August portrait thread

[Asimaac]

Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

[Tin Can]

Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400

LIKE!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

[eabartel]

wonderful photo!


Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

[ericantonio]

Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

sweeet!!

[jon.oman]

Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

Very nice!

[Asimaac]

Thank you very much guys !

[Bill Poole]

Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

What an evocative and enigmatic double portrait!

[Yael]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/29928772298_0d4b0bc51e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MAGMiu)
Intrepid 8x10
Sinar 210mm F5.6 Sinaron S MC
Ilford paper (negative paper)

[Tin Can]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/29928772298_0d4b0bc51e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/magmiu)
intrepid 8x10
sinar 210mm f5.6 sinaron s mc
ilford paper (negative paper)

like!

[ericantonio]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/29928772298_0d4b0bc51e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MAGMiu)
Intrepid 8x10
Sinar 210mm F5.6 Sinaron S MC
Ilford paper (negative paper)

So cool.
Interesting you used a 210mm for this shot. How close were you? And a little tilt I think?

[chassis]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/29928772298_0d4b0bc51e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MAGMiu)
Intrepid 8x10
Sinar 210mm F5.6 Sinaron S MC
Ilford paper (negative paper)

Very well done.

[Pali K]

Beautiful work Asimaac and Yael!

Pali

[chassis]

Graflex Crown Graphic, Xenar 135mm, Fomapan 400



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/44009428881_bea0734e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz)Father and Daughter (https://flic.kr/p/2a3XPWz) by Ludovic Renaud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145098390@N02/)

Excellent.

[Yael]

So cool.
Interesting you used a 210mm for this shot. How close were you? And a little tilt I think?

I was pretty close and with a LOT of light
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1771/43996815112_d73559680d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a2RbiN)
and yes a tilt on the front, the 210mm barely cover the 8x10 hence the shade off at the top.

[Tin Can]

Great Doc shot too and a double portrait!

Very cool



I was pretty close and with a LOT of light
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1771/43996815112_d73559680d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a2RbiN)
and yes a tilt on the front, the 210mm barely cover the 8x10 hence the shade off at the top.

[ericantonio]

I was pretty close and with a LOT of light
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1771/43996815112_d73559680d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2a2RbiN)
and yes a tilt on the front, the 210mm barely cover the 8x10 hence the shade off at the top.

Very cool Thanks for answering. I thought the shade on top was like wow, he's using a mole richardson or some type of movie light.

[bobbotron]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/29928772298_0d4b0bc51e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MAGMiu)
Intrepid 8x10
Sinar 210mm F5.6 Sinaron S MC
Ilford paper (negative paper)

Very nice!

[SoulfulRecover]

Calumet Cambo
10" Kodak Commercial Ektar
Kodak Tmax 400
F/6.3 1/15th

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1839/44092931371_7df71db06b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2abkNjF)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1839/30227500928_e190f3a70a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N46QV7)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1831/43191961485_7f2bd4113b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28NJ6n8)

[Pere Casals]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/29928772298_0d4b0bc51e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MAGMiu)
Intrepid 8x10
Sinar 210mm F5.6 Sinaron S MC
Ilford paper (negative paper)

It's a really great image !!!

Also crafting it's very interesting...

[DrTang]

here's a link to an August Portrait I shot a couple days ago

https://www.flickr.com/gp/11191083@N00/gQ3PFj


Century Studio 8x10 / Darlot 12" I just picked up at auction (not ebay) and make a crude-o WHS for... shot at f16

maybe I'll try it wide open this weekend

[SoulfulRecover]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1813/44156391621_5413f7f451_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2agX3QV)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1867/29218858977_4c881f9c76_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LvYhND)

[Clieben]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1813/44156391621_5413f7f451_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2agX3QV)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1867/29218858977_4c881f9c76_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LvYhND)

Hi Colton,
I see you live in heaven.

[ericantonio]

Outstanding "SOULFUL"

[SoulfulRecover]

Hi Colton,
I see you live in heaven.

Haha I don't know about that but I do enjoy the company that comes around


Outstanding "SOULFUL"

Thank you :o

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I have a question. Everytime it seems i do a portrait (I practice on my kids) they come out pretty much middle gray, like literally 128 128 128. My last one I metered, compensated for yellow filter, but the daughter came out soft compared to my Harley she was on. The black bike came out black but her skin was that nasty gray and her features were a bit soft while her clothes, etc were sharp. I used f/9, Tmax100 and 210 G claron lens on 4x5. i just cant make it work it seems. I may try and convert it over again, even rescan. I could post, but it's embarrassing, but will if asked in order to diagnose which dozen rules I messed up.

