My attempt at portraits

[Jim Olson]

Lars (my child) & I went out to take portraits. I have been trying to Dodge & Burn this image since we got home yesterday. I was hoping for overcasts sky but no luck.
And the bright sun & shadows are not making it very easy for me.
I have tried many times using GIMP but I just can't get it correct.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Great start!

Take the picture from a bit further back and include her feet, if you can.

Give Lars a hug from us!

Asher

 

[Jim Olson]

Great start!

Take the picture from a bit further back and include her feet, if you can.

Give Lars a hug from us!

Asher

I didn't see that before but now it will bug me. I even went back & looked at the RAW but when I cropped it it was all the way to the bottom of the image.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Jim,

I always take overlapping adjacent pictures, as for me, at least, the real composition is made on the screen.

But I would bet that both Robert Watcher with his remarkable highly evolved Olympus system and Nicolas Claris, with his amzingly rich Pentax MF system both frame pretty well as they know they will print with any cropping already visualized.

That’s the expertly trained professional way. I, however am prone more to impulse and want an allowance for exploring new possibilities when I see the files on my screen.

So I get what’s called in film making, “coverage”!

Neither Nicolas nor Jim would cut off the feet by accident! Tom might do such a thing to make a point!

I hope that I don’t do it too often but I myself admit ruined pictures where one foot was not illuminated properly.

• So make a simple check list in your mind.
• What is the subject? What would be sufficient of it?
• Am I here with the right lighting for my subject, at this time?
• What shouldn’t be in the picture?
• Where should the Camera be: here or way over there? Higher orfrom the ground? At an angle or orthogonal?
• What is the minimum ISO I can use? Would I then need to rest camera on a ledge, table or tripod?

Add more as they are suggested. Each mistake you discover each of us has made ourselves, so join the bruised club! Learn from our errors!

Asher

 

[Jim Olson]

Jim,

I always take overlapping adjacent pictures, as for me, at least, the real composition is made on the screen.

But I would bet that both Robert Watcher with his remarkable highly evolved Olympus system and Nicolas Claris, with his amzingly rich Pentax MF system both frame pretty well as they know they will print with any cropping already visualized.

That’s the expertly trained professional way. I, however am prone more to impulse and want an allowance for exploring new possibilities when I see the files on my screen.

So I get what’s called in film making, “coverage”!

Neither Nicolas nor Jim would cut off the feet by accident! Tom might do such a thing to make a point!

I hope that I don’t do it too often but I myself admit ruined pictures where one foot was not illuminated properly.

• So make a simple check list in your mind.
• What is the subject? What would be sufficient of it?
• Am I here with the right lighting for my subject, at this time?
• What shouldn’t be in the picture?
• Where should the Camera be: here or way over there? Higher orfrom the ground? At an angle or orthogonal?
• What is the minimum ISO I can use? Would I then need to rest camera on a ledge, table or tripod?

Add more as they are suggested. Each mistake you discover each of us has made ourselves, so join the bruised club! Learn from our errors!

Asher

That's so great.
Also I have 4 pages of notes from you & the other members
TNX

 

[Tom dinning]

Hi Jim.
I’ve been staring at the picture you took for some time.
I’ve also read what Ash has to say.

let me begin by saying “portraits ain't just portraits”
There ain’t no rules either. Different people approach pictures of people in different ways.
For a bit of simple old school stuff, have a look at Edward Weston and Berenice Abbot. Uncluttered, simple background, shot straight on, expressionless face, comfortable natural pose.

Its always a good idea to search through some portrait photographers and pick a few you would like to learn from. Copy their style, find out for yourself how to get the shot. You’ll learn a lot. Be careful though. You have limited resources and skills so you won’t get stuff like Annie Leibovitz just yet.

with regard to this shot, you’ve got a great ‘model’. Lots of character projected and a willingness to be photographed.
she doesn’t need to pose. She’s doing something she is unfamiliar with and probably feeling a bit uncomfortable. It comes over in the shot.
Just get her to stand in front of the shed or lean against it and talk to her like she’s a relative. Don’t tell her to pose. Tell her a joke, look into the lens, fold her arms, hold a shovel, anything she would normally do. Snap away while she’s moving about or tell her to stop and snap.

I’d work on some full body shots first, then some half shots and finally some shoulder-head shots. Use a focal length of 50-100 mm. That will keep you away from her a bit and the background in focus.

the lights OK but you might need to boost the contrast in editing a bit. Find out how to expose for the face.

the ‘come as you are’ outfit is perfect.

personally I like the environmental portrait. We can tell more about the person than just a head or body shot.

I had a play on the iPad.
Just altered the crop and contrast. If I had my way I’d have got her closer to the end of the shed and show more of the gate and yard. But that’s just me.

My wife Christine is great at this sort of shot. She does it with perfect strangers. so does Robert Watcher. The approach is simple. Walk up, ask if you can take a shot, step back, shoot, move on.
My most favourite portrait photographer is Jane Bown. Check her out.

 

[Asher Kelman]

See, Jim, Tom did exactly what I thought he might want: cut of the feet but do it boldly! This way7 it loos right.

and its still what you did.

Will's ring flash would work here, but your wife holding a white card, anfgled from below, could work just as well.

No batteries needed!

