Candyland

[Thiophilos]

This is Rebecca in Candyland. Comments, C&C welcome.

 

[jeffashman]

Nice shots! Candyland as in the game?

 

[Woolsocks]

Back in 2003 and 2004 I made friends with a photographer from Las Vegas. From a website called photoshop guru's. The one up now can't compare to the user base it used to have and the top notch creativity and expert advice.

He taught me a lot about portraiture of women. He did a lot of biker magazines. You know. Strippers who get paid to pose in their bikini's around and on custom choppers. I had taken photographs of women in groups. Topless. And he helped me a great deal in posing them to show off their attributes.

I like the second image of the woman licking the lollipop. Interesting that the woman has not extended her tung out in a less erotic but still erotic lick. I guess this is more explicit, more erotic lick right. I applaud you.

-wtf is he talking about. Usually the tung extends out further. And it suggests she enjoys the lollipop but it can also suggest oral sex.
This picture just suggests oral sex.

The other two pictures I believe are the models fault. She looks bored. The third image where's she has her hand on her hip. She looks uncomfortable. And her stomach is hanging out. She just doesn't look like she wants to be there at all.

I looked at your other thread and damn that model was into the shoot. She wanted to be there.

Tips:
one on one is best. Photographer and model.
She's got a tattoo. I would engage her about her tattoo. Make it personal without making it sexual. Take some shots of her posing with one leg in front of the other.
Have her stand in high heels. Stilettos.
Tell a joke. Get her to smile with the prop. Weird she is not smiling. Did she lose her teeth after eating lollipops?
Why is she not smiling.
I would pose her to accentuate her breasts and her hips. I would avoid any curling of fat around her armpits and mid section.
Her hair is a total mess. Like she got out of a puddle on the ground and into a truckers cab. Like she just got divorced and had a night out with the ladies and is hung over.
Her hair extension looks weird. Women often get their hair dressers to add fake hair that is tied onto their existing hair to add length. Did you know that? I think she's got that here and I think it looks weird. I'd have her wear a pony tail. Or lift her hair up. Or tie her hair with the prop. Have her suck the candy until her lips change color. A lot of candy can do that. She doesn't need the prop in her hands.

Editing. There would not be much. Little bumps from shaving or std break out around her bikini bottom, in pic 1. scar or scrapes on her thigh in pic 3.
Models makeup reminds me of Swiss Army Knife. For whatever. There are clothing lines on her body. You know from wearing tight clothing that leaves blemishes or very small bruises on the skin, or just from being over weight. There is a hard reflection above her right eye brow. I would remove it with healing brush or removal tool (or clone).

 

[Thiophilos]

Thanks for all your comments, Woolsocks.

I am not a good photographer of women. I mostly depend on the subject for poses, makeup and hair. My models are pros, and they should know this stuff.

This was a 1 on 1 shoot.

Rebecca has beautiful long hair. It looked unorganized and a couple times I asked her if her hair was OK, showing her the pic on the LCD. She shrugged and said it was fine. Leaves me helpless. An amateur like me can't tell a pro how to do it.

I have shot a fair number of pro models and many IMO have poor makeup and untidy hair. What can I do about it!? I'm not smart enough to guide them. One solution is to never do head shots, and do full body, with hard or colored light.

She wore a white top and black bottom. That wouldn't have been my choice (!) but I'm not good at this, so went with it. Fixed it in #1 though, in post!!

All my models look serious. It is to make art. Smiling is corny and makes it look like a family snapshot. What do I know, that is what they do. I just reviewed all the shots from Rebecca's session (hundreds) and no smile in any of them. An impish smile in some of these would have been great.

Reflection above right eye? She had on sparkly makeup around the eyes.

I don't understand your comment about hair extension. In these pics her hair is all her own (I think). Hmm, I better have a closer look. She actually had a wig with her and used it later in the session. See below.

Thanks for the comments! It is a lot of fun to get opinions, and it is neat to learn.

 

[Woolsocks]

Rebecca has beautiful long hair. It looked unorganized and a couple times I asked her if her hair was OK, showing her the pic on the LCD. She shrugged and said it was fine. Leaves me helpless. An amateur like me can't tell a pro how to do it.

Women don't need to go to a hair stylist to mold their hair into different styles. That's what hair bands, and clips, etc are for. Not just for pony tails.

I did a quick image search with google. key terms are: women hair styles and clips and bands. Women hair styles lifts pencil.

Most women have been doing this all their lives since they could walk. Believe me.

Instead of a pencil you could have her place a lollipop.


