Brittany Proves I Actually Listen

Bilsen

OK DivaMum, Zoomer and the rest of you fine people, I'm gonna prove I actually heard you all. You don't have to like these bt at least know you were heard.:bow

These are from a shoot I did yesterday with Brittany, the newest model I'm in love with (happens about twice a week nowadays :wink). Of course, she is a model so after two hours of being lost, she showed up for a 9:00 AM call at 11:20 and we spent two hours fighting the bright, beautiful HIGH NOON sun.

Anyway, as (ahem) suggested in my last two threads, I pulled out the 70-200 (first three) and 24-104 (last 3), jammed them both at f4, used an off camera flash with a shoot thru umbrella as fill and here's what happened:



2.


3.


4.


5.


6.

sweet caroline

I'm really liking #5. The light looks great to my eye. Also, she looks relaxed despite the interesting angle of her leg. Her expression looks very open and sweet. I also like #1 except that her elbow is cut off.

lilmomma

I really like 2&5 here! #4 would be right in there except for the oval vignette, that needs to go. other than that good stuff!

Bilsen

WOW that was quick. Thank you both.

divamum

Why don't you use that 50 1.4 you've got, too? Then you can REALLY get some bokeh goin' on!!!!! All playing aside, while I am, indeed, a bokeh and "wide open" junkie in my own shooting, the point goes beyond that - when the backgrounds are unobtrusive, the subject shines WAY more. As she does here!

Seriously, these are GREAT. Everything makes sense in them - it's not "forced", if that makes sense. They're sexy because she's relaxed and confident and beautiful and ENGAGED with what you're doing, not because she's adopting "Now I Will Be Sexy" poses or pouting or all the rest.

5 is the standout in this set, but I really like 1 as well - they're both verrrrry nice shots.

3 is nice of her, but I looked at the park bathroom behind her before her face . Kidding aside, the bg is just too competitive in that one (especially when I see how much more I notice *her* in the ones where you blurred out the bg more)

Not diggin' the vignette in 4 - feather it if you want to, but like that it's neither one thing nor the other.

6 looks a little too flashy for me, although that could be processing-induced. What happens if you de-contrast it a little in post?

Great set, John - hope she's pleased too!!

ETA: I like 2 as well, but lose the tree through her head either by cropping or cloning it out

TenThirteen

Very nice! #2 and #4 (if you lose the oval action) are awesome!!

Really good outfit as well, it really works for the model, she's beautiful, and I agree with the others, the poses here just work.

Bilsen

OK OK I surrender on the vignette.

DivaMum I may try that on # 6 but belive me, that was a tough shot to even get closeand in # 3 that ain't a bathroom, it's a lodgehouse. .

Bryce Wilson

Your subjects sure are a whole lot more interesting than mine are! Nice set! Five is my favorite too.

divamum

JohnGalt_ny wrote: »

and in # 3 that ain't a bathroom, it's a lodgehouse. .

Ok, that's just FUNNY

~whispers solution suggestively in ear~ 2.8 lenses...2.8 lenses...2.8 lenses.... :lol

Hackbone

1-2 &4 work for me.

Sam

Nice set........tell her she's lucky.............if I were the photographer by 11:20 I would have been some place else.

Sam

Bilsen

Thanks all. Once we got started, I truly enjoyed working with this lady.

DivaMum, you'll just have to get your mind out of the toilet.

Sam, ordinarily I agree but this was at least partially my fault in setting up the meeting place. I didn't think of the fact that in the middle of a mountain park there would be no cell service so we couldn't even text each other until I moved somewhere else. She was lost for awhile before I did that and then it took awhile longer to find her and get her there.

On the other hand, I routinely send models exact directions and maps to the location. They routinely ignore my local knowledge, routinely use their GPS which routinely takes them out of the way or gets them totally lost. Even without getting lost, her GPS turned a 26 mile drive into 40 miles and an extra 30 min. Technology hasn't replaced us quite yet.

divamum

Actually... that wasn't the meaning I intended at all (although I can see how it could be taken that way!!). HA!! Now that's even funnier! Oy, the joy of too-fast written communication....

My GPS once took me to a driveway. Not even on a road, but off a lane. It actually made sense once you realised a mall (where we were trying to get) had been built OVER the location, but it was still pretty funny!

Alex81

#1 is my favourite, the only suggestion I could think is some backlight as the colours of her outfit are similar to the background. But it's not really necessary as the DOF is well done.

The remaining pics are good but skin tone seems slightly off.

Poses are a lot better than previous series. The only one I think could be improved is the last photo, her shoulders need to go back.

zoomer

1 is the best of the series. Back should be a bit darker she should be a bit brighter, then the separation would be there.
5 would have worked as a horizontal with some space to the frame right, and the pose looks awkward and she is locked into the camera.
Try to get away from the pose smile click process. She has that waiting for the shutter click look on her face in most of these (note she is locked into the camera and same expression in every shot). Face should have some angle from the camera, just takes a bit.
If they never know when you are going to shoot you will get more natural looks, interact with her and shoot when she looks good.
When posing less is more. Pretty girls look pretty just standing there, when they try too hard it looks overposed and unnatural.
Note 1, she is just standing there, pops a hip, and Bam...nice shot.
Break out that 50 for your next shot, shoot at F2, get some separation between her and the background. She needs to be brighter than the background....make is easy on yourself.
I bet she was fun to shoot...she is very pretty.
As always it is very easy to nit pick photos posted by AnyOne....my intent is constructive critique to provide something to work on for next time.
Progress is being made . Where do you find all these girls????

Cowboydoug

The first two are...
Hi John,
Really nice start with the 1st two images... i think you really captured little Pocahontas ... but you got cheesy after that... The hands just don't have that natural, comfortable look you first had. And that vignette dealio...
Keep going with your natural relaxed style. If it doesn't look or feel natural to you, then it isn't.
Having said that... You're a "brave" man (no pun intended) to work with such a pretty girl without a straightjacket. Or do you?

JohnGalt_ny wrote: »

OK DivaMum, Zoomer and the rest of you fine people, I'm gonna prove I actually heard you all. You don't have to like these bt at least know you were heard.

These are from a shoot I did yesterday with Brittany, the newest model I'm in love with (happens about twice a week nowadays ). Of course, she is a model so after two hours of being lost, she showed up for a 9:00 AM call at 11:20 and we spent two hours fighting the bright, beautiful HIGH NOON sun.

Anyway, as (ahem) suggested in my last two threads, I pulled out the 70-200 (first three) and 24-104 (last 3), jammed them both at f4, used an off camera flash with a shoot thru umbrella as fill and here's what happened:

dogwood

divamum wrote: »

Why don't you use that 50 1.4 you've got, too? Then you can REALLY get some bokeh goin' on!!!!!

Definitely fun watching your progress. Two models a week is a good pace. You're gonna be a pro at this before long.

Bilsen

Thanks all. I appreciate all the really thoughtful comments.

With that said, except for the vignette (my bad) and the tree I missed growing out Brit's head, I really like them all. Not to argue with y'all but I'm exercising the phoyographer's right to dissent here.

As for my 50mm, I usually pull it out only for planned headshots which we didn't do in this set. Maybe next time.

Thank you all again. I really enjoy this forum with all you great people. You'll see Brit in her other two looks from this shoot this coming week. There's a bikini in there too guys.

Yaflyyadie

Number 2 is a beautiful picture.
Just knock off the tree.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, beautiful girl.
DID YOU SAY BIKINI? bow

Bilsen

Thanks Yaffly

and the bikini is posted.