3 from a shoot with a model mayhemer

SrBiscuit · Sep 22, 2009

i had a shoot this past saturday with someone from model mayhem.
it went well...she was super easy to work with, and we had a good time.
she's looking forward to shooting again.

just looking for general C&C i guess.
i'm sure some will say i have processed these to hell

i may have

i have a couple things in mind to change already...stray hairs across her face...the eyes in one are REALLY blue (this was a request of hers, but i think it;s pushed too far)

im open to suggestions. :thumbup:

1.

2.

3.

Thanks!

g-fi · Sep 22, 2009

I'm not a fan of how much is blown out on #2, but I think it's the most interesting of the 3. I like the vibrancy of the color of #2 far more than 1 and 3.

My only question is, with an unconventional model, why all the conventional poses/crops? A little more emotion in the expression, or some clever posing could have taken these from "meh" to "wow!" I think.

SrBiscuit · Sep 22, 2009

thanks for your comments g.
2 is my favorite as well...i like the saturation of the colors, and the high-key feel to it.

i think you are absolutely right about the poses. after you mentioned the conventional posing and cropping, i thought to myself "what could be some wild poses" and i think i came up with some ideas. she is very easy to work with and takes direction well....i think the issue is that i gave her horrible direction

methinks i need to spend more time on flickr, MM, and deviant art looking for some wild inspiration for posing. i would imagine a book might help in that capacity too.

thanks again for your advice...i will remember it for my next session :thumbup:

Village Idiot · Sep 23, 2009

You could cut the face out from one and use it in the other two...

But that's her problem, not yours.

I take it you were using natural light?

The first looks slightly underexposed and soft. I don't have an exif viewer at work, but what lens and aperture was it shot at?

The second could be good if blowing out the high lights didn't lose anything to the right of her head. ie, full arm and hand.

Too much contrast and she's tucking her head in like on the first two. I don't care how stick thin a person is, tucking their head in tends to cause more chins. Not always flattering.

Next time just tell the models to do something random. I like jumping jacks.

SrBiscuit · Sep 24, 2009

thanks VI...some good advice in there.
i was using natural light for the second 2 pics, and 2 flashes for the first. clearly i failed at using the flashes properly since it does seem a bit underexposed. the reason for it;s softness is my fault...i was shooting with my d1h and for some reason the AF just couldnt hit the spot, so i tried to manually focus...FAIL. lol.

i totally agree with her facial expressions being the same, and the poses being pretty tame. she has asked me to do her halloween shoot, so i will try to get more out of her then.

thanks for the CC.

Village Idiot · Sep 24, 2009

Get creative. Number one is flat. Try a strobe with an umbrella slightly under exposed to light the scene and then a strobe with a grid to light the face/body.

musicaleCA · Sep 24, 2009

Village Idiot said:
Get creative. Number one is flat. Try a strobe with an umbrella slightly under exposed to light the scene and then a strobe with a grid to light the face/body.

If you're trying to light that much area, would a short, silver-lined snoot not work better?

DScience · Sep 24, 2009

I feel bad for this girl...that she thinks she's model material.

fiveoboy01 · Sep 24, 2009

DScience said:
I feel bad for this girl...that she thinks she's model material.

Looks are subjective. She IS a model according to Webster's:

model(n) -

a person or thing that serves as a subject for an artist, sculptor, writer, etc.

Just because she doesn't look the way you think she should does not automatically disqualify her from model status.

Village Idiot · Sep 24, 2009

musicaleCA said:
Village Idiot said:

Get creative. Number one is flat. Try a strobe with an umbrella slightly under exposed to light the scene and then a strobe with a grid to light the face/body.

Click to expand...

If you're trying to light that much area, would a short, silver-lined snoot not work better?

Snoots are usually tighter than standard grids, you'd get a lot less lit unless the light was back and the snoot was one of the velcro ones that you could adjust the opening on.