Good suggestions. Also, Brendan, you might try working with B&W film,
too. BTW, it takes guts to ask for candid criticism, and I applaud you
for so doing.
Sherwin Abesamis wrote:
>
> Brendan, like Shel, I don't find any of the shots in this folder appealing.
> Sorry. If I may make some suggestions...
>
> 1) Try to get out of direct sunlight. It's killing your pictures. Find an
> area of bright open shade and do the shoot there, having her face the
> sunlit area. You'll get much better skin tones (due to diffused
> light) with the caveat of the sunlit area becoming catch lights in her
> eyes. Speaking of eyes, since she'll be in shade, she also won't squint,
> which is a major problem in your pictures.
>
> 2) Ditch the strobe and use the WHITE reflector if you're going to be
> shooting in the sun. The silver side and AF500FTZ flash is specular
> overkill IMO.
>
> 3) Forget using Kodak Gold 200 in this situation. Too contrasty. You need
> to switch to a lower-contrast film like Fujicolor Superia Reala.
>
> 4) She looks uncomfortable and unsure. Almost as if she is trying too hard
> to be sexy. You need to keep talking to her to relax her. Her inner beauty
> will then naturally come out. Flatter her ("You're doing great", "Wow, hold
> that pose!", "Perfect!"). Tell her exactly what you are doing with your
> camera so she understands what is going on ("I'm metering your face", "I'm
> checking to see if this pose is OK"). Ask about her hobbies. Anything.
> Never leave her in the dark, wondering if she's doing a good job. If she
> gets to that point, then you're in deep trouble.
>
> 5) Her poses are too static. Your shots are too static. Throw in curves and
> diagonals to break the monotony of straight bodies (have her tilt her head,
> bend towards you, you yourself use a dutch-tilt, etc.). Look through
> fashion magazines together and try to find poses you both like. Then,
> duplicate those in the field.
>
> 6) Borrow or rent more lenses. The 50mm will do the job but if you only use
> one lens you're going to get a boring portfolio for this session. Use a
> wide-angle for sweeping vistas, and experiment with them from a
> worm's/bird's eye view. Use a telephoto for tight head shots.
>
> 7) Ditch the polarizer. No need to use one for portraits and having it over
> your 50mm is reducing its resolution and flare-control.
>
> 8) Find an uncluttered background. The choice to shoot her lying on rocks
> is a bad one, because it distracts from the main subject.
>
> 9) Work on your composition. Apply the rule of thirds. Get closer.
>
> 10) Above all, make sure you and her both have fun. She should enjoy being
> photographed as much as you enjoy photographing her.
--
Shel Belinkoff
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://home.earthlink.net/~belinkoff/
http://home.earthlink.net/~belinkoff/darkroom-rentals/index.html
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