Senior Session

[crimbfighter]

This was my only senior session this year. A very difficult kid to shoot. He is very rigid and awkward. I basically found two poses he could pull off and ran with them. His high school sweetheart came along for the shoot so I took the opportunity to get a couple photos of them as well. The white shirt was a challenge to work with because it washed out easily, but his girlfriend picked it out for him, so come hell or high water, that's what he was wearing...

I am also trying a new editing style that is much more punchy in terms of tones and colors than what I typically do so I'd love to hear thoughts on the editing style. Does it work? Good, bad, okay, don't ever do that again? I feel like my portrait editing has been a bit flat in the past so I'm trying to change that. Here are my favorites. As always, C&C welcome.

1. D800, 85mm f/1.8 @ f/2.2, 1/640 sec, ISO 100 (Missed focus on this one a little but I thought it was still worth keeping)


2. D800, 85mm f/1.8 @ f/4, 1/250 sec, ISO 100


3. D800, 85mm f/1.8 @ f/4, 1/640 sec, ISO 100 (Should have added some fill light in hindsight)


4. D800, 85mm f/1.8 @ f/2.8, 1/160 sec, ISO 100


5. D800, 85mm f/1.8 @ f/2, 1/800 sec, ISO 400


6. D800, 85mm f/1.8 @ f/4, 1/640 sec, ISO 1600


7. D800, 70-200 f/2.8 @ 130mm, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO 400

 

[tirediron]

Not bad at all; I think the editing, while maybe not my taste, is entirely appropriate, and works well. Even before I read your description, I got the impression that he wasn't the easiest model.

 

[crimbfighter]

Not bad at all; I think the editing, while maybe not my taste, is entirely appropriate, and works well. Even before I read your description, I got the impression that he wasn't the easiest model.

Thanks for the feedback! I am honestly really struggling with these changes to my editing. I've always been very apprehensive to use too much contrast, but my style up till now often lacks a certain punch, well, natural light portraits anyway. I'm exploring using tone curves to add my contrast back in now. I feel like I'm on the right path, but not quite there yet. I feel like my pendulum may have swung a bit too far the other way.

 

[tirediron]

My only thought is that the reds in the skin tones don't seem quite right...

 

[crimbfighter]

My only thought is that the reds in the skin tones don't seem quite right...

Do you think it's the hue of the reds or the amount of reds?

 

[rosh4u]

This is really good. I mean after struggling you got pictures which are good to go with.

 

[Derrel]

Good, vibrant colors. Pretty decent fpr a tough-to-shoot kid!

 

[tirediron]

My only thought is that the reds in the skin tones don't seem quite right...

Do you think it's the hue of the reds or the amount of reds?

I can't put my finger on it; more hue than anything I think... it's very minor in any case.

 

[SquarePeg]

Love the last 3. You can see he was more confident in those, especially the one with the Gf. I like what you've done with the tones and think it's just at the verge of being "edgy" without going over the top. I hate that word but from what I've been seeing/reading, that is what all the kids are using to describe the look they want these days.

 

[crimbfighter]

This is really good. I mean after struggling you got pictures which are good to go with.

Thanks!

Good, vibrant colors. Pretty decent fpr a tough-to-shoot kid!

Thank you, Darrel!

My only thought is that the reds in the skin tones don't seem quite right...

Do you think it's the hue of the reds or the amount of reds?

I can't put my finger on it; more hue than anything I think... it's very minor in any case.

Thanks. I know that changing the tone curve and other adjustments I made did effect the colors, so it might be a matter of going back in to the color channels and making some tweaks to bring it back to normal.