Asher

 

[Tom dinning]

See, Jim, Tom did exactly what I thought he might want: cut of the feet but do it boldly! This way7 it loos right.

and its still what you did.

Will's ring flash would work here, but your wife holding a white card, anfgled from below, could work just as well.

No batteries needed!

Asher

I always do as I’m expected, Ash; the unexpected.

again, I like the mystery and subtlety of the face in shadow. It’s a ‘shy’ message.
people always talk of the photographer capturing the essence of the subject but it’s not always up to the photographer to decide what the essence is. It’s a relationship between the subject and the circumstances.
Stepping into or out of shadow can be very revealing.
the starkness of a ring flash is quite brutal. Using reflectors can be intimidating.
Christine would ask, “are you needing my white blouse today?”
Christine standing to one side like a bistander, eve;with her back to the subject, would suppply just enough light to soften a shadow if needed.
In this case, the lighting is justified.

Jim. You’re doing a fine job of being out there and shooting. Every shot counts. Every shot is a good one. Every shot teaches you something about what you want.

 

[Robert Watcher]

Ok I gotta play

I often prefer environmental portraits as well. These may give you some ideas that will help you decide how you want to process your images.

These are processed on my iPad without spending a great deal of time. The first is a more balanced scene, second is along the lines of your vision in the first image in your post with more pop and the subject looking out of frame, and I used Tom’s example to put my slant on such drama in black and white to extreme. Of course none of these are correct. Your image could be processed in a thousand ways.

But almost everything that I have done is what could be accomplished in old school wet darkroom technique using dodging, burning, contrast and colour adjustments, plus cropping on the easel. I had that colour darkroom experience for all of my professional work to help me adapt more easily to digital processing. so you cant expect to understand and produce similar results right out of the gate. Don’t get discouraged. Processing is a learned skill just as taking a photo is. They take time and practice to refine. Keep it up. BTW The whole foot not being included, isn’t the worst thing that could happen.

 

[Robert Watcher]

This might be more how I would process this particular image (spending even more time on selective colour balance, contrast and tonal adjustments to get it exactly how I wanted) - the screenshots show original and processed with the steps on the right side.

 

[Jim Olson]

Hi Jim.
I’ve been staring at the picture you took for some time.
I’ve also read what Ash has to say.

let me begin by saying “portraits ain't just portraits”
There ain’t no rules either. Different people approach pictures of people in different ways.
For a bit of simple old school stuff, have a look at Edward Weston and Berenice Abbot. Uncluttered, simple background, shot straight on, expressionless face, comfortable natural pose.

Its always a good idea to search through some portrait photographers and pick a few you would like to learn from. Copy their style, find out for yourself how to get the shot. You’ll learn a lot. Be careful though. You have limited resources and skills so you won’t get stuff like Annie Leibovitz just yet.

with regard to this shot, you’ve got a great ‘model’. Lots of character projected and a willingness to be photographed.
she doesn’t need to pose. She’s doing something she is unfamiliar with and probably feeling a bit uncomfortable. It comes over in the shot.
Just get her to stand in front of the shed or lean against it and talk to her like she’s a relative. Don’t tell her to pose. Tell her a joke, look into the lens, fold her arms, hold a shovel, anything she would normally do. Snap away while she’s moving about or tell her to stop and snap.

I’d work on some full body shots first, then some half shots and finally some shoulder-head shots. Use a focal length of 50-100 mm. That will keep you away from her a bit and the background in focus.

the lights OK but you might need to boost the contrast in editing a bit. Find out how to expose for the face.

the ‘come as you are’ outfit is perfect.

personally I like the environmental portrait. We can tell more about the person than just a head or body shot.

I had a play on the iPad.
Just altered the crop and contrast. If I had my way I’d have got her closer to the end of the shed and show more of the gate and yard. But that’s just me.

My wife Christine is great at this sort of shot. She does it with perfect strangers. so does Robert Watcher. The approach is simple. Walk up, ask if you can take a shot, step back, shoot, move on.
My most favourite portrait photographer is Jane Bown. Check her out.

View attachment 3975

I like your ideas & Lars is my child so we will do more shoots... And I love what you did with B&W
I did take some unposed shots also

 

[Jim Olson]

This might be more how I would process this particular image (spending even more time on selective colour balance, contrast and tonal adjustments to get it exactly how I wanted) - the screenshots show original and processed with the steps on the right side.

View attachment 3985


View attachment 3986​

I was trying to get something like this with GIMP but I just haven't worked with it as much as I would like. I have played around with GIMP for yrs but now I doing a online video lessons with Lynda.com through the local library.
TNX for helping & showing me what is possible. I'll keep trying.

 

[Jerome Marot]

Why did you choose that particular place for the portrait?

 

[Jim Olson]

Why did you choose that particular place for the portrait?

That's because all the parks & cool spots are closed. I remembered that this old house was off the beaten path & no body would be around.

 

[Jim Olson]

Took a few more shots that day but these are in a field behind were we live. I used a small step-stool but had the wrong exposure.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Took a few more shots that day but these are in a field behind were we live. I used a small step-stool but had the wrong exposure.

View attachment 4075

Now we are talking! I love it!

What did Lars say?

Asher

 

[Jim Olson]

Now we are talking! I love it!

What did Lars say?

Asher

It was Lars' idea. And I took a few with his camera & a few with mine