Looking for how everyone sets up their shot to get grain free images that aren't muddy gray.

[interneg]

I have a question. Everytime it seems i do a portrait (I practice on my kids) they come out pretty much middle gray, like literally 128 128 128. My last one I metered, compensated for yellow filter, but the daughter came out soft compared to my Harley she was on. The black bike came out black but her skin was that nasty gray and her features were a bit soft while her clothes, etc were sharp. I used f11, Tmax100 and 210 G claron lens on 4x5. i just cant make it work it seems. I may try and convert it over again, even rescan. I could post, but it's embarrassing, but will if asked in order to diagnose which dozen rules I messed up.

Looking for how everyone sets up their shot to get grain free images that aren't muddy gray.

From the top: what are you exposing your film at; what are you metering from; what are you processing in & for how long? Once we have those answers, it's easier to separate if it's analogue or digital errors.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Tmax100. f/9, 1/8S, sunlight, white diffuer, developed in Tmax, standard process times at 20 deg Celsius, 210mm G Claron lens, 4x5. scanned at 3900dpi, Epson V850, Vuescan software, converted from raw using Coloreperfect. This not processed at all in PS or other program, this is starting file.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1887/42390050050_193413aedb_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27zS62U)201800526_0050_Working_Converted_20180820 (https://flic.kr/p/27zS62U) by Steven Ruttenberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157376714@N08/), on Flickr

[Tin Can]

I look forward to your PS version.

Do you have rear turn signals on there?

How do you like that air filter?


Tmax100. f/9, 1/8S, sunlight, white diffuer, developed in Tmax, standard process times at 20 deg Celsius, 210mm G Claron lens, 4x5. scanned at 3900dpi, Epson V850, Vuescan software, converted from raw using Coloreperfect. This not processed at all in PS or other program, this is starting file.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1887/42390050050_193413aedb_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27zS62U)201800526_0050_Working_Converted_20180820 (https://flic.kr/p/27zS62U) by Steven Ruttenberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157376714@N08/), on Flickr

[mathieu Bauwens]

Her head turned middle gray but she's in shadow, no ? If yse, there is nothing wrong for me.

Look at the bottom of the jean's, I think her feet would have been light gray if visible.

[DrTang]

Her head turned middle gray but she's in shadow, no ? If yse, there is nothing wrong for me.

Look at the bottom of the jean's, I think her feet would have been light gray if visible.

yup - she's in shadow...her boots aren't and look snappy..everything needs to be in shadow..then you can mess with sliders...or everything not

[Serge S]

Very cool Thanks for answering. I thought the shade on top was like wow, he's using a mole richardson or some type of movie light.

Using the fall off to great effect:)

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Her head turned middle gray but she's in shadow, no ? If yse, there is nothing wrong for me.

Look at the bottom of the jean's, I think her feet would have been light gray if visible.

Yes, she is in a shadow cast by the white diffuser, I missed the boots bence the shadow line, but I can soften that shadow line and even that out with some burning.

I guess maybe I was hoping for a bit more contrast and such, but new to portrait work so I don't know what to expect other than comparing to other work.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I look forward to your PS version.

Do you have rear turn signals on there?

How do you like that air filter?

The turn signals are built into the rear taillight and the air filter is awesome, dxcept in a heavy rain even with the rain skirt. It just gets too wet. ButI live in AZ so not much rain.

I am working PS version and will post up tonight.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

yup - she's in shadow...her boots aren't and look snappy..everything needs to be in shadow..then you can mess with sliders...or everything not

I use luminosity masks and other techniques so it is doable even with the shadow line and parts not in shade. It was really windy so my wife had a bit of a time holding diffuser.

[interneg]

Tmax100. f/9, 1/8S, sunlight, white diffuer, developed in Tmax, standard process times at 20 deg Celsius, 210mm G Claron lens, 4x5. scanned at 3900dpi, Epson V850, Vuescan software, converted from raw using Coloreperfect. This not processed at all in PS or other program, this is starting file.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1887/42390050050_193413aedb_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27zS62U)201800526_0050_Working_Converted_20180820 (https://flic.kr/p/27zS62U) by Steven Ruttenberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157376714@N08/), on Flickr

As everyone's said, it's a lighting problem, not anything to do with camera, film or scanner. Post-production isn't going to magically produce 'good' light, more a question of understanding how to use light at time of exposure.

