First Model in my new studio

Patricia Joyce · 05-04-2005, 09:48 AM

I finally had a day to play in my studio with a model and my camera. She is in front of a north windows and there is a north window where my camera was. I tried no backdrop, a white sheet, a dark fabric. I kept the camera about eight feet away from her to avoid distortion. Unfortunately, with my small pixel camera (3pix) the detail is not there in the features which is disappointing. I have to learn how to spot meter as the shadow side on all of these was very underexposed.

Any suggestions?? The model is my niece, fifteen. She LOVED doing this and is volunteering to model for me whenever she is available. Right now no boyfriend, so I am going to try to grab her every weekend!!!

Patricia Joyce · 05-04-2005, 09:49 AM

one or two more

Michele Rushworth · 05-04-2005, 09:52 AM

I think a head and shoulders of the second one would be very nice, perhaps cropped just below the last button. The exposures seem fine to me too.

Looks like there was an incandescent lamp over on the right side of the room, making all that red light in the shadows. Looks kind of nice, actually.

Patricia Joyce · 05-04-2005, 09:59 AM

Hi Michelle,
Yes, I did bring in a lamp also to try to lighten up the shadow side without too much problem. I kind of like it to. Though I will not try to paint this, just draw it! I like this one too. I think next time she comes I will ask her to take off her eye makeup. She had liner on and it hindered seeing her lids, anatomically, if you know what I mean?!

Mike McCarty · 05-04-2005, 10:46 AM

Patricia,

I think the exposure is not that bad. If I could suggest a few things: I would work toward getting a better background, maybe a neutral gray green and maybe a deep red wine. I would pull her as far away from that background as I could, and I would try and pull her further away from the window, still maintaining sufficient light. I try and float the subject as far as I can away from everything. This will help diffuse the background and make the subject pop out.

Pay close attention to the height of your camera in relation to the subject. Each of the ones above are shot from beneath the subjects eyes. If this was your intention that's fine, but make it something that you are aware of. I always start my camera out at eye level then move from there. Own a tripod.

Always be aware of your subjects posture and pose. I watched Tiger Woods recently playing in the Masters, he stopped one of his shots right in the middle of his back swing. Can you imagine being able to get all that energy going to a single point and then being able to stop it in a hundredth of a second? What I took from that is that he was in a constant state of evaluation. Every factor was being judged each and every instant. When a critical factor didn't meet his criteria for success he simply called it off, set it back up and began again. Amazing.

I you are lucky enough to call this space your own then you should "own it" in terms of light and background. Have a few backgrounds available that will compliment the subject, don't just accept a door jam as your background. Practice on yourself or on still lifes.

If I had the option of having either a beautiful model, or an understood space, I will take the space every time.

Patricia Joyce · 05-04-2005, 01:12 PM

Thanks for the suggestions, Mike. I think I will install something above the doors to hand fabric/drapery from and I need to make a screen to use also as a backdrop. I never thought about moving her away from the walls to make her float in space - but it makes good sense. I am planning on reviewing allot of the information here about setting up for a photo shoot again. It seemed when I backed her away from the window the shadows were too dark. it was an overcase day, maybe that was part of the problem and I wanted to stay away from any other lighting, utilizing only the window light source

These pics were taken purposefully at that angle, I took over fifty shots and these are the only ones that were not too dark.

Mike McCarty · 05-04-2005, 01:43 PM

You'll find that the light is constantly changing. Some days you will be closer to the window than others. Ideally you will have some sort of fill light on the shadow side. This can be hand held by a third person or something jury rigged. Even the light you used above can work, it's color influence will be minimal (and sometimes beneficial) in the face of all that window light.

Just know that each time you set someone in your space adjustments will need to be made. Soon though, you will begin to develop a mental envelope that you will feel comfortable moving within.

The more thought and planning you put into your images, the more artful they become, and, the fewer difficult decisions will need to be made later, and the quicker your heart will thump.