Nursing home resident portraits.

[OGsPhotography]

Hi TPF.

Its been a while since we chatted!

I want to get better so here I am again... any tips with this set?

We had 50 people through in about 2 hours.


Ss 1/200
Av 7.1
Canon 70-200 2.8 ii on 5diii

Cc is appreciated.

 

[tirediron]

Overall, very nicely done. I'm assuming this was something done pro bono as a gift to the residents? Well done you. A few [very] minor thoughts. In #1, you've got some fairly major reflections in the lady's glasses. This is often a challenge since strong prescriptions tend to have a fairly convex exterior surface and it's difficult to find that sweet spot between optimal lighting and avoiding reflection. Watch the cropping; bisecting limbs along a longitudinal axis isn't ideal. In the second, don't forget to run your spot healing tool around (soft edge brush)to clean up lint, dandruff, etc.

 

[smoke665]

Overall nice job. The same life that now makes them a source of fascination also creates difficult shooting environments. I was at a VA home recently where the walls were covered with large canvas B&W prints of the residents, living their life. It was amazing.

 

[Jeff1547 47]

Some very good images.......

 

[OGsPhotography]

Overall, very nicely done. I'm assuming this was something done pro bono as a gift to the residents? Well done you. A few [very] minor thoughts. In #1, you've got some fairly major reflections in the lady's glasses. This is often a challenge since strong prescriptions tend to have a fairly convex exterior surface and it's difficult to find that sweet spot between optimal lighting and avoiding reflection. Watch the cropping; bisecting limbs along a longitudinal axis isn't ideal. In the second, don't forget to run your spot healing tool around (soft edge brush)to clean up lint, dandruff, etc.

Thanks Tirediron,

Yes it was pro bono of course!

Reflections are a challenge. There is no time to be adjusting lights, although I did a few adjustments through the shoot. I tried to feather them and angle from above. Mostly it worked but a few were even worse! Whats the solution besides taking glasses off ( which we did for one fellow)

I tried to crop them to eliminate as much hardware ( wheelchairs etc)as I could, maybe not the best policy. Families are used to the chairs anyway so I’ll try to crop again.

I didnt do much post besides exposure, clarity and vignette, I delivered all 50 the next day printed. Heal brush certainly could take these to another level great point!

 

[OGsPhotography]

@tirediron I went ti try another crop. Couldnt go back any so in I went; better?



I’ll try b+w too thats a great idea @smoke665

 

[OGsPhotography]

B+W looks better?

 

[smoke665]

@OGsPhotography Seniors tend to have a lot of skin discoloration. The lady in your photos has been blessed such that I think color or B&W works for her. That said, to me B&W, adds to the timeless feel of the subject, in a classical manner.

 

[CherylL]

The lady could have been my mother. Love the set!

 

[OGsPhotography]

@smoke665 These were 2 of the best as far as skin color went but I basically delivered as is. It would take me a long time to do beauty retouch for 50.

If I get another shot at it pun intended I will give them some b+w for sure!

@CherylL Thanks!
And mine too right?
Respect.

 

[tirediron]

Reflections are a challenge. There is no time to be adjusting lights, although I did a few adjustments through the shoot. I tried to feather them and angle from above. Mostly it worked but a few were even worse! Whats the solution besides taking glasses off ( which we did for one fellow)

Sometimes there is no solution, and you take the best you can get. You can often mitigate it to some degree by having the client turn/raise/lower their head slightly. I don't think it would have hurt to have gone higher with your key light and used a larger fill modifier. When I do this sort of work, I usually go for a 42" key and either a 60 or 72" fill.All that said, I think in this case you were doomed from the start; the lady's glasses appear to have a fairly convex outer surface, and without changing the set significantly, you were going to get something. Just be glad that they didn't have that horrid, green, anti-reflective coating!

I tried to crop them to eliminate as much hardware ( wheelchairs etc)as I could, maybe not the best policy. Families are used to the chairs anyway so I’ll try to crop again.

Definitely a challenge, and again, there are often valid reasons for breaking the rules. I definitely prefer the second crop however; she's got such a quintessential 'grandmother' face that it's nice to have it larger in the frame.

I didnt do much post besides exposure, clarity and vignette, I delivered all 50 the next day printed. Heal brush certainly could take these to another level great point!

Damn! You work fast. That's impressive. I wouldn't have turned that around in less than a week! As someone who's client base is for the most part 65+, with a significant portion being closer to the century mark, I've become a bit of an expert at removing little bits like that.