C R Photography wrote:
Smoke cigarettes.
Buy a BMW.
Use $10.00 words.
Shave your head.
Grow a goat.
Wear black.
Talk softly.
Buy a gun.
Turn Vegan.
Speak with an accent.
Date models.
Buy a small dog.
Drink tons of coffee.
Sleep in late.
Listen to acid jazz.
Wear cheap cologne.
Read Kerouac and Ginsberg.

Then go out, get a nice camera and that's it!

Are you sure your not a model? *raising brow*

Bill Gunter wrote:
When you are shooting full length shots of a model standing, get that camera down to about her waist level.

I see photos all the time where the photographer shot from eye level and had to tilt the camera down which makes the model's legs look shorter than they actually are. The effect is more pronounced when you are closer to the model.

This is usuallly not the effect that the model wants.

Thanks for this. I hadn't really thought about that.

BasementStudios wrote:

Craig Thomson wrote:
I'm not shooting in a motel. The two adjacent walls in my studio are dark, not white painted. I use reflectors to add bounced light under the chin or behind arms and such to fill in darker areas. 

But to answer your post about moving the model away from the wall, I've been told to move the light closer to the model for softer shadows. But I'm new and could be wrong.

Nope you're right.....getting the light closer will give you softer shadows, but your model should be at least 6 feet away from the background.

The only problem with a close light source is that the fall off can be real bad, blowing your highlights and loosing detail in the shadows that are furthest from the source (as soft as they may be).  To get around this I feather a semi-close light source, but you could use a larger source further from the subject.

JMX Photography wrote:

The only problem with a close light source is that the fall off can be real bad, blowing your highlights and loosing detail in the shadows that are furthest from the source (as soft as they may be).  To get around this I feather a semi-close light source, but you could use a larger source further from the subject.

Yep...that works too....there are adjustments and allowances for every technique. 

You can pick up any 5 books on lighting and all 5 will give you different techniques to achieve the same results.

Bill Gunter wrote:
When you are shooting full length shots of a model standing, get that camera down to about her waist level.

I see photos all the time where the photographer shot from eye level and had to tilt the camera down which makes the model's legs look shorter than they actually are. The effect is more pronounced when you are closer to the model.

This is usuallly not the effect that the model wants.

Good old lens distortion, a lens is not going to see the way our eye sees. Bill gave good advise here, I see that mistake in a lot of photos. You usually want to shoot the model by splitting her along the lens axis - in other words, full length, camera pointing toward her midsection as Bill said.

You can use that to your advantage by doing the reverse. Shoot a full length body shot from a lower angle and slightly (I do mean slightly) tilt the camera upward, this will add a little length to the model's legs. if you pay attention, you can see this in the viewfinder.
Jeff

D. Brian Nelson wrote:
1.  Expose each frame like it is the only one you have.

2.  Do not blame the equipment, film, model, weather, government, God, Devil, or your mother for a bad photograph.  It is your fault.  Figure out what went wrong, then do it right next time.

3.  Vertical images have more use than horizontals.  Start with the camera vertical.

4.  All those rules about thirds and the Golden Mean can be approximated by not centering anything.

5.  Keep the viewer's eye inside the frame by not providing an easy path of escape.  If you can't do this in camera, do it post-prod.

6.  The soul is in the eyes.  Critical focus on the pupils is important.

7.  Do not depend on PhotoShop (or darkroom) to fix a bad image.  You might fool someone else, but you can't fool yourself.  Make the image good in-camera and make it better in PS (or DR).

8.  Do not purchase something that you do not specifically need.  And only then if you can't rent it.  The only thing you can buy to make better photographs is an education.

9.  Money talks - bullshit walks.  The best compliment to your work is when someone will give you money for it.

10.  Do your next shoot exposing only a dozen frames.  That takes luck out of the equation.


-Don


(Seems to me that ten is more than enough, and probably more than can be remembered when shooting anyway.)

#10 for sure.

Minski wrote:
Are you sure your not a model? *raising brow*

Is there a perpendicular demitting difference?
*spoken in broken French*

BasementStudios wrote:

Great post!  Number 7.....a big think now is to take the shot and fix it later, I've heard too many photographers say that exact thing.

Yep,...I have to agree.. I have something like that above, but I like the way he worded it a lot better.. because PS does have it's place for sure.. 

  JP

area291 wrote:
The one rule most often broken shooting models that can not be justified:

--Do not shoot a model without using a make-up artist.

Never had a need for a make up artist. That's probably cause I shoot models, not their make-ups.

Glen Berry wrote:
I largely agree with the Photoshop advice, in that one shouldn't take sloppy pictures and rely on Photoshop to fix all the details, but Photoshop does have its well-deserved place. Some of the images I create would be very impractical, if not impossible, to realize without Photoshop. Take a look at my portfolio, if you don't know what I mean. Several of those shots rely on creative manipulation which is best done in Photoshop.

take care,
Glen

The old "garbage in - garbage out" (GIGO) saw applies.  No matter how you use PS, starting with good stuff going in will make the stuff coming out that much better.  I think this is what you said, but you sound as if someone has dissed the use of PS as a tool.  I don't think anyone has.

