The Dan Winters Type look with digital

Shelly1204

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Most of Dan Winters' on-line portfolio portraits are shot on large-format Kodak VC 160 film. I cannot say that I have ever seen his photos until today, but I do like kind of lower-light, very simple portraiture shot with one main light and a large 4x6 foot reflector for fill,and a sort of old-school hair light/separation light done with a deep parabolic reflector with a grid, a diffuser, and a barn door set to control the separation light.

This is with very low levels of flash power; typically as little as 200 watt-seconds from the main light, 50 watt-seconds on the hairlight, and 50 watt-seconds on the background light. I shoot in RAW with the EOS 5D, and convert to monochrome with a Gradient Mask. I strive for "realism", which means very little makeup on women, pores that show, and no heavy processing, but just a natural,subtle look, lighted entirely in-camera and all done on a single layer.

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I just wanted to point out something that I thought was interesting.

The first photo I saw on DW's website this portrait of Obama:



Funny how it disobeys all the "rules" on portraiture, particularly the one about the use of wide angles. He clearly used anything but a telephoto for this shot, yet, it really works.
 
I just wanted to point out something that I thought was interesting.

The first photo I saw on DW's website this portrait of Obama:



Funny how it disobeys all the "rules" on portraiture, particularly the one about the use of wide angles. He clearly used anything but a telephoto for this shot, yet, it really works.

Really? I think that photo is absolutely awful. The second it loaded on his page, I was like, whoaaa, worst shot I've ever seen of President Obama. THe first thing I noticed was the barely attached ear on the side of his head. The a terrible angle,and it makes his ear look huge. And the wide angle distortion makes his nose look giant as well. It looks like he is using a 24/1.4 on a FF body or something. His lips are sharper than his eyes, and the skin tone is washed out an pale. Not a fan of the beauty dish glow on his forehead either. But whatever, he gets tons of work, so people must like it.
 
I strive for "realism", which means very little makeup on women, pores that show
You do know that having pores showing with no makeup is something women hate, right?
 
I just wanted to point out something that I thought was interesting.

The first photo I saw on DW's website this portrait of Obama:



Funny how it disobeys all the "rules" on portraiture, particularly the one about the use of wide angles. He clearly used anything but a telephoto for this shot, yet, it really works.

Really? I think that photo is absolutely awful. The second it loaded on his page, I was like, whoaaa, worst shot I've ever seen of President Obama. THe first thing I noticed was the barely attached ear on the side of his head. The a terrible angle,and it makes his ear look huge. And the wide angle distortion makes his nose look giant as well. It looks like he is using a 24/1.4 on a FF body or something. His lips are sharper than his eyes, and the skin tone is washed out an pale. Not a fan of the beauty dish glow on his forehead either. But whatever, he gets tons of work, so people must like it.

LOL You're funny.

I think that photo is amazing!
 
I just wanted to point out something that I thought was interesting.

The first photo I saw on DW's website this portrait of Obama:

Funny how it disobeys all the "rules" on portraiture, particularly the one about the use of wide angles. He clearly used anything but a telephoto for this shot, yet, it really works.

Really? I think that photo is absolutely awful. The second it loaded on his page, I was like, whoaaa, worst shot I've ever seen of President Obama. THe first thing I noticed was the barely attached ear on the side of his head. The a terrible angle,and it makes his ear look huge. And the wide angle distortion makes his nose look giant as well. It looks like he is using a 24/1.4 on a FF body or something. His lips are sharper than his eyes, and the skin tone is washed out an pale. Not a fan of the beauty dish glow on his forehead either. But whatever, he gets tons of work, so people must like it.

LOL You're funny.

I think that photo is amazing!

Tell me why.
 
Perhaps it's because everything about the President is portrayed far too seriously. Even when he's smiling for a press photo, it's a serious and disingenuous smile. I'm not saying he's inherently dishonest; but no one is that happy all the time.

That picture shows a seemingly natural, unforced expression of satisfaction. The exaggeration created by the wide angle paints him in a lighter mood.
 
