Motorcycle Portrait

Hello

My first paid portrait -- professional motorcycle racer Brandon Parrish.

Comments requested -- PLEASE be harsh and super critical.

Thanks!

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Needs a different background. Don't know what I would prefer, but I don't like black for this subject because there are tonal mergers where I think they hurt. He looks too "pasted on".

If it is to be three-dimensional, then it needs a background that seems to be in the background - it also needs a foreground that clearly puts him in the middle ground. All of that can be accomplished through lighting and through proper staging.

The ONLY thing that shows ANY semblance of 3-dimensionality is the shadow under his left hand. That gives his left forearm a little life, but what about the rest of the body?

Cannot disagree with you. Something in a complimentary red, maybe with lighting shot through a cookie for some texture.

The assignment, from one of his sponsors who will be using some other images from the set to do some special effects, was to shoot him on a black background. Pretty simple stuff. If I get him to the studio again, I will play around with that.

Great advice -- thank you!

Would they have allowed you to use a rimlight with the black background? That might have given some additional dimension...

Yes, they would have. I totally missed that. Initially, the shot was a helmet on shot, so I left the hair light down. I talked them out of the helmet thing, but then forgot to add the rim light back. Brain fart.

This would have looked cool with a full on backlight too.

Here's a spur-of-the-moment snap I took a while ago of a BMW rider standing in the doorway of his garage at VIR. Although the background is a little busy with people, maybe something similar, either with studio lighting or natural lighting, might be an alternative, especially with the strong contrast of the design of your rider's leathers. Here you get the backlight and the bounced light from the floor of the garage wrapping around the subject. Had I been more of the ball, I would have had a flash and filled a little and gotten more control of the exposure of the outside light. Maybe some shoulder facing, or 3/4 views as well as front and rear, to get all of the sponsors' logos in the shots...

Great Stormtrooper costume!

kirkt wrote in post #5841958
Here's a spur-of-the-moment snap I took a while ago of a BMW rider standing in the doorway of his garage at VIR. Although the background is a little busy with people, maybe something similar, either with studio lighting or natural lighting, might be an alternative, especially with the strong contrast of the design of your rider's leathers. Here you get the backlight and the bounced light from the floor of the garage wrapping around the subject. Had I been more of the ball, I would have had a flash and filled a little and gotten more control of the exposure of the outside light. Maybe some shoulder facing, or 3/4 views as well as front and rear, to get all of the sponsors' logos in the shots...

Fun paying job you have! Good luck,

Kirk

I like this shot. I found the whole construction of the leathers fascinating. They have a rather trans formative quality -- they force a certain posture and bearing on the wearer.

LeuceDeuce wrote in post #5842170
Great Stormtrooper costume!

This was shot at my home studio. My 6 year old son came in at one point and said "Cool. Are you from Star Wars?"