Promo photos for Stunt Actress

[chuasam]

Did a series of promotional images for an up and coming Stunt Actress.
Here is my favourite shot.

 

[Nwcid]

Would you like critique on firearms handling? People that are really into firearms pick up on errors right away, the same way photographers do on the elements in a photo.

 

[chuasam]

Would you like critique on firearms handling? People that are really into firearms pick up on errors right away, the same way photographers do on the elements in a photo.

sure but I didn't want the gun to detract from her face.

 

[chuasam]

oh yeah...never cover the trigger with your finger unless you're about to shoot *LOL* I remember that one.

 

[chuasam]

Straight out of camera shot from the same series...
damn it..*LOL* I'm a photographer, not a gun enthusiast. FWIW, that is white paint scrubbed off (semi-successfully) for the shoot.
It is a rubber prop gun for stunt training.

 

[Nwcid]

sure but I didn't want the gun to detract from her face.

I understand, but when people who are into guns see something that out of place, it does distract from the rest of the picture.

damn it..*LOL* I'm a photographer, not a gun enthusiast. FWIW, that is white paint scrubbed off (semi-successfully) for the shoot.
It is a rubber prop gun for stunt training.

The more accurate you are the more the better it will be for all of your audience.

I just happen to have a very similar 1911 sitting on my desk right now so I took couple of quick off handed pics with my phone. I am not a hand model and they were quick images.

So there are 3 points I had and only 2 of them can be changed with the prop gun.

In pic 1, if you are not shooting, the trigger finger normally lays along side the frame with the tip of your finger on the trigger guard. This allows you to increase safety, and still be able to function quickly.

The second is how the gun is function wise, but in your prop gun you can not change that. Typically a 1911 is carried in,

• Condition 1 – Also known as “cocked and locked,” means a round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the manual thumb safety on the side of the frame is applied.

This gun is in condition 1.

The other is how the trigger finger should be placed on the trigger. The finger should not be shoved all the way into the trigger guard. When shooting you typically want the trigger resting in the middle of the tip of your finger.

It is kind of hard to get the right angle shooting with a phone off hand, but hopefully this gives you an idea.

Good job on removing the paint, but you can see how dirty mine is since we were shooting yesterday. Guns that actually get used, and are not just safe queens, have dints, dings, wear and uneven coloration.

If you have questions about firearms I would be happy to answer them. If you ever want to do a shoot with real ones I am in WA state.

 

[smoke665]

Since you've already been called out on firearms handling, I'll comment on image. Personal preference is for the first. Not only a better pose but the shadow is tighter to the body and mot as distracting. I know there's a lit of disagreements going on now about facial touch up, but she could stand some smoothing, blending and matching (forehead and cheeks) and while I was at I'd do a little burning and dodging to accentuate the cheek bones. Don't know if the tattoo on the arm is one on top of the other or part of the same, but the squiggle letters going up her arm are distracting and would probably try to clone them out. Otherwise nice shot.

 

[chuasam]

sure but I didn't want the gun to detract from her face.

I understand, but when people who are into guns see something that out of place, it does distract from the rest of the picture.

damn it..*LOL* I'm a photographer, not a gun enthusiast. FWIW, that is white paint scrubbed off (semi-successfully) for the shoot.
It is a rubber prop gun for stunt training.

The more accurate you are the more the better it will be for all of your audience.

I just happen to have a very similar 1911 sitting on my desk right now so I took couple of quick off handed pics with my phone. I am not a hand model and they were quick images.

So there are 3 points I had and only 2 of them can be changed with the prop gun.

In pic 1, if you are not shooting, the trigger finger normally lays along side the frame with the tip of your finger on the trigger guard. This allows you to increase safety, and still be able to function quickly.

The second is how the gun is function wise, but in your prop gun you can not change that. Typically a 1911 is carried in,

• Condition 1 – Also known as “cocked and locked,” means a round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the manual thumb safety on the side of the frame is applied.

This gun is in condition 1.

View attachment 153676

The other is how the trigger finger should be placed on the trigger. The finger should not be shoved all the way into the trigger guard. When shooting you typically want the trigger resting in the middle of the tip of your finger.

View attachment 153677

It is kind of hard to get the right angle shooting with a phone off hand, but hopefully this gives you an idea.

Good job on removing the paint, but you can see how dirty mine is since we were shooting yesterday. Guns that actually get used, and are not just safe queens, have dints, dings, wear and uneven coloration.

