This is one of the 312 images I took today of my friend, Lauren. She is a public relations specialist and we've worked together over the years to create content for mutual clients. She is also smart, warm, a big fan of Belinda's, and an exceptionally good mother of two young kids.
I sent her a text last week begging her to come back into the studio and be photographed. She scheduled it right away, but on the proviso that we have lunch first at one our favorite neighborhood restaurants, Las Palomas. As equals in the collaborative creative process is it any wonder that we split the check?
After a stop in the house to say, "hi" to Belinda and her noble guardian, Studio Dog, we headed out to the studio where I had already set up the lighting I wanted to use. It was a 72 inch umbrella (white interior/black backing for spill eradication...) with a white diffuser over the front. I used an A/C powered mono-light as my main light and dialed it down far enough to get myself half way between f4.0 and f5.6 at ISO 200.
During the course of the hour long shoot&talk Lauren did a second costume change and I tried out three different lenses to see which one I preferred. It really doesn't matter which one I preferred because the photo I liked almost immediately came into existence in its own time; not when I had on the "perfect" lens.
The second light was a small, battery powered flash covered with diffusion and directed behind Lauren towards the background. I used a black card on her left (the right side of the frame) as subtractive lighting on her face and I used a silver fill card just in front of Lauren to bounce additional light up into her face.
While this is my favorite image so far (I really need to live with all of them for a few weeks before I can objectively choose a real favorite) there are dozens and dozens of wildly different expressions and gestures from which to choose.
I am generally happy with my post processing but the next time I touch the file I'll try adding a bit more midrange contrast to Lauren's face so it reads differently. You never know until you try a few iterations but it's important to play with a file as soon as possible so you can start realizing the potential of the shoot.
I was using an APS-C camera set up to shoot color Jpegs in a square format and I switched to black and white in Photoshop. Seeing the square in the camera was a wonderful way to work; especially if your final target is also a square. Right?
As I mentioned, I tried three different lenses. One was a 90mm but it put me a bit further from Lauren than I wanted. The second was a 60mm and that focal length was just right. This was from a 16-55mm f2.8 zoom lens and even at its longest focal length I feel it's just a tad short....or wide.
I'm making an effort to create new work instead of endlessly re-posting older work (even if I really love the old stuff). The image looks a bit flat here but when I punch in it's got so much detail everywhere. I'd hate to bump up the contrast too much and start losing detail in the highlights and shadows.
Anyway, that's what I did in the studio today. It was fun.
For my reserved, European readers, I'm going to try and make you comfortable by NOT telling you exactly what Lauren and I had for lunch today. I wouldn't want to over share. (smiley face emoticon implied...).
Added. A version with more midrange constrast.
13 comments:
Kirk
For what it's worth, I prefer the first. The second seems harsh. Lovely expression; looks like the two of you were having a good time.
Jay
I like the first one.
I like the first version better because the lower contrast is more flattering for a woman portrait.
Hugo
Kirk: Love the portrait. Like all your good portraits, it makes me want to get to know Lauren, maybe share a lunch with both of you! For what it's worth, I prefer the first, lower contrast image.
Great to see some of your personal work. Making money is good, but there should always be time for personal creative projects. Hopefully more portraiture on VSL in 2019? Gear talk may get you the hits and the comments to feed the ego but that's not why I come here. I really don't give a shit about what camera you used. Lighting always fascinates me though so I'm all ears when it comes to that.
A beautiful portrait! I’m glad to see that you’re getting back into the studio and doing personal work like this.
I love square format. I set up my cameras to shoot square 90% of the time. Perfect for portraits. Also, if your lens is a little wonky in the corners, they aren’t in the file. Love your black and white portraits.
Doing an A/B comparison, rapidly toggling between the two, and focusing on different parts of the image, I pick B.
Great expression you caught here.
Swimming against the tide, I prefer the second version. It brings out more of the subtleties in the expression, and so I feel more connection with the image and more interested in the story it tells.
Mark
Another vote for #2. At least on my screen the first seems a bit washed out, while the second has more 'character.' And also count one more reader who is glad you're back to talking photography instead of cameras.
Your description of your portrait process has been a great read -- and I suppose there may be more to come. My own process often seems random and faltering, but most of the time it leads to something both I and the subject think is at least a little bit special. You make things sound more structured and thought out, perhaps something I should work toward.
Keep up the good writing.
JR -- who usually signs as Gato
Kirk,
For this portrait I prefer the second version.
Strange how just a little extra contrast makes her face come more forward out of the "cloud" of her hair, and my attention switches more to her engaging expression...
But for a more seren or meditative expression perhaps the first would work better (with the "cloud" if her hair being more like a frame to her face)?
( Just a layman's feeling.)
I need to do this for myself. I don't think I've ever (well, rarely) had a person in to take photos just for my own growth and vision. This inspires me to push the envelope and do some personal work.
Lovely portrait of a lovely young lady. I prefer the first version, with the slightly softer contrast. I still visualize in square for many scenes because I regularly use a Hasselblad or Rolleiflex with B&W film. When using digital, I often set my Fuji to have the 1:1 aspect ratio. Cheers,
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