First Real Photo Shoot in a While. CC Please

TylerF · Jun 15, 2011

So a while back I did senior photos for a girl I work with. She happens to be a musician and was invited to play at a Best Buy in NYC (Lady Gaga played the same stage the other day) and she needed some promotional shots. CC would be greatly appreciated.

1

2

3

4

Derrel · Jun 15, 2011

1,and 3, look like they could make decent promotional photos. #4 also, but I wish she were looking toward the lens. I REMEMBER this girl!!! She looks so,so much prettier in this set of pics. Her makeup is much more expertly applied these days, and she looks tanned and very pretty. Plus, your camera-handling skills have improved quite a bit too Tyler. If there is one thing I would suggest improving, it would be the really,really bright, hot spots on the background foliage in shot #4, and also in shot 3, and in shot #1, to the left of her head. TO me, that over-exposed, overly bright greenery really draws too much attention. Perhaps you could use one of several different techniques to make the brightest background spots darker, and thus less distracting.

TylerF · Jun 15, 2011

thanks for the input. I agree that this set is a lot better than the last lol. I am really happy to see an improvement. I am still having trouble facing bright sunny days. these were taken aroun 2 in the afternoon. I had a ND filter on but just couldnt help some hotspots.

thanks again for your kind words

here's one with her looking at the camera. she was a little uncomfortable when she looked towards the camera and I think it shows a little.

The_Traveler · Jun 16, 2011

Tyler,

There can be a problem shooting with a long instrument if you want/try to include it all and I think that it isn't necessary.

Work to get her face and her hands in the prominent/powerful parts of the photo and let the rest of the guitar go where it goes.
Don't squeeze her over to one size for the guitar and include all that extra/unneeded space unless you intend to use it for text.

Samples sent by PM

TylerF · Jun 16, 2011

Thanks for the input. I have ne'er worked with a prop before lol. Kinda tricky

Derrel · Jun 16, 2011

I actually assumed the space on shot #1 and # 3 and #4 was being allocated to text that would be overlayed with her name and the date and venue of her upcoming performance. I would consider using shot #1 as the "main" photo, and then using a reduced-size, cropped-down version of shot #3 as an inset image in the promo poster, probably down in the lower right hand corner, so that she is looking "back" over her shoulder and into the main image.

tenthumbs · Jun 16, 2011

I think #3 is pretty good.

In #1 and #4 her barre chord looks almost clawlike. For the shot, a simple C or D would be nice.

e.rose · Jun 16, 2011

Does anyone else notice that the background looks pixelated? I don't see it in the first, I don't think, but I definitely see it in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th.

Is this an imposed background Tyler?

In the second one I see a strong pixelation around part of her head where her hair sort of bleeds into the background (or is the background bleeding into her hair?)

In number 1... I don't know why this bothers me so much, but I keep staring at her right hand, haha. It just looks funny to me because of the chord she's playing. I would have waited until she played a more relaxed chord (if she was actually playing), or would have had her pose with a more relax chord for that shot.

I think in number 2 you should have pulled out a little more so you can get more of the guitar neck (if not *all* of it) across the bottom. I don't me horizontally, I mean vertically... if that makes sense.

Same thing in number 3. The crop bothers me. If I could extend the crop, I'd want to push out the left and push out the bottom a bit to make the guitar more apparent.

If she's a singer/songwriter, that guitar is integral to what she's doing, and therefore, in my opinion, be more prominent in the images.

The last one is nice, it's just too bad she wasn't looking at the camera. But like you said in your next post, she looks a bit awkward and uncomfortable looking at the camera, haha.

EDIT: Nevermind... I guess it's the whole image that's pixelated. Not just the background. I just looked again. :lol:

BJF · Jun 16, 2011

Very nice!

Photo Lady · Jun 16, 2011

great shots.. she should be happy with your work

TylerF · Jun 16, 2011

thanks for the comments. as for the pixelation, it could be due to the image hosting. they not pixely at all on my screen at full size. they were very big files to begin with. idk tho.

as for the chords, she was actually playing lol. She was uncomfortable with posing so I told her to just play and forget about me.

e.rose · Jun 16, 2011

TylerF said:
She was uncomfortable with posing so I told her to just play and forget about me.

Which is fine, but next time I'd watch her hands and catch her when she's playing a more relaxed chord. :sillysmi:

TylerF · Jun 16, 2011

I hear ya. Thanks! I would post the one she chose to put on the eat buy website but I'm on my phone. Not trying to advertise here lol but here the link

http://www.liveatbestbuy.com/events/sam-stinson

It wasn't my favorite due to things getting cut off but she like it lol so that's all that matters

subscuck · Jun 17, 2011

I can understand why she likes it. I think it's the best of the bunch. I'd like to see it posted here (it's kinda small) before I make my final decision, but I like it. Cliche as hell, but hey after almost 60 years of rock n roll, kinda hard to come up with an original guitar pose.