Lesson 10/11 - Portraits

[craigpauli]

My choices for the homework / assignment.
What are your opinions?
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[jerryph]

My choices for the homework / assignment.
What are your opinions?




#1 has a large area blown out on her back and the bottom of her backside is cut off.

#2 is badly exposed and has ears, heads and elbows amputated

#3 the exposure is poor and is not sharp... looks slightly out of focus.

#4 is not a really good portrait shot. The composition is very weak and is taken in harshly lit conditions.

#5 is a weak composition, flatly lit, and has distracting elements in the photo (1/2 a water cooler in the background)


I am sure you can do a little better than any of these, I have confidence in you! :)

- Choose a nice location
- Make sure they are in an area out of direct sun light
- put them at ease and take a few different poses, following the basic rules of composition (I made a 2-page post about the basics of portraiture not too long ago)
- enjoy the results, and let's see them! :D

[craigpauli]

Thank you Jerry I really apreciate your honest crtique on these.
Most of the shots I get done with my daughter and grandkids tend to be in not the most ideal spots or lighting it is why so appreciate your feedback,especially with regards to lighting and composition. I normally have 2 days every 2 months in which she wants to go spend time with her friends etc and have to do most of the shots while they are sitting around talking or moving around doing something. I figure if I can learn where going wrong under these adverse conditions then I hopefully be better when it comes to doing more portrait style photos.
They were all candid / random shots that my daughter particularly liked the way they were from the shots took. Still going through them. Most were shot on the move in continuous shoot mode.
At least I know where I went wrong on these ones, much what I thought was wrong with them from reading your article.

[craigpauli]

Think I might give up for now and try again later, don't have subjects to practice portraits with till my daughter comes up to visit and then it's just candid ones on the go.
Cheers.

[jerryph]

One of the ways that I found people to practice on is talk to friends and family... there is always someone that wants a photo for facebook or what not.

How about a local Strobist or camera club?

[craigpauli]

I lack the confidence to direct people and so have always gone for candid shots or got them to try do things that they enjoy doing while taking random shots.
This is from 12 months ago when took shots that I knew I would crop this is original no crop.. It's why haven't tried a club as yet.

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This was from her last 2 day visit a few months back.
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I think I have gone backwards

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My daughter insisted on doing facebook poses because she thought it looks better like this.

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[britainy]

just keep practicing!! MY hardest thing with protraits is telling the people how to sit and what to do( something im still working on) I think thats why I sometimes try to stick with candid shots!! I actually ended up get ahold of a girl that babysits for me everyonce in awile to see if she could get some friends together for me to shoot to try out some different Ideas and For practice!!

Good luck on the assignment, I sent mine in a couple days ago then got a note back that I forgot to add the photo so now im waiting again for my marks lol !!! When Try to take portraits try not to think that your doing it for an assignment just think about the shoot its self

[craigpauli]

Thanks Britainy.
No good still.??
I just think she looks better when she has her hair loose around her face then when pulled back, she thinks her freckles make her look ugly.
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[britainy]

For your last set of shots they look pretty good to me I really like the First one its a fun shoot and the way the water was captured is really Can I say Cool THe lighting in the second one looks good to me!! And Thethird IS a nice fun shot and the depth of field is good!!

But Im also still learning Your daughter is beutifull she has your eyes I could really see that in the last pic you posted and that one seems really good to but there is a glare sorta on her skin maybe from the flash but not sure!!!
Again Im still learning!

[jerryph]

I think I have gone backwards

As strange as it may seem, this is a sign of progress. IT was not a couple months ago, I was feeling fed up and hit this small wall. I took a deep breathe, walked away from the camera for a couple days, took another deep breathe and came back just in time to do my last wedding.

We all hit plateaus and how we deal with these plateaus determins our growth.

I used to be a musical child prodigy, and started performing professionally by age 6 and had achieved the equivalent of my BA by 13 and Masters by 16. Because I was not 21, they refused me and I burnt and spiraled at the end of my 16th year... so if that entire process taught me nothing, it was how to deal with plateaus. We can power through them, or we can take a very short break (no more than a few days), and then power through them. My whole life with music, I powered through them with no break... it was TOUGH, but it was done. In photography I give it a few days off, then come back refreshed and renewed... works way better for me.

The absolute worst thing you can do is give up. There is no such thing as a loss until you give up and until that moment, all it is... is just a learning experience to take advantage of. Greatness comes from experience... experience comes from a LOT of practice and even more mistakes.

[craigpauli]

Thanks Jerry, I think give up was wrong phrase to use, as certainly not giving up photography just giving up on relying on people that have broken their promise to help out. Have managed to get a few other people that aren't family in any way that are willing to give me a shot at getting some practise. They asked me what I needed and I said well someone that will pose etc and that will let me come back try again if I'm not entirely happy with the results . Just need a break from trying and get back to just enjoying taking photos again and work it in with the lesson.

[craigpauli]

For your last set of shots they look pretty good to me I really like the First one its a fun shoot and the way the water was captured is really Can I say Cool THe lighting in the second one looks good to me!! And Thethird IS a nice fun shot and the depth of field is good!!

But Im also still learning Your daughter is beutifull she has your eyes I could really see that in the last pic you posted and that one seems really good to but there is a glare sorta on her skin maybe from the flash but not sure!!!
Again Im still learning!

Hi Britainy, #1 of 2nd series was from a very much fun day. #3 in 2nd series was shot just prior or just after the 2nd in first series.
The very last one I made a mistake with the bounce card on flash and had it rotated to bounce forwards as well as up.

[jerryph]

Thanks Britainy.
No good still.??


Better, but still room for improvement. :)

Let's do the very easiest of basics... right now, your thought process is on the fact that she is your daughter. You need to change mindset and think "photographer and subject".

