Some Pin Up Fun... at least first attempt

anonymouscuban

So I've been asked by three gals take one Pin Up portrait of each of them that they are going to have printed pretty large for a party they are having. I have a couple weeks until the day of the shoot and my wife was nice enough to get dolled up for some practice. I took quite a number of shot of her and really to mostly practice lighting and PP work. I was going to work on the PP tomorrow but I couldn't resist doing one photo. Here is my first attempt.

What do you all think? How is the lighting? How about the processing? Would really love some feedback.

Thanks in advanced. BTW, I haven't shot anything in at least a couple months and I haven't done any studio-type work in even longer so this was a little challenging but a whole lot of fun.

1

Hackbone

I think this works very well. Love the color scheme and needless to say she is a great model. Love the life in her eyes.

anonymouscuban

That means a lot coming from you Hack. I didn't push the skin smoothing too much like you see a lot with this type of photo. Do you think I did right by pulling back a bit? Also, how do you feel about the double catchlight?

anonymouscuban

OH... and the gradient doesn't look cheesy? I guess there is a certain "cheese factor" with these shots but does it look OK? I don't do this kind of stuff that much.

anonymouscuban

Here's the same shot, with a vintage touch. Better or worse?

2

Hackbone

Your gradient is fine it is the amt of skin that is the center of attention ( and I don't mean that in a dirty old guy way). I'm used to double catch lights so no on that one. However in the old days of film the retouchers would accent the catchlight and on the opposite side of the eye they would add a swoosh in the irsis. You can do that with the dodge tool in photoshop just uncheck the protect tones block and back off to about 40ish percent as you build the swoosh in.

Scrolling back and forth I don't readily see much of a difference.

Agnieszka

Your wife is gorgeous ... as always ... can't take ONE BAD photo of her, can you???

It's a very pretty photo ... However *i* don't like the gradient (looks fake to me), and I think it's a bit of a too tight crop ... I'd like to see a bit of the leg of the chair (so it doesn't look like a UFO), and a bit of her leg also. + her hands are a bit "smudgy".

My 2 cents

anonymouscuban

Great feedback Angie. I'm not sure how I feel about the gradient yet. My wife seems to like it. I'm luke warm. I will post some other shots that are not as tight. Stay tuned.

Agnieszka

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Stay tuned.

Can't wait ... can already tell that I'll love this series!

sweet caroline

So cute. I can't wait to see more. Yes, the gradient looks cheesy, but in a way that works for me with this shot. I'd love to see other backgrounds for comparison.

Caroline

anonymouscuban

OK... here is another. Hopefully not as cheesy as the last BG. This one is cropped a little looser, still not full length, but getting there. More to come:

3

anonymouscuban

And another... for Angie. Hope you like it. Not sure what to do with BG so just left it alone. I must say, she looks absolutely stunning in this shot. Probably one of my most favorite photos I've ever taken of her:

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Agnieszka

LOVE the Coke one, how FUN!!! There is something funny going on with her shoulder (I know it's natural and it happened because she was leaning a certain way), I'd still take it out (it's right between her shoulder and her neck) ... I think it will look more ... hmmmmm ... is "female" the right word? Not sure ...

As for the third one ... Love the crop and I don't think there is anything "wrong" with it, BUT if you're going with an old school look ... I *think* (and you'd need to do your own research about that) ... the "traditional" angle was straight on. Looks like you shot that one a bit from above. Don't think there is anything wrong with the way you did it, just saying And P.s. like the plain white better than the blue ...

lust

anonymouscuban

Angie... That funny thing with her shoulder is her trapezius muscle and the way she was sitting, it was flexed. I find it kind of sexy. I have to think about editing it. Not sure yet.

I shot #3 at eye level if I remember correctly but it looks higher doesn't it. Not sure if it's distortion from the lens or in fact I did shoot it from high.

Here are a couple more. Again, full length shots. I processed one a little different than the other.

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Bryce Wilson

First, let me say that I enjoyed looking at all of the shots you have posted in this thread.

The "coca-cola" shot could have been used in a magazine ad from the 40's. At least that is what it reminded me of.

For the true "cheese cake" look of pin up girls from that era, (my dad had bunches of these) I think the first pose nails it. It just has the look and feel of the innocent sexiness captured in that era. I too regret the stool though. The same pose on a rail type item that went the entire width of the frame would have solved the "floating circle" issue that I have.

As for the gradient. I both like it and dislike it. I like the way it compliments the color of her dress. I also like the way it brings her face out from the photograph. I don't like the fact that it looks "shopped" and the separation line it creates at her hair line. If the blue was lightened a bit that may go away. Or, like they used to do in pre photoshop days, a light with a blue gel pointed in that area would most likely do the trick and look more natural.

This series has motivated me to find a suitable model to try a few of these myself. I just love the whole concept and idea. Thank you very much!

divamum

For the true "cheese cake" look of pin up girls from that era, (my dad had bunches of these) I think the first pose nails it. It just has the look and feel of the innocent sexiness captured in that era.

Jen did a GREAT job with styling, and that little sundress is the perfect cut for the Betty Grable look! The original set works better for me than the black dress - even though those are some awsome Wizard of Oz red heels!! :giggle - because the overall look is more "of the period";

I like the Coca Cola one too (check to make sure none of this will be displayed publicly or otherwise encounter a CC employee - that's one of the most jealously-guarded copyright trademarks on the planet!!!).

