All time best -- Adult Portrait
I've been playing a little game with myself recently, inspired by this dgrin forum. Suppose I had to pick just one photograph in a particular category to represent myself. The best single shot of that sort that I ever took. It's an interesting excercise (though of course ultimately pointless) to figure out what makes for your best work. It's hard and cruel, like having to pick your favorite child. But unlike that excercise, this one does enforce a certain discipline. It's also very fun for me to dig though my shots. I've found lots of good ones that I didn't love at the time for some reason or another.
As a first step, I made a smugmug gallery for my all time best portraits. Then I forced myself to pick just one.... Well, I couldn't quite do that, so I changed the rules a little. Here is my all time best adult portrait. I'll start another thread for all time best children.
Anyway, I thought this was a fun game. Hope others will play.
As a first step, I made a smugmug gallery for my all time best portraits. Then I forced myself to pick just one.... Well, I couldn't quite do that, so I changed the rules a little. Here is my all time best adult portrait. I'll start another thread for all time best children.
Anyway, I thought this was a fun game. Hope others will play.
If not now, when?
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Comments
I'm inspired, great face, great shot.
Lynn
Here's mine. 80+ years
TML Photography
tmlphoto.com
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
...Ten years earlier, when I thought she'd be into pink dresses:
And for some reason I recognize the face in the second portrait..
So this was ATB in both portrait categories? Very very nice.
Cletus Awesome shot dude!!
I really like this picture!
T-max 3200... I used to love that stuff. It's amazing how good it was for people pictures.
This is certainly one of my favorites:
although this one:
does a better job of putting character in his face.
jimf@frostbytes.com
Although, my tinting job looks much better in photoshop. I started a thread on this with minimal reply, but this is actually the picture that prompted it - when in photoshop, my tones look much better, when saved to jpg, it looks duller and darker. So on the same monitor, I can simulatneously look at 2 different pictures, PS and IE browser. Weird stuff.
moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]
The first is a picture I took of one of my good friend's mother 3 weeks before she passed away. I knew Dottie for the last 20 years and thought the world of her. She always had a smile and had no enemies in this life. This photo captured the essence of her personality. The family liked it so much they chose it for display during her funeral.
The second is a self portrait of the Hutchison Clan. It was my first effort at a "formal" portrait and the whole family liked it.
Hutch
Fill the frame! Seriously, this would look better if there were less space around her. Tight shots tend to make better looking portraits.
jim
jimf@frostbytes.com
ginette
Lynn:
This old woman has such an interesting face I would pull in really close.
Try to get some shadow onto the side of the face turned away from the camera, as it feels more natural that things further in the distance will fall into darkness or become softer. I wish I had some of my "tutoring examples" unpacked, but things tend to move slow around here right now...
This image, "scrutiny" is really extreme, with regard to "shadow" and not as close even as I am suggesting for your subject. But, well, those are my thoughts.
g
This one is close enough, but lacks the depth of shadow that I would use for your subject. As I look carefully at your image, it appears that your light source, (a window) is coming in from the left, casting a shadow to the right behind the head and darkening, somewhat, the face closest to the camera and viewer... Have you thought of turning your model around to face the right, rather than the left? Then, rather than cinder block as a back drop, use a solid colored sheet. With B&W the sheet can be any rich color if you want the background to appear dark to black, and white or cream if you want the background to appear light to white. If you were using studio lighting, background color wouldn't matter, you can make it appear as you wish, with your lighting.... But that is a whole different subject.
g
Lynn, I think Zero-Zero's post about dramatic lighting applies to what you're trying to do. The lighting on your patient poser is very flat. Anyway to get some strong shadows?
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Grats..
Lynn
Z-Z ..... Stark shadow lighting can be dramatic,I love it..... but perhaps, stark lighting works better with your models with lovely skin texture - unless your desire is to demonstrate the damage done by the years and the sunlight. Lynn expressly asked for suggestions for lighting that would help show off her older models in the best light ( NO PUN HERE!) put their best appearance forward. I for one think the soft light she chose is a good one.
Lynn, jump in and correct me if I am out of place here! You have used relativey soft light as suggested and now you are getting jumped on for it. Bah!!!
I agree that the soft shadow on the face to the camera could be lightened by a little judicous reflector usage.. Simple enough to do. And th esuggestions to use a sheet for a background is ok, but why not just clone in whatever you wish.
As for the background cement block, as I said above, it is not the best - BUT Jim Dandy to the Rescue - Reread my posts about the backgrounds when shooting my nude models (nude canine version that is). That cement background will be easy to select and replace ( This picture was shot in color originally right, Lynn? What color was the cement - if it contrasts with the model it will be real easy to select in PS and change or replace.)
This is Lynns first real portrait effort and I think that it is a good one, that with just a few changes can be very good.
Anyone whose toes I have not stepped on, speak up now!
Good on ya, Lynn. Show us some more of your efforts.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Do good/cutting edge photographers take pictures that please all the established norms or do they take pictures that please themselves and may not meet everyone elses expectations of what is right?
Maybe this image needs a little more contrast, but I suspect that this very old woman is a very gentle soul who would not look like herself in a high contrast/shadowy image.
Whaddayathink?
Hutch
Good point that dramatic side lighting would accentuate the age of the subjects' faces. Perhaps Lynn can experiment with both shadows and flat lighting and see what she prefers? As the shots are now going to be in color, some of the contrasty B&W techniques may not be as valuable.
I'm not sure that I'm with you on your suggestions about the background, however. Aren't a lot of portraits shot with a relatively long lens (100mm or so) to accomplish two things: smooth the facial features into something more flattering, and allow for a wide aperature that gives a very narrow depth of field? In other words, it puts the background out of focus? Seems to me that fixing the background in the shot is a lot cleaner and easier solution than playing in Photoshop on every image (even tho you did a sweet job on your doggie.) I know we try to get depth behind people when we shoot interviews.
Still, as I have no experience posing people for portraits, only for video camera interviews, I'll try not to bombard Lynn with too much silliness.
Lynn, I admire the way you're digging into your project and experimenting.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
DD, that's a wonderful image. Very sweet expression and nice colors.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au