creators
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A couple of portraits from Monday.Portrait shots of a dear friend with B & W conversions.
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Evolution104
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I like the first image - both in colour and B&W. The pose in the second image is disconcerting to me - personally I don't like it. But that's just my humble opinion.
The first colour image has very nice lighting and colour balance to my eye. The first B&W image has nice tones and contrast. I'm not entirely sure which I like better, but I'm very much leaning towards the B&W one. It looks like a glam shot from the 50's or 60's. Super!
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creators
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Thanks very much John, I very much appreciate your critique. Can you expand on what is disconcerting for you (no worries if you can't)? I must say I personally prefer the first one. Cheers, Keith.
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Evolution104
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| creators wrote: | | Can you expand on what is disconcerting for you (no worries if you can't)? I must say I personally prefer the first one. Cheers, Keith. |
Well, I hope this sounds objective (which is my intent) - please don't take offense.
Technically, I think the image and lighting are very good for the most part, although in the B&W version, her hair is lost in the dark clothing on her left shoulder. It's the pose and the perception of her mood which bother me.
Her head seems to be tilted to an extreme, unnatural (and maybe uncomfortable) position. As a result, the unfortunate picture that immediately jumps into my mind is the 'nearly headless' Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington of Harry Potter fame (played by John Cleese).
The other issue for me is her expression, especially the eyes. The eyes are the window into one's soul, and convey to the outside world what your mood and feelings are. In this case, it seems as though she is bored or agitated. The turn of her mouth seems to echo that feeling. She is staring hard at the camera in a way that seems (to me) to be conveying a mildly hostile stance. Making eye-to-eye contact like that is a sign of aggressive behavior. Perhaps not having her look directly into the lens might help. She doesn't need to look away, just not so intently at the lens.
I just feel uncomfortable looking at this image, and get the feeling that she is uncomfortable too.
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creators
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And now you mention it I see exactly what you mean. It is a pretty damned intense look. Thanks again and no offense taken. Appreciated. 
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Evolution104
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Sometimes it can be hard to offer and convey truly constructive criticism. In my original post, I had composed a reply to express these thoughts, then deleted it thinking I didn't want to offer too much for fear it would not be well received. I'm glad you asked for more input.
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creators
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No worries, no problem, at the grand old age of 56 my ability to cock things up, miss the point, put my foot in it, etc. remain undiminished. The tough part is always about developing an eye for things. Fresh eyes always help, so thanks John. BTW, congrats on winter finally letting go of you.
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Evolution104
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| creators wrote: | | No worries, no problem, at the grand old age of 56 my ability to cock things up, miss the point, put my foot in it, etc. remain undiminished. |
You have plenty of company, my friend!
| creators wrote: | | BTW, congrats on winter finally letting go of you. |
lol - you have no idea how good it feels to finally see the sun and feel some warmth after all these dark, gray and cold months!  Thanks!
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carlj
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Wonderful eye contact on both shots Keith!
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creators
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Thanks Carl. On the back of this I have decided to do a studio course, apart from the many things I still have to learn about everything, I want to work on relating to the model. On this shoot there were moments when neither of us had a clue, and although we could both say that and take a break, it hard to know how to relate/direct/help the model when I am not sure about poses or what poses are going to work.
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carlj
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Studio work leaves me cold at the moment - not such a surprise, hey? But looking at these shots Keith, taking it to the next degree will give you as much as you get from it!
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Venom
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Nice work Keith,
The 3rd shot is the one for me but it's hard to say exactly why.
IMO the B&W conversion as added to the picture giving it a more dramatic / powerful feel. The eyes also have become a stronger focal point in the B&W, brings them out even more.
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creators
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I completely agree Mike, colour can be quite a distraction. There is nothing colourfully dramatic going on in the first shot so there's no point having it really. Whereas, as soon as you convert it to black and white it brings out the contrasts that do work, it comes alive, I think.
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Venom
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Agree with that Keith and I hope she likes them.
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Simonzphotoz
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I with everyone so far, the third shot is great. I also agree to some extent with Evo, i think the pose is unnatural on the second shot.
Go for the course Unc, great idea. I do think though, that if you hired a model they would kinda know what they were doing anyhow and just pose for you while you shot away...no pun intended!!  When I went to focus last year there were models around posing for people to snap, and they just kept moving all the time.
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creators
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Thanks Simon, I am sure you're right about pro models, and it would also do me a world of good to do a course if I want to got serious about the studio. Kind of, best of both worlds then.
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hil26
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1st shot and it B&W equivalent are great.
I Have no idea about studio work as its not really my area of interest, but can appreciate what goes into it ( especially when rooms get cut in half to accomodate (spelling is atrocious) the requirement for space.
Courses are very good, for me, a lot of pieces of a puzzle were put into into place, that is things are known but not joined until someone points it out ( well that was my experience)
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creators
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| hil26 wrote: |
Courses are very good, for me, a lot of pieces of a puzzle were put into into place, that is things are known but not joined until someone points it out ( well that was my experience) |
And I don't doubt mine once I get my bum in gear. Thanks Dave.
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