How to photograph a high school Senior

[umphotography]

Originally Posted by CiM_Photography

This is precisely the way to make this sort of thing work. Don't shoot the subject and then place it into the (later chosen) environment - you need to choose the BG first, and then shoot around that. Or, if you have a good library of BGs, fool around with which one fits... but that's more trial and error/time wasted.

I don't have a particular reason to pickup compositing, or I would join in this exercise - perhaps one day I'll discover a purpose as it applies to me.

I think for HS seniors, Its a great option to have in the trick bag.

[umphotography]

One last post. I worked on this when i got up and made some adjustments. Also switch it to B&W for giggles. Im pretty stoked about this. We are buried for the next 2 weeks. We have 3 weddings plus a few seniors coming in. We have set the studio up to start doing the new looks so when i can, I will post some other looks.

Thanks for all you eyes and opinions folks. The only way to master it is to get in there and see whats going to work.



B&W

[CiM_Photography]

I like both edits, Mike!

I'm sure I could find a purpose with Seniors, it's just my advertising for Senior portraits has really been poorly done and as a result only have 1 this year... I'm lacking the drive to get clients since I have a f/t job that's feeding my 'rut' mentality.

[Chet]

Is that a Denny backdrop Mike? I really like it, has a real 3d thing going!

[windpig]

Mike, that redo with her smaller works well.

[Dave Jr]

Originally Posted by umphotography

One last post. I worked on this when i got up and made some adjustments. Also switch it to B&W for giggles. Im pretty stoked about this. We are buried for the next 2 weeks. We have 3 weddings plus a few seniors coming in. We have set the studio up to start doing the new looks so when i can, I will post some other looks.

Thanks for all you eyes and opinions folks. The only way to master it is to get in there and see whats going to work.



B&W

I really like where you are going with this, Mike. I'd just like to point out that the lighting in this particular image makes it obvious that it is a composite. Based on the visible ground shadows, she should be standing in the shadow area between the two arches which are supplying natural light to the scene, so the light on her face and dress does not compute. The highlight in her hair makes no sense either, since you can see the entire top of tunnel and therefore you can see that there is not a light there that could be creating this bright highlight on her hair.

Cool concept, but as you mentioned earlier, you really need to plan your subject placement on the background ahead of time and then light the subject accordingly. Keep in mind also, doing these full length makes it more difficult to pull off compared to head and shoulders.

[aaron.dunlap]

Originally Posted by charro callado

That's the problem; since you didn't take the background photos you don't have any reference for lens choice/FOV, camera height & angle, distance from proposed subject location, etc. Individually they may not be that significant, but if you don't match any you're going to end up with something that just looks "off."

this comment didn't receive enough recognition. when you are compositing, you *must* be sure to match these things as closely as possible.

shooting a portrait at 85mm and then layering it with a landscape shot at 35mm is going to look very strange.

do some googling on Dave Hill. His early work tends to be more, "comic book"-ish, but lately he's doing more realistic stuff just with very hard light..... he's a master at compositing though.

[mtimber]

Originally Posted by Dave Jr

I don't have very good luck with that on hair, it works ok, but you can often tell it's been extracted, if you look closely.

I learnt not to refine edges, but to make the mask and refine that, much better results.

[mtimber]

Originally Posted by umphotography

I like it

Mike, you might also want to post these in the "share your composites" thread, some good compositers in there.

Mark

[umphotography]

Got this done this afternoon. I like how it came out. Tried to light her as if she had window light and a fill light

[jmalonear]

Originally Posted by umphotography

Got this done this afternoon. I like how it came out. Tried to light her as if she had window light and a fill light

I think this is the best so far!

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by umphotography

Got this done this afternoon. I like how it came out. Tried to light her as if she had window light and a fill light

I liked the brick wall best (especially where one person edited the wall a bit darker)

Then like this one 2nd best, compared the the tunnel with fencing and lights in the upper corner.

BTW ... what are you using for a backdrop when shooting? I'm guessing not a green one from one comment you wrote.

Maybe you wrote it and I missed it.

[sevillafox]

Originally Posted by USER876

Where did get that stand

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Tubular-...7980303&sr=1-3

[umphotography]

Originally Posted by mdvaden

I liked the brick wall best (especially where one person edited the wall a bit darker)

Then like this one 2nd best, compared the the tunnel with fencing and lights in the upper corner.

BTW ... what are you using for a backdrop when shooting? I'm guessing not a green one from one comment you wrote.

Maybe you wrote it and I missed it.

Shoot them on a light grey paper seamless or white backdrop and dont light the backdrop..... stay away from green. Otherwise its a few more steps with the refine tool.

[umphotography]

BTW

The refine edge tool missed that net on the end of her pole. Had to do that by hand and it was time consuming

I have a couple of others we shot this morning but i wont be able to process until late next week. Have some very cool stuff to show you guys.