[jamessrogers]

181826

181827

Environmental portraits of my parents, tilt applied on both.

Missed focus slightly on faces, even after triple checking...not sure if my ground glass slightly out.

Intrepid 4x5, Kodak Portra 400 & Ilford HP5, Schneider Kreuznach Xenar 150 mm f4.5

[Steven Ruttenberg]

As everyone's said, it's a lighting problem, not anything to do with camera, film or scanner. Post-production isn't going to magically produce 'good' light, more a question of understanding how to use light at time of exposure.

I agree it is a lighting issue, but it is not easy in AZ at 105 outside, to get someone well lit and not blow out the sky which was a solid blue. I metered off the skin/face, and as I said, I compensated for the yellow filter and perhaps should have exposed a 1/2 stop longer to a stop longer. But it seems the bike exposed properly as did the sidewalk and other parts.

To be fair, my daughter has very dark skin to begin with (she is part Filipino) and her face seems to be quite blotchy when it is photographed as she has some light spots and dark spots.

[bloodhoundbob]

I agree it is a lighting issue, but it is not easy in AZ at 105 outside, to get someone well lit and not blow out the sky which was a solid blue. I metered off the skin/face, and as I said, I compensated for the yellow filter and perhaps should have exposed a 1/2 stop longer to a stop longer. But it seems the bike exposed properly as did the sidewalk and other parts.

To be fair, my daughter has very dark skin to begin with (she is part Filipino) and her face seems to be quite blotchy when it is photographed as she has some light spots and dark spots.

Only 105, Steven? I remember the last time I was in Mesa in 2012 when 114 degrees caused my iPhone to quit working until I cooled it off with my Mustang's A/C. I really like the shot and not sure what you could have done to make it better, under the circumstances.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Only 105, Steven? I remember the last time I was in Mesa in 2012 when 114 degrees caused my iPhone to quit working until I cooled it off with my Mustang's A/C. I really like the shot and not sure what you could have done to make it better, under the circumstances.

Thanks. It was early in the year. We have been up 118 + this year so far!

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Here is the Photoshop version. Really not much else can be done. The shadows/dark areas could have been exposed better, but like I said earlier, the sky would have blown out.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1818/44210500151_aafd7b545f_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2amJnqB)201800526_0050_Working_Converted_20180822 (https://flic.kr/p/2amJnqB) by Steven Ruttenberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157376714@N08/), on Flickr

[Ootsk]

Portrait lighting is a science in itself. Outdoor portraits are even trickier. You darkened the subject, with a diffuser, so there's not much you can do besides photoshop. You have to decide what the subject is, and expose that properly. You have many options. Here's a few. 1. Shoot later in the evening, with a softer light, and no diffuser. That way the same light that's hitting her is also hitting the bike, and the background. 2, use a larger diffuser and cover the entire bike. Expose for that, and live with the brighter background. 3. Use a larger diffuser and use a flash to balance the diffused subject with the back ground. #2 and 3 will show the shadow of the diffuser on the ground, so many times people use that technique but avoid getting the ground in the shot. In this case, that would look weird, unless the camera was at ground level shooting up. In my opinion, I'd go with option 1. Simple and natural looking. Remember, the sun is a pinpoint source of light. Your diffuser is a softbox, so the effects are different.

[Peter De Smidt]

In addition and option is to use a development/exposure approach that'll allow shadow detail without blown highlights in such a situation. There are many. I'd personally use 2 bath Pyrocat. http://www.pyrocat-hd.com/html/TwoBathPyrocat.html

[-88-]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1876/29280486257_833f1afbd4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LBq9rX)2018-08-23-0001 (https://flic.kr/p/LBq9rX) by Jukka (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jalakanen/), on Flickr

Novotrinast anastigmat 330mm/3.6
Sinar Norma 4x5
Kodak T-Mat xray iso100
Rodinal 1+100 6 min

[ericantonio]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1876/29280486257_833f1afbd4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LBq9rX)2018-08-23-0001 (https://flic.kr/p/LBq9rX) by Jukka (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jalakanen/), on Flickr

Novotrinast anastigmat 330mm/3.6 <-- A what? You'll have to tell us what that is! I'm intrigued.

Love the expression!