-Don

StMarc wrote:
Composition is an incredibly powerful tool and one which takes years if not a lifetime to master.

I cannot agree more with the above statement. I've seen photographers with great technical ability who really fail to produce strong images because the composition is bad. I firmly feel that learning key art/design principles (composition, line, form, value, negative space and color harmony/contrast) is vital to producing extraordinary images. That's my $.02 input.

StMarc wrote:
Don't cut things off, including but not limited to model body parts and hair. If you just can't avoid having a tiny bit of a piece of furniture or a window or a pole or something enter the frame, clone it out later, don't leave it hanging in space.

I agree that poorly cropped images don't cut it. I think the key is getting what you want into the shot effectively, and making sure what you don't want in the shot remains out of it (via pre-production set up if possible, otherwise, in post-production editing). There's nothing wrong with cutting things off, so long as that is what is intended, and it's done effectively. IMO, nothing looks more odd than half of a building in the background of an otherwise well-composed image.

Great points!

MarkMarek wrote:
Never had a need for a make up artist. That's probably cause I shoot models, not their make-ups.

Interesting.  How does one successfully shoot fashion without make-up artistry?  One can try, but it ain't gonna happen...at least with any credibility.   In that world that becomes the difference between photographing models and picture taking.

BasementStudios wrote:
Great post!  Number 7.....a big think now is to take the shot and fix it later, I've heard too many photographers say that exact thing.

That's one of my pet peeves..."you can just fix that in PS." What I can (or cannot) do in PS, does not change my desire to have the image correct before post production. Why create extra work for yourself (or cost)?

area291 wrote:

Interesting.  How does one successfully shoot fashion without make-up artistry?  One can try, but it ain't gonna happen...at least with any credibility.   In that world that becomes the difference between photographing models and picture taking.

I avoid makeup artists as well.  I've never met a model who can't do their own makeup adequately...It's their face after all...

...But then I don't shoot fashion [I hate clothes actually], so there you go.

Melvin Moten Jr wrote:
I avoid makeup artists as well.  I've never met a model who can't do their own makeup adequately...It's their face after all...

...But then I don't shoot fashion [I hate clothes actually], so there you go.

I don't normally do fashion either. Unless I'm shooting stuff for MUA (to show off his/her work) I see no need for one, other then distruct viewers attention from my crappy photography skills and let them at least say "Wow, cool make up" when they look at otherwise crappy photograph. As a photographer I see no need to demonstrate MUAs skills in my portfolio. I prefer to demonstrate my own (though I'm still learning this craft).

I would understand the use of MUA if you shoot for a magazine or the such. The whole team of people would be involved in making a photograph - great model, great photographer, great MUA, great hair stylist, great lighting tech, etc. Otherwise... I see no use for a MUA whatsoever. MUA can hire me though, if he/she wants pictures of his/her craft.

Mark

MarkMarek wrote:

I don't normally do fashion either.

You might be throwing people off with your profile starting:

Mark Marek:

Edmonton based fashion and fine art photographer.

Brian Diaz wrote:
You might be throwing people off with your profile starting:

Brian,

it's always easy to withdraw a few sentences out of the whole to make someone look funny. I could also pick a part of your statement from here and then a part of another from there and when the two are put together they would make you look funny (except that I have life, so why would I want to do that). This is how they do those funny videos of George Bush - they cut a few words from his speach and add other words from his other speach to make him look like an ass. I'd be happy to discuss what other fellow photographers have to say about this topic, but if you'd rather play word games you will have find another 8 years old kid to join you.

Mark

PS - not that I care...

Farenell Photography wrote:
Know the rule of the 7 P's.

What is the rule of the 7 Ps?

Brian Diaz wrote:
What is the rule of the 7 Ps?

Point
Push
Pray
Peek
Point again
Push again
Pray again

Sincerely Yours,
Tavuk

C R Photography wrote:
Smoke cigarettes.
Buy a BMW.
Use $10.00 words.
Shave your head.
Grow a goat.
Wear black.
Talk softly.
Buy a gun.
Turn Vegan.
Speak with an accent.
Date models.
Buy a small dog.
Drink tons of coffee.
Sleep in late.
Listen to acid jazz.
Wear cheap cologne.
Read Kerouac and Ginsberg.

Then go out, get a nice camera and that's it!

ROTFLMAO!
I know someone just like that in Miami, but he doesn't own a gun and his cologne isn't cheap.

My tip is:
99% of the shoot is already done -before- the shutter is released.
Line up all your shots before the model is out of makeup. The shoot should be planned and executed no differently than storyboarding a $100 million Hollywood movie.

Brian Diaz wrote:
You might be throwing people off with your profile starting:

MarkMarek wrote:
, but if you'd rather play word games you will have find another 8 years old kid to join you.

somebody call me.   I want to play leggos.   I am tired of playing dress up the mannequins.

I have nothing to add at the moment otherwise.