Ok so I skipped #3......There were a few shots that I was happy with but nothing too thrilling. Here's Kelly: C&C welcomed as always......... 1) {} 2) {} 3) {} 4) {} 5) {} 6) {}
#4 works. The others are once again close. The backgrounds are slightly distracting... Your lucky to have such willing beautiful woman to work with. I must say, .... it may be better to shoot much less and try to get each frame to work. I think from seeing these series, you get excited and start to click away...then what happens, you edit after the shoot... I think if you edit each image before exposure, you'll get some startling images. The gals are certainly willing, trusting and relaxed with you.... So just slow down, compose slower, look at the entire frame from top left across to lower right.....then make the exposure....you'll get great stuff..... The eye contact is an issue also......, it's like some one else is making photos and your just there....the connection with the eye would lock the viewer in... Don
As a former Art Director who worked in high-volume Advertising, I'll add: * Watch your light & shadows. There are weird patches of light & shadow in all but one shot. Use fill light to fix that. * Find less-busy backgrounds or use your aperture controls to throw them OOF. * Like Streetshooter said the looking away shots are odd. However, when I was doing fashion work looking away was OK IF: the model was looking down, or eyes closed (with expression!) This is tough though, and like all rules is meant to be broken ... if the rest of the image works. * (this is a weird one but...) Watch fingers and toes. Models can usually fake being happy/relaxed with their face, but still express anxiety with hands and feet/fingers and toes. It shows in a few of these shots! Again, take your time and LOOK at the ENTIRE frame when shooting these and note stuff like this. If your model is "making claws" have them remember their pose, but shake themselves clear of anxiety and resume. Retouchers will thank you if/when it comes time to go to print! That said, this set shows improvement and has a great, expressive & lively model. Keep at it!
Don't think this a complement for newnan3 nor structural feedback to improve photographic results... Eitherway, I agree with other people's remark on light and eyes. - Most good pictures the model looks to camera (independent on angle of head), talk to her, ask her to watch towards the camera. During photo-sessions with our kids the people were continously playing with toys to have them look to camera. - Light on the inside photos is not nice, the model has to "stand-out" more. If you don't have light equipment then outside daylight is better. To my opinion your pictures proof that, but in the middle of the forest things become complicated... About the model, with more cloths Kelly looks more relaxed and you get better pictures.
Joep, Personally I feel this is a very important statement. If a viewer is not mesmerized by the model, the model can't sell what she/he's wearing. The model generally must be a showcase for the product she is selling, so.... This model could be a very good swimsuit model.... shooter
All good points made here, personally I feel there is a lack of good lighting and posing, and the backgrounds in most are just distracting. But there does seem to be a bit of interaction and connection. We all get better with practice, my advice if you starting off with models is to find a like minded one and come up with some creative projects and work together on them, if you can get over initial nerves by working with a regular model, then the lighting, techniques will just fall into place. I have been shooting models and fashion for some time, but always have a 'long term project' with a single model, this way I can do regular testing to achieve different looks. When shooting Models, many people forget that the primary purpose of a model is to sell a product and nothing else.
Didnt want to appear harsh, so I think maybe I did - sorry. Number 6 shows good potential in the model being able to pose, she has nearly the perfect S shape that a photographer should look for in a full lenght, but the tree, the claws (?) on the top right and the blown out left side is just a bit too distracting, but out of the set that is probably the best modelly pic. Had you shot this at f2.8 -f4 with some distance, I think you would have had a real winner with that shot. Keep it up, get a theme and shoot that theme, you then have less 'pretty girl standing around' and more editorial fashion image, or at the very least pretty senior pic. To give you an idea, I am working with a model who I have now shot maybe 20 times this year on various paid jobs, but we are now working on about 15-20 personal themes ranging from Alice in wonderland, Sinister Red Riding hood, Film Noir, Trash the dress all sorts of things, just trawl through fashion magazines for images that jump out at you and ask her if she wants to try them (pre plan, dont just throw a mag at her on the day). I have started up my own thread so you can get an idea of working to various themes. https://www.mu-43.com/f57/few-model-shots-my-long-term-project-4065/
I really like 2 and 4. I like number 6 as well, because this picture, out of all the other pictures, she seems the most engaged, but the background is distracting to me.