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Portrait lighting is a science in itself. Outdoor portraits are even trickier. You darkened the subject, with a diffuser, so there's not much you can do besides photoshop. You have to decide what the subject is, and expose that properly. You have many options. Here's a few. 1. Shoot later in the evening, with a softer light, and no diffuser. That way the same light that's hitting her is also hitting the bike, and the background. 2, use a larger diffuser and cover the entire bike. Expose for that, and live with the brighter background. 3. Use a larger diffuser and use a flash to balance the diffused subject with the back ground. #2 and 3 will show the shadow of the diffuser on the ground, so many times people use that technique but avoid getting the ground in the shot. In this case, that would look weird, unless the camera was at ground level shooting up. In my opinion, I'd go with option 1. Simple and natural looking. Remember, the sun is a pinpoint source of light. Your diffuser is a softbox, so the effects are different.

Agreed. This was pretty late in the day, about 10-20 minutes before the sun set. I could/should have waited till it set completely.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

In addition and option is to use a development/exposure approach that'll allow shadow detail without blown highlights in such a situation. There are many. I'd personally use 2 bath Pyrocat. http://www.pyrocat-hd.com/html/TwoBathPyrocat.html

I will have to give this a go once I get better at developing the film and better at exposure control.

[Yael]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/855/43082084464_95167a04fc_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28D1WKJ)
Intrepid 8x10
Sinar 210mm F5.6 Sinaron S MC
Ilford paper (negative paper)

[interneg]

I will have to give this a go once I get better at developing the film and better at exposure control.

Honestly, I don't think fiddling around with different developers is going to solve the issue as easily as you want. There are some very good solutions, but they potentially involve serious flagging, c-stands, scrims, lighting, sandbags to hold it all in place & a production crew... Check out Peter Lindbergh's sunbounce setup.

Failing that, a big (12ftx12ft?) scrim might be a minimum starting point, along with some fill/ bounced light. Still going to need some serious means of stopping it turning into a massive sail.

If those are too much work, you're going to have to think rather more carefully about style of image & location relative to how much you can alter the light to suit your needs.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Honestly, I don't think fiddling around with different developers is going to solve the issue as easily as you want. There are some very good solutions, but they potentially involve serious flagging, c-stands, scrims, lighting, sandbags to hold it all in place & a production crew... Check out Peter Lindbergh's sunbounce setup.

Failing that, a big (12ftx12ft?) scrim might be a minimum starting point, along with some fill/ bounced light. Still going to need some serious means of stopping it turning into a massive sail.

If those are too much work, you're going to have to think rather more carefully about style of image & location relative to how much you can alter the light to suit your needs.

I agree it is more than a single solution and I am learning portrait work which is way different than landscapes and architecture work. I generally start with all the different players in a problem, and then start with 1 and understand its effects, then add the second to understand its effects (or do it separately as well to understand its effect by itself), then add in the third player, etc. This way, I know how each component of a system adds or detracts from the whole.

In this case, 2-bath is but 1 part and has benefit in other types of photography as well so I may start with that and of course the lighting as well. I agree I need a much larger diffuser and if possibly little or no wind and being in AZ no wind is easy most of the year, the other is acquiring some gear as you mentioned, but no so much I need an entire crew to work it. Something I can set up and maybe the wife can help with. If I want wind, I will bring a fan. The big issues is needing a generator for the outdoor stuff if I go with any sort of fill lighting, unless I can find led type lighting that runs on batteries and will last a few hours before needing recharge/new batteries.

This is quite the learning experience.

[Peter De Smidt]

I agree with the comments about the best way is to get what you want with an image like Steven's is through lighting and light modification. But as others have pointed out, this can involve a pretty elaborate setup, assistants, huge diffusers..... If those things are practical options for the shoot, then by all means use them. I have assisted on many such shoots, but for my personal work, it's usually just me, and so I have to make do.

[z84]

Linhof Technika, Rodenstock Apo-Sironar S 150, Portra 400

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1870/44252407631_e4c47acc27_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2aqra4n)

[koraks]

Out of this world, z84. Beautiful.

[chassis]

Linhof Technika, Rodenstock Apo-Sironar S 150, Portra 400

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1870/44252407631_e4c47acc27_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2aqra4n)

Yes, great portrait and processing.

[hsandler]

Crown Graphic 45. Xenar 135mm. HP5. 25b flashbulb bounced.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1899/29248924487_425ca63056_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LyCoev)My parents at 97 and 93 (https://flic.kr/p/LyCoev) by Howard Sandler (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler/), on Flickr

[Steven Ruttenberg]

All excellent images

[Pali K]

All excellent images

Exactly! Beautiful photos Ludovic, Yael, Colton, Steven and Christoph! Very inspiring work in this thread.

