*Chal 28 ginger, portraits

ginger_55 · December 13, 2004

I was alone in the house, still am, so I practiced on the dogs an hour or so ago. 12/13. I have a question re flash, lights. I will take a photo at Bill's studio, but I am trying to get others. I noticed that in the case of the Taxi Driver of Andy's that there was good facial detail, I guessed flash, but I don't know. I do have a tripod, hehe, but subjects are practically non existent, so the ones I get are not going to sit for hours while I figure this out. I only have used my flash once for family shots, well, used it for a baptism, too. But I don't know about a Portrait for the challenge. It is an on camera sunpak, automatic. I had to use it straight on the dogs outside. Below is an example.

What would you all suggest. I cannot go carrying a large board and get busy shop owners to come to a window, etc.

ginger (I had a great subject Sat AM at the beach, darn. But would I have used a flash, too?)

ginger_55 · December 13, 2004

Which One, Preferences, Comments? 12/13/2004 g

Andy · December 13, 2004

nos. 1 and 4 are less portraits and more situational / street shots. love the dogs and the man with hand on face.

flash is your friend, you can learn bounce flash, and fill flash techniques. my taxidriver used a very slight (maybe 1/8th power) fill in flash to give a little spark to his face.

ginger_55 · December 13, 2004

I used flash on all except the first one. It didn't "work" without it.

(Inside, I bounced it a bit up and a bit sideways)

Outside that didn't work, and it was straight on.

It was not full strength outside. That is why I was taking the picture of the man with the hand on his face. I was adjusting the flash to where I thought it worked, before I took the street newsman. Would you believe that is what my husband looks like when I am taking pictures, and he is really bored? I like all of them, and at this point I plan on using one. I am leaving the the street situational photo on there so that others will have a reference as to your remark.

I did ask about flash this morning, but no one answered me, and I had to leave for an appt, I knew I was going to be taking pictures. When I didn't get an immediate answer, I thought others were busy, but my opportunities were not going to repeat, so I had to figure it out myself. I experimented.

ginger

lynnma · December 13, 2004

ginger_55 wrote:

I used flash on all except the first one. It didn't "work" without it.

(Inside, I bounced it a bit up and a bit sideways)

Outside that didn't work, and it was straight on.

It was not full strength outside. That is why I was taking the picture of the man with the hand on his face. I was adjusting the flash to where I thought it worked, before I took the street newsman. Would you believe that is what my husband looks like when I am taking pictures, and he is really bored? I like all of them, and at this point I plan on using one. I am leaving the the street situational photo on there so that others will have a reference as to your remark.

I did ask about flash this morning, but no one answered me, and I had to leave for an appt, I knew I was going to be taking pictures. When I didn't get an immediate answer, I thought others were busy, but my opportunities were not going to repeat, so I had to figure it out myself. I experimented.

ginger

ginge.. I agree with Andy... love the guy with his hand over his face and I love the doggies.. (of course.. so that does'nt count) well done dear... you're gonna do good with this one...

lynnesite · December 13, 2004

ginger_55 wrote:

I used flash on all except the first one. It didn't "work" without it.

(Inside, I bounced it a bit up and a bit sideways)

Outside that didn't work, and it was straight on.

It was not full strength outside. That is why I was taking the picture of the man with the hand on his face. I was adjusting the flash to where I thought it worked, before I took the street newsman. Would you believe that is what my husband looks like when I am taking pictures, and he is really bored? I like all of them, and at this point I plan on using one. I am leaving the the street situational photo on there so that others will have a reference as to your remark.

I really like the shot of your husband/man with the hand. Interesting, well exposed, dramatic.

ginger_55 · December 13, 2004

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. Too tired now to do any more.

Appreciate all,
ginger

special kid · December 13, 2004

I agree with everyone else i REALLY like the Covered Eye photo

. I only have one flash and try all kinds of things. I like to use a 100mm or high focal length when using my fill in. if i am up close i uses a remote flash(hand held) and bounce it off my shirt, it worked really well. If my friends are with me i make them hold my 5-in-1 reflector disc (using just the transparent disc) in front of the flash.

thats how i got this picture. i was really happy with the lighting. it was pitch black out side and we were under a pier.

fish · December 13, 2004

ginger_55 wrote:

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. Too tired now to do any more.

Appreciate all,
ginger

Hey ginger...did you dodge the newsguy's head? looks washed-out.

wxwax · December 14, 2004

ginger_55 wrote:

That's excellent, Ginger, it really is. Nice shot.

wxwax · December 14, 2004

special kid wrote:

thats how i got this picture. i was really happy with the lighting. it was pitch black out side and we were under a pier.

