I finally got the guts to pick up my camera again...C&C welcome

[IzzieK]

Yesterday I was finally able to have the guts to pick up my camera again after a long hiatus...I do not know how long this feeling will last as just setting up took me a lot longer than usual. All C&C welcome. I really need as much help as I can so I can move on and be good if not better, photographer, not a snapshooter.

[Downrigger]

What a simply stunning model! Hard to stop gazing at her.
Portraiture mystifies and overwhelms me. Can't get my hands around how to look at portraits - but these are all lovely and I like the expression in the first, the best.
Best wishes for easy and happy re-acquisition of your misplaced momentum. Hang in there, one step begets the next. As with a bicycle, staying upright becomes easier as velocity increases.

[Saorsa]

The models expression seems rather static. Perhaps chatting with her a bit would loosen her up.

[Shadowman]

You've chosen a very outgoing subject to start with. 2-4 look great, first one has a reddish tint that doesn't work well.

[Mike Buckley]

Isabel,

Good for you for trying to improve your photography! In that context, what were the specific characteristics of your photography that you were trying to improve in this exercise with the doll?

[IzzieK]

Thank you for your very kind comments, Mark. I really appreciate it because it makes me feel good.

What a simply stunning model! Hard to stop gazing at her.
Portraiture mystifies and overwhelms me. Can't get my hands around how to look at portraits - but these are all lovely and I like the expression in the first, the best.
Best wishes for easy and happy re-acquisition of your misplaced momentum. Hang in there, one step begets the next. As with a bicycle, staying upright becomes easier as velocity increases.

[IzzieK]

I know...I was experimenting with angles. This first one was shot the wrong way...I forgot to cover the right side of the angle, I poo-pooed covering the top of the piano, etc. because I thought I will just crop closer and it will be fine...I should had opened the diffuser on the side of the face but I want everything in natural light so I did use any from my light system...I thought the light from the front yard is enough and the plants on the window will just serve as a diffuser... But this one is the best of the first batch so I took it out to show you, mistakes or not. Thanks for the comments. I really appreciate it very, very much, John...

You've chosen a very outgoing subject to start with. 2-4 look great, first one has a reddish tint that doesn't work well.

[NorthernFocus]

Hey, Izzie. We all get in a funk once in a while. Similar to Mike's comment, what subjects are you interested in and what aspects of your photography are you trying to improve?

By the way that looks like a very cooperative and well behaved child

[IzzieK]

Besides from the doggies, I can't find a victim willing enough to pose for me. Angle shooting is the motive behind this exercises for the doll. I have always wanted to buy a manikin but the thought went wayward as I got sucked into being dragged to go to fly-ins with my husband. Thanks for the view and comment, Mark. 'Appreciate it very, very much...My portrait shots from the past sucks too so I bought quite a few books on Portrait Photography: Guide to Posing (Doug Box); Off Camera Flash(Neil van Niekerk; Creative Portraits (Harold Davis),etc. Guess what? I had not had the time to even open any of them...yet. (But I brought them out of their hiding place day before yesterday...)
Cheers...

Isabel,

Good for you for trying to improve your photography! In that context, what were the specific characteristics of your photography that you were trying to improve in this exercise with the doll?

[deetheturk]

Isabel,well done you for getting back into it,hats off to you!

[IzzieK]

You know, Dan -- my weakness is that I buy a lot of software to improve my so-called photography. I've always have to have the best software instead of doing with what I have. It doesn't work like that in the past, it ain't gonna work anytime, anyway, anywhere for me this time around and in the future. One of my goals this year is to learn selective lighting, high key and low key photography and these three may or may not relate to portrait photography which I want to study this year, but I want to give it a try.... I want to learn angle shots -- what is good, acceptable and what is not. I want to learn better composition, I have read up on rules of thirds and Fibonacci -- I want to apply these to my compositions. The doll shots were hardly PP-ed. I'd like to further learn how to change ISO on site...lots I'd like to learn with portrait photography...

Thank you for taking the time to look and comment...
G'day...Izzie

Hey, Izzie. We all get in a funk once in a while. Similar to Mike's comment, what subjects are you interested in and what aspects of your photography are you trying to improve?

By the way that looks like a very cooperative and well behaved child

[IzzieK]

thank you, Mark, David and Saorsa for your comments. 'Really appreciate them very much.
Cheerios...

[NorthernFocus]

You know, Dan -- my weakness is that I buy a lot of software to improve my so-called photography. I've always have to have the best software instead of doing with what I have. It doesn't work like that in the past, it ain't gonna work anytime, anyway, anywhere for me this time around and in the future. One of my goals this year is to learn selective lighting, high key and low key photography and these three may or may not relate to portrait photography which I want to study this year, but I want to give it a try.... I want to learn angle shots -- what is good, acceptable and what is not. I want to learn better composition, I have read up on rules of thirds and Fibonacci -- I want to apply these to my compositions. The doll shots were hardly PP-ed. I'd like to further learn how to change ISO on site...lots I'd like to learn with portrait photography...

Thank you for taking the time to look and comment...
G'day...Izzie

My goodness

I'm sure you've heard the old saying "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

What I often suggest to people it to just pick one thing, anything, and keep shooting it until you are good at it. Then move to a new subject. You get positive feedback from the success and the knowledge and skills are cumulative. In other words it gets easier as you go. Once you have the camera skills down they transfer to any subject. Then you can focus on the nuances of each particular area of photography.

