This week's gal (C&C)

divamum · January 9, 2013

Hi folks!

I know I've been a bit quiet - lots of mini-emergencies to deal with (concussed Mini-D, puppy collapsed out of nowhere on NY day - fine thankfully, but we've spent a lot of time in various ER's in the last 3 weeks!!) and just continuing busy across the (alleged!) break. Whoosh. Still checking threads even when no time to comment - some fun work from everybody, as always!

Anyway, first shoot of the year was on Monday. Sweet young singer, but a tricky session.

Problem #1: she's a "pants mezzo" (ie the roles she sings are the young-guy-sung-by-a-woman roles that are all over opera), but she only brought gowns to wear. No problem with her looking feminine - and I usually recommend to my mezzo clients that we try to balance projecting their "type" with a good feminine look - but she didn't give me any real options to offer both.

Problem #2: one-shoulder dress. These are a PITA to shoot in headshots: if you shoot from the bare side they look too naked and if you shoot from the shoulder side (which usually has some kind of frou-frou on it) it's just weird. I'm considering banning them from now on.

Problem #3: I think she has strong ideas about what she wants, but she's young and inexperienced (especially in front of the camera), this is her first set of headshots, and she had a lot of trouble articulating what she was hoping to see/project. I have NO IDEA if I've got anything she likes (she hasn't seen them yet), so it will be interesting to see if I guessed right. I've tried to give her a mix of things, but felt like I was really shooting blind since she was quite reserved, too.

Problem #4: she's convinced she's overweight (she's not - she's not a stick figure, but she isn't in any way fat) and kept asking me not to include ANY of her body in the images.

I think from now on I'm saying NO to one-shoulder dresses, and I'm going to make all clients bring me one photo of themselves they LOVE and one that they HATE, if only to give me some ideas - my psychic powers felt taxed on this one.............

Anyway, some of the shots I like and have worked up before I send her the proof set .... C&C always welcome!

1. She fought me on a stronger red lipstick with the dress; I would love to see this with bright Revlon Red lips, but at least I got her to put on a little more. I could tweak it further in PS, but I want to judge her reaction first....

And since she kept asking for close crops....

1b (always amazes me how much the crop and tilt change the shot into something with a totally different feel)

2. Going with the formal feel of the clothes she brought.... (btw, I know some will hate that strand of hair, but I left it because I liked it...)

This dress was the closest she had to anything tailored (it's actually a cocktail dress, but the neckline/bodice was simple). I also have finally figured out a way of doing no-need-to-boost-the-background-in-post HK in my living room! Three flashes makes all the difference....

3 Was trying for a good "all rounder" shot that she can use for role submissions; not sure if I achieved it or not :dunno

4. Had fun playing with the hair dryer!!

5. Not sure if I can live with the shadow on this, but it was about the only truly different look/expression I coaxed out of her. Plus, it slims down her face which I suspect she'll like (her face isn't fat, but she has very wide - beautiful, IMO! - cheekbones) (ETA: I may dial the skinwork down on this one too - looks a little much now I see it here)

Mitchell · January 9, 2013

I'm loving the first three. I like the dress. Maybe whiten her teeth a smidge?

4 seems a bit off. Maybe some spill from the background?

divamum · January 10, 2013

Thanks Mitchell! Yes, I should tweak the contrast on her hair a little; my bg lights were flagged, but the space is so small that spill is pretty much inevitable if I'm going to get the light behind - I just can't pull the subject any further forward. Oh, for space!!!

Also agree with teeth - well spotted. Thank you!

Hackbone · January 10, 2013

Cute shots. On my monitor they look soft as if wide open and the focus was missed by a hair. Any particular reason for the hight camera angle?

divamum · January 10, 2013

Hmmmm..... the originals are tack sharp. Was the 5dII + 85 1.8 shooting at f4.0-5.6 so more depth of field than I sometimes go for (got the feeling she wanted a less arty and more traditional shot). Maybe I used a little too much NR in Lightroom (I use some for skin texture rather than NR, and maybe I overdid it a tad)? Dunno. Will double check!

Most of them were only a hair from above (she was on a bench that's a little below normal chair height), but I did a few - including #3 - from higher just to see what it would give me; I liked the results, hence why I posted it..... Does it seem too high?

Meuryc · January 10, 2013

3 and 5 are my favorites, with 5 being my top choice. The fog in 4 made me blink a few times to be sure my eyes weren't dried out again. I like the shadow in 5 but that is probably because I am used to seeing my daughter with her hair like that. Great work as always, and I second the ban on one shoulder dresses. I also really like the idea of bringing two pictures to the shoot, if I ever photograph someone I am not related to I will borrow that idea.

Icebear · January 10, 2013

I'll echo most of the already made comments, but I'm bothered by the neck-flesh fold in #2. If she thinks she's fat (good grief) she sure won't like that. Personally, I think you handled the off-shoulder dress quite well. I find it attractive. I really like #3.

divamum · January 10, 2013

Oooohhh... good catch John. And an easy fix (and fortunately the only shot in the set where her hair cleared her neck; it's not visible in any others).

About to send her proof set, so we'll see what she likes. Fingers crossed - I've never felt so uncertain about a batch of shots, simply because I have *no idea* what she was hoping for.....

divamum · January 12, 2013

Man, bad day with these - I sent her a teaser this morning and she HATED it. And announces -f or the first time during the whole process - "Oh, I'm really picky about pictures of myself. I hate X, Y, Z etc etc". Um ... maybe it would have been nice to mention those things during the shoot?!?!?

Fortunately, she found 6 shots in the set for a shortlist, and has asked me to work up three. So relieved - I've never had anybody actively hate a shot I picked before, even if it wasn't one of their own first choices. :whew

I will say, however, that this experience is making me consider having clients not only bring me a photo they love and one they hate, but fill out a questionnaire so I have SOME idea what they want. Need to think about that.................

anonymouscuban · January 12, 2013

I love the 1st three. The rest have too much light spill that I can't get past. This gal sounds like a tough one Diva. Glad that it sounds like it's working out.

Lightsearcher · January 13, 2013

Very nice set of pictures, my favorites are 1-2 & 4.

Thank you for posting.

Marcelo

dlscott56 · January 14, 2013

I like the first 3 (1, 1b, 2) as well with the red dress and background. Particularly like 1 and 2. For no particular reason I don't like the flare in 4 and 5. I think my favorites are 1 and 2 with 1 as best. I don't see 'overweight' or 'fat' in any of them. As to the lipstick color in #1 I think it looks natural and good but agree the teeth could be whitened a bit. She needs to learn to trust her photographer!

divamum · January 14, 2013

Thanks guys!!

lilmomma · January 19, 2013

I can't possibly imagine what she would hate about these. i think 1a and 5 are fantastic.

Icebear · January 20, 2013

I think Diva is just dealing with a very insecure person. Too bad, but she just doesn't see "lovely" when she looks in the mirror or at a photo of herself.

divamum · January 20, 2013

1a was the one I sent as a teasher that she hated. I thought that was one was really cute for personality, but she didn't like it at all....

Fortunately, she was ecstatic with the final images. Here's what she chose:

A. I gave her multiple crops on this one, and I really like this tight-in version

B. This was her second choice.

She's happy, and it's given me a lot of food for thought about how to prep young clients who really aren't sure what to expect - I do understand that first time out this can be intimidating and not what one expects, so it's up to me to demystify that further. I DO give a lot of information before the shoot, but clearly I need to give more (or a different kind). I definitely think a questionnaire of some kind is a good idea so I can get more information about how THEY see themselves, although I haven't figured out how to implement that yet..............

This week's gal (C&C)

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