Pali

[Jehu]

So I decided to try to use natural light for an infant portrait with 4x5, Delta 100 film. After calculating bellows extension correction, I was left with 1/15 second at f8. This was processed in Rodinal 50+1 and wet-scanned with a V750. It was a challenge to capture a squirmy 7-month-old with a depth of focus as thin as an Oreo cookie.

This is the result:

181947

[Moogie]

So I decided to try to use natural light for an infant portrait with 4x5, Delta 100 film. After calculating bellows extension correction, I was left with 1/15 second at f8. This was processed in Rodinal 50+1 and wet-scanned with a V750. It was a challenge to capture a squirmy 7-month-old with a depth of focus as thin as an Oreo cookie.

This is the result:

181947

Amazing result!

[SoulfulRecover]

Linhof Technika, Rodenstock Apo-Sironar S 150, Portra 400

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1870/44252407631_e4c47acc27_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2aqra4n)


What is your scanning and post process like? I have a ton of Portra but I haven't shot it because I have a hard time producing the right colors during scanning or in Photoshop.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

What is your scanning and post process like? I have a ton of Portra but I haven't shot it because I have a hard time producing the right colors during scanning or in Photoshop.

I use Colorneg to convert my scans from negative to color and it works great. I scan with Epson V850 at 3900 dpi and save as a raw tif using Viewscan. Bring into photoshop, apply gamma 2.2 (sometimes not), bring into Colorneg, make my adjustments and output back to Photoshop. Here is a Portra image

https://flic.kr/p/29fpCVr

[Deardorffuser]

8x10
symmar s 360
fomapan200@160

http://shmigiriloff.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/30sm-symmar-s-360-f16-foma200to160.jpg

[Tin Can]

8x10
symmar s 360
fomapan200@160

http://shmigiriloff.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/30sm-symmar-s-360-f16-foma200to160.jpg

Like

[SoulfulRecover]

I use Colorneg to convert my scans from negative to color and it works great. I scan with Epson V850 at 3900 dpi and save as a raw tif using Viewscan. Bring into photoshop, apply gamma 2.2 (sometimes not), bring into Colorneg, make my adjustments and output back to Photoshop. Here is a Portra image

https://flic.kr/p/29fpCVr

Very helpful. Thank you for the information. I'll look into Colorneg and see if I can get better results

[Peter De Smidt]

8x10
symmar s 360
fomapan200@160



First rate!

[Steven Ruttenberg]

8x10
symmar s 360
fomapan200@160

http://shmigiriloff.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/30sm-symmar-s-360-f16-foma200to160.jpg

Outstanding

[Deardorffuser]

8x10

Family Shoot )

http://shmigiriloff.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/29sm-symmar-s-360-f16-foma200to160.jpg

[Tin Can]

8x10

family shoot )

http://shmigiriloff.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/29sm-symmar-s-360-f16-foma200to160.jpg

like!

[JeRuFo]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1854/44361815562_3914f4d4e3_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1849/30543084568_7b7cb5050b_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1877/44411826871_e64dc545be_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1843/43503241715_0a83c1da89_c.jpg


At the last weekend away with my wife's (she's in the 2nd photo) family I decided to shoot all of their portraits on film. I went into it far too ambitious and misjudged their willingness to pose for more than 30 seconds and the time I had to spend setting up every shot separately. In the end I decided to abandon my original plans of shooting both environmental portraits and headshots and just find a place with decent natural light througout the afternoon and evening under a few trees and just shoot all (12!) of them the same way. Some of them were up to it, and that shines through immediately.


After a shoot like that browsing a thread like this is a humbling experience. I'm not that comfortable posing people and much prefer a nice, quiet forest scene.

Maybe I'll try my hand at portraits one day, but I would prefer them asking me to take their portrait, than me having to force them.

All shot on 4x5 fomapan 100 with a Xenar 210 @ f4.5

[Tin Can]

Like them all.

These must be the patient ones!

[JeRuFo]

Yes, they were, though none of them were in front of the camera for more than a minute or two.

[chassis]

JeRuFo, great portraits. I have found it helpful to set up the "studio", and bring the subjects into it. When the background, lighting and camera are prepared and pre-focused, it means the subject spends less time in front of the camera.

[Ulophot]

Deardorfuser, there is something strikingly Leonardesque -- as in paintings of Leonardo da Vinci -- about this young woman. I realized it only when I saw the second portrait with the little boy; her expression, the tilt of her head, the flow of her hair, are quite similar in both. The gentle hint of smile with the soft look in her eyes. A lovely portrait.