New Portrait Thread - September 08

[W K Longcor]

Jiri,
Not such a bad image. Just too much -- maybe. Go to her web site and look at the image as cropped there. Much better! (Though I would not have cropped the top of her head.) On your image, the light clothing and arm of the chair grab the viewers attention. May I suggest a photographic experiment for you. Set up this same subject with a table between her and the camera. Have her spread out a collection of her photographs on the table. Set up and focus your camera -- then load a holder. Have her talk over her photgraphs with you ( a mutually interesting subject.) You should both be at ease doing this. When the time is right - expose the film. Then change the holder and be ready for the next "moment". Hopefully, you will BOTH be at ease and produce some wonderful images. This idea is not mine. It comes from a photographer who was charged with the job of photographing ME for and article that was being done. He later told me I was the WORST subject he ever faced. I was too intense on my own pose and presentation. His technique got me to forget that another photographer was "working" and he got some good --comfortable -- images of me (I still say I belong behind the lens, NOT in front!).

[Jiri Vasina]

W K, that's actually a wonderful idea. Next time I see her I'll do something like that... Thanks.

[domenico Foschi]

It is this very struggle that makes you a good photographer.
I know that when you will have overcame those barriers that keep you from being relaxed in front of your subject you will start seeing in your own special way.
It is going to help you if you will start thinking about your subject in an abstract manner.
What I am trying to say, notice how the light falls on your subject face, see at relationships between the subject, background and clothes.
If I concentrate on being truthful to the subject personality I end up doing a mess.
A portrait of a subject is a portrait of the photographer.

[W K Longcor]

W K, that's actually a wonderful idea. Next time I see her I'll do something like that... Thanks.

When done -- please post the images here. I'm sure they will be good.
By the way, I just viewed your web page. Some of your "people" images there are wonderful.

[Jiri Vasina]

W K, I'll post the results for sure. But it will take some time - they live elsewhere and we should be seeing here family in around a month. And I don't have very many models to choose from where I live - only my wife who does not like at all having photos taken of (that's the reason I don't have any to post here, nor on my website), and my daughter who is usually too restless to have a photo taken. As probably most 3 year-olds.

Or maybe I may find someone else willing to subject him/her-self to the eye of my camera. God only knows... But anyway, I'll post the results.

....
A portrait of a subject is a portrait of the photographer.

Yes, Domenico, there is so much truth in that. But I have found out only recently... And there is too much mess in me when confronted with "the responsibility and task of making good portraits". I'll sort my thoughts first...

[Nathan67]

Well here is my first offering for septembers thread, this time a candid portrait of my son (2.5yo) engrossed in his artwork...
Handheld crown graphic with 135 optar lens 1/50s @ roughly f7 window light on a wet and stormy day.
This is the paper negative throw away part of fuji fp3000b45 super speedy imported from Japan. The print is lovely, but the negative if left to dry is much sharper for scanning and this scan would print easily to 40x50 cm...

[Nathan67]

Sleeping beauty.

She was sleeping in the evening, I went to check her and turn of the reading lamp. This sight presented itself. As I saw it, I knew I had to photograph it with the Chamonix. Because when she is awake, should would not stand still long enough for me to photograph her with a prepared shot. I might grab some snapshots with smaller handheld cameras, but nothing this large.

So anyway, I quickly set it up, measured the light (ow, 160-180s at f/11 with reciprocity and bellows extension factor), tried to focus (really tough in that lack of light, and R-Claron's f/9 maximum aperture), opened the shutter and hoped she would not move. After 135sec she rolled on the other side, so I had to close the shutter and hope for best...

Chamonix 5×8", Fomapan 100, Repro-Claron 305mm.

------------------

I'm starting a new month thread with this one...

really lovely portrait with lovely soft tones.

[Nathan67]

Here are my first 8x10s from Saturday, using old VPS that expired in 1995 (it was kept cold).

The old C1 is a heavy beast, the 10" Ektar flared, the bellows and holders are somewhat suspect, and the subjects blinked.

It was fun.

I just love that shot in the water with the white dress... cracking shot!

Nathan

[nelsonfotodotcom]

If I may pay tribute to a person I will be missing very much after Saturday; forgive me the trespass of posting RB67-derived images?

Brandy, my platonic companion through much of summer as we hiked, caved, swam, road-tripped, battled at chess, laughed over pints... those eyes, those freckles, and dimples to go with, not to mention what I hope is communicated in these images, what is most important about her: a profound empathy, a wise soul, a sharp mind, and warm heart.

Brandy will depart Arkansas on Saturday, headed to grad school in Portland, Oregon. If you meet her, be good to her. And watch out for her knights on the chess board.

Technical:

Mamiya RB67 w/90mm Sekor-C, on Fujfilm FP-100C that I scanned on an old Canon LiDE20 flat-bed, then manually converted to BW in channel-mixer.

Shots lit with a combination of Nikon Speedlights, mounted on stands, bounced out of or shot through umbrellas, as I saw fit. Key was an SB25 triggered off the lens via a PCM-to-PCM sync, the 26 on the right popping via built-in opti-slave.

[Ben Chase]

The Captain
Astia @ 100 - Converted to B/W