Retrohedz and Victoriana Bonkers

Today I did a shoot which was arranged to make pictures to promote a friend's business - that of making RetroHedz. Retrohedz make heads covered in comicstrips and old magazines which people buy as "home decor".

One of out themes was to have our model (the gorgeous Katarina) as a quite austere character, victorian to look at, and contrast that with the more modern, bright RetroHedz. During the shoot, Katarina's name evolved, and henceforth she is to be known as "Victoriana Bonkers". Which about sums up the shoot, really...utterly bonkers!

So here's a few images (not all the images had a RetroHed in them...

Your thoughts, as always, graciously accepted.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​711106033/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​712232436/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​711107083/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​712235004/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​711107537/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​711109619/

There is some overexposure in a couple of them...as a side note...ya might need to get back on those meds, weirdness is returning.

Love #5..
Interesting images for an interesting product - whether the photos promote the product is the question.
I like all images except the first - much too busy a background and bad lighting (and the head is lost in the confusion).

chauncey wrote in post #15900853
There is some overexposure in a couple of them...as a side note...ya might need to get back on those meds, weirdness is returning.

It was a bright sunny day in the morning when this set were shot, however, we decided we quite liked it in a way...but you are correct, technically there is.

as for wierdness, indeed it was a little surreal...wait 'till you see the Tombraider and SuperKat ones!

Spike44 wrote in post #15901165
Love #5..
Interesting images for an interesting product - whether the photos promote the product is the question.
I like all images except the first - much too busy a background and bad lighting (and the head is lost in the confusion).

Well, the guy who's idea these Hedz are was there all along with the ideas to match ours. Some of the images were shot without heads to give us a nice photoshoot anyway, but for example, the contrast of quite staid model with a bizarre comicbook head was his idea.

I know the head gets "lost" in the clutter - that was sort of the point...I have this which demonstrates that idea a little more 9didn't upload it before as it's not "Victoriana Bonkers" set:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …end_the_light/8​712339292/

Very quiet around here.

I'd really like some critique on these as it's my first outdoor photo shoot (other than shooting animals in the zoo, birds, or my kids).

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

here i go! :
shot 1: dont like the branch covering the head and I'd like the head to be bigger to make it more important part of the picture. like head in foreground with her behind it reaching for it.
shot 2: dont like that light patch of dead grass in the background, kind of distracting imho.
shot 3: seems bit dark and bit processed.
shot 4: kewl shot, but id like b/w instead with the head colored. her skin bit over exposed.
shot 5: overexposed a bit..
shot 6: best shot out of the batch. ties together the girl and the head!
shot 7: the busts look lost in the trees, they really dont stand out in texture or color. you convert it to a straight b/w and you wouldnt even see them.

howzitboy wrote in post #15907909
here i go! :
shot 1: dont like the branch covering the head and I'd like the head to be bigger to make it more important part of the picture. like head in foreground with her behind it reaching for it.
shot 2: dont like that light patch of dead grass in the background, kind of distracting imho.
shot 3: seems bit dark and bit processed.
shot 4: kewl shot, but id like b/w instead with the head colored. her skin bit over exposed.
shot 5: overexposed a bit..
shot 6: best shot out of the batch. ties together the girl and the head!
shot 7: the busts look lost in the trees, they really dont stand out in texture or color. you convert it to a straight b/w and you wouldnt even see them.

Thanks.

1. The idea was that the head would not be completely obvious, almost like you, the viewer, discovers it later on when viewing the picture. It's that incongruous idea we were going for.

2. Yeah, I know. Not dead grass actually, but reeds, but it was the reason for a change of position for image 3.

3. It is. It was intentional...

4. Thanks. I agree that B&W might be better in this case.

5. It is, but that was intentional as part of the processing. I could have rescued the highlights in RAW, but decided to go with it...

6. Thanks. Not the most loved of the image...you are the first to really like it. Apart from me.

7. Again, that was the plan...I think that one of the heads is obvious, the other two less so, and you discover them the more you look.

Thanks for your crit, appreciate it.

i didnt even notice the third head!! you got me!

howzitboy wrote in post #15907987
i didnt even notice the third head!! you got me!

Ha ha...see, it worked.

Seriously, I accept any crit at all, but sometimes things are shot in a certain way for a reason and unless you know that reason, it changes how you look at things doesn't it?

The guy who makes the heads was there for this part of the shoot, and some of the "creative" decisions were his...not passing the buck, but that's what you have to do sometimes.

Cheers

Some of the photos were a bit over exposed.

ktan7 wrote in post #15910800
Some of the photos were a bit over exposed.

Yes, they were.