Saturday Shoot

[photogoddess]

Just a few from this last weekend. I'm not done with my post processing but thought I'd throw a couple up here.

Nina

Our very own Traci :mrgreen:

 

[danalec99]

hey traci!! good to see you!
I love that second shot of hers! :thumbup:

 

[Traci]

Thanks Danalec! :blushing:

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, that smiling shot of Traci is very natural and relaxed. Seems to really capture who she is. Nice work.

 

[Tally Ho]

Good exposure in all of these and the women are beautiful. You also captured good natural expressions on the faces. As far as the lighting of the hair, I would like to see more light on the hair of these gals. Their dark hair and dark background nearly mix.

Critique:

#1. This image is flat lit which makes her face look very wide and the masculine head tilt isn't the most flattering way for her to tilt her head in this body position. I would remove one catchlight from her right eye. Short lighting would have slenderized her face, and tilting her head to the feminine shoulder would have made her look prettier and generally more feminine (IMHO).
#2. Broad lit which makes her face look wide. She has two catchlights in each eye. The rule is there should be only one.
#3. Broad lit and her face is turned too far creating that strange looking right eye.
#4. Broad lit and I find her hand distracting. Heavy women should NEVER be flat lit or broad lit as it adds pounds to her portrait. In the 10,000 or so women that I have photographed in the past 23 years, I have never had one ask me to make her look heavy, but maybe tomorrow!
#5. Broad lit. To short light someone and take off 15 pounds, light them from the opposite side that you have lit these gals from.

TH

(This post should really put me in good graces with the global moderator!)

 

[Alison]

Great pictures, Tammy! I love your choice for black and white on these. Traci, you look awesome and such natural expression/smiles The rest of the women look very comfortable and natural in front of the camera, too. A true tribue to the photographer :thumbsup:

Tally, it has been my experience that women don't like to be referred to as "heavy" and I've seen you use that term several times in the forum. I'm pretty certain that of your 10,000 women that you've photographed none would like to read on a public forum that you used a certain lighting technique because they were heavy and felt they should shed 15lbs by the use of lighting. Advice on lighting and posing is fine, and I am sure will be taken into consideration.

 

[terri]

Great shots, Tammy. It's obvious you have the magic touch with getting your models comfortable in front of you - something I notice in just about everything you shoot. :thumbup: You're good!!

Traci looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing these, since we know she never would (photographer's privilege, muahahahaha), shy girl.

 

[Tally Ho]

Tally, it has been my experience that women don't like to be referred to as "heavy" and I've seen you use that term several times in the forum. I'm pretty certain that of your 10,000 women that you've photographed none would like to read on a public forum that you used a certain lighting technique because they were heavy and felt they should shed 15lbs by the use of lighting. Advice on lighting and posing is fine, and I am sure will be taken into consideration.

I usually tell them I will light them to take off 15 pounds and 10 years, and they usually lightheartedly say 'can you make it 25 on the pounds and 15 on the years?' I doubt that they would be shocked to hear me say that someone (me) thinks they are heavy, especially if they are.

TH

 

[Traci]

TH, I think you just dug yourself deeper. However, I am very aware that I am "heavy", I think that you have to be mindfull of what you say. As, Terri mentioned, I wouldn't normally post a picture of myself, but I didn't take it. Photogoddess and I are friends, therefore I didn't mind.

Thanks, everyone else for the very nice comments that you made. PG is an awesome photographer, and yes, she has the knack to capture the "real" person.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I usually tell them I will light them to take off 15 pounds and 10 years

Would that be with or without the carpet?

 

[elsaspet]

Hehe Hertz.
I think they are beautiful. I love the black and white, but most of all the natural facial expressions.

 

[elsaspet]

BTW- I think both models look beautiful....Healthy, vibrant and happy.
Screw you, Ho.

 

[hobbes28]

I think they're great, Tammy. You sure do know how to capture the soul of someone of film.

Traci, you look maahvelous, dahling. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise. Besides the fact you hung out with us for a whole weekend and we didn't scare you away.

 

[photogoddess]

Something that TH caught onto but didn't pin point the cause, I used the incorrect lens for the shots of Nina (the first model). After having an incompatibility with my 10D and my strobes (error 99), I used my boyfriend's D70 that had a 18-35mm lens on it instead of my usual 24-70 or 70-200 lens on it. I was thinking strictly focal lengths (with the magnification factor) instead of taking into account the aspect ratio of that lens. I've now learned from this mistake and am sure not to repeat it again. (Who was it that said that you can 't teach an old dog new tricks?) I actually discussed this with Alison yesterday and wanted to see if anyone else picked up on it. Thankfully I caught it before shooting Traci's shots and ended up using a 70-200 from the middle of my kitchen. :lmao:

I tend to default to very even - boring or flat lighting unless I'm feeling motivated to really play around with it for something more dramatic. Unfortunately, after a long, hard week of working with my ex-husband, I auto-piloted to my default lighting of 2 strobes, each at 45 degree angles to the model. That said, I do like the natural expressions that I caught. With these (and most of my portraits) my chief goal is to show the person within aka "Personal Portraits". I accomplished that but still feel that these are not my best work overall. Hopefully both Nina and Traci will grace my in home studio for a reshoot soon as they were both excellent models. Thanks for the critique and comments guys.

 

[LaFoto]

The photos of Traci are extra special because she does not look as if she were posing at all but looks like she would in any conversation she enjoys with people who she likes. It is "the real Traci" and not just a "portrait taken of Traci", which makes these two portraits even stronger!

Total amateur who I am, with not even an IDEA of what "aspect ratios" of lenses are, and how to position lights (haven't got any external flashes, let alone strobes that flash into an umbrella or so ... excuse my amateurish use of words here...), I can still say that these portraits show the PERSON, mostly so in Traci! With someone who so freely and alertly and openly looks (her eyes!) and smiles (second photo!), nothing else matters. Nothing. No weight, no shape, no hairstyle, nothing. Just the fully shining self. And I see that here.

You can't do any better in a portrait.