The only thing I'd add is to make sure that your girlies do "Revlon Red" lips (and nails) - that deep, bright-red lipstick is for me THE marker of that look (more than the clothes, in some ways) and if you look at colour shots of Betty Grable, Veronica Lake, and just ads from the period (and here's another one), you can see it's ALWAYS about a variant of that bright, bright, red. You've done a great job with the pose and the lighting, and she's nailed the hair and the lashes but the lips will add a huge burst of "period" cheesecake feel to the shot, just as much as the pose The one she has on in these is close, but a little too plum-coloured (you could tweak it in PS if you wanted to easily enough - given how good the shots are, if they were mine I would take the time to twiddle with the colour via HSL in PS, where you can do it on a layer).

Pretty much everything everybody's said is "photographer nits", though - the shots are GREAT!!! You're going to have a blast with these.

Oh, and re the processing: I actually like the vintage-y look, but you can probably go a little further - many of the pinup cards have a definite hand-painted look to them (which brings us back to.... lipstick Obsessive - MOI?!)

PS OOOH!! Here's an awesome page "1940's fashion - Makeup Guide

zoomer

A good photographer can shoot anything. Your technicals look perfect. The background is perfect. The model is perfect...you knew that .
The poses/crops and the prop if I am being VERY nitpicky are the only room I can see for improvement with these.
Very nice work. For a first try you knocked these out of the park!

Hackbone

The Coke and Blue rock like H E L L !! Just about up there with Alvarado.

Qarik

more boring sots of your wife *sigh* haha. Great..I enjoy the wider shots. To me the teeth and eyes are touch over done but thats just me.

anonymouscuban

WOW... thanks everyone. Really great feedback here. I don't disagree about the stool but it was the closest thing I had to the period. I wanted to shoot some with her bike - it's a beautiful Electra vintage style cruiser - but it was dusty and she didn't want to wait while I dusted it off. Maybe next time.

The lipstick... My wife doesn't wear bright lipstick. The one stick of red she has she left at work and didn't realize it until yesterday. I had planned to make more red in post but didn't think it needed it. Now I see that it does. I will rework them. I also have a few more to post.

I'm still a noob when it comes to equipment. I only have two BG.. white and black. I don't have any gels and I only have two strobes. I'm ordering a third alien bee today. If you saw my setup, I think you'd be impressed that I got these shots.

Overall, I'm really happy with these and I am more confident about giving the gals what they want. I'm pretty sure I will be able to deliver the goods.

Hackbone

Alex, it's not the equipment but that you know how to use it. I know a photographer in Kansas who makes a really great living shooting models using a 100 watt light bulb in an ACE reflector. He holds the camera in one hand the the reflector in the other and his stuff rocks.

Again, congratulations on a great model and knowing how to paint with light.

Sam

If I were you I would be dancing in the street!!!

My favorites are the first one (remember to number your photos next time) and the Coke one.

You absolutely nailed the look! The only thing I can think of is to sugest once you get the lights set up. Go for the planed shot then PLAY try different angles, take some wider shots ( you have plenty of them little pixel things for cropping). Try different angles, try tighter, try different angles, etc.

With all three gals at the same shoot could be a blast with each of them trying out do the others and losing up.

But over all your talent is showing through......clap

Sam

anonymouscuban

Thanks Sam. I went back and number each photo. Here is another shot. This time, I really pushed the processing to make it look almost painted. What do you think? Not sure I like it but I this maybe the look that these gals are looking for so I thought I'd work on it.

7

Sam

Alex,

#1 and #3 are the pin-up money shots.

Don't over think or try and make it more difficult than it is.

While # 7 is definitely a pretty wife, it just doesn't say 1940's pin-up.

Sam

divamum

Sam wrote: »

Alex,

#1 and #3 are the pin-up money shots.

Don't over think or try and make it more difficult than it is.

While # 7 is definitely a pretty wife, it just doesn't say 1940's pin-up.

Sam

^^^ what he said

anonymouscuban

Yeah... UGH!!! I stepped away for a bit and now I see that the last one is waaaaaay too much. Not gonna over think. Here's another.

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anonymouscuban

Here is a rework of the first one I posted. Added the red lipstick (thanks Diva) and I worked the gradient it a bit. I think it looks much better now but is it still too fake looking?

Before:



After:

Sam

Alex,

The rework is good. Now the only think I would tweak if possible are her hands. Other wise please leave it alone before you start going backward.

Sam

anonymouscuban

OK Sam. I'm leaving that one along since I'm not sure I can fix the muddy hand. It's blurred in the original due to the aperture I used. So just like KFC, I went back to the original recipe with this next one. BTW, sorry to keep spamming this thread with photos but I'm having a lot of fun with these and am enjoying sharing how this is evolving with you guys.

Qarik

rockin!

anonymouscuban

Qarik wrote: »

rockin!

Thanks meng. You're pretty critical and I often agree with your opinion so your positive feedback is a good sign. There are a couple here I'm not too happy with but they were part of my experimentation. Overall, I pretty excited with the results.