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06/06/2004 07:46:53 AM · #1 |
I recently completed shooting a portrait for a local guitar player.
Below are some of the shots. Would love to get some feedback
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06/06/2004 08:20:45 AM · #2 |
I prefer the second of the four shots
1st one seemes very posed and "stiff"
2nd is much better but the positioning and how she is holding the guitar is odd
3rd the girl is more relaxed but her right hand spoils it for me
4th Probably her in her most "normal" state actually playing but not the strongest of portraits if thats what your after.
Tehrefore number 2 for me
sorry if I was too critical |
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06/06/2004 10:08:47 AM · #3 |
Cole,
Looks like the camera metered for the predominating darker colors. The wood behind the subject seems to be exposed exactly while the subject's skin (which appears quite fair) has details blown out in the cheeks and hands. Even the woodgrain on the guitar is exposed pretty good.
The horizontals on the wood also show a tilt to the right; that may have been the building but the guitar neck is also tilted down towards the right in the two shots where the subject is playing it.
In my experience the two most important things about shooting portraits for an individual are (1) the subject being comfortable and at ease and (2) shooting lots of frames. If the subject isn't relaxed then you could pose them in some incredible settings and it would make no difference. I find that when I project comfort and enjoyment of our experience subjects relax and start having fun with me. Conversely I've photographed some friends when I got uptight because I felt that they were depending on me to produce some work that would immediately be seen as outstanding. Those shoots were not fun to do nor were the compositions of the highest quality. Now when it comes to shooting lots of frames I mean shoot lots of frames. If everyone has made the effort to change clothes, drive to a location and start posing, I'll be darned if I'm leaving before I've exhausted either the subject or my storage capacity. I normally carry almost 2 Gb of CF cards and I like to come away with a lot of photos. You might not want to shoot as many frames as I do 'cause some of mine are redundant but the more you shoot the more options you have for editing when you get back to your computer.
These shots are decent. You got in on the subject and used her (and the guitar) to fill the frame. That's a great start. I think you chose a nice setting depending on what type of music she plays (not grunge, right?). For me, while the hand is distracting, I like the 3rd one out of this lot. It is compositionally the best IMO and the viewer has a very good opportunity to make some connection with the subject as her face is visible and she has a welcoming look. You might need to play around with the curves to bring the skintones back in a little.
Hope some of this helps,
Kev
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06/06/2004 10:36:36 AM · #4 |
The technical aspects have been discussed, so I will point out what I feel would help with the posing, if that is okay ;)
Shot 1: Going for a profile is a nice idea, but be careful to not cut the cheek with the nose. The inclusion of a portion of the guitar here only throws off the composition. Maybe the guitar could have been leaning against the wall at an angle (facing right - from the photographer's perspective), and the girl semi-leaning against the wall facing left in profile. Just a thought.
Shot 2: Too square to the camera. This makes for an unappealing shot. Her shoulders should be angled more. I like expressions that are natural and not always looking like the photographer is saying "say cheese!" (LOL), but this expression is bored looking. Perhaps this was one of the first ones you took? It takes a few frames for people to get relaxed if they are not used to being photographed.
Shot 3: Very nice. A bit more focus on her eyes would be great though. I like the pose, the way her hair sits on her shoulders, and the "candid" moment feel. The only thing I might change is to have her eyes cast more upwards.
Shot 4: This is the best one, IMO. The introspectiveness is appealing. She is still a bit too square to the camera, but you can fix that by cropping to exclude her legs a bit more. Also, the choice to leave this in color is good because the warm tones of the guitar change the whole feel from the other shots.
Some other suggestions/questions:
Did you get any with her sitting with her legs crossed (formerly known as "Indian-Style") on the bench? How about with one leg up in a semi recline?
Standing against the wall with one foot up agains the wall, and the guitar resting on the ground but leaning up against her leg/hip with her holding the neck with one hand would be a good pose.
It looks like it was a nice location with great possibilities.
:)
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06/06/2004 09:24:57 PM · #5 |
I'll add my recent portrait of my Daughter - your comments and suggestions always appreciated. Thanks.
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06/06/2004 09:29:00 PM · #6 |
right off the bat, the selection of the background is quite obvious, and overly blurred.
I would suggest better posture, and something happier. :) |
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