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How many of you count down during portraits ?
There is a posting in another forum where during the stay-at-home lock down a model is posing via the internet. She has a Canon DSLR hooked up to her laptop and allows you remote access to control the camera. I guess when you pay her fee she emails or dropbox the raw files to you. In the video showing this the photographer after telling her how to pose counts down to when he hits the remote shutter release. So it's, the pose...."3-2-1".....click. My question to you is how many of you do the countdown method ? I find while you are counting the model tenses up. Personally, I use two methods, first if it's a formal portrait setting or a inexperienced subject I'll give them instructions as to head position and when they get where I want them I'll say "good" and fire the shutter. Or if they can pose on their own when I like the position they are in, I'll say "hold-it" and immediately fire the shutter. Either way I immediately shoot without any count down. What method do you use ? And under what conditions ? P.S. If you are interested in the original posting: The article is here: https://petapixel.com/2020/04/17/model- … oto-shoots and a mod tracked down the model and supplied her MM page https://www.modelmayhem.com/Samankla Apr 22 20 11:03 am Link Vector One Photography wrote: I use it outdoors when it's very bright and model is squinting. Tell her to close her eyes and then open in 3.2.1 Apr 22 20 11:16 am Link I think I read that the count down was necessary for the remote shooting as the camera takes a bit of time to react to the photographer pushing his button to take the image. I have not used a count down method except when trying to get a mid-jump image. I sometimes ask my model to say a specific word when I'm looking for a particular mouth/expression. Apr 22 20 11:16 am Link Circumstantial, I haven't had a consistent response to counting down. It's been very helpful when shooting dancers. Having a music cue works well too but often too much multi-tasking or lugging stuff about when on location. I try it and ask the model if they prefer it. Sometimes it works better, sometimes it doesn't. Apr 22 20 11:50 am Link I think the only times I ever actually counted down was when I was shooting high school sports teams. If you wait for thirty amped-up high school girls to pose together for a picture, you'll die of old age before everyone settles down. On the other hand, the countdown gives some joker the opportunity to wreck the shot. Then I start naming names ("Oh, darn! Shelly messed up the shot. We'll have to do it again until we all settle down.") I usually offered the team a shot in which everyone on the team can go crazy, then they get it all out and can settle down for the straight shot. The closest I've ome to a countdown in one-on-one portaiture is a subject with sleepy eyes or the blinkies. Then I have them close their eyes and after they've relaxed, I softly tell them to "open." No countdown, though. I find it more effective when they don't know when it's going to happen. Apr 22 20 12:13 pm Link Countdowns kill the spontaneity. I personally don't recommend. Apr 22 20 12:23 pm Link I never learned ta count . . .  If it's really bright out, I do "go's", get the pose situated, have the model pinpoint where she's going to look, hit the "go" button and have her blast her eyes open for a split second, then immediately close them after the shot's been taken . . . even in direct sun, you can usually get a few frames afore her eyes start to water . . . then, it's time for lunch . . . SOS Apr 23 20 07:39 am Link My understanding, as well, was that it was related to syncing the online delay between the model and the remote photographer. But then again, I haven't tried it! When I was a teenager I would use the countdown for group shots, but I deliberately used it to catch them off guard. "On the count of Three, ONE (snap the shot before they tensed up)." The second time around I would keep counting (to nine, or ten, or as high as necessary) until they finally just couldn't hold their "tense smiles" anymore and would break out laughing. Then I'd grab the shot. I also have a vague memory that I'd also resort to a wireless trigger in my back pocket so that I could walk away from the camera and talk to them while they were relaxed. And if the shot looked right, I'd casually touch the back pocket trigger. As they'd got used to it, I'd engage them in a conversation, occasionally triggering the shot when I'd spot a nice relaxed look. This was all a LONG time ago...! Apr 23 20 12:04 pm Link LightDreams wrote: I've done that same exact countdown trick. Apr 23 20 12:43 pm Link Counting seems mechanical. I did count for larger groups, to have everyone awake. But for one model, I never counted. Apr 23 20 01:44 pm Link The only countdown worth having is The Final Countdown by Europe Apr 23 20 06:04 pm Link veypurr wrote: I have to say, I'm a little surprised that it took double digit posts to get to this truth. Apr 23 20 07:14 pm Link Only if the sunlight or glare is causing my model to squint. Then I'll ask my model to turn away, close their eyes and on my count turn back into the pose and open their eyes. Sometimes it takes several repeats to nail the shot. Apr 23 20 07:52 pm Link Dancers or other performing artist want the count so they can try to time things right. Anytime it is working I count, any time it isn't I don't. Apr 24 20 06:35 pm Link If the model is going to do a hair flip. I let them countdown/up. They seem to like doing it. I'm waiting to press the shutter when the hair is right regardless. Timing. My mentor says when doing the hair flips you get about 1 out of a 100 perfect. If he gets the perfect one on the first try, he has the model do 99 more just to keep his average right. :-) Apr 25 20 12:12 am Link Never use it. Experienced models develop a rhythm and change slightly right after the shot, less experienced usually need direction and what you want is usually right after the click so you should always be ready for a quick follow up ( careful with stones to avoid overheating an power variation /ready) Prefer conversation to create connection for better responses. Apr 26 20 09:12 am Link Shadow Dancer wrote: THIS! Apr 26 20 10:00 am Link Portraits? A lot. They are usually in a pose I want and I don't want them to move but I do want them to be aware I'm about to take the shot. When I shot commercially and used models? Depended on the shot. If I wanted a certain pose and for them to hold it, sure. But if I just wanted a variety of poses/expressions, I'd just guide/direct them with words and hands and let them do their thing. Apr 27 20 04:51 pm Link LightDreams wrote: That's a good way to get the group shot before the shot-wreckers are ready to wreck the shot. Apr 28 20 02:39 am Link PHP-Photography wrote: I do the same thing i bright sun. The model really appreciates not having to stare into the sun all that time. May 01 20 04:40 pm Link Bright sun causing squinting or if the model is moving, or if we're in a setting where they cant hear the shutter click and know its okay to move to the next pose I might count or say something. I tend to move/pull the camera away from my face enough and give other direction that theyve got an idea of when Im shooting and when Im not. As a model, if someone tried to count down literally every single shot they took, it would drive me insane. May 10 20 10:30 pm Link I used the countdown method playing fetch with my dog, sadly she recently passed. She knew the go word was three, smart girl that she was she started cheating on going on two knowing that three followed. May 11 20 06:26 am Link |
