My portrait work with m43. Part 2

[jo45800]

Great work, as always!

 

[T N Args]

Really appreciated this set, thank you. Also enjoyed the range of technique and visual design behind them. Classy.

 

[jrsilva]

Welcome back Vin!
Really top images here.
As you know, I keep following your work on Flickr.
Seeing your work is always a joy to the eye and you were one of my source of inspiration in my photo adventures with micro 4/3.

 

[spatulaboy]

the stare and blue scarf. but hey, it's not my way to be picky, hope u dont get offended. it's all very small snd subtle changes that does it and probably it's all just in my head.

I figured The Stare might be one of them. I have been experimenting with putting portraits at the edges of the frame. Don't worry about giving me your opinion I am not offended at all!

 

[spatulaboy]

Welcome back Vin!
Really top images here.
As you know, I keep following your work on Flickr.
Seeing your work is always a joy to the eye and you were one of my source of inspiration in my photo adventures with micro 4/3.

Thanks Jaime! You are doing great and I'm always honored when asked for advice.

 

[Holoholo55]

Outstanding photos, Vincent. Just gorgeous. I can tell that you really connect with your subjects.

 

[xdayv]

Excellent portrait work Vin, thanks for sharing!

 

[spatulaboy]

Outstanding photos, Vincent. Just gorgeous. I can tell that you really connect with your subjects.

Thanks, yes it makes a HUGE difference if you are comfortable working with your subjects. When working with new talent it might take a while to warm up, so people skills are something not everyone thinks about when discussing this type of photography.

 

[Holoholo55]

Thanks, yes it makes a HUGE difference if you are comfortable working with your subjects. When working with new talent it might take a while to warm up, so people skills are something not everyone thinks about when discussing this type of photography.

Yes, beyond gear and technique, one can see if the subject responds from their eyes and expression. Without that, the portrait won't be good. Great work!

 

[swede]

Absolutely stunning images!

 

[Holoholo55]

Hi Vin,
Sorry for asking a technical question. I see from your Flickr stream that you don't use flash much for your protraits. Do you use reflectors, or just depend on natural light alone? Wonderful results, just the same.

 

[sdb123]

Hi Vin,
Sorry for asking a technical question. I see from your Flickr stream that you don't use flash much for your protraits. Do you use reflectors, or just depend on natural light alone? Wonderful results, just the same.

Good question and one I've been meaning to ask!

 

[grcolts]

Hi there fellow photographers and artists. My name is Vin and I enjoy using my micro four thirds camera both professionally as well as casually. I posted a thread last year featuring some of my portraiture. You can see it here: https://www.mu-43.com/threads/58189/ There was a little bit of drama last time, but generally everyone on this forum was quite friendly and well behaved (that's why mu-43.com rocks).

I have not been as prolific in my photography in the past months but I am getting back into it. This is really to showcase some of my work since the last post. Just to clarify, I am not in anyway trying to 'prove' that one format is better than some other format. I just want to show what these cameras we use are capable of. I enjoy intelligent discussion and meaningful critique, so do not be shy. But please let's keep it civil.

If you would like to see more of my work, please visit my website: http://www.vtfoto.com/
Or add me to flickr! I love keeping up with everyone's photography: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/

Let's start with this image, one of my favorites.

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329/365 The sad reality by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

I enjoy using various framing elements in my portraiture, and love to play with reflections when I have a chance.

Here is another one using reflections to add an extra layer of drama and storytelling to the portrait.

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A world away by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

Speaking of framing elements, I do this a lot!

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Seeing you by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Natural Beauty by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Urban portrait by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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And then I saw her face by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Behind bars 3 by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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306/365 Spring Beauty by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

If you haven't noticed, I love shooting on location. Backgrounds however, can often end up distracting, but used properly can really enhance a portrait.

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Walk through the shadows by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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The place lights up... by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Man on the move 4 by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Urban Style by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

Hmm... a thread about portraiture and I haven't even mentioned bokeh. I'll admit I'm a sucker for it if done right. Someone said negative space is not a part of a composition but honestly I think it can have a character of it's own and really add to the feel of an image.

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The stare by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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337/365 The color of spring by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Blue scarf by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

I tend to do a lot of head shots these days, and I've been experimenting with closer and closer crops.

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Close by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

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Lena in hat by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

Of course, I won't shy from a full body shot if the situation requires it. ;-)

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261/365 No wolf in sight. by Vincent Tsai, on Flickr

Thank you all for sticking around through this. I know gear discussions are usually the most popular but I've purposely avoided mentioning the gear I use in each shot. I think this lets everyone focus on the image and not be obsessed with what gear did what. Anyways you could always click through and see all the info on flickr. I will say these are all taken with my Panasonic G2 and G5s with various native and adapted lenses. Please feel free to comment below. I love getting feedback, I think often we are so immersed in our own work, and could use a bit of perspective. Happy shooting guys!

Yes, terrific and inspiring work!
GR

 

[spatulaboy]

Hi Vin,
Sorry for asking a technical question. I see from your Flickr stream that you don't use flash much for your protraits. Do you use reflectors, or just depend on natural light alone? Wonderful results, just the same.

I do use reflectors a lot more often than flash. And when I do use flash, I try to make it look like I didn't.

 

[tomO2013]

Vin what flash setup are you using?
I'm tempted to start playing with Godox AD360 barebulb setup - it's very economical and looks good for on location stuff.

On an aside , great to see you sharing your work with us again. I'm hoping for lots more on this thread soon

 

[50orsohours]

As always, excellent work! Nice to see your pictures.

 

[felipegeek]

Vincent,

I like your work and follow you on Flickr as many others here do. "The Sad Reality" is very different from your others and a real standout in a great set.

 

[Pecos]

I really like the first one, Urban Portrait, and Blue Scarf. How far away were you on Urban Portrait, and which lens did you use? Really nice set, very natural-looking environmental settings.

 

[sdb123]

I really like the first one, Urban Portrait, and Blue Scarf. How far away were you on Urban Portrait, and which lens did you use? Really nice set, very natural-looking environmental settings.

I can't help with the distance question however if you click on each image, the flickr page tells you the lens that was used. Urban Portrait was the Panasonic Leica 25mm and Blue Scarf was the Olympus 75mm.

 

[spatulaboy]

Vin what flash setup are you using?
I'm tempted to start playing with Godox AD360 barebulb setup - it's very economical and looks good for on location stuff.

On an aside , great to see you sharing your work with us again. I'm hoping for lots more on this thread soon

Thanks Tom. I use a Metz 50 AF-1, but mainly indoors. It does the job well enough, although the G5s I shoot are not the best for flash photography. The Godox looks quite good and compact! The "Urban Portrait" image was done with the Metz as fill. Which brings us to the next question...

I really like the first one, Urban Portrait, and Blue Scarf. How far away were you on Urban Portrait, and which lens did you use? Really nice set, very natural-looking environmental settings.

I can't help with the distance question however if you click on each image, the flickr page tells you the lens that was used. Urban Portrait was the Panasonic Leica 25mm and Blue Scarf was the Olympus 75mm.

Yes Steve is correct. I used the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 for the "Urban Portrait" image. I don't remember the distance but I was not standing too far, and shot downwards as the model was standing in a stairwell.
The "Blue Scarf" was done with the Olympus 75mm f1.8.