There are facial wipes like the ones you use to clean your hands in the makeup departments of stores that sell women's makeup. And they work great at removing sweat. They don't remove makeup. Just sweat. Works great on both men and women.

Better planning can take care of insecurity when communicating with a model.

Like for example:

Read up on the basics of women's makeup. Then when you talk to her before hiring her. Make sure she comes to "YOUR" shoot without any applied makeup. If she refuses that. Then ask her to wear the bare minimum so more can be added later at her discretion. If she refuses that then tell her you won't use her. If she agrees supply her with some makeup. Additions like color combo's. Not expensive and not hard to get.


Buy some hair clips and bands. Drug store. Supermarket. The mall. And they're cheap. Like maximum you spend is $10.00 Canadian.
The most you'd have to do is hold up a mirror so she can see the back of her head. If your feeling adventurous you can give her a hand.

She wore a white top and black bottom.

Yes I would ask her ahead of time to wear a real bikini swim suit. Not that bra and panty. Looks wrong imho.


___
The hair extension you don't understand? Lets say her hair goes down to her shoulders. But she wants it to go down to her upper back. Hair extension. They get attached by a professional and lengthen their hair. Sometimes they add 1 or two strands of hair. It's like fake hair camouflaged with real hair that's what it is. To create length and most men don't know about it.

All my models look serious. It is to make art. Smiling is corny and makes it look like a family snapshot.

The background reminds me of a family tv show for toddlers. An animated tv show where the characters would dream about. Eating everything made out of candy.

I can see the paper overlapping itself in the background distracting me from the model.

I am not a good photographer of women. I mostly depend on the subject for poses, makeup and hair. My models are pros, and they should know this stuff.

model on a stick 1
Another Mannequin on a stick

This is how I asked models to pose myself.

Some photographers like to touch. Akin to sexual harassment or close to it. It's not cool.

Instead you can pose one of these Mannequin dolls on a stick in front of them. Have them copy it. Works well. Or you can draw it out after you pose the mannequin doll. Or you can take photographs of the mannequin doll in front of a background and print them out. Then you have some your favorite poses on photographs you can hand to her. She will be super impressed. I swear.

Before she poses tell her if it hurts don't keep trying. Lets her know your respectful and she'll take you seriously.

 

[Thiophilos]

Women don't need to go to a hair stylist to mold their hair into different styles. That's what hair bands, and clips, etc are for. Not just for pony tails.

I did a quick image search with google. key terms are: women hair styles and clips and bands. Women hair styles lifts pencil.

Most women have been doing this all their lives since they could walk. Believe me.

Instead of a pencil you could have her place a lollipop.


There are facial wipes like the ones you use to clean your hands in the makeup departments of stores that sell women's makeup. And they work great at removing sweat. They don't remove makeup. Just sweat. Works great on both men and women.

Better planning can take care of insecurity when communicating with a model.

Like for example:

Read up on the basics of women's makeup. Then when you talk to her before hiring her. Make sure she comes to "YOUR" shoot without any applied makeup. If she refuses that. Then ask her to wear the bare minimum so more can be added later at her discretion. If she refuses that then tell her you won't use her. If she agrees supply her with some makeup. Additions like color combo's. Not expensive and not hard to get.


Buy some hair clips and bands. Drug store. Supermarket. The mall. And they're cheap. Like maximum you spend is $10.00 Canadian.
The most you'd have to do is hold up a mirror so she can see the back of her head. If your feeling adventurous you can give her a hand.


Yes I would ask her ahead of time to wear a real bikini swim suit. Not that bra and panty. Looks wrong imho.


___
The hair extension you don't understand? Lets say her hair goes down to her shoulders. But she wants it to go down to her upper back. Hair extension. They get attached by a professional and lengthen their hair. Sometimes they add 1 or two strands of hair. It's like fake hair camouflaged with real hair that's what it is. To create length and most men don't know about it.



The background reminds me of a family tv show for toddlers. An animated tv show where the characters would dream about. Eating everything made out of candy.

I can see the paper overlapping itself in the background distracting me from the model.


model on a stick 1
Another Mannequin on a stick

This is how I asked models to pose myself.

Some photographers like to touch. Akin to sexual harassment or close to it. It's not cool.

Instead you can pose one of these Mannequin dolls on a stick in front of them. Have them copy it. Works well. Or you can draw it out after you pose the mannequin doll. Or you can take photographs of the mannequin doll in front of a background and print them out. Then you have some your favorite poses on photographs you can hand to her. She will be super impressed. I swear.

Before she poses tell her if it hurts don't keep trying. Lets her know your respectful and she'll take you seriously.

Thx for the suggestions. I'll have to get one of those mannequins.