wheelchair portraits

[pixmedic]

Engagement photos for a very nice couple.
The lovely bride to be is confined to a wheelchair, and very very self conscious about it. So much so, that the night before the scheduled shoot, the groom called me and said that she was thinking she did not want to do engagement photos at all because the wheelchair would be in the pictures. I said we would shoot it so as not to include the wheelchair as much as possible if that's what she wanted. She did.

I am not entirely convinced that these will be the absolute final edit. I really did not want them "bright" or "airy" or "dreamy"...but these are pretty much the direction I wanted to go in. i will see what the wife thinks, and if she wants to make any changes. The bit of wrinkles in the muslin don't bother me any, but its one of the things i was thinking about going back and messing with a bit until its just all black. I did some later ones that way just to have some side by side to compare.

Thus far I am fairly pleased with the way these turned/are turning out. She is sitting in her wheelchair in all of these pictures. she never moved out of it.

#1
DSC_1999_2001 by pixmedic, on Flickr

#2
DSC_2009_2001 by pixmedic, on Flickr

#3
DSC_2012_2001 by pixmedic, on Flickr

#4
DSC_2013_2001 by pixmedic, on Flickr

#5
DSC_2014_2001 by pixmedic, on Flickr

#6
DSC_2017_2001 by pixmedic, on Flickr

 

[tirediron]

Having just done a session for someone confined to a wheel chair, I know how challenging these can be, and you've done a good job of excluding the chair, it's unfortunate that the bride's tension shows through so clearly, but it's understandable in the situation. A couple of thoughts... all of the images seem to have a slight blur or something; is that a skin-smoothing technique? They look fine on here, but when viewed at full res, it looks a little odd. I wish you had composed a little lower in #2; I think seeing her whole left hand would make for an even stronger image. Your shootin position in #4 seems at odds with the intention of the pictures; I suspect this was for 'chair exclusion' purposes, but it gives her an odd look; I think a tighter crop at eye level might have been a good choice. In the last one, I might crop just a bit higher to exclude Rover's "business"...

Just my $00.02 sense worth - YMMV

 

[pixmedic]

I did do some smoothing, but maybe i either did too much or didn't sharpen enough, i will have to go back and check.
as for the crops, ill go back and check a few and see if i can rearrange things a bit.
as for #4...i almost didn't include that one at all. the position she is in is due partly to her condition, and partly to exclude the wheelchair.
i was trying to keep these chest-up shots, but ill go back and see what a tighter crop looks like on it. other than that, there really was not much else to be done except exclude the picture.

edit: doggy wiener fixed.

 

[snerd]

............ edit: doggy wiener fixed.

Excuse me?!

 

[pixmedic]

............ edit: doggy wiener fixed.

Excuse me?!

per tiredirons suggestion

 

[snerd]

............ edit: doggy wiener fixed.

Excuse me?!

per tiredirons suggestion

Oh! I see now. Sorry.

 

[tirediron]

............ edit: doggy wiener fixed.

Excuse me?!

per tiredirons suggestion

:thumbup:

 

[vintagesnaps]

Snerd he fixed the doggie's picture, not the doggie! lol

The chair isn't noticeable and now maybe she'll find it more fun if she gets portraits done again when she sees how nicely these turned out. I agree with being able to see the entire hand and #4 looking as if there's a bit of an odd angle (although I know it's the way she's able to sit). I wonder how it would look if you cropped it a little so you don't see the bend of the elbow and the ruffled seam across the top of her midriff (across the bottom of the photo)? - maybe to help bring the viewer's attention more to her face in that one.

His smile is a winner! great job capturing his personality. I'd like the one of just him better in a shirt without stripes, it looks better in the other photos but seems rather distracting in that one.

I would think they'll be real happy with these.

 

[ceeboy14]

Had you have not mentioned the wheelchair, I would have only thought they were rather odd poses. I've done several shots of wheelchair folks but have always included at least part of the chair as it is so much a part of their life.

 

[tirediron]

...but have always included at least part of the chair as it is so much a part of their life.

It is, but some people don't like it, others are ashamed of it... it's a delicate subject, but it needs to be discussed beforehand. I was more fortunate than Jason with the one I recently did in that the client, while he didn't like the chair, was happy to merely minimize its appearance and didn't want it eliminated altogether.

 

[KmH]

To me the light and shadows look harsh. Too harsh for engagement portraits.
The small catch light in their eyes looks like a bare, off camera hot shoe flash unit.

For shots like these I would recommend using light modifiers in the 45" to 60" range.

He has a big shiny spot on his forehead in several shots (no photo numbers).
For portraits I often used a light application of some face powder (foundation) to eliminate shiny spots.
No doubt that can be addressed with editing.

In a couple of shots I would have had them lower their chin a bit.
Otherwise the posing works OK.

I wonder about her upper body mobility and if she could have sat taller (straighter back) and could have leaned forward a bit at the waist?

 

[pixmedic]

To me the light and shadows look harsh. Too harsh for engagement portraits.
The small catch light in their eyes looks like a bare, off camera hot shoe flash unit.

For shots like these I would recommend using light modifiers in the 45" to 60" range.

He has a big shiny spot on his forehead in several shots (no photo numbers).
For portraits I often used a light application of some face powder (foundation) to eliminate shiny spots.
No doubt that can be addressed with editing.

In a couple of shots I would have had them lower their chin a bit.
Otherwise the posing works OK.

I wonder about her upper body mobility and if she could have sat taller (straighter back) and could have leaned forward a bit at the waist?

That's a big cup of nope there keith. Definitely not bare flash. 43" brolly.
Mobility was limited, she was sitting as best she could.

 

[tirediron]

The catchlights do look a bit small; how far away were the lights?

 

[pixmedic]

The catchlights do look a bit small; how far away were the lights?

Maybe 3 to 4 feet away.

 

[tirediron]

The catchlights do look a bit small; how far away were the lights?

Maybe 3 to 4 feet away.

Huh....