Headshots with Keely

[max3k]

I cut her head off in this one too!

 

[cgipson1]

Yet one of the most popular and successful portrait photographers do both those things.

It'd ridiculous how so many people get bent out of shape about camera orientation when it comes to making an image of someone's face.

Maybe because so many amateurs do it... and do it poorly! Maybe the one pro you mention has the skills to get away with it... most don't!

Did I get away with it? =)

Almost.. but not quite! They are far better than most like this... they are properly exposed and the lighting is nice, and the subject is lovely (and not a toddler!). #6 is excellent... the rest would have been much better if we didn't have that major distraction of half her forehead missing. She is a lovely girl.. why not show her off at her best.

 

[cgipson1]

Question? I assume you have see the work of the masters? Those paintings that are considered the epitome of art? The portraits that are so beautiful, they evoke emotion even in people that don't know art?

Any cut off foreheads in those? NO! Maybe there is a reason! Amateurs, noobs, rookies and MWAC's shoot that way a lot... and they advocate it just to be different!

so what are you going to do?

 

[MikeLem]

the rest would have been much better if we didn't have that major distraction of half her forehead missing. She is a lovely girl.. why not show her off at her best.

Wholeheartedly disagree, FWIW.

 

[cgipson1]

the rest would have been much better if we didn't have that major distraction of half her forehead missing. She is a lovely girl.. why not show her off at her best.

Wholeheartedly disagree, FWIW.

Yea? Well.. I notice on your site that you shoot a lot of horizontal... with lots of meaningless dead space. You may like that, I don't! I see enough of it on Facebook and other such site.... all THOSE pro's, if you know what I mean!

 

[MikeLem]

the rest would have been much better if we didn't have that major distraction of half her forehead missing. She is a lovely girl.. why not show her off at her best.

Wholeheartedly disagree, FWIW.

Yea? Well.. I notice on your site that you shoot a lot of horizontal... with lots of meaningless dead space. You may like that, I don't! I see enough of it on Facebook and other such site.... all THOSE pro's, if you know what I mean!

The point I was trying to make was that max3k shouldn't consider your opinion to be the consensus and be discouraged. Not trying to start a war.

 

[rokvi]

Each to their own concerning orientation I feel. I see a lot of magazines doing it now. Not my cup of tea normally, unless everything else about the photograph is spot on.

And these are.

#3 and 6 are my pick for the best.

 

[Derrel]

Question? I assume you have see the work of the masters? Those paintings that are considered the epitome of art? The portraits that are so beautiful, they evoke emotion even in people that don't know art?

Any cut off foreheads in those? NO! Maybe there is a reason! Amateurs, noobs, rookies and MWAC's shoot that way a lot... and they advocate it just to be different!

so what are you going to do?

I loves me some dead space!

 

[max3k]

I'm not swayed by forum peeps. I shoot what I like, how I like, and in the orientation that I like.

Maybe you guys would like to send the top headshot photographer in the country a message about your thoughts?

Peter Hurley Photography: Actor's Headshots: Leading Ladies | Photographer in New York &amp Los Angeles

 

[cgipson1]

Wholeheartedly disagree, FWIW.

Yea? Well.. I notice on your site that you shoot a lot of horizontal... with lots of meaningless dead space. You may like that, I don't! I see enough of it on Facebook and other such site.... all THOSE pro's, if you know what I mean!

The point I was trying to make was that max3k shouldn't consider your opinion to be the consensus and be discouraged. Not trying to start a war.

Not trying to start a war either! You have some nice stuff out on your site. The only time I like Horizontal is when the "dead space" is not dead space... when it is meaningful, and adds to the shot. For instance a horizontal portrait of someone taken in France, with the Eiffel Tower in the "dead space"... suddenly it is no longer dead space, if you see what I mean. If the "dead space" consists of the same background as what is behind the subject.... then why shoot horizontal? Some shot it might be appropriate for Gaze if the subject is looking that direction... but most aren't.

This has become a lot more popular since facebook and other photo based online venues became so popular. That is because so many amateurs (and amateur PRO's) shoot this way, that it has become accepted as OK by many that don't understand why it is not always a good idea. Why not emphasize the subject.... instead of wasting half the photo to trees, grass, or blase' background?

 

[cgipson1]

Each to their own concerning orientation I feel. I see a lot of magazines doing it now. Not my cup of tea normally, unless everything else about the photograph is spot on.

And these are.

#3 and 6 are my pick for the best.

MAGAZINES?

#1 Magazine pages are in portrait orientation!
#2 Fashion photographers shoot the entire subject!
#3 The reason you see head cropping in magazines is that some guy in the AD Copy layout dept, decided to take a full photo and crop it that way... to emphasize a smile, the eyes, or cheekbones of a subject, but increasing the width of the face to a full page width... even at the cost of a forehead.

 

[manaheim]

This subject always intrigues me because I think the landscape orientation is interesting when done well. I suppose I should check my work for pointless dead space too.

 

[cgipson1]

Question? I assume you have see the work of the masters? Those paintings that are considered the epitome of art? The portraits that are so beautiful, they evoke emotion even in people that don't know art?

Any cut off foreheads in those? NO! Maybe there is a reason! Amateurs, noobs, rookies and MWAC's shoot that way a lot... and they advocate it just to be different!

so what are you going to do?

I loves me some dead space!

Yea... and when you shoot a horizontal with dead space... there is a reason for it, right? Not because you "forgot" to flip the camera over, right? Not because you are trying to emulate all of the crap you have seen on Facebook, right?

 

[cgipson1]

This subject always intrigues me because I think the landscape orientation is interesting when done well. I suppose I should check my work for pointless dead space too.

Exactly! When WELL DONE! It is so popular with the masses, because they see so much of it online... and it is not the real PRO's posting that usually, it is the Fake MWAC FB Pro's.... and and a lot of amateurs.

When well done.. with a meaningful background, it can be wonderful. BUT how often do we see the excuse "I forgot to turn the camera"? lol!

 

[manaheim]

So how do you really feel about this?