If you have questions about firearms I would be happy to answer them. If you ever want to do a shoot with real ones I am in WA state.

Thanks for the tips. It'll be something I'll have to look out for in the future. I don't get many requests to include firearms (props) in my portraiture.
There's less of a gun fetish culture up here in Canada.
Here's another (and the only other) shot with a gun prop I've ever done.

 

[chuasam]

Since you've already been called out on firearms handling, I'll comment on image. Personal preference is for the first. Not only a better pose but the shadow is tighter to the body and mot as distracting. I know there's a lit of disagreements going on now about facial touch up, but she could stand some smoothing, blending and matching (forehead and cheeks) and while I was at I'd do a little burning and dodging to accentuate the cheek bones. Don't know if the tattoo on the arm is one on top of the other or part of the same, but the squiggle letters going up her arm are distracting and would probably try to clone them out. Otherwise nice shot.

thanks.
however, fixing tattoos in post is a huge no no.
clients get offended, casting directors get mad.
I'll have an unhappy agent on my case.

 

[Granddad]

An interesting thread. As a Brit I'm not a huge gun enthusiast but I know enough to have noticed the finger on the trigger and raised my eyebrows. Anyone with military or paramilitary training would probably pick up on that. However, IMHO it's not a massive deal that would demand a reshoot. It's just something to keep in mind if you do a similar shoot in the future.
I like the last one best, the bloke, he looks relatively realistic.

 

[OldCam]

About the first picture, I started to 'use' my wife as a model and did some lightning with several flashes and a bouncing screen. The first thing she noticed was the texture on her face. After looking up how others did this, the conclusion was to not make the face to harsh in lightning. Hard nose shadows and freckles are not promoting a model. Although lots of glossy magazine models are shown with them. A way of lighting the face of a woman should be attractive in a soft way.

Nevertheless its a beautiful picture.

 

[Nwcid]

Would you like critique on firearms handling?

Did he ask for one?

Well this is a discussion forum and the forum he posted in is;

People Photography
A gallery for sharing photos of the people in your life, from informal portraits & candids, to your home studio shots or street photography. Post for discussion and feedback, including general critique.

One thing I have learned in life is we don't know what we don't know.

I am still learning my way around these forums. Maybe it would have been more proper for a PM.

 

[Granddad]

Would you like critique on firearms handling?

Did he ask for one?

Well this is a discussion forum and the forum he posted in is;

People Photography
A gallery for sharing photos of the people in your life, from informal portraits & candids, to your home studio shots or street photography. Post for discussion and feedback, including general critique.

One thing I have learned in life is we don't know what we don't know.

I am still learning my way around these forums. Maybe it would have been more proper for a PM.

To my mind it was a perfectly reasonable suggestion made politely and with a very good point . If people don't want any critique they can post their images in the "Just For Fun" forum.

 

[smoke665]

Since you've already been called out on firearms handling, I'll comment on image. Personal preference is for the first. Not only a better pose but the shadow is tighter to the body and mot as distracting. I know there's a lit of disagreements going on now about facial touch up, but she could stand some smoothing, blending and matching (forehead and cheeks) and while I was at I'd do a little burning and dodging to accentuate the cheek bones. Don't know if the tattoo on the arm is one on top of the other or part of the same, but the squiggle letters going up her arm are distracting and would probably try to clone them out. Otherwise nice shot.

thanks.
however, fixing tattoos in post is a huge no no.
clients get offended, casting directors get mad.
I'll have an unhappy agent on my case.

Valid point. Unfortunately it is still a distraction as it looks as if the ink is running down the arm. I've never been a big fan of tattoos on men or women, a lot of that comes from seeing the mistakes people have permanently etched on their bodies.

 

[Designer]

Did a series of promotional images for an up and coming Stunt Actress.
Here is my favourite shot.

Ever one to beat a dead horse, I will offer this one thought: Even if the photographer doesn't know proper firearm handling, the stunt actor certainly should. So this is intended to be a promotional photo, showing her skill and knowledge of firearms, she should at least know how to handle them.

IOW: it's not entirely your responsibility to know about firearms, given that she is supposed to be the expert.

So now she's got a promo shot that indicates she knows next to nothing about handling a firearm. Not much of a promo shot if she doesn't get an audition.

Re-shoot.