Really? I think that photo is absolutely awful. The second it loaded on his page, I was like, whoaaa, worst shot I've ever seen of President Obama. THe first thing I noticed was the barely attached ear on the side of his head. The a terrible angle,and it makes his ear look huge. And the wide angle distortion makes his nose look giant as well. It looks like he is using a 24/1.4 on a FF body or something. His lips are sharper than his eyes, and the skin tone is washed out an pale. Not a fan of the beauty dish glow on his forehead either. But whatever, he gets tons of work, so people must like it.

LOL You're funny.

I think that photo is amazing!

Tell me why.

Why you're funny? Or why I think the photo's amazing?
 
Perhaps it's because everything about the President is portrayed far too seriously. Even when he's smiling for a press photo, it's a serious and disingenuous smile. I'm not saying he's inherently dishonest; but no one is that happy all the time.

That picture shows a seemingly natural, unforced expression of satisfaction. The exaggeration created by the wide angle paints him in a lighter mood.

I pretty much agree with all of that. And it's not the wie angle distortion that bother me, as much as it is the angle. I like the light mood that the wide angle produces, but the floating camera left ear, and the fact that he has an extra inch of face in his camera left side due to wide angle interpretation, kills it for me. His face just looks all sorts of tweaked, and not just in the wide angle way. His eyes aren't centered under his forehead, his lips aren't centered under his nose, his head isn't centered over his neck, one ear is half buried in his cheek, and the other one is trying to escape his head entirely. If the pose was slightly more straight on so his facial symmetry didn't get so jacked up, I would like it a lot more.
 
When I saw the Obama shot I was reminded of those caricature drawings that you get done at an amusement park such as: www.fanpop.com/.../title/barack-obama-caricature

Pretty amusing drawings. Not sure what the intent of this particular photo was, but if it was intended to be unflattering and a bit caricature like then it achieved it's intended result.
 
When I saw the Obama shot I was reminded of those caricature drawings that you get done at an amusement park such as: www.fanpop.com/.../title/barack-obama-caricature

Pretty amusing drawings. Not sure what the intent of this particular photo was, but if it was intended to be unflattering and a bit caricature like then it achieved it's intended result.

Funny you say that, my first reaction was that it reminded me of Mad Magazine from when I was kid. "What, me worry?" :D

I do like the ring light effect, though, the lighting is really good.
 
I nver heard of Dan Winters until now.
But I'm new.
Any style or look can be recreated.
But that won't get you anywhere.
It would be much more of an achievement to develop your own.
Even better than his photos themselves is his philosophy in general that he applies to his work.
He's not a general photographer in a technical sense.
He's an artist and he puts every bit of himself into his artwork.
Which is precisely why he's so renowned.
He doesn't take photos to earn a living, he lives and breathes his art.
Photography is a vehicle for him.

It seems like many photographers forget that it's about the work and the process.
Not the tools.
Cameras lights and lenses are great, and they are the tools of the trade.
But photography isn't about materialistic *stuff*.
 
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I just wanted to point out something that I thought was interesting.

The first photo I saw on DW's website this portrait of Obama:



Funny how it disobeys all the "rules" on portraiture, particularly the one about the use of wide angles. He clearly used anything but a telephoto for this shot, yet, it really works.

Really? I think that photo is absolutely awful. The second it loaded on his page, I was like, whoaaa, worst shot I've ever seen of President Obama. THe first thing I noticed was the barely attached ear on the side of his head. The a terrible angle,and it makes his ear look huge. And the wide angle distortion makes his nose look giant as well. It looks like he is using a 24/1.4 on a FF body or something. His lips are sharper than his eyes, and the skin tone is washed out an pale. Not a fan of the beauty dish glow on his forehead either. But whatever, he gets tons of work, so people must like it.

I think that's an amazing shot. I'm still a complete amateur but I love to hear why people dislike photos that others are fond of.

Please show me the correct way. Link me to a photo that you've done correctly. I notice the things that you've mentioned but I'd love to see a similar picture that's more flattering.
 

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