Project 52 by Bryan (BJ Denning)

[FrankMi]

I love to see folks reaching out to explore new areas, Bryan. I know almost nothing about studio light or portraiture but this looks like a great starting point for your learning experience. I'll be watching to see what the experienced photographers say about your efforts so that I might be able to learn along with you!

[Judith]

What a beautiful photo. I am attaching one of my photos of a bald eagle. Not as good as your, but I hope that you like it.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

I have absolutely zero experience with portraits. I have read Colin's great tutorial, but lack subjects and even the basic equipment. A local photo "meet-up" recently had a portrait session. The leader owns a studio, the first session was with one light, and a variety of models (two boys, two girls).

I think basic equipment is just a camera and a good imagination I'm afraid that's all I have!

Can I ask what your vision was for the shoot and how close you thought you got to achieving it?

[BJ Denning]

I think basic equipment is just a camera and a good imagination I'm afraid that's all I have! Can I ask what your vision was for the shoot and how close you thought you got to achieving it?

My Vision? Ian was the forth of four models. He was also fairly comfortable in front of the camera, had a few "canned" poses, and was willing to "ham it up". I had no idea about posing, how to give direction, or how to read the light. Being my first attempt, my biggest worry was to get a sharp shot and then to learn post.

All in all I really enjoyed the experience. I found that I was really surprised by how different each model was, even through the poses were very beginner. I'm looking forward to trying more and improving.

[BJ Denning]

So my exploration with models shots continues. I liked this shot because of the soft shadows. Cathleen is a personal fitness consultant and body builder. I liked the diagonal tilt, but I still have to work on the color balance (the background was white, it turned out grey).


5D Mark II
0.008 sec (1/125)
f/8.0
73 mm
ISO Speed 200

[Goldcoastgolfer]

I have absolutely zero experience with portraits. I have read Colin's great tutorial, but lack subjects and even the basic equipment. A local photo "meet-up" recently had a portrait session. The leader owns a studio, the first session was with one light, and a variety of models (two boys, two girls).

This is one of the shots. I'm learning poses, one of the models was average, the others were fairly new. So positioning and such was an experiment. I'm also still practicing post processing, which is very much different on portraits than landscapes and animals.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
0.008 sec (1/125)
f/8.0
58 mm
ISO Speed 200

I'm not a studio shooter by any stretch of the imagination - I'm more of a candid portrait capturer but I'll offer up some thoughts anyway

Composition wise, the two things that stand out for me are the top of his head (just cropped off a little which seems more noticeable to me because it's a half body shot) and the direction your model is looking. I think normally if the model is looking away from the camera I would try and leave a bit of negative space to make the viewer wonder what the subject is looking at. To be honest, I think in this case I would have preferred your model looking at the camera. Blue eyes really stand out in photos and I think you lose a bit of that with him looking away.

On the lighting front, for me there's a bit too much shadow across his face. Having said that, you might have been going for that look which is why I asked the question about your vision. I would have preferred a more gradual transition from light to shadow across his face - it's a touch to abrupt for me.

Poses are always an interesting challenge - especially when you try to make them look natural as you work to find your own style. I've been on a course where they recommend that you have the model lean forward - I think that might have worked a bit better here. If you're resting your head against your hand you tend to lean forward so I think that would have looked a bit more natural.

The only other thing that I can offer up is to strike up a conversation with your model as you do the shoot. This tends to relax them and will reveal more of their natural expressions. Just click away as you see the expressions that you feel capture your model in a natural light.

Personally, I think studio photography is a lot more difficult than candid portraiture. At least with candids, people are doing what they would naturally be doing. There can be more pressure in a studio that is felt by a model.

Anyway, hope this helps.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

So my exploration with models shots continues. I liked this shot because of the soft shadows. Cathleen is a personal fitness consultant and body builder. I liked the diagonal tilt, but I still have to work on the color balance (the background was white, it turned out grey).


5D Mark II
0.008 sec (1/125)
f/8.0
73 mm
ISO Speed 200

I like the lighting in this one much better - the shadows aren't as harsh as the first. With a model with brown eyes, I usually end up brightening them a little (around +20) as they always seem to come out darker than what I would like in a photo.

[BJ Denning]

Thanks Malcom. I have alot to learn, but it was fun. We have a couple more "meet-ups" scheduled with different lighting. I'll try to put the advise to good use.

[Nat]

I'm no expert at portraits.....just learning myself. Handsome fellow. You seem to have given this portrait a lot of contrast and maybe upped the harpness/details? I rather like that look. My only question is....was his elbow on a table? By not showing that, I feel like he is punching himself in the chin....but as I said, I'm new to this, also.....enjoying your experimenting.

[BJ Denning]

I'm no expert at portraits.....just learning myself. Handsome fellow. You seem to have given this portrait a lot of contrast and maybe upped the harpness/details? I rather like that look. My only question is....was his elbow on a table? By not showing that, I feel like he is punching himself in the chin....but as I said, I'm new to this, also.....enjoying your experimenting.

Good catch Nat. I had the same thought. His elbow was not on a table, he was just holding it up. Like I said, very beginner, there's no were to go but up from here ...

[BJ Denning]

Well, It seems that my week numbering may be off -- so I'm calling this #4, and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

This Project 52 has been great. I feel myself getting anxious if I don't have a shot I like by the end of the week. This keeps me working to explore and improve.

I rarely take shots of people. So, I'm continuing my learning by doing a little street photography at an Ice Carving Competition.

I was trying to get the concentration of the artist. I also include a shot of the finished product.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
0.003 sec (1/400)
f/5.6
93 mm
ISO Speed 200



Finished piece

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Beautiful sculptures. I like what you were trying to achieve but it looks to me that your focus point might have been on the ice sculpture rather than its maker. I'm looking on my tablet though so I might be mistaken.

[Wendy Stanford]

What great chess sculptures, very intricate, I would like to perhaps seen more of the face as the focal point, I know it is very difficult to sometimes get a good angle with street photography,
One of those would go very well in my drink at the moment

[Geoff F]

That shot of the sculptor at work is good, Bryan. It is so difficult to get action shots of people actually working.

I suppose that for a perfect prizewinning shot he would have been using his cutting tool on the workpiece. But that would have also required you to get a similar angle and also show his face clearly.

Which is often impossible to achieve in a real life action shot; so I will willingly settle for what you have taken.

[BJ Denning]

Well the people photos are a litte scarce this week, so I'm reverting back to more comfortable animal shots.

But I tried to get him to pose Vultures are a strange lot. As unique as this bird is, the photo doesn't do justice to how clean and soft his feathers looked (maybe a different story in the wild). Aside from the skin folds, the colors on his face were amazing. To think this is natural, who would have thought these colors would naturally occur together.

Canon EOS 7D
Exposure (1/80)
f/3.5
200 mm
ISO Speed 400

[FrankMi]

WOW! Stunning colors indeed!

[SpiderBob]

A unique photo for sure, I like it.

[Nat]

Wow, too, what a bird! Head is SHARP!! Did you try like f/8? to get more of the bird in focus? Just wondering what it would look like compared to this...Did I say, "WOW!"?

[Goldcoastgolfer]

That's fantastic. And here I was thinking vultures were just an ugly, scavenging lot!

[Wendy Stanford]

Wonderful shot Bryan, nice perspective, the angle leads you straight to the head, great colours, very nicely in focus, looks like his insides on the outside