographers like Michelle Moore who do lots with shallow DOF for the most part and I believe it looks more professional. Their poses and photo cropping is also less traditional. There were plenty of other shots in the shoot that were shots the client would like. But I also take some photos and angles that I think look nice as well which keeps me interested. I know Michelle Moore actually posted a post on her blog about shooting head-shots at f1.0. I'm a fan of that look so I guess it's just kind of an opinion thing. Thanks for you input!

reyvee61 · April 7, 2011

Ultimately as photographers our aim is to please the client but being an artist/musician I can understand the need to fulfill your artistic visions. The down side is that so many times we let our artistic visions get in the way of what the client wants. Sometimes this works other times not..... especially if the client is very specific with their needs.
I think it's great to be able to emulate different styles, we all do it I'm sure so it certainly does not hurt to have those options in your repertoire.

JonDraperPhoto · April 7, 2011

Yeah, I understand. Though I also have advertised myself as that type of photographer and I believe people ask me to take their photos over other photographers because of a style difference from the typical senior photo

chrisdg · April 7, 2011

JonDraperPhoto wrote: »

Yeah, I understand. Though I also have advertised myself as that type of photographer and I believe people ask me to take their photos over other photographers because of a style difference from the typical senior photo

I would agree with this. The clients certainly looked over Jon's portfolio before hiring him, and therefore wanted images in this style. If they want safe or traditional photos, they would've skipped over Jon and moved on to the next photographer.

divamum · April 7, 2011

I have to say that I'm a big thumb up for shallow DOF like that shot - love it. Yeah, it may be trendy right now and is arguably a "fad" but.... I still love it

It might have worked better if she were just slightly forward into the focus sweet spot so that the chainlink didn't jump out quite so much, but I think that's arguable, and I do like it

Agree with comments about the first one - would love to see a tighter crop because I find myself looking at the street-lamps....

Hackbone · April 7, 2011

I very much agree with having your own style and negative space around your subjects. However with that in mind you still need to have direction of light and these appear to be flatly lighted. In my humble opinion (and take it for what you consider it to be worth) you need to have a bright side and a less bright side to the face to create depth. You can have light like the girl on the fence to create that model look when you mean to do it. You've got some great stuff here just look for direction of light.

JonDraperPhoto · April 7, 2011

Thanks everyone! And as I am an all natural light kinda guy, I typically am looking for open shade with good natural reflectors bouncing back up in the subjects face, back lighting (from the sun), or for the sun to go down behind the horizon (like #1). Thanks!

reyvee61 · April 8, 2011

JonDraperPhoto wrote: »

Thanks everyone! And as I am an all natural light kinda guy, I typically am looking for open shade with good natural reflectors bouncing back up in the subjects face, back lighting (from the sun), or for the sun to go down behind the horizon (like #1). Thanks!

Still I have a difficult time focusing on your subject because of the amount of blown area directly above her. This same shot would have probably worked better at a later time of day since you are strictly a natural light shooter.
Rules were made to be broken but I agree with Charles...nothing wrong with trying to find the best light in a given situation...

reyvee61 · April 8, 2011

Thought I'd share a recent Tweet from Scott Robert:

Your great idea will face immense opposition because it changes the way people think, success belongs to the brave

jeffreaux2 · April 9, 2011

In your original post you asked folks to share "what they think" about the photos.

I know for fact that at least one of the folks who commented on your "senior photos" makes it part of his business to attend workshops and seminars all over the country on (you guessed it) senior portraiture.

He is very well versed on whats "in" with senior portraits both from a marketing and a style standpoint.

JonDraperPhoto · April 17, 2011

Yes I did. And thank you all very much. I'm not upset at all with any of the feedback. I'm just giving reasoning for doing what I did. Thanks!

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