Happy Thanksgiving and Holidays, 2!
A great time to make the portraits of the family you always wanted to make but were just too busy.
...even in the face of too much Turkey, Punkin Pie- the faces you snap might be enjoying these times.
Happy Thanksgiving!
This is it- the time of year to look back and ahead- at my thumb, who's dumb?- get a shot at summing it all up, and what better way than to fire at friends and family?
Show 'em you're a value to the family, a cool uncle, a wondrously creative brother-in-law.
Take that feeling and shoot a fun for yourself creative photograph, produced as you dream.
If you don't dream, then as you wonder.
If you don't wonder, then as you question.
Big concepts, "the meaning of life" or small, "I woke up this morning and my shoulder ached, wonder why?" all can contribute to a seed which might germinate into some concept to chase and build. If it doesn't, get a bigger group to throw in and collaborate with- somebody will tell you they once woke up with an aching shoulder "because". Because, of course, I shoulda thought of it, they cradled the dead Jesus in their arms while Michelangelo chiseled a marble obelisk into a glorious Pieta for the Pope's grand basilica of St Peter.
I wonder: how many plagued rats have run in its shadows?
How many one eyed one armed 9 year old Russian girls?
How many of these Rusky girls have been to Orlando to see Miguelito Raton?
You see? Let it happen and if necessary, allow collaboration. You don't have a corner on ideas and the best ones come from many places, many sources.
Your mind is your partner- listen. If it's quiet, you're dead, so stop using our air. It's not, ever in this world so use it. LISTEN LOOK SNAP SNAP
Back to business--- High school portraits, anyone?
The dreaded high school portrait session. Or is it?
Put some fun into it. Put one or 3 extra lights in that do fun things.
THIS IS SERIOUS- stop making that dumbass look, will ya?
See, it's harder than you think. No, my camera is not set on auto. Yes, it is aimed at your belt- did you leave me any turkey?? And so on.
These questions and all that jazz that goes into that moment are what make portraits of your family fun, interesting and possibly even more introspective than you've been all year with the people who are close to you.
Whoa or wow?
Here's how to light them up so you too can get award winning portraits.
Don't forget to ask if they will play an icon, a saint, a mother of one.
1) Pick an f stop that starts to go blurry at the plane of the ear but which stays sharp between the nose and the eyes.
2) Set you f stop and your complete all together lighting to that metered f stop.
3) I like to use a 1x6 foot strip box for my only frontal light, look for a rembrandt look and then use a gold reflector down lower and off to the darker side of the face to open it up a bit.
4) I have to have a rim light- or two- but they don't have to hit the top of the head at all. Try barn dooring or snooting them to skim across the nape of the neck, the dark side ear, shoot, ok, the hair. Use one on either side stationed well behind the subject position. You might have to flag these lights to keep light from firing back into your lens.
5) I put a single snooted head behind the subject aimed back at the white seamless background. I like the snooted look with no grids as it gives you a real nice round background frame to put the heads inside. Real angelic you know? Often, it is very cool to have the background light off axis so it works in cahoots with the front/key/face light- if the dark side of the face is camera right, make the background light brighter on that side and darker on the lighter side of the face. Using this dark/light idea, you get a real pop for the face to jump right out of the picture at the viewer. Cool! It's there in this instance but very subtly.
6) Set the lights based on your f stop. OK, the anchoring point is the f stop you choose based on lens that will focus tight at eyes but go soft at ears, usually a long or telephoto lens 15 feet or so back OR a wider lens a lot closer to the subject. When you have the room, start back with a longer lens. Midway, switch lenses and get in close. It'll help your subject if you stay back until they get comfortable with you.
Now DROP the front light 1 stop below the chosen f stop and raise the rim lights 1.5 or even 2 stops. You'll get enough wrap to bring back the face to the right exposure. And you'll generate a lot of dynamicism with light that moves, rather tha light that is real flat and dialed in the same strength. Make those light shapes (how hard, how soft, how wide, how tight, how focused, how de-focused, how strong) work to create movement and style in you portraits, even if the subjects are not the best sitters/models (certainly NOT the case with in-laws at holiday time!).
Lighting IS it. Period, If you don't work your lighting, you're not drawing with light.
PHOTO + GRAPHIS ====greek===== LIGHT + DRAWING
somebody is flying around in your mind's sky
somebody walked a mile in your blues
as Senor Carton (name changed to protect identity), PhD and USGS Geologist, used to say he wanted to be an altar boy because he thought they all got to be Mexican Cowboys- I'm a cowboy, I'm a cowboy, I'm a Mexican Cowboy. Guilt-ridden youngster and his church, his faith led him to believe if he lit the candles he'd be riding a wild eyed and bucking calamitous cayouse right after the service.... whoopy ti yi yay, get along little dawggie
There is usually a solid good reason behind the loopiest choices, faith based especially.
Hand that boy another Lollipop, oh and get his mother another sweet tea.
Great season to be wondering....
