Portraiture: Bare Feet

[dewmuw]

Funny but when I had a family portrait done about 2 years ago the guy insisted on the kids taking their shoes and socks off - but my wife and I kept ours on. He reckoned it made for a more 'informal' pose!

"MacDonalds-- the paradigm of American values" :(

[dewmuw]

I think it's weird.

I can see that for kids, under 5's, it gives a certain look. But I agree with you 100% that for adults it is just weird. Who in the hell has photogenic feet anyway? :D

[jfrancho]

...And he's sitting there thinking, "Oh god. My feet are so white they're blue. No. They're green. Maybe I really DID die during last week's eight-hour sales meeting."The photographer must be shooting RAW. He uses this for calibrating custom white balance

[PhotosGuy]

Floribama! :D:D
Easy answer is that the guy who started the whole thing has a foot fetish! ;-) He made a name for himself & all the drones followed the "master"!

[Longwatcher]

Bare feet is a leave behind from the hippy generation, it indicates freedom and innocence. And for kids it is definately one of the best ways for the parents to have black mail photos available years later.

Just my opinion, but then I tend to take pictures of scantily clad women and sometimes they look better with shoes on and sometimes not. But you can't have a full-nude shot with shoes on :) 8) 8) 8) ;) :D

[dewmuw]

Reminds me of a strange story.

A guy was going round pubs and clubs in England claiming to be collecting for a charity. He asked people to donate one sock to him and let him photograph their foot. He claimed the charity was making a giant picture of thousands of feet and socks to promote a land-mine charity.

Anyway the police raid his home and find thousands of pairs of single socks and accompanying photos. The guy was a foot fetishist and was using the socks to derive "personal pleasure" whilst looking at the photos.

He was sent to jail.

[jfrancho]

I wonder what landed him jail - the fraud or the fetish?

[dewmuw]

I wonder what landed him jail - the fraud or the fetish?

The fraud. He'd convened some laws by posing as a charity when, in fact, he was a freak. :lol:

[jukas]

I think it's weird that a photographer would insist on barefoot portrait, I'd think they'd suggest but leave the final decision up to the client (unless it was a paid model). Personally I love feet and given my druthers my girlfriend would never wear shoes again, they cover up her toes and tats too much. But that doesn't mean that everyone feet need to be viewed by the general public.. too many people have ugly ugly feet, keep them pups under wraps!

Bloo Dog, I love your posts and I sincerely hope someday you write a book!

[MazerRakhm]

Bloo, I would pay for a book of anecdotes!

That aside, I agree with you. Some people should not have their feet bare in pictures. (I may just be one of those people!)

[pdrow]

My family tends to stay stay bare footed in the house. I have several nice shots of my kids in informal settings where they are bare footed. We live in the warm south, and bare footed photos in the grass are just the norm. I would not ask an adult to remove their shoes for a photo.

I strongly considered asking a high school senior to take off his shoes last week. He was in jeans and a long sleeved shirt and his shoes were so white they were almost glow in the dark. I think they really were distracting in the photos. I had to work on a variety of positions to get them to not be so obvious.

pam

[nat869]

A good laugh from you as always. Seriously though, I agree some people, guys mostly, should not be barefoot, their feet are too disgusting to look at. Some guys, ok...very very few (I am not one of them) take good care of their feet. At least women get regular manicures and pedicures, which is great because at the beach in a bikini you don't want them wearing stilletos.

[Longwatcher]

At least women get regular manicures and pedicures, which is great because at the beach in a bikini you don't want them wearing stilletos.

uh! Yes I do...
Sometimes. 8) :D :)

[steven]

But you can't have a full-nude shot with shoes on :) 8) 8) 8) ;) :D

So long as they are high heels you can! :twisted:

[froman98]

You crack me up. Have you ever tried wearing a bikini-top to McDonalds and see if they still served you food? I woud be first in line to pay for your meal to witness that. ;)

[Viking Joe]

I believe the photographer would pay me to put my socks and shoes back on...he he:)

(not a pretty sight)

[Tom W]

I love it - great piece as usual.

Which reminds me - Where the heck did I put my shoes? ;)

[Claire]

I can't go without shoes. I just can't. My feet are too ticklish and I hate when I walk on stuff that hurts them. Oh, and I've got horrible looking toes.