[Mike Buckley]

pick one thing, anything, and keep shooting it until you are good at it. Then move to a new subject.

Completely agreed!

As an example, learn how to photograph your doll using only window light. Then perhaps place diffusion material over the window. Then perhaps use controlled light to light the diffusion material. The possibilities can go on and on, so it's best that you master one capability at a time before moving on to the next one.

[mknittle]

What a doll I have no experience with this type of photography But #s 3 and 4 look best to me.

When I get discouraged I try something else for a change. Like if still life isn't working go out and shoot something else for a while then go back and work on still life. Also we all have days where nothing we do works, in that case tomorrow will be better
The thing is we will not get any better with the camera in the closet. just get out and shoot!
On that note I am going to try to get caught up around the house so I can take my own advice this after noon!


Mark,

[kdoc856]

Hi, Izzie

Using a doll is a great idea! Allows you to experiment ad nauseam with natural vs. artificial light, exposures, WB, etc. without the distraction of "negotiating" with a model with her own agenda. You might also have a play at very close crops, that cut off the tops of heads, part of the face and ears, etc. It's done quite regularly by portrait photogs who publish in magazines (a good source to emulate). Our brains are programmed to fill in missing detail, and the closeness of the shot/crop gives you superb control of background while giving close attention to specific facial features.

Sounds like you have a fun project and a great learning tool.

[IzzieK]

Good ideas guys -- Kevin, Mark, Mike, Dan -- I'd take up other still life too around the house like my wine bottles in my made-up studio (read visitor's room). It is only a small room but it has directional lights on two sides and the standard window up NW. I like that. I have my photography stuffs there, including my collection of builder's lights. Worst comes to worst the only thing I need is me and my composition to be good, if not better.

BTW, the doll that modeled for me is a look-alike doll for my very first grandchild . I had it especially made from Canada and it cost me a bundle that is why she is beautiful. She is worth it -- I did not hear a single boo from her all -- as Dan said..she is very cooperative...Maybe photographing the real person will be just like photographing a jet... I don't know, I won't see her in person until next month when I fly over their side of the pond.

Hi, Izzie

Using a doll is a great idea! Allows you to experiment ad nauseam with natural vs. artificial light, exposures, WB, etc. without the distraction of "negotiating" with a model with her own agenda. You might also have a play at very close crops, that cut off the tops of heads, part of the face and ears, etc. It's done quite regularly by portrait photogs who publish in magazines (a good source to emulate). Our brains are programmed to fill in missing detail, and the closeness of the shot/crop gives you superb control of background while giving close attention to specific facial features.

Sounds like you have a fun project and a great learning tool.

[Loose Canon]

Hi Izzie!

Great to hear you are “getting back on the horse”!

This is something that really has more to do with light angles rather than camera angles and I don’t really know if it would give you some ideas or not. Maybe some ideas on how you might angle your lovely model to the natural window light should you choose not to provide flash.

But you have a way nicer looking model than I did!

[IzzieK]

Terry...thank you so much for the link. I would like to copy and paste your instructions so it can be a reference point when I do pick up my camera again...yeah..after that session life around here just became hectic with my hubby wanting to finish the annuals on his two airplanes...(I am just a tag along. ) Good but windy weather of late and I am making my list of what-to-bring on our trip visit to my home in Oz...not going out today so I will tidy up my little "studio"...so I can get back on my horse again...I made a list of what I can shot still life too, anyway my session is all about light. That is a great tutorial. I will want to copy and paste and print the instructions so I can put it down where I can easily practice it. Thank you so very much....'appreciate it.

Hi Izzie!

Great to hear you are “getting back on the horse”!

This is something that really has more to do with light angles rather than camera angles and I don’t really know if it would give you some ideas or not. Maybe some ideas on how you might angle your lovely model to the natural window light should you choose not to provide flash.

But you have a way nicer looking model than I did!

[Manfred M]

Hi Isabel – just a few thoughts about portraiture and your approach.

Item 1 – portraiture is all about the lighting, and that really means lighting the subject in such a way as to get interesting shadows. You seem to be heading in that direction anyhow as you are showing some definition around the neck area. The nose is another place that is used to cast interesting shadows, and some techniques are named purely based on how the shadow from the nose falls on the face; butterfly lighting and Rembrandt lighting are two well known lighting styles that are defined by the shadow cast by the nose.

Item 2 – We earthlings tend to be comfortable with light coming from overhead positions. I guess having a single sun that is high in the sky will do that. This is also what tends to be done in portraiture; light falls down from above. This applies to both natural and artificial lighting situations. Take a look at a subject lit by on-camera flash; these images tend to look flat and boring.

A typical Hollywood horror movie technique was to light the “monster” from underneath, and the shadows somehow look wrong and scary.

Item 3 - Catch lights; the reflections of the light source in the subjects eyes will tell you a lot about the light source (size) and the direction it is coming from. Having catch lights at the 10:00 o’clock and 2:00 o’clock position are generally viewed as showing that your lighting is well positioned.

Item 4 - When lighting your subject, whether it is natural light or artificial light, make sure that you only have one main (also known as the “key light”). Just like humans are used to having a single light source shooting down from above, we are used to a single light source. Two equally powered light sources results in shadows in two different directions (think of theatre lighting) and multiple shadows just look weird.