My first time with a model. C&C

OK... Here are my first attempts with a model.

She was sweet, understanding, and made it very easy for me. (Thank God since this was my first time). LOL

But seriously.... the photos I am posting are just a few of many coming from now 2 days of working together.

We plan to go further with this. We are both learning so please feel free to leave any C&C for either her or I.

(any improvement is always good improvement).

Thanks

Aaron


From the 1st day....

The 2nd day....

Just my thought, she looks much more pretty when she is smiling .

Yeah.... I'll be sure to relay that to her.

mrgtturbo, I like a lot of the shots, but they seem to be out of focus slightly and some cropping in various photos would put more interest to the model, rather then the surroundings she is a part of. I agree with ppice, the model has great looking hair and a few smiles would be good to see. Are you using a tripod?

No I am not using a tripod.

I do not believe any of these were cropped. They are bsicaly an equivelant of 8x12", I left room for future cropping, size formating... whatever. Other than a possible slight adjustment to brightness, or contrast these are how they came out of the camera.

As far as the out of focus goes I was noticing that they looked a bit off since uploading them to photobucket. I did not resize them prior to uploading, (so photobucket did it themselves), could that be why they look as they do?

But maybe they are a bit off. I'll have to take another look at them with my monitor. This laptops display is no where near as crisp for some reason. I do use the monitor for all my editing though.

Thanks for replying. I will be sure to double check them. I hope I'm not shooting out of focus.

Aaron

One more thing McCoy. I'm not making excuses or anything... but I was dropped on my head as a baby.

But seriously....
I've not yet gone down to the dungeon to check them again, and a thought has come to mind. If they are slightly out of focus, could this be in part caused by using, (what has been told to me to be a junk), polerized filter? Should it be high on my priority list to upgrade to a worthy filter?

Anyways... I surprizingly ended up having the opertunity to sleep in today, so I'm a bit groggy at this momment. As soon as I get a little coffee in me I will be heading down to give them another looking over.

Thanks again.

Aaron

352McCoy wrote in post #5967297
mrgtturbo, I like a lot of the shots, but they seem to be out of focus slightly and some cropping in various photos would put more interest to the model, rather then the surroundings she is a part of. I agree with ppice, the model has great looking hair and a few smiles would be good to see. Are you using a tripod?

I agree..I am finding most of the photos soft and slightly OOF....I like the flower child shots the best actually...she seems to be in her element..she doesn't feel "grunge" to me at all.the severe makeup seems out of place on her. ALthough the one graffiti shot, with a crop, does look pretty good.

Keep on shooting!

They seem ok. A bit out of focus on a few. Try using a flash to fill in the shadows. especially the shot where the sky is in the background.

As far as the model goes, she needs to smile more.
More eye contact with the camera would engage the viewer more.
Straighten the back a bit more to bring out the curves.

OK guys.... hang on.

PLEASE come back in a little bit. They look much different on my monitor than they do here in the forum. I've even dragged the forum page to my other monitor and they look much different. I am going to try to resize them for the web and see if they end up as vivid as I have them here.

This may be a photobucket issue with resizing.
If you still agree after I repost the photos that they are out of focus... I am 100% with you and will try to improve them.

I do appreciate all the C&C... believe me I truly do... but lets make sure it's not a technical issue first since I am noticing a problem. I will have them reposted shortly.

Thanks again.

Aaron

Was...

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

That was just a test of one before doing others....

There is a noticable difference between the one Photobucket resized, and the one that I did personally. And the size is ALL I changed.

But still they look bettter out of the folder... why?
Should I be resizing smaller for photobucket?

Hey Arron,
I have to agree with the previous comments that most of these shots are a tad bit soft on the focus. I haven't been able to get Opanda to work since I upgraded to Windows XP so I can't really check your EXIF data, but I think I'd take a closer look at your shutter speed maybe.

Now that issue aside, I have to honestly say that as far as a "model/fashion" shoot goes, I think that over all the second set is better than the first. Now please know that I'm not trying to be rude here...I'm just offering my honest and ever so humble opinion as always, but the first set to me really looks like a bunch of "candid's"...in fact they almost look like screen captures from a movie or something. There seems to be something of a detachment between the model and the camera/photographer almost as though she was completely unaware of the camera. In all of the images of that first set, there was no eye contact with the camera at all. I'm not sure if this was the "feel" you were trying to achieve, but to me at least, it leaves something to be desired. -If- there was a story that went with these images, or more specifically if these images were meant to go along with a story, said story didn't come through in the images themselves.