Sp, that came out really, really well, nice work.

ian408 · December 14, 2004

I love the look of the guy with his hand over his eye.

Special K, that's a very nice shot you've got as well. I love
how the black of night sucks up the flash.

Ian

miketaylor01 · December 14, 2004

I absolutely love the shot of your husband. I am not sure why but the instant I saw it it reminded me of a famous portrait I have seen many times of Kurt Vonnegut. I think it is the crazy hair that made me think of that other shot. But that is a great thing because this picture just grabbed me right away. I couldnt take my eyes off of it for a while. You did very very good with this one.

ginger_55 · December 14, 2004

special kid wrote:

I agree with everyone else i REALLY like the Covered Eye photo . I only have one flash and try all kinds of things. I like to use a 100mm or high focal length when using my fill in. if i am up close i uses a remote flash(hand held) and bounce it off my shirt, it worked really well. If my friends are with me i make them hold my 5-in-1 reflector disc (using just the transparent disc) in front of the flash.
thats how i got this picture. i was really happy with the lighting. it was pitch black out side and we were under a pier.

Love that photo, special kid! You will have to be more detailed on how you use your flash sometime. I love what you did and how you described it, but alot was over my head. I, lol, control mine with F stops........the booklet that came with it is not very explicit, lots of languages, little info.

I was really changing f stops to get the ratio right when the man in my photo put his hand up to his face: movement to me means possible good things, so I took the photo. Ironic, I had all these other plans, and that is the best photo. No plan on that at all. And it was just as the f stops all came together. I can even see the catch light in his eye, and I was sitting on the curb, he was standing with the sky in back, so that is a distance.

Love your shot, wish I did have your technical knowledge. I can figure out and use bouncing, but I don't know how to get the flash off of my camera. It is dedicated and ????. It is a Sunpak 5000 AF. Was kind of the top of the line Sunpaks last feb, I didn't want to spend more, and this was getting good talk on dpreview, so I went with it. Got it out to use last month, smile.

ginger (I may still go to the studio and use lights, real expensive lights. I know the photo will not be as good, but I figure I should be able to put two lights together. Bill said that one is just closer than the other?)

Bill is not always right. He was not happy when I insisted on putting flash on yesterday for a fill, he said it would not make a difference. hehe, he just grins when I remind him.

Andy · December 14, 2004

ginger_55 wrote:

stick with the orig ginger.

ginger_55 · December 14, 2004

fish wrote:

Hey ginger...did you dodge the newsguy's head? looks washed-out.

Hi, Fish, no that is just about all I didn't do. Where I think I messed up, and I agree with you, I think I did it in the shadows/highlights. Also, when I adjusted the settings while it was still in RAW, I might have gone a bit light.

I had not used flash at all on that shot, he had that hat on, I wanted to "see under it".

I kept telling Bill when I put it on Smugmug, that it bothered me. I don't like the background either. If I had gotten a positive response I was going to work with it more........or less, lol. I was going to get rid of the washed out look even if it went too dark. And I don't know what I was going to do with the background, maybe let it go lighter. I was not happy with it either. It was Bill's favorite.

I do like the other one, the last one of that man, where he is actually at a car and the dollar bill shows and all. I had the flash on then, actually the shot was in the action, so I just went with it. I even like the reflection of the newspaper man as it is on the car, too. I didn't notice it at first. I like it a lot better all over.

Now all that said, if anyone has read this far. I have a very difficult time, to impossible time, taking photos of blacks. Their facial features get lost for me.
The woman there is very light skinned, and she was no problem. But black blacks are a real problem. That is one reason I was thinking of fill early in the day.

So, Damon, people who know, I hope it doesn't sound racist, that is not one of my prejudices, blacks are not, but I shudder to think of my dismal record of photographing them. So........any knowledge through a tutorial, just a response, whatever, would be appreciated.

Also books on these subjects, taking pictures. I have a gazillion books on PS, CS, 7 and elements, but I don't find anything except very elementary books on the taking of the photos, and they are with the art books, very scattered and few. I almost bought one by John Freeman, $29.00 list, and holding. Bill said it would be a waste of my money. I did buy on Amazon, the Natl Geo Handbook, two.

Anyway, thanks all, and fish I agree that photo is washed out and needed to be fixed. Since I really like the other one, I probably never will work on the top one again, I don't like the background, just blurred lost space to me. That is what he wanted. I was very lucky to get the shot with the car. He could not control that.

He has his PHD, was a full professor at the College of Charleston, did not like the restrictive lifestyle. So, this has been his profession since I can remember. He was written up big time in the paper here. I was really embarrassed to ask to take his "portrait": that wasn't one. I kind of don't understand that considering some of the examples of portraits. I am a little confused on that. But I came out OK, so it is not a problem for me.