4 + 6 are my favorites, but I like Jessica shoot better: https://www.mu-43.com/f57/second-model-shoot-jessica-3894/ - There 3 is my favorite:
Hopefully I'll sound constructive because I don't intend to offend in any way. For me it's an issue with the lighting more than anything else. The indoor shots are muted and she looks like she blends with the wall (guess it could also be a matter of poorly chosen attire that matches the wall), and the outdoor shots are distracting because of the harsh sunlight. The model just doesn't pop out of the photos for me. I don't know why, but to me these look like snapshots rather than composed photographs, and I really think it's about the lighting and the clash of the attire with the background. Otherwise the model is great, and the poses work well. Hope this helps.
As I stated in many threads, it's about intent. I don't see this series as more than practice. So, bearing that in mind, the OP is moving closer to his goal. There are many good suggestions made and I feel that some very good images are forthcoming.
I agree Don, I have posted on his others, and I was suprised to see his strongest work on Flikr (I am guessing that's Model 3 who I felt was more confident). The fact that Newnan has asked advice and posted 3 sets up means he is very very willing to learn, like I said, I rarely have the nerve to post my images, and definitely not when I started! Thing with any modelling work, is the rules really can be thrown out of the window to an extent - harsh shadows are good, shoot into the sun, over expose, whatever. It more boils down to a look your trying to achieve more than anything else, thats why I said you must plan for shoots, not just shoot - be in control even if you have no idea. 2 shoots I have done recently I turned up not having a clue how I would light them...but I knew exactly what the theme was and how to work with the model, acted confidently had a fiddle with the lights (know where to start and adjust from there) and within a couple of mins was shooting as if I knew what I was doing ...and relaxed
Craig, It's very obvious from your thread that you practice what you preach. These threads are exciting to me. I did fashion way back. It is far easier to be a streetshooter. I admire you both for your efforts and willingness to share with the community. It is not so easy to do. Thanks......
I appreciate the input from everyone...... I definitely tend to try to rush to set up the shots sometimes......I guess I feel like Im wasting time so try to go fast. I didnt get as much separation in the indoor shots as I would have liked. I had planned on trying to light her hair but it slipped my mind. Next time Ill have to move some furniture to get the model away from the wall. It was definitely difficult to shoot outside. I wish the tree covering was thicker .... CStevens Im curious as to which shots you think are better on my flickr thread........I suppose I should just post a "3rd Model Shoot" thread. Heres my flickr link if anyone is interested.....Flickr: NAmpaipast's Photostream
i believe i was one of the first to offer honest and useful advice to this shooter in his first and second model shoot threads , my observations and advice were echoed by other s in those threads as they expanded . of course she is beautiful ... my comment was also meant to be lightly humerous .... for a poster whose every comment is accompanied by a smiley convulsing on the floor , im sorry it did not strike you as funny or pleasingly irreverent cheers from nyc
Please forgive me but I feel the need to say something that was said to me some 30+ years ago by a friend and professional photographer I admired when I was first starting out. Putting it in softer words than he did, when I showed him some photos I had taken with a similar theme as yours, he told me "She has a great body and looks good in a bathing suit, so what, big deal the images are more about how her hot body is rather than about your photographic abilities and vision" In other words skip the bikinis, short shorts and push yourself to concentrate on the models face, both with light and expression, challenge yourself to spend the time finding the "right" shooting environment concentrating on the background, light. Work one light source (whether natural or artificial) for that whole session, until you really see what you are creating. When you then go full length, look for space that work with the subject, that lend themselves to what you are trying to communicate. I apologize if I seem a little harsh, but it was a lesson I never forgot, Trust me it will force you too slow down, seeing the subtle things that make a photo great and find you photographic vision along the way.
