Downtown Otown Shoot

MarcPPhotography · Mar 7, 2010

Shot my friend Madison downtown. Here are two shots from the shoot. Tell me how to improve in post production and other things. Thanks

MarcPPhotography · Mar 8, 2010

Id love to improve

JimmyO · Mar 8, 2010

Boring in general

lighting is flat and composition is nothing special

camz · Mar 8, 2010

Composition wise I think you have to simplify your background(you have a layer of trees, cars, power lines, and buildings). Also you seem to be shooting from below on both of these which is doable but risky(double chinning and nostrils might not be flattering).

Early · Mar 9, 2010

The camera angle doesn't work here. And, listen, when you have a model like that willing to strut her stuff for you, a lot more shots are called for.

MarcPPhotography · Mar 9, 2010

Mesoam · Mar 10, 2010

blown out, wrong clothing for the model and her skin tones

Derrel · Mar 10, 2010

Marc,
I stopped by your blog and viewed every photo. On the first two photos, the model-in-the-city type feel in the first B&W photo is kind of spoiled by the distracting background elements. When shooting in B&W, design elements like line,shape,and mass take on huge importance, and the strong lines and large sizes (high mass) of the telephone poles and trees behind the subject are really,really competing for attention with her. Those black shapes behind her really dilute the impact of "her". Her foot position also looks awkward,and unnatural in the B&W shot.

The second shot of her in the city has a much more "tame" background, but there is the fork of a tree and a street lamp right behind her head,and those distracting elements are competing for attention with her face. I think the background is very important in these types of urban photos---the whole idea is woman in the city, so the background has to support the concept, and not take away from the "woman" who is in the foreground. One option is to use a longer focal length lens from farther back, which will give a narrower angle of view,and more background blur in the out of focus areas. The other option is to be really,really careful of the background, and to frame the shots very carefully.

I know you have a 45/2.8, which shows a reasonably wide angle of view when used to capture full-length figures on 1.5x, so if you want to use that particular lens, you need to look first at the background and then bring the model into the angle of view the lens will see. You actually have to compose "backwards" when using a wide field of view lens when doing location shots. Find the location, see how the lens renders it, and then position the model.

BekahAura · Mar 11, 2010

Great contrast on the 3rd one! This is the best shot you have.

I like her pose in the 2nd one. I won't say any more, you got enough criticism on the 1st two.

Bekah

chammer · Mar 11, 2010

agree that the 3rd (her in the doorway) is the best of the bunch. however, i'd love to see some off camera lighting being used for it. it could really make this ok shot a possible great shot. her pose works great for it, but may want to try different clothes.

MarcPPhotography · Mar 12, 2010

chammer said:
agree that the 3rd (her in the doorway) is the best of the bunch. however, i'd love to see some off camera lighting being used for it. it could really make this ok shot a possible great shot.

I actually did, I had my sb600 to my left in most of the shots. I need to get more strobes though

SpeedTrap · Mar 12, 2010

You need to get your light up higher, try getting a light stand with you and raise that thing up.

jackieclayton · Mar 12, 2010

i have to make a very embarrassing remark: when this said "OTown Shoot" I thought it was referring to that one hit wonder boy band from the early 2000's called "O-Town"... remember that song Liquid Dreams? Yes, I was one of those girls in high school.. haha!!!

Anyway, yes I gotta agree with the others.. the lighting is flat

the model also has some hard facial features. i can't think of anything to recommend, but the positions of her face in the photos do not compliment her angles. I'd research on how to make her look softer in the future.

like the white coat though! i forgot what its like to wear coats...