PhotoShoot Of This Model Over The Weekend

[BCordeiroPhotography]

A photo shoot of this model over the weekend i had a great time shooting this model. thank you all for the reviews and comments.






1. 2. 3.
4. 5.

 

[pixmedic]

numbering the photos would make it easier to comment on them individually.

top left is the strongest of the set in my opinion, but in the spirit of full disclosure....
well...Her shirt, while pretty cool, does not really portray the sort of message I would personally
want people seeing in my (open to everyone to view) portfolio.

Top right OK, although the lighting is a bit harsh. a large diffusion panel there would have helped a lot.
Im not a fan of the dappled light in top middle and bottom right. Those would not make final edit for me.
bottom left is cutesy, but i would crop more off the right side.

The only ones of the set i would actually consider a keeper would be the first, (top left)
and 4th (bottom left) with some additional cropping.

you have a beautiful model there.
find an excuse to get her back in front of your camera where there is more even lighting.

 

[BCordeiroPhotography]

Thank you i'm just starting off she just purchased that shirt and she loved it i wasn't going to tell her not to wear the shirt i believe you can wear what ever you would like to a photo shoot i will get her back in front of the camera soon once the weather over here in rhode island gets better and i will number them i apologize this is the first time i'm posting images and i didn't know thank you for your thoughts i will work on it.

 

[JoeW]

Multiple comments...

1. For new models, if there is clothing they like, feel good in, then they pose better. Their poses are more comfortable and more assertive and confident (they aren't thinking "does this dress make my butt look big?"). So I get the shirt. That said, I'd shoot her in the shirt and then change. Or put a shawl over it or over-blouse b/c it is distracting.

2. Let me start with picture #5. Common mistake--she looks like she's saying "I surrender." I'm a big fan of asymmetrical poses. Try the same thing but put one hand behind the head and another on the neck. Or change the angle of the elbows.

3. She looks like she's short OR has big and short biceps. So any pose where she bends then (like in #4) emphasizes the size of the bicep and makes it look even bigger (as opposed to #3 where it's more proportional). You can find a pose you really like but then you need to adapt it to each body type b/c we're all individuals. Also for #4, I'd crop it so it's portrait/vertical. Keep that diagonal line of the tree trunk (that's a good thing) but don't have the tree trunk take up half the picture and pull our eyes to it. #3: good pose, would benefit from a narrower DoF so we had more bokeh, less focus on the background. Her face seems a bit blowout. I also wish the hands weren't at the same level....maybe one goes into a pocket and the other on a hip or the rear pocket or behind her neck. #2 has potential but there are a lot of small flaws to work on with this pose....distortion (man she's got some giant hands...oh wait, that's lens distortion...so use a zoom and get further back from her)...shirt is wrinkled which is both distracting and makes her look fat (use tape or a clamp to tighten it up in the back, if you have her twist to one side that takes off 5 pounds). Light on her face is very harsh. I'd put her in shade and then use a reflector to bounce some soft light in to that face. I'd also lose the necklace which I'm sure she loves but is distracting in this case. Last shot (#1)--full-on frontal shots are rarely complimentary to people, they tend to add pounds (so she looks chunky in this photo). Nice angle to her face, nice light, good background color. I'd have her extend her right arm (so it was straighter) which will make that right bicep smaller. I'd have her orient her hips a bit more to the left (so her upper body is effectively twisting to the right) which will take off 5 pounds. And I'd remove some wrinkles on the front of the shirt (either tape/clamp in the back or some post-production work).

Some nice potential here (with the model and location and your ideas). Show us shoot #2 when you get a chance to work with her again. Good start.

 

[BCordeiroPhotography]

thank you for your input i will take all the notes down next time i take photos of her. i'm still learning so this helps me out alot thank you.

 

[Didereaux]

Number 1 & 4 qre the only ones with reasonable lighting. There is a reason that it is universally said that you should NEVER shoot a person in dappled light!

What it boils down to is probably your being more focused on the personal interaction than what is happening in the camera frame. Takes practice...you'll get there.

 

[BCordeiroPhotography]

thank you didereaux i will keep practicing until i get there lol

 

[Derrel]

Shots 1,3,and 4 are the best of the five. I know you are pretty new to the whole photo game, but you did better than I would expect for a person with your level of experience.

 

[BCordeiroPhotography]

Thank You So Much Derrel i have learn a little more after this shoot about lighting etc.

 

[DanOstergren]

Number 1 & 4 qre the only ones with reasonable lighting. There is a reason that it is universally said that you should NEVER shoot a person in dappled light!

I agree that 1 and 4 are the only ones that have decent lighting, however I completely disagree with the statement about it being a universal rule not to shoot someone in dappled light. Dappled light can be extremely engaging and flattering to a photograph, you just need to practice both how to identify good dappled lighting and how to apply it to a portrait so it looks good. Obviously it didn't work for these portraits, but there is absolutely no universal saying or agreement that it should never be used, because that is untrue. I think telling someone that there is forces them into a creative box.

 

[Didereaux]

Number 1 & 4 qre the only ones with reasonable lighting. There is a reason that it is universally said that you should NEVER shoot a person in dappled light!

I agree that 1 and 4 are the only ones that have decent lighting, however I completely disagree with the statement about it being a universal rule not to shoot someone in dappled light. Dappled light can be extremely engaging and flattering to a photograph, you just need to practice both how to identify good dappled lighting and how to apply it to a portrait so it looks good. Obviously it didn't work for these portraits, but there is absolutely no universal saying or agreement that it should never be used, because that is untrue. I think telling someone that there is forces them into a creative box.

Another universal in photography is, 'Learn the rules before you break them!'

 

[DanOstergren]

Number 1 & 4 qre the only ones with reasonable lighting. There is a reason that it is universally said that you should NEVER shoot a person in dappled light!

I agree that 1 and 4 are the only ones that have decent lighting, however I completely disagree with the statement about it being a universal rule not to shoot someone in dappled light. Dappled light can be extremely engaging and flattering to a photograph, you just need to practice both how to identify good dappled lighting and how to apply it to a portrait so it looks good. Obviously it didn't work for these portraits, but there is absolutely no universal saying or agreement that it should never be used, because that is untrue. I think telling someone that there is forces them into a creative box.

Another universal in photography is, 'Learn the rules before you break them!'

I disagree with this as well. I've been experimenting ever since I got a camera, and it has done nothing but help me progress. Boxing yourself in will not help with progression.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I do some experimenting too, sometimes if nothing else I figure out what doesn't work! I think dappled light can work but think about where you place the subject and/or where you are - your vantage point. Think about where the shapes made by the shadows are hitting her (maybe smack on her hip wasn't the best option, makes for a dark splotchy shape that looks rather odd there).

I would also check or have the subject check and arrange hair/jewelry. I couldn't tell at first what that line was along her shirt - the light color of it against the black makes for a good amount of contrast which I think makes it more eye catching. As she moved from one pose to another it would have been better to keep rechecking that and think about how it will look, maybe better if the necklace was turned so the end of the cord wasn't hanging down too much.

I think if that's the shirt the subject wanted to wear for the photos that's up to you and/or the client, but I wouldn't see these being usable in a general portfolio. These might be usable to show for a specific reason/purpose. I think another thing to consider with any printed T is how it looks with the fabric bunched or wrinkled or letters cropped off, to me it's a distraction when it isn't readable.