mikelaportfolio Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Im trying to improve my skills with people photography. Im just wondering if you pros could give me a few tips. Iv attatched a picture, and any suggestions and comments on what im doing right and wrong would be fantastic! Thanks<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelaportfolio Posted October 23, 2003 Author Share Posted October 23, 2003 <img src=http://www.photo.net/bboard/image.tcl?bboard_upload_id=15000884> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna_f Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 nicely lit shot in my opinion. but would look better vertical with a little more clearance over the fellow's head. his arm looks a little awkward so far from his body also. have fun anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_p3 Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 I agree with Anna plus I would remove the pen in his shirt pocket as it is distracting from his face. Otherwise it's a really good portrait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_clapsaddle Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 What I like is the pose: reminds me of paintings of men of substance that were done in past centuries. In light of that, you might consider putting in a clue to the man's occupation. If he deals with paintings, for example, then the background you chose is relevant. If the pen is the main tool of his trade (or likewise the baseball) you might include one of them in a less clumsy fashion. Anyhow, you have a very pleasing portrait there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_scarpitti Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 Formal? Informal? Candid? Reportage? All of these are different and require different skills. What you attached seems to be Informal. Is that what you want to improve? In the first instance, I'd move the light to the pther side, so it comes from the viewer's left. that always looks better to me. Secondly, the pose looks a little stiff, though not the worst I have seen.Have your subject close his eyes just before you get ready to shoot. That reduces anxiety and tension. I also allows the pupils in the eyes to enlarge, giving better 'life' to them. When people cannot see anything, they smile most naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_p3 Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 "When people cannot see anything, they smile most naturally" ... Interesting tip there Mike I've not heard that one before, I'll have to give it a try ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_scarpitti Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 Tony P: That's worth $50,000. Is the cheque in the mail? The eyes, when just opened, have a much nicer quality. When told to close their eyes, people laugh almost at once, and it gives a very natural smile. NEVER tell people to smile. It gives bad expressions. That'll be $100,000 please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_p3 Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 Mike: Could do with you when I'm negotiating with the picture editors I deal with LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ward Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 This pose would fit well into a square format, pulling in the left edge (but still including the arm and hand), bringing in the right side of the frame a little, maybe increasing the vertical a little. I also like moving the light source to the other side, so the extended arm is on the same side as the illumination. It would sort of set the weight of (emotional, not optical) focus of the portrait more in the center. I like the tip about closing eyes. There are thousands of ways to trick out a natural expression. Sometimes I say, "Whoops, wait a sec," and then shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelaportfolio Posted October 24, 2003 Author Share Posted October 24, 2003 Thanks a lot for all the feedback. Ill take all of this into account for the future! The reason im asking these questions is because i just got my first digital SLR (Canon D30), and i can experiment as much as i like. I only recently got into photography seriously about 4 months ago. I started with a rebel Ti, and have just started to use the D30. My lens is a 50 1.8 II. Nothing fancy, im just working with what i have. Here is a portrait from my second day of digital ownership! Digital and it's instant feedback have been a godsend. Thanks for all of your comments once again! <img src=http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1852417&size=md> An extremely bright window provided a solid white (super over exposed) background for this shot. The same window light reflecting off of a wall created the light for this picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary w. graley Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 Mike, Lighting looks good, agree with the others on that pen and his arm appears to be diminutive from the point of view, here is a crop of your shot...also your last post the image doesn't show? G2<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oistein Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I think the original shot is quite nice - however, a slight cropping on the right side would achieve more balance in the photo. Oistein. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil r calgary ab canada Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 on that picture, stiff!! if it's formal, good, don't know what mood you are going for, affects type of pose you pick, for a portrait you have the lighting balanced and a decent pose maybe shoulder is bit high stretched up, find small foot stool? like how hand drops though, cropping, be picky with small details that could clutter, literally pull them out of the shot, if you have time and if they aren't tied down, but that comes with practice only the edge of the black thing and label of the painting sticks out at me, i would have asked him to step over two steps so head would be in front of label, cure black thing too, but nicely shot, captures a calm confident gaze as for skills, maybe this is the wrong thread, but seems like i'm reviewing my own knowledge in my head and publishing it in forum to see if anyone agrees, so mind the length, hopefully it all applies, street practice approach and natural poses are great i do street photography and volunteer for the college newspaper, occasionally paid gigs too, i wanted to learn how to shoot better with the one and only skill builder, practice, the more you stick out your neck, the more shots you'll get in the street, only... that's an expensive camera to take on the street:) learned with a spotmatic, a couple rolls of ilford and a 55mm lens, more expensive then digital, but makes you limit your shots and learn to "see" an image, i'm glad i learned that way; i can be creative with a digital camera from being able to see what i want to shoot and to understand the magic of light being processed, a beatup leather case blends in more so i don't worry so much about it out, if you were thinking street photography? it's awesome practice, have portfolio and model release handy if questioned if you are legit as a practicing photographer, got me to be less shy too "hi, excuse me, sir/dude (depends:) do you have a minute? i'm phil, a photographer looking for art and portfolio images, do you mind posing? i really liked (insert noun) that caught my eye, you look (insert adjective)" THANKS! (insert gratitude or insult) joking, never!! polite respect is great, just a thanks anyway, don't take personally if they say no or rare nasty, but will get a lot more models with honesty, politeness diffuses nastiness well more natural the person feels in the shot, more they'll loosen up, more emotion the shot will have, ask them to strike whatever pose fancies them and they'll do the most natural thing, just say stop where you are, that works, gets exciting to develop the roll and go cool! or download and blow up on monitor talk while you shoot, tell them what you are doing, focusing composing whatever, and how the yankees are doing unless they don't like the yankees, topicwise, stay neutral or get them talking about themself, whatever works, be open-minded, also gets you an idea of what kind of person they are and what pose or mood you'd want to capture them in calm, quick and quiet shoots turn out gold, err silver, mind the pun, whatever works to get the connection with your subject, it'll distract the focus from the fact that they are looking into a camera len's frozen stare when you aren't using a tripod, if tripod, for sure have the cable release tripping, can have face-to-face repretoire going, i'm no pro yet...! but i just love shooting portraits and talking to people, and my street photog has been dormant from too much school, no complaint though, i'm going to find a roll to shoot after writing this... only when it's not 2 a.m. hope this helps, i learned from this community and now it's sorta cool to pass on what i've learned, pardon the length:) enjoy and keep shooting gooday<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil r calgary ab canada Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 just noticed as i read through again, yankees i meant the baseball team, not to be racist or anything, wow how things have changed, crazy world we live in, goodnight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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