Ideas please

[SwissJon]

I finally got the courage up to try some photos with actual real people in them. I've found a model with a large double base that would be happy to work for my wallet, and I'm intending to place her in the foreground of some fairly classic landscape shots..

Only thing is I've no idea about posing a lovely lady and her big instrument. I've no idea about lighting her, and so on. So I'm begging your help.

I want to start somewhere familiar, so I'm going to go down the shoreline somewhere I've been before and wait for the sunset. I'm intending to take a few shots with her sillouetted, and a few close up portraits (She's a really pretty blonde) and a few full body shots of her. My feeling was to put her in a red or black dress on a rocky beach I know, and have her play with her instrument..

But I'd really like the advice of those of you who know more about this tricky thing called posing.

And a few pointers about lighting. I've a couple of speedlights with a wireless radio transmitter, and a small reflector. She'll be backlit by the sunset, and all the photos I've seen tend to light the foreground subject so brightly that they could have just been photoshopped on top of just another sunset photo, or be standing in front of a backdrop in a studio. I think the problem is that the white light from the flash is out of place in a portrait like this. Perhaps I should consider coloured gel's?

Sort of like this (All right, bad photo, but it's a great example of what I'm trying to avoid)


So for my first attempt at portraiture, I've set myself a bit of a challenge.. I'd really like some advice and even some examples of how to do it right, instead of making a hash of it.

Thanks all.

[NgaiHill]

Originally Posted by SwissJon

I've found a model with a large double base

Oh, you mean double Bass - thought you were referring to her other assets there

[Biomech]

I mustard mitt, I was a bit confused about the base too :P

Try some of these:



vanessa may - Google Search

[Bruce A]

Yeah, me too - I hoped no one would mention base jumping!



Jon - why not take your wife to the location & time and do a few practice shots using a few variations of natural and artificial lighting and any other accessories you feel comfortable with?

[SwissJon]

Originally Posted by Bruce A

Yeah, me too - I hoped no one would mention base jumping!



Jon - why not take your wife to the location & time and do a few practice shots using a few variations of natural and artificial lighting and any other accessories you feel comfortable with?

LoL.. I was wondering how many would read in a double entendre there.

My wife is camera shy, the only time I can get her in front of the camera is when she's too busy to notice me pointing it in her direction. Additionally, I work 100km from my home, and this is going to be in, or just outside of, the town where I work.. About the only day I'll be able to get her to come along is the day of the shoot, if she happens to be at university at that time.

This is the model, I hope she doesn't mind me "borrowing" one of her portfolio images, I'll take is down once this thread has run its course. This is not far off the kind of image I had in mind.. Just a bit more off centre and perhaps with her a bit closer. The point here is to take a dramatic landscape image and put someone beautiful in the foreground.. Someone posing for a photo would be completely silly, but I like taking photos of musical instruments, so having her there, sort of out of place, but at the same time a classic beauty.. It seriously adds some drama.

I like this photo very much, but if I was going to criticise it at all, I'd say that the photographer has her too centred, has used a vignette too strongly and the pose is awkward.. But it's certainly the style of photography I'd very much like to get into.

[Bruce A]

Yeah, very nice. Wow, if only you could get a glass floating platform to make it appear your model is standing on the water playing the bass- sort of one upmanship to you know who

[SwissJon]

Originally Posted by Bruce A

Yeah, very nice. Wow, if only you could get a glass floating platform to make it appear your model is standing on the water playing the bass- sort of one upmanship to you know who

Hmm... I have an idea!!! How does "Floating in mid air" sound??

Meet "The Deck"

[Doug Sundseth]

Just in case you haven't seen it, take a look at this Strobist article on photographing a cellist in similar lighting conditions.

As for light color, I wouldn't gel with a full CTO. IME, when you do that and get the skin tones right you kill the colors of the sunset. I'd start with a quarter-cut or half-cut CTO instead.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

Just in case you haven't seen it, take a look at this Strobist article on photographing a cellist in similar lighting conditions.

As for light color, I wouldn't gel with a full CTO. IME, when you do that and get the skin tones right you kill the colors of the sunset. I'd start with a quarter-cut or half-cut CTO instead.

First, what Dougie said. I think the strobist link would be exactly what you need.

I think you need to get either a lightbox or large shoot through umbrella because to avoid the look you're trying to avoid you need to make the light softer, and softer only comes from larger light source.

I would also follow the suggestion of getting your better half to pose and practice around the same conditions you would do the shoot in. That way you're not fiddling with the lights/settings losing all that precious light.

And remember this when shooting flash (in manual of course!):
Shutter speed controls the ambient light
Aperture controls the flash.

Need more flash, wider aperture, less, smaller.
Need a brighter background/ambient light, longer shutter speed, less light, faster.

Good luck, and post some results (or even test shots with the wifey)!

[Hill Country Hack]

I like the idea.

You stated you like shooting instruments, so I take it the double base (sic) will be the subject and the model the prop?

The model is tall and thin. Can you try having her mimic the shape of the bass wearing either contrasting or similar gown. Or have the bass "play" her? Just a couple of thoughts.

Good luck and let's see the results!