Portrait inspiration?

I'm not really looking for high-fashion, pro model photoshoots (though I guess not EXCLUDING them either ) but I am looking for some inspiraiton for setups and shoot ideas.

It seems MOST of the photos in this people forum are pretty much entirely headshots with a blurred out background.

Is "portrait" the incorrect term - or any links to suggest for inspiration on shots?

As an example, these are all fantastic and mostly less cropped in on their faces - but this seems to be more of the exception...
https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1398893

I'd contact Lisa directly if I were wanting to emulate her. Her gear and technique are superb. She has contact links on her blog/website.

you are setting your bar high with Lisa as inspiration.

i'd check out the Glamor and Nude forum, its isn't all glamor and nude and you get a lot of pro model work shown there.

kaitlyn2004 wrote in post #17195776
I'm not really looking for high-fashion, pro model photoshoots (though I guess not EXCLUDING them either ) but I am looking for some inspiraiton for setups and shoot ideas.

It seems MOST of the photos in this people forum are pretty much entirely headshots with a blurred out background.

Is "portrait" the incorrect term - or any links to suggest for inspiration on shots?

As an example, these are all fantastic and mostly less cropped in on their faces - but this seems to be more of the exception...
https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1398893

Your inspiration my be expensive.

The blurred background you enjoyed so much came from the skilled use of a Canon 200mm f/2 image stabilizer lens, priced at US $6,000.

Your inspiration also will cost time, the time needed to master Adobe Photoshop CS6, the software used to process those images.

Still, it's a good goal to have. Her work is top-notch.

Get to shootin'.

(and location scouting, and looking for light, and learning processing, and recruiting models, and...)

This was one of the threads I read through today in preparation for a brief practice shoot in the park with my neighbour's toddler son.

I've seen Lisa Holloway's work before, but I had another look today and was reminded that I shouldn't be afraid to do quite a lot of tweaking in post. So this is what I did, in particular I made the white balance quite a lot warmer and pulled the blacks down in most shots. My postprocessing skills have an awful long way to go, but I was happy with the results and my neighbour is absolutely thrilled!

You might want to look at the work of Arnold Newman, Richard Avedon's American West series, Dorothea Lange, Cartier-Bressons portraits, Yousuf Karsh, Walker Evans to name a few....

Looking for ideas on pro models, set ups, fashion etc? check out the magazine section of any bookstore - Cosmo, Glamor and so on. check out the Car and motorcycle mags for poses and lighting ideas.

Magazines offer a wide range of possibilities, they have provided inspiration for many set ups and poses that have worked well for me.

have fun and shoot on!

airfrogusmc wrote in post #17208426
You might want to look at the work of Arnold Newman, Richard Avedon's American West series, Dorothea Lange, Cartier-Bressons portraits, Yousuf Karsh, Walker Evans to name a few....

Yes, that and the Guilded Era portrait painters like John Sargent--whose "swagger portraits" are precisely what high-end portrait photographers are doing today.

And going back to examine the vigorous lighting of classical painters known for their chiaroscuro work is also inspiring, especially if you're interested in "high impact" portraits.

https://www.google.com …&ved=0CAYQ_AUoA​Q#imgdii=_

RDKirk wrote in post #17499293
And going back to examine the vigorous lighting of classical painters known for their chiaroscuro work is also inspiring, especially if you're interested in "high impact" portraits.

I'm always amazed that this style of portraiture is so often poorly-received, over-critiqued, or otherwise fallen out of favor.

I'm a fan of a good chiaroscuro portrait, and I strive to make them myself - but post one for any C&C from other photographers and you invariably get comments along the lines of "You really need a fill light, try looking up a 1:2 lighting ratio" or "why don't you use a reflector."

When I look for inspiration I turn to the old masters. Even for women, the chiaroscuro technique can yield amazing results. Too many people into soft shadows and ultra-thin DOF nowadays.

nathancarter wrote in post #17499364
I'm always amazed that this style of portraiture is so often poorly-received, over-critiqued, or otherwise fallen out of favor.

I'm a fan of a good chiaroscuro portrait, and I strive to make them myself - but post one for any C&C from other photographers and you invariably get comments along the lines of "You really need a fill light, try looking up a 1:2 lighting ratio" or "why don't you use a reflector."

Alveric wrote in post #17499385
When I look for inspiration I turn to the old masters. Even for women, the chiaroscuro technique can yield amazing results. Too many people into soft shadows and ultra-thin DOF nowadays.

It's more often used today for editorial portraits, but given the right client who wants something more than a "pretty picture," it works for consumer portraits as well.