Babysitter portrait

Joan Breckwoldt · 06-29-2004, 02:28 PM

I asked our babysitter to come over this morning so I could photograph her for my portfolio. I have been trying to put together a portfolio and realized it would be nice to have someone over the age of 10 in my portfolio!

I asker her to come over in something formal if she was comfortable in that. I asked for something black or white and she showed up in this! I knew I needed her hands to be doing something and my husband gets the credit for having her hold a single red rose. I also shot some photos of her with her hand resting on the back of a chair.

I hope those black 'ribbons' on the bodice of her dress are not to distracting? I also tried out my new background: a large peice of felt from the fabric store which I could hang anywhere. I like the felt and it comes in a dozen different colors, it's 72" wide and $4.99 a yard. And it doesn't wrinkle!

I am ready to start immediately because this sweet young woman is going off to be a camp counselor in about 4 days. She's coming over Thursday so I can do a color study of her from life. I would appreciate any comments at this stage before I progress. I think these photos are about the best reference I can get so I hope I don't have to reshoot. I wouldn't know how to make them better myself but welcome any ideas if anybody can tell me.

thank you,

Joan

Michele Rushworth · 06-29-2004, 11:34 PM

The first thing I noticed is that the light on the top half of her is completely different from the light that is on the bottom half. The top half of the figure is in a dark and very warm light of some kind but, starting about mid-torso, she is in a much brighter and cooler light source. This single factor will cause you far more problems than any concerns you may have about her dress, etc (which I think is fine, by the way.)

The second thing I noticed is that her nose is very red and looks like she has a cold or is about to sneeze.

Sorry, but I wouldn't spend time painting from these, mostly because of the lighting problem.

Joan Breckwoldt · 06-30-2004, 02:16 PM

Hi Michele,

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I see what you mean about the brighter light at the bottom half of her. She was standing about 4 feet away from my south facing french doors. I had draped a neutral cloth over the bottom half of the french doors. I didn't want light coming UP onto her face, I've had that problem before and I wanted to avoid that. I wanted the light to move down instead of up.

We have a brick patio outside the windows and our house is brown brick, so I don't understand where all that light is coming from on the bottom half of her. I thought it must be a reflection but there isn't anything for it to reflect off of.

My house only has 9 foot ceilings so I don't see how I could do this any differently. I don't have a place where light can come streaming in from above. All our windows stop about a foot from the ceiling.

The only thing I can think of is to have her come back again and this time kneel so she'll at least be a little lower. I used that flourescent lightbulb I was telling you about to supplement the daylight coming int he window, but that should be a cool light (daylight).

Oh, the tip of her nose is actually on the red side. I'll just have to minimize that when I paint her. Or try to get her in a cooler light.

Thanks again,

Joan

Joan Breckwoldt · 06-30-2004, 02:31 PM

I went through the photos I took and here is one that I took in another room with only daylight. Maybe some of the brightness is because of the white dress? Some kind of reflection. Is this one any better?

Thanks,

Joan

Michele Rushworth · 06-30-2004, 02:57 PM

Try moving her a lot closer to the window. The daylight is probably angling downward to light her lower half and her top half is in shadow.

Joan Breckwoldt · 06-30-2004, 05:01 PM

Hi Michele,

My problem when I move her closer to the window is that her face is half in shadow because the light is hitting her face from the side. I'm squished up against the wall and even if she's two feet away from the window, when she turns to look at me, half her face is in the shadow. That is why I moved her away from the window, so when she looks at me, I could try to get more of her face in the light. See my dilema? I hope I'm explaining this right. I even took a few where she was closer to the window and I opened the french doors and stood OUTSIDE.

Oh, let me show you one of those. Here it is below. It looks cooler, don't you think?

Thank you Michele for hanging in there with me and trying to help me solve this problem. I really appreciate it.

She is planning on coming over tomorrow so I can paint a little from life, I could shoot more photos then if I could figure out what to shoot! So you think the one below is an improvement?

Joan

Michele Rushworth · 06-30-2004, 05:15 PM

Yes, it is an improvement, though the problem is still there somewhat. Having her kneel might be a good idea when you take additional shots, though, since your window isn't very tall.

Another possibility would be to use a large piece of white foam core as a reflector to bounce light up onto the top half of her. Position the reflector (held by an assistant) off to the left, aimed up at her face. (Whatever position it needs to be in to mimic the direction of the original window light but bouncing it up onto the top half of her figure.) You don't want TOO much light coming from the reflector though so play with how far the reflector is from the subject.

Since you're going to reshoot you might also want to ask her to stand up a bit straighter.

Joan Breckwoldt · 06-30-2004, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

The daylight is probably angling downward to light her lower half and her top half is in shadow.

I think you figured it out when you said this! That must be what's happening, I don't know what else it could be.

I'll try her kneeling tomorrow. And I'll ask her to take her heels off. Either that or specialize in subjects that are less than 4' tall.

Thanks again Michele for taking the time to help me with this,

Joan

Allan Rahbek · 06-30-2004, 06:02 PM

Joan.

Perhaps you could try to reflect the sunlight from outside the house would give a stronger effect?

Allan

Linda Brandon · 06-30-2004, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joan Breckwoldt

I'll try her kneeling tomorrow. And I'll ask her to take her heels off. Either that or specialize in subjects that are less than 4' tall.

Joan, how about just putting her in a chair? That ought to lower her down and get her into the light. Get your camera at her eye level; if you don't have a tripod, support yourself with your elbows on a table.

I often prefer seated poses anyway, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that subjects often just look more comfortable that way.