The shots from the second day were certainly better. Aside from some cropping/framing issues (and again the afore mentioned focus issue), there's some shots here that really aren't too bad at all. In fact I'd say the last 4 are quite usable.

I think the biggest thing I could really suggest (beyond any technical considerations) would be to put more thought into the compositions. Think about what you want each image to be about. As an example, in the shot of the girl with the "Dead End" sign, did you want the shot to be about the model or the sign? -If- the shot is about the model, then loose the sign...it doesn't add anything at all to the image...unless of course you're trying to imply that something about this model is a "dead end"...which some how seems rather unflattering! LOL!. Had said sign of said "Dangerous Curves Ahead", that would have implied something different and might have worked with the image (although a different framing and/or perspective might have been in order). When you're shooting a model, while the other elements of the image are secondary, they still do deserve consideration. Do they add to the over-all composition or do they detract? The other elements of the composition should compliment the primary subject.

To give you a specific example, if you were doing a set of a guy wearing a cowboy hat, a flannal shirt and beat up old jeans, this attire says something about the model...in other words, it implys the term "coyboy". As such, the surroundings...the other elements of the composition should go along with this. You'd want to shoot him perhaps in a barn or something with lots of wood, ropes hanging on the wall and perhaps a saddle or something in the background. Items that will positively contribute to the over all feel of the image. If you were to say shoot this same individual in this same outfit watering his lawn in a typical suburban setting, chances are the shots just wouldn't work at all. In the shot of the model with the airplane you have this lovely young lady in semi casual attire standing there with a plain.....huh? The reason for this is....what? -If- she's showing off the new plane that her rich daddy just bought for her, this might make a good snap shot to give to her friends but......

In my own case, I shoot mostly animals and I do what I call "animal portraiture". As such I do a lot of shooting of critters at zoos and similar facilities. When I'm shooting an image, I always ask myself, "What is this shot about?". Is the shot about the cage bars? The people watching the animal(s)? The poorly painted wall behind the animal? Or is the image about the animal? In my case if the shot is about the animal, then I try to eliminate all of the unnessacary elements of the image...elements that don't contribute to the over-all composition, to put the focus (no pun intended) on the subject of the image...the animal. The same is true of your images here...if the shots are supposed to be about the model, then the shots should be about the model...not the air plane (or it's propellers) or the rocks and graffiti behind the model or the water fall or the dead end sign. As such, the model should also be conveying some sense of emotion or feeling towards the camera to help carry the image...in the second shot of the second day the model's expression conveys "Did I change the laundry around this morning?". Hmmm...maybe she was just thinking about her taxes or something. In the last shot of the first set, one could easily add the caption, "What do you mean I have the frizzies?" LOL! Hopefully you get the point.

Now one last thing I would like to add here...
While I could be wrong, I get the impression that the model was....umm...shall we say "inexperienced" at modeling? Remember that when doing "modeling shoots", that the shoot is...or should be...a collaborative process. Unless you're shooting with an experienced model who knows how to work it for the camera, then part of your job as the photographer is to also work as the "director". Even with an experienced model, sometimes a model doesn't have the "artistic vision" of the photographer in mind and you need to give her instruction as to what it is that you want the images to convey. In other words, if the model isn't giving you what you want, sometimes you need to tell her what it is you want (and you need to know yourself ahead of time what it is you want!). Over all here, most of these images don't really convey too much to a viewer. At the risk of sounding blunt, to me the most I really get out of the majority of these images is "a pretty girl who played dress up for a friend who owned a camera". Technical issues such as focus aside, it really doesn't look as though too much thought really went into the composition these images either on your part as the photographer and director or on the part of the model.

The next time you shoot a model (either this young lady or someone else), have a vision. Plan ahead and decide before hand what it is you want the shots to convey then plan your settings, any props and the models attire accordingly. This will also make it easier for you to give the model direction whether you want sexy, sassy, elegant, evocative, etc., etc.. Also listen to the model...see if she (he) has any suggestions. After all, the images also represent the model, so they should have a say as well.

Again I'm not trying to be rude here or hurt anyone's feelings...just my humble $.02 worth as always. I hope it helps.

Peace,
Jim

There is always going to be a compression issue, but even with that.her face is still soft.her dress by the underarm is in focus....
I use PB myself.and there is a slight difference, usually from clarity.but if the shot was in full focus to begin with.it doesn't affect the transfer horribly.

FLO... did you notice the difference between teh two I just posted?

And Jim... wow. I'm still reading. lol
I sincerly thank you for your time. I will finish reading it now.

Aaron