Fun shoot with my girlfriend!

[CA_]

Testing out a new custom ring-light I made and my gf's new bathing suit (I didn't make the bathing suit..)

 

[amolitor]

I like her quite a bit, she projects.

The light.. well, it lights! What's your thinking with a ring light to shoot people? I'm seeing some fashion work with pseudo-on-camera-flash these days, but it's hard to do well (with this girl, you might get away with it, though -- the technique is so harsh you need a great subject and a great moment to make the image work).

 

[CA_]

Couldn't agree more, it's a tricky technique and the on-camera look is what I did some other stuff with (sort of gives it a rough American Apparel sort of look). My only reasoning for the ring light is that I've fallen in love with the way it wraps the skin. The only thing close I can find is stuff with wall-sized diffusers (of which I'm almost done building a 7' prototype). This ring light is probably a bit smaller than I want so the light is harsher than I had originally planned for, but I'll probably build a larger diameter model and call it a day.

I like her quite a bit, she projects.

The light.. well, it lights! What's your thinking with a ring light to shoot people? I'm seeing some fashion work with pseudo-on-camera-flash these days, but it's hard to do well (with this girl, you might get away with it, though -- the technique is so harsh you need a great subject and a great moment to make the image work).

 

[cgipson1]

Still shooting horizontally for subjects like this, I see.... don't you think she would be more emphasized without all that gray dead space on either side? You seem to be attempting a fashion photography look... so why the dead space?

 

[CA_]

Here's another shot from the same setup/shoot.

 

[amolitor]

Couldn't agree more, it's a tricky technique and the on-camera look is what I did some other stuff with (sort of gives it a rough American Apparel sort of look).

American Apparel totally lifted their original look from webcam/personal ads, right? It's a total "skeezy webcam girl" look. They're a marvelous case study in how commercial lifts from mass photography, although they seem to have moved on to a more traditional fashion catalog look lately (boo, hiss).

 

[CA_]

I guess I'm gravitating towards shots that give subjects room to breath, I think my eye kinda gravitates towards it. But who knows, my tastes change by the week.

Still shooting horizontally for subjects like this, I see.... don't you think she would be more emphasized without all that gray dead space on either side? You seem to be attempting a fashion photography look... so why the dead space?

 

[amolitor]

That second one is totally American Apparel. Cool tones, and a total "hussy with a p&s camera" look (no offense to your girlfriend). The huge foreground elbow is a little off, though. It kinda fits with the aesthetic, though, it's the kind of thing a dumb hussy would actually do.

 

[CA_]

Yes, I saw a recent American Apparel ad that looked far more like a Gucci ad, I was a bit perplexed.

Couldn't agree more, it's a tricky technique and the on-camera look is what I did some other stuff with (sort of gives it a rough American Apparel sort of look).

American Apparel totally lifted their original look from webcam/personal ads, right? It's a total "skeezy webcam girl" look. They're a marvelous case study in how commercial lifts from mass photography, although they seem to have moved on to a more traditional fashion catalog look lately (boo, hiss).

 

[amolitor]

Note sure I am loving how the shadows fall on the background with this light. It's a lot more obvious in the second one, there's a pretty strong "halo" around her. I'd move her away from the backdrop a bit, myself, but maybe you love that effect too? It's definitely a thing.

 

[CA_]

haha she's a total hussy. she thinks she's all that. I have to keep her in check 24/7. jk she's a good girl, but yeah, that's exactly the role I wanted her image to play. "I'm a dumb spoiled whore, look at my facebook pics."

 

[CA_]

at first I was going to edit it out, then I stared at it a while and it reminded me of the SNL portraits that run before/after commerical breaks of the host and thought I'd keep it. Still on the fence about it but it triggered that connection for me so I thought what the hell, I'll keep it.

Note sure I am loving how the shadows fall on the background with this light. It's a lot more obvious in the second one, there's a pretty strong "halo" around her. I'd move her away from the backdrop a bit, myself, but maybe you love that effect too? It's definitely a thing.

 

[jowensphoto]

(sort of gives it a rough American Apparel sort of look).

That was my very first impression. If that's what you're going for, I think you did well: )