Portraiture Shooting Assignment

About My Experience

I had a lot of fun doing this assignment. My sister was home for the weekend, and so I got her to go out and be my model for this. It was very bright and very windy on the day that I shot, so it was a bit frustrating with the harsh shadows and the wind everywhere, but I think we made it work. You will notice that a lot of the shots in the field have the light in the background and her darkened, and that is because of the harsh sun and myself liking the location too much to move. Other than that, we found a lot of places that still had nice lighting, but were in the shade, and a lot of those shots ended up being a little dark or flat. I wasn't very happy about that when I saw them, but I think it will be a quick fix in photoshop, and they are still good shots. Another problem I had was that a lot of my pictures ended up blurry, and I don't know if that was just carelessness on my part, or if it was the lens, but it really limited my options for pictures to use, and I will be sure to be more careful about that next time. Overall, I still had well over 15 good shots, and I think I applied the techniques we learned from Elaine nicely, and I have all the requirements. It was a fun assignment.

Actions

Color

B&W

Artistic

Portraiture Article Notes

• high school seniors are looking for photos that show who they are and have depth
• It's okay to be creative with your shots and when editing your shots
• Photographers who go out of their way to discover their subjects' interests are the most successful at putting them at ease, and getting the most evocative images. 
• Create a fun experience 
• Incorporate elements that make the images very personal
• Make them look GOOD and DIFFERENT
• Listen to your subjects' ideals
• Trends in the media contribute to what kids want, so photographers must stay current with what's going on
• Parents still want traditional shots, so take some of those
• Teens like to be shot on location
• Keep it natural, but interesing

This article shows that nowadays, high school students want pictures of them that correspond with who they are and the society that they are involved in. They want pictures that look more like the professional shots you see in popular culture, and I definitely kept that in mind when I took my shots for this assignment. I like the more creative approach that the article explains because it makes the pictures taken so much more interesting than traditional senior portraits. 

The very first picture in the article, with the hair covering the girl's face struck me right away when I opened the article. It had emotion and a sense of serenity and realness in it that I think, as a student, I would want in my own portraits, and it is the type of picture that I would want to take rather than traditional studio portraits. 

Also, the third photo, and a few other photos, look like something out of a fashion magazine, and I wouldn't have thought to do that for senior portraits, but that is what some people want, and I really love that concept, and might think of editing some of my pictures in that way for this assignment. The girl looks kind of out of place against the ambiguous background, and It contrasts very nicely, making her stand out, and it's interesting.

Portrait Examples

-Teal Photography

-Candid

-I really like the simplistic background in this and the color scheme. I think it captures personality with the use of the balloons, and just looks pleasing compositionally

-Teal Photography
- Candid
-The use of color in this is really, really nice by matching their clothes to the background. Also, the use of the frame makes the picture very dynamic and interesting. This photo also has the light behind them, making the people look very defined.

-Klose Photography
-Serious
-The lacrosse stick obviously tells something about the subject of the photo, and I like that. Also, This makes the eyes stand out a lot, and I think it's a very different, but beautiful photo.

-Jen Baltgavis
-Serious
-The color of the pool in this shot really enhances the color of his eyes. Also there are nice shadows that define the face but aren't too harsh. It's simple, but powerful, and this also tells something about the subject, which I like.

-Bill Hench
-Candid
-Again this shows something about the subject's life, and I think the lights behind the head add a lot of drama, which is appropriate for this shot. Compositionally, she is placed in a very convenient spot, and she looks very regal.

-Teal Photography
-Candid
-I like the light behind them, and the farming in this shot, and I think the angle that it's shot at is very interesting and artistic. It feels real.

-Jen Baltgavis
-Serious
-I actually really like how the light is in this picture. It makes her look like she's glowing, and you can almost feel the warmth in this shot. It looks a little washed out, but I don't think it really matters here, and her face is still defined, and looks nice.

-Jen Baltgavis
-Smile
-I like the color scheme mostly in this shot. It is smart, and really makes her face stand out, and creates a sense of unity in the shot. The patterns on the blanket are cool, and the pose looks natural and comfortable. Also, the editing is nice.

-Jen Baltgavis
-Smile
-I like how this shot is simple so the subject is clearly defined, and you are able to know something about the person in the shot as well. The primary colors really work with each other here, and I find this aesthetically pleasing.

-Klose Photography
-Candid
-I mostly like the editing in these photos. The candid feel is great and makes the photo seem real and happy, but the editing enhances that feeling much further.

Reflection on Elaine Gates

i found the class with Elaine Gates very helpful because we got to learn from someone who's actually in in the business, and it was nice to see how she talked to and positioned her models, and I will definitely use those techniques when I do my own project. My favorite thing I learned was to meter on their nose to make that part look good. I never knew that you could do that, and I will definitely try it out.