Contemporary Senior Girl

[inneist]

I am big into leaning, as was Don, I am sold on the head tilt as was Don. I like properly posed hands as did Don, and I like short lighting as did Don. The image below embodies all of these elements.

I checked out your quoted "Hot tips for PORTRAIT photography". The last one reads:

Don’t Photograph The Back of Women's Hands

This is the thing I find most incredible. I understand why this could be the case under certain circumstances but when you elevate it to an absolute truth this belief strikes to me just false. I think you have to consider the hands with respect to other parts of the body. One example, this Rafael´s painting shows the back of the hands of Donna, she just looks feminine as you could possibly imagine.

http://www.voideity.com/artists/La_Donna_Velata_Raphael.jpg

Read you later.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Does anyone on this site command those kind of prices just to talk?

I was getting paid $1,000 a day, plus ex's, to take pictures in the 80's so if you factor in for inflation I think I'm up there....
But to try to equate someone who has got a piece of paper from a club to say that they are good at taking pictures with a practitioner of medicine is just a little bit silly, don't you think?
And if you had ever gone to a proper University to do a Degree you would find there was an awful lot more to it than presenting a few pictures to the PPA.

 

[Tally Ho]

I checked out your quoted "Hot tips for PORTRAIT photography". The last one reads:



This is the thing I find most incredible. I understand why this could be the case under certain circumstances but when you elevate it to an absolute truth this belief strikes to me just false. I think you have to consider the hands with respect to other parts of the body. One example, this Rafael´s painting shows the back of the hands of Donna, she just looks feminine as you could possibly imagine.

http://www.voideity.com/artists/La_Donna_Velata_Raphael.jpg

Read you later.

These rules are not 'hard and fast', 'cannot be broken because you will be convicted and thrown into prison' type of rules, they are rules that for the most part should be used in most portraiture, and breaking them may be done once they are learned. Of course you can shoot all day and break all of them on every image if you want, and the only thing to suffer will be your paycheck.

As far as the back of the hand, the illustration shown in the book along side the rule shows the full and flat back of the hand. Raphael in your example has carefully hidden about 1/2 of the hand behind her dress.

Mr Dowdey, please lighten up as we are on the same side. I was making a point about pieces of paper. Hertz said that a piece of paper is worthless. I was making a point that pieces of paper ARE NOT worthless. We would all be in a world of hurt if not for medical doctors. I have the utmost respect for them.

Tally Ho

 

[MDowdey]

oh im as calm as a hindu cow.


i think we have all said enough, and you know my stance on you. its cool.


md

 

[Tally Ho]

I was getting paid $1,000 a day, plus ex's, to take pictures in the 80's so if you factor in for inflation I think I'm up there....
But to try to equate someone who has got a piece of paper from a club to say that they are good at taking pictures with a practitioner of medicine is just a little bit silly, don't you think?
And if you had ever gone to a proper University to do a Degree you would find there was an awful lot more to it than presenting a few pictures to the PPA.

Wow, I'm impressed, $1000.00 a day and in the 1980's no less. I can see why you commanded these kind of prices after looking at your latest submissions. Now we are talking some really awesome work there, almost like Ansel Adams except in color. Keep it up.

Tally Ho

 

[Christie Photo]

oh im as calm as a hindu cow.

I love it.

 

[MDowdey]

thanks

 

[Christie Photo]

...if you had ever gone to a proper University to do a Degree you would find there was an awful lot more to it than presenting a few pictures to the PPA.

It's really not a simple task. It shouldn't be diminished. In fact, the process produces more real-world value than a classroom.

I was getting paid $1,000 a day, plus ex's, to take pictures in the 80's so if you factor in for inflation I think I'm up there...

This IS a proper scale, and one to be proud of. My hat's off to you.

-Pete

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Wow, I'm impressed, $1000.00 a day and in the 1980's no less. I can see why you commanded these kind of prices after looking at your latest submissions. Now we are talking some really awesome work there, almost like Ansel Adams except in color. Keep it up.

