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What do do when excessive sun is bothering a model?


acearle

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I had an interesting problem last week with a model. Although she's

a GREAT model, her eyes are rather light sensitive and the facial

expressions on a number of the shots are somewhat...errr...harsh.

She did her best to relax (we were shooting at the beach two hours

before sunset), but the human face is a strange device and I think

it was physically impossible for her to have a neutral expression

(although *I* still like the ones where she looks like she's about

to start spitting nails at the photographer :D). Any ideas?

Suggestions? These particular shots were near the water so there was

no natural way to keep the light out of her eyes. Any ideas?

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I have had similar problems shooting Senior high school portraits on the sand dunes of Lake Michigan at sunset.<p>This may or may not be helpful, but in my cases, the problem is usually related to the subjects' contact lenses irritating their eyes. Squinting and blinking usually stops when they remove the contacts, so I now ask contact wearers to leave them at home or remove them when on location.
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One thing that may help is to have them close their eyes until after you have framed and focused. Then have the model open them quickly when you are ready to take the shot. You may be able to get a good shot before they wrinkle their eyebrows. This method works well to prevent closed eyes with notorious blinkers.
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As someone with light sensitive eyes myself--I can only tell you that unless you can find some way to protect her from the sun--you simply shouldn't be working with *that* model, in *that* situation. It HURTS to open your eyes around the sun, even momentarily--and the tearing up that happens as the result of opening your eyes to bright light--even momentarily--means that the face and eyes will get red, and makeup will run, if you try some of the "keep eyes closed then open quickly" techniques described by various folks here. If you MUST work with a light-sensitive model in a situation like that--then do shots where her eyes are downcast, or where she's shading her face with her arms or hands, if you can.

<p>

Your best bet? Plan in advance. If you think you're going to have problems with harsh light that you can't protect your model from--then ask about sun-sensitivity. Trust me--if you've got it--you know it! If you don't want to ask--think about the model's eye colors. People with light eyes are more likely to be sensitive than people with dark eyes--blue eyes are probably most sensitive, with green also being a problem sometimes. (I have green eyes, myself--and often walk around with my eyes downcast, to protect them--but my sister, <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/2272017">Willow</a>--with light grey blue eyes--has to wear sunglasses almost everywhere she goes or her eyes just *weep* constantly.)

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Aurora, me too. I shoot in full sun with sunglasses (unless using a polarizing filter, when the dual polarization makes the image in the viewfinder useless). The ideas of having her close her eyes, then open them momentarily is great. Had not occurred to me. Unfortunately, for these shots...this is the only model I can or want to use :). She did wear sunglasses for a lot of shots (the color shots), but they just didn't fit the black and white. She did wear them while I was framing, then tossed them to an assistant just before the shot. These shots are really a collaboration between the model and I, so even she was willing to deal with the discomfort (a polite way of saying "pain") of working in the light.

 

This is one of the ones that I should have not even bothered to shoot, but did anyway :). Raw scan, not retouched for dust on neg or scanner :).<div>0083lT-17700984.jpg.30db26498d782e613f10ffd53a55518d.jpg</div>

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Ouch--the poor girl! That shot is a tribute to you and the trust the relationship the model has with you--because as uncomfortable as she looks, she chose to keep going! :-)

 

I can see why you wanted to work with her so much, though--she looks quite expressive--and obviously she's plucky! ;-) In the end, you gotta do what ya gotta do, I guess... I know I've put my sister through some things I wouldn't put anyone else through...like the shoot in late October...late in the day...when I had the poor thing shivering to death in her bare feet, posing for some really cool shots with her in wet, fall leaves, or perched on a stone wall, with her feet drawn up beneath her... The shots look good, right up until the very end, when she just took to glaring at me, in every shot, until I let her bundle up in her shoes and socks and winter coat and hat again! ;-)

 

(And--back in the days when I was a professional actor--I've put up with some amazingly uncomfortable things myself, without complaint, simply because it was my job...in fact--I rather prided myself on the things I had to suffer through--things I wouldn't have put up with for two seconds in "real life"--so the model herself could have professional reasons for wanting to keep going. :-))

 

Hope you wound up with some good black and white shots in the end--I like the direction you were going with the one you've shown us! :-)

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