I pass him whenever I go towards the bridges, that corner is not 3 minutes from me. He rides to work on his bike. I took a photo of the whole thing from the back, it is a three wheeled bike. It is quite a setup, looks primitive, but I bet he makes good money. And he likes it in all weather.

ginger

ginger_55 · December 14, 2004

andy wrote:

stick with the orig ginger.

You know, Andy, I had the same feeling. I thought it was just one of my quirks, I was getting other advice, so I tried all. And then the chatter was so positive, I just thought it was definitely one of my quirks.

Do you suppose you and I are the only people who feel that way, lol? I will get to it, though, as I agree with you, I don't see the point in cropping it. I don't know why, but I do like that negative space in the first one.

To others who wonder why I tell other people, i did tell someone about a week ago, that the space needed to be filled. That space was a tad different from this space, and I can't explain it......... gotta get more coffee.

Thanks, Andy.

ginger:D

mgound · December 14, 2004

Without!

dragon300zx · December 14, 2004

I know you have gotten alot of comments on this picture already ginger but I have to say the hand in the face guy is a really great shot. One of those that makes me smile and think. Excellent choice.

gubbs · December 15, 2004

Ginger, that's a great picture of your husband, looks like he had a tough night! Has he signed a consent form?

ginger_55 · December 16, 2004

That consent form is just about the best part. I finally have someone who wouldn't sue me.................I can do anything with it, hehe.

g

Sandy · December 17, 2004

This one would be my personal favorite. You are taking some amazing photos G.

ginger_55 wrote:

ginger_55 · December 18, 2004

Portrait of Philip Simmons,nationally known Ironwork
http://philipsimmons.org/

He was born in 1912. He is not only responsible for much of the gates and other major ironwork in Charleston, he has a gate in the Smithsonian, is recognized for his work in the artworld of America, has many major awards. He is 92 now, but is still doing book signings to further his Foundation.

I felt honored and blessed that I was allowed to hang around in the afternoon and take as many photos as I wished.

Philip Simmons:

This quote was his motto: "If you want your prayers answered, get off your knees and hustle."

He is a thoroughly nice and charming man, still living in the same house he has lived his adult life, a place in the back to do ironwork. He is training someone to carry on this dying tradition.

More photos on the people thread. I really do like the portrait. This was an opportunity I could not let pass by today. I don't know that I would have had it again.

ginger

ginger_55 · December 19, 2004

Two Good Portraits, Comments???

I think these are both good, my thoughts could be colored because I know the history behind each person, but I don't think so. They are a once in a lifetime "get", both of them, for different reasons.

Please take a last look with me. (I will try not to take any more during this challenge,:D ) I love portraits: the soul of a person.

ginger, Comments very much appreciated.

gubbs · December 20, 2004

ginger_55 wrote:

or worse?

I think worse ginger, and I definitley prefer your husband

snapapple · December 20, 2004

Not better...
Got rid of the halo, but now his face is dark and his hand is light. Need the light on his face.

Ben:::D · December 21, 2004

stick with the original. It works. The contrast is better and I really don't see any need to improve on it. You've got my vote at this point.

ginger_55 · December 21, 2004

Final version

This is the best I can do.
ginger 12/21/2004

Now why have all my other photos of him turned into red Xs?

I have posted this, when I did that, the photo that was there was also a red X..........no photo. I checked my settings on smugmug. Easy access sharing and also the forums, links thing, they are, and were, all set fine. Other photos from here are fine.

I hope this, and the other one on the challenge all stay visible.

I also took all other versions off of smugmug in order to make things easier for me. Would that make all the others turn into red Xs, if they were no longer on smugmug?

ginger_55 · December 21, 2004

A Post Script
Bill tried, today, to get an appt to get his hair cut, before Christmas.

g (I think it is funny, wonder if the photo had anything to do with that impossible decision.)

snapapple · December 22, 2004

This is good

ginger_55 wrote:

This is the best I can do.
ginger 12/21/2004

Now why have all my other photos of him turned into red Xs?

I have posted this, when I did that, the photo that was there was also a red X..........no photo. I checked my settings on smugmug. Easy access sharing and also the forums, links thing, they are, and were, all set fine. Other photos from here are fine.

I hope this, and the other one on the challenge all stay visible.

I also took all other versions off of smugmug in order to make things easier for me. Would that make all the others turn into red Xs, if they were no longer on smugmug?

I like your final version.

Yes, if you remove the pix from Smugmug your posts no longer have a picture to link to. That makes it difficult for me too. Sometimes, I make a new gallery to put all the pix for one challenge in. When the challenge is over I can delete the whole thing and just keep my final version in my own Portraits gallery.