Tally Ho

Please don't try and be sarcastic, it just makes you look stupid.
I used to work in Advertising (you would call it Commercial).
If you had read my posts you would have seen that I am doing Landscape as therapy. It was always my weakest area and I just want to get back to taking pictures again.
I suppose you do portraits for similar reasons.

 

[Corry]

Zzzzzing!

 

[danalec99]

These rules are not 'hard and fast', 'cannot be broken because you will be convicted and thrown into prison' type of rules, they are rules that for the most part should be used in most portraiture, and breaking them may be done once they are learned. Of course you can shoot all day and break all of them on every image if you want, and the only thing to suffer will be your paycheck.

Repeat after me Mr. Ho... M A R K E T.

I like the S-Class, my cousin prefers the 7 series. Does it make either of it a better automobile?
You have a style, you like your style, and obviously there is a market for it. But it is a fact that there are other markets. It is so immature to think that paychecks will be affected if people won't adhere to your tablet of laws.

Cant you just see it?!

 

[elsaspet]

It is so immature to think that paychecks will be affected if people won't adhere to your tablet of laws.

Kinda reminds me of Moses. Homoses.

 

[Tally Ho]

Sorry, but here is what I see locally. A number of years ago a new photographer opened up a studio, learned the craft from the masters, but then after a few years decided he was not getting the 'rush' it once gave him, so he turned the studio over to his assistant. He didn't give her much in the way of photographic education because she was artistic and freewheeling and into candid portraits. She was 'up against' two master photographers in her county of 50,000, plus several other 'good' solid portraitists in a nearby county. She closed the business after three years. Does this happen all over? I would guess so, but don't know that for a fact.

I take from the above situation that people in my area like well posed, well executed, well lit portraits like they see in the windows of the established 'main street' photographers. Actually, in my nearly 25 years in this business, I have seen probably a dozen (or more) photographers come and go in my town of 10,000. Mere flashes in the pan. All were candid shooters, none took the time to learn the rules, or pose or light their subjects well, they just fired away, hoping for one good image out of several hundred. OTOH there are three established portrait photographers in my town, none are candid shooters (except at weddings) all have learned the rules, have learned that they can be broken sometimes and all are doing quite well. So you see, it is my limited view of things that determines why I shoot the way I shoot. If I lived in New York city and everyone was shooting candids and they were making a good living at it, I would start shooting more candids. But I live in a little conservative bible belt town of 10,000 and people here like what I and all the others shoot, so that is my market. You shoot your market, I will shoot mine. I will use or abuse the rules, you can do likewise if you want.

Mr. Ho

 

[Alison]

All were candid shooters, none took the time to learn the rules, or pose or light their subjects well, they just fired away, hoping for one good image out of several hundred.

Not all people who shoot "candids" are un-educated on lighting or how to work with their clients. It sounds like the people in your area rushed into a business without having skill. Quite different from having skill and developnig a business around it. I have had quite the opposite experience here in my state. Clients come to me because they want something more natural looking than a very formal, posed photo. Like Daniel said, knowing your market is key. If in your area people prefer posed photos by all means shoot to get customers. If I did that here my clients would dry up because it's not what they are looking for.

I'm sure that personal/cultural style influences critiques as well. If we're looking at what is popular in our respective markets we will see a portrait/photo differently. For my market I shoot for emotion. Doesn't mean I ignore lighting or posing, though I do limit posing for small children because it will quickly ruin a shoot to overdirect a 2 year old. Different styles doesn't make one better than the other, and looking at the variety of work here has helped me grow as a photograper and help me create images that my clients love. These same images that are popular in NH might flop in Indiana.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Now that's much better.
If you had started off like that then there would not have been all this silliness and bad feeling.
There is nothing wrong with tailoring your style to your local market. If you make a living out of it, all well and good.
It's just that you need to remember that your area is not representative and different people in different places like different things.
There is no right way and no wrong way - only what works for you and what sells.
Putting your side of things in the way you have just done has gained you some respect - at least from me.