Picky customer

[Snakeguy101]

So my dad asked me to get a good "professional looking" shot of him for his website. I took a few of him but he was not happy with any of the results saying things like the background was too distracting or that I caught him from a weird angle. I tried editing it more to his liking by desaturating the background and brightening him up and also adding some skin smoothing (I think it is too much but he still wanted more so we compromised). Where should I draw the line with him? Should give him what he wants using a disposable camera with the flash on against a boring white wall and then smear his face to the point of not being able to recognize him and it would be a terrible picture or maintain some integrity and give him a much more professional photo that would not look so goofy and in my opinion would look better for his website?

C&C is always welcome and appreciated.

Also, for the professional photographers out there have you ever had customers ask for completely tacky photos? If so what did you do?

 

[table1349]

Rule number one of business if you want to stay in business. "The customer is always right." Translated into real terms, if the customer isn't satisfied, they aren't a customer any longer.
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Portrait Poses

 

[KmH]

When customers ask for 'completely tacky photos' I just say, "Sure we can do that. After all - it's only money. Just give me a minute and I'll figure out how much more that will cost you."

 

[leixialong]

When customers ask for 'completely tacky photos' I just say, "Sure we can do that. After all - it's only money. Just give me a minute and I'll figure out how much more that will cost you."

Hah, nice.

 

[vtf]

When customers ask for 'completely tacky photos' I just say, "Sure we can do that. After all - it's only money. Just give me a minute and I'll figure out how much more that will cost you."

You're smooth, can you tell my wife how she looks in her dress?

 

[Photo Lady]

you look alot like Dad.. i think it is a great picture of him... he is happy.. and natural looking.

 

[Derrel]

Well, the background on that shot is dreadfully busy. And the green backlighting on his neck and cheeks....ewww...and his forehead, with that sickly greenish highlight...the lighting present when you took the photo is quite dramatic, but it is entirely wrong for a warm, friendly portrait of a man his age. The location you shot in would have been a GREAT place to pose Ryan Reynolds in his Green Lantern costume....seriously, it would go GREAT! with that kind of a character. I'm serious. But the light is not friendly to your dad's face, AND the cool, greenish highlights are just wrong,wrong,wrong.

I do not think he is being "picky". THe lighting and background are not flattering. They are the opposite of flattering.

 

[Snakeguy101]

Derrel, you are right. I took a moment to fix it. Please tell me if this one is better.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

The background makes me think of Escher.

 

[Miladymimi]

I'm sorry, but I don't like the background, it's very distracting. It looks like there are things growing out of his head. Also, there's a shadow on his neck, inside his collar that would bother me. just my opinion.

 

[lyonsroar]

Also, his face is not sharp like a portrait should be. It looks like the tip of his nose is on focus and it drops off quick due to that f1.8...

[TD="class: exifTd"]Exposure Time[/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"]1/200[/TD]

[TD="class: exifTd"] F Number [/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"] 1.8 [/TD]

[TD="class: exifTd"]Exposure Program[/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"]Manual[/TD]

[TD="class: exifTd"]ISO Speed Ratings[/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"]800[/TD]

[TD="class: exifTd"]Metering Mode[/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"]Pattern[/TD]

[TD="class: exifTd"]Flash[/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"]Flash did not fire[/TD]

[TD="class: exifTd"]Focal Length[/TD]
[TD="class: exifTd"]50[/TD]

Raise that beeyotch!

 

[Snakeguy101]

okay. thank you for the input. I suppose I was wrong. I will re-shoot it next time I get the chance.

As for the F/# I did it that way to try to separate him from the background as much as I could because I could not move him too much due to the light source. It just must not have been a good spot to shoot at all I guess.

 

[Josh66]

Derrel, you are right. I took a moment to fix it. Please tell me if this one is better.

You might be better off just doing a reshoot.

What sort of portrait is this going to be? Corporate head shot or something like that? If so - I don't think it works - background is way too busy. You need to reshoot with something fairly neutral. Stop trying to "fix" it and just start over.

He's your Dad, I'm sure he can find the time.

 

[Kerbouchard]

You should always listen to your dad...especially, when he is right.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Extremely busy background, WB seems off, lighting isn't the best, and the shot is very soft to me. I do not say this to insult. Just cutting to the chase. I would re-shoot. Try a different background. Perhaps ( if he is not against it ) doing a black and white conversion of a new shoot with less busy background and better focus/sharpness.

Here is a conversion and I did a WB adjustment first and also a little bit of dodging and blemish removal.


DSC_8582-1 by GooniesNeverSayDie11, on Flickr