Post an example of - A Good Reference Photo

[Patt Legg]

Mike

Thank you for all that information. I often wonder how others work, from which direction they acquire their resources, etc. I was recently having lunch with a friend and a lovely black woman came in the room. I debated whether or not to approach her and finally mustered the nerve. She was alone at her table,I gave her my card and began to tell her that I would love to photogragh her sometime for a painting. She seemed very flattered and said so. I have not yet contacted her due to the fact that I felt I needed to offer her something. The 8x10 idea is good. Hope I may take your advice there and I certainly will take advantage of your other advice.

Thanks so very, very much--you are so generous.

Patt

[Patt Legg]

I have a grand idea Mike--loan me your cast away model photos for my portfolio.Is that something like "selling addresses"?

[Michele Rushworth]

Patt, you'll find that you need to learn to take good reference photos for yourself. That is half the battle to making good portrait paintings, unless you think you will always be able to work from life (don't we all wish...)

There are a few very good books on how to take simple but high qualilty portrait photos with no need to understand camera exposures, apertures or artificial lighting. Check out the book section on this site.

[Marvin Mattelson]

I have never read a book on portrait photography that demonstrated the author had the ghost of a clue about how to light to create form or how to replicate the way the eye sees.

In order to take worthwhile photos one must understand how the variables in the photography process interrelate and how to choose wisely for your purpose. Once you have this understanding then you can set up a no brainer approach and get consistent results every single time.

Photo books show you how to take flat, soft pictures with burned out highlights and clogged up shadows.

Using a single light source (natural or artificial) and a reflector board may be generally trumpeted on the forum and can produce photos that look very good, but I find this approach to be ineffective for creating good photo reference to paint from.

Pat, in my workshop you were treated to a properly lit model, one that gave you plenty of modeling in the lights, clear highlights and shadows of a narrow value range where you could see a lot of information. You need two lights to recreate this photographically. A main light and a fill light.

Earlier this year I did an 8 hour photo workshop in Atlanta for portrait artists. It takes a long time to explain it all properly.

[Patt Legg]

Thanks Marvin and Michele

I realize what you are saying about our model lighting in the workshop,Marvin. I thought it was fantastic and if I remember correctly Renee said that she would post or e-mail those who wanted to know all of the information about the lights used and stands. I would love to look into that.

[Mike McCarty]

Only once in a great while does there come a boy that is so hunkish and totally Baldwin like. With such poise and so quick an eye. With ears like the open doors of a yellow cab, and with a forehead more suited to grazing cattle.

The shirt is cutting edge (notice the sparkle) and way before metal became heavy.

I hope to paint this someday soon.

[Michele Rushworth]

What an interesting character study this will be! I look forward to the final result. Do you think you might end up reducing the contrast on the hat to make it less dominant?

Great light and shadow patterns! It's tempting to think about shooting all my reference photos in my studio in the future, so that I have much more control over lighting and poses. Working at the client's home or outdoors makes taking good photos so much harder!

[Karin Wells]

Do you think you might end up reducing the contrast on the hat to make it less dominant?

Yes.

Working at the client's home or outdoors makes taking good photos so much harder!

I agree. Shadow patterns are a very important part of composition and take some planning.

Taking "snapshots" in places where there is no light/shadow control is a crap shoot at best.

I really believe that poor photographic reference material is the biggest problem I see repeatedly in this Forum. It prevents a lot of otherwise skilled and talented artists from ever being successful in portraiture.

This is a good topic for all of us Michael - thanks for starting it.

[Marvin Mattelson]

Michele-

It doesn't matter where you shoot. I have a portable photo studio I take with me so I'm using the same lights, camera and misc. equiptment wherever I go. If I have to shoot out of doors I then recreate the lighting indoors so I have more control over subtlely altering the lighting on the model. Then I integrate the two references.

Lighting is the most important aspect of any painting. That's why Thomas Eakins called lighting "the big tool." Knowing photography has nothing to do with the true understanding of lighting.

Again you have to understand the difference of how the eye perceives light and contrast versus how the camera does. If you look at the photo Beth took at my workshop in Greensboro, the lighting looks very harsh. It certainly didn't look that way in the studio.

[Mike McCarty]

Regarding the boy posted above...

As he grew, he became more and more dim witted, easily confused, and slow of foot.