Forget she is your daughter, work the basics:

- Take no shot until you find a nice location:
That means your background is not distracting, and the lighting is right... not harsh, not direct and definitely not flat.

- See the photo in your mind before you take it:
That means as you envision your goal, you make small corrections to her position until what is in your head matches what you see.

- Make sure of your camera settings
That means your ISO, aperture and shutter speeds are set to the needs of the situation.

- Take the shot.
That means you take the photo, and reference it on the LCD of the camera to make sure that your vision and product match. If there are any discrepancies, here is where you see them and compensate for them.

Now, for the most basic form of this, do you have access to a window that streams in light during one particular part of the day? Have her stand in front of it about 3 feet away from the window with her body 90 degrees to that window (standing 90 degrees to it or her left shoulder facing the window). If it is to bright use something to diffuse it a little or see when the light is a touch weaker.

You stand in front of her with your shoulder right against the window and take several shots, tell her to relax, slight smile and think of something pleasant and as she is thinking of that something pleasant, have her turn her face slowly towards the window as you snap off 3-4 photos, then look back at you... and turn her head away from the window slowly, as again you snap off 3-4 photos.

Because you are using natural light, Aperture Priority mode works best here and use SPOT metering. Your camera is in portrait orientation, your focus point is manually set and moved to a higher one near the top of the frame and that point focuses exclusively on the closest eye all the time.

Want to make her give you a natural smile? as you are looking through the viewfinder, tell her that these look great, and that her son/husband/boyfriend/dad/mom/whatever is going to LOVE these shots.

You can have her look at you all the time, or have her slowly turn her eyes away from you as she turns her head.

This whole process should take no more than 10 seconds per side of the face and you want to vary the angle from her looking straight towards you all the way till her head is about 30 degrees away from you. Anymore and you lose sight of the far eye and the nose breaks the line of the cheek. Avoid that.

Anyone can do this, this is as EASY as it gets. Just be aware of the rules, follow them, but make sure the subject is not involved with you technically at this point, they are exchanging with you and having fun. This is the essence of portraiture, the secret that separates the ok from the good ones.

Results like this are your goal:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/4978949047_181df6f42a.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2594/3931321459_44ce062c5f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/3811006525_d0f311b30f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3279241402_c9cbf8811d.jpg

Everyone of these are variations of the exact ONE SAME technique. Don't be afraid to play from the back of the person for a silhouette or from the front to to show a dark background.

Get those creative juices flowing!

[mickncrispy]

The absolute worst thing you can do is give up. There is no such thing as a loss until you give up and until that moment, all it is... is just a learning experience to take advantage of. Greatness comes from experience... experience comes from a LOT of practice and even more mistakes.

That has to be some of the best advice I have seen on here!!
Don't give up Craig, you have produced some fantastic photographs, jump this hurdle and you will be on your way.

[craigpauli]

That has to be some of the best advice I have seen on here!!
Don't give up Craig, you have produced some fantastic photographs, jump this hurdle and you will be on your way.

Thanks Lisa. It was more giving up on people that promised to help out when they asked me originally to do some more photos for them.

I finally sent one of the candid shots got on the beach with my daughter and one of my grandsons. Got 90% for it which is more then was expecting.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs807.snc4/68788_497694411872_705156872_6971938_705144_n.jpg

[Kaye]

Congrats Craig, that is a pretty good score, and you have worked pretty hard.
I really like your shot above.

[craigpauli]

Congrats Craig, that is a pretty good score, and you have worked pretty hard.
I really like your shot above.

Hi Kaye, Thank you very much, after having some very distressing times with people giving false promises to help by the time got around to doing photos when my daughter visited I was really down and feeling negative about my photography. So quite happy with the score got. :)

[jerryph]

There you go, motivation is a good thing.

Some advice... photography is a passion, and for you, a hobby. It should be filled with NOTHING but pleasure. Take expectations and negative comments from *both* outside sources and inside your heart, and toss them to the curb. The day you really do that is the day your photography takes a giant leap, becuase you are then free to concentrate on everything that you should be... and not waste time and energy listening to the negativity that just does nothing but pull you down.

Use photography as a crutch, a reason to bring you up, a reason to smile and feed your passion and educate your mind.

Use it as a reason to feel good.

Photography must never be a reason to feel down or bad about. If it is, why are you even doing it and more importantly... for whom should it be if not first for you over and above anyone else?

[delboy]

I know how you feel Craig,sometimes when I see other peoples work compared with mine I think whats the point, I feel that I should take up knitting or something, but it just makes me more determine to do better. I feel we can all become too critical of our own work so it is great when others give honest constructive opinions of our work. One of the things I hated was using flash, reading jerryph guide on using flash and lots of practice I can now take reasonable flash photos of anything.

Delboy.

[craigpauli]

Hi Jerry,
Thanks, I understand fully what you are saying. I got told today by my niece that she and her partner wanted me to do their wedding, straight off I told them to get a professional photographer in as I am not equiped / skilled enough to do wedding photos. Was a nice feeling to be told that they wanted me to do it, 1 thing to take photos as a guest with no responsibility for being relied on for photos to being the photographer for such a precious occassion.

[craigpauli]

I know how you feel Craig,sometimes when I see other peoples work compared with mine I think whats the point, I feel that I should take up knitting or something, but it just makes me more determine to do better. I feel we can all become too critical of our own work so it is great when others give honest constructive opinions of our work. One of the things I hated was using flash, reading jerryph guide on using flash and lots of practice I can now take reasonable flash photos of anything.

Delboy.

Hi Delboy, it's one reason I like uploading photos I know something don't seem right to get others opinions on what looks wrong about them. Tend to do that more then upload ones I think are good.