I would like to start this post by saying thank you to Caroline for allowing me in to her home to photograph her and literally the day after she had returned from Holiday as well. Also thank you to the gent that is Mark Sands-Foy for putting me in touch with Caroline.
With #makeportraits I am spending time getting to know the person in front of the lens and making a portrait that is them and some cool shots as well. Less posed and more story / body language.
personal work
I Need #02 #GOYA - Stuart...
in #GOYA, Personal Work
About 2 weeks ago I put a post up on social media stating that I am looking for subjects to photograph. I go in to detail about the I Need blog post but to summarise I need to Get Off My Ass and make portraits. #GOYA
This is Stuart. He answered my call for portrait subjects via twitter, thank you Stuart.
Turns out we had met before back in 2012 at Manchester Comic Con and I had also photographed him then as the Punisher, that image landed him a part in a small film which was nice to know. Small world.
I have wanted to work on some portraits with a table for a while, the table in this shot is a horrible but practical white picnic table so it got covered with some black material to eat some light. I love the light in this shot, it's no Dan Winters but I like it.
The idea came from looking at his work, he does it better. Anyway....
These shoots are to get me moving again, thinking again, off my ass and shooting. I don't have an end goal to produce a set of images to build a set or new portfolio. I just need to shoot.
Hopefully something will come out of this process. The first 3 shoots have taken place at my studio which is fine but the next ones will be on location either at homes, a location somewhere, anywhere but my studio. I want to shoot some environmental portraits as well as push myself and most likely my subject. Watch this space.
If you would like to help me out and let me in to your home or drag you on location somewhere you can apply via this blog post >>>> I Need
Thank You for reading.
Rick
Personal Work / Message: Just 1 Beauty Moment...
in Personal Work, Message
The Moment is King or Queen...Always .. Oh and REAL
The above image is from today's studio session. I have wanted to shoot beauty for a while and went for it today... more to come on that.
If your wondering why the hands in the frame and why the smile?... my model for the day (Blessing) had come back on set with some Haribo.. you know Kids and Grownups.. love them so, she was trying to be stealthy about eating them (huge fail) and as a result of my questioning (jokingly) the Haribo this moment was created and I love it.
Let me open this up a moment, imagine if you will this was a client shoot for a magazine or makeup line, I shoot this and it pops up on the tether.... pretty good chance the client will reject it (if the brief does not request this)... its out of focus (not the hand) and has some motion blurr thanks to the flash powder slow lights, that's fine they can reject it no problem after all they are paying and its not to brief BUT I would flag/5 star that sucker in a heart beat for myself.... why?
The Moment is Always King/Queen. Not saying a brief/directiin is not important.. it dam well is but if you get these moments before, during or after the brief is fulfilled then press the dam shutter because they only happen once.. Make sure you fill the brief though :)
It's all too easy to get caught up in the brief, the shot list or the lighting, camera, lens... all that technical stuff or worse chimping every shot. Keep you eye to the viewfinder and watch for moments on every shoot, sometimes you can make a moment happen by working to get a reaction to something... you ask them to scream/sing/jump, you act stupid, make conversation... sometimes they just happen. You should be dialed in and be watching for them & not thinking about that preview on the LCD all the time. Why?
The Moment is King or Queen.. yeah said that already so i'll put it another way The Moment is REAL.
Now I am guilty on the chimping or over thinking stuff and missing some moments.. but I try not to and now always look out for them. Does it matter if the image is soft or a bit too dark/bright, not perfect (nothing is)... nope because that's a REAL moment a REAL reaction.
Below are a few frames from past shoots that show real moments/reactions. If i was constantly chimping or had my head up in a softbox or in technical land I would of missed them. Click the Images for larger versions in a Lightbox.
You have your head buried in camera settings, lights, that dam LCD then you miss these moments... REAL moments. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Also go photograph your family members & friends, young old and in-between... look for the moments (Go Do It) and if you get the chance to shoot a 100th birthday.. do it!
The image below is my Gran.. I would of been pissed if I missed that moment (I always wonder what she was thinking), it's ISO 3200 available light, 50mm, F.. it does not effin matter! The Moment is King/Queen...it's REAL.
Going to end this post here.. this image always chokes me up, she's still with us but having a rough time of late... i'm going to see her tomorrow (taking the X100) but its not about the moments tomorrow is about spending quality time.
Rick