Practice Portraits

[JeTexas]

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I found out that after the new year I'm going to have to do something like 300 headshots for various executives to be used in tendering proposals. When it comes to something like headshots, I would normally contract that to someone with backdrops and lights, but needing so many of them, it was just too expensive, so the task has fallen to me. On the upside I got a new backdrop and light kit to play with. I spent the weekend toying around a bit. These are one-light portraits shot at f9.0, straight out of the X1.

 

Since the black backdrop eliminates the background, I wanted to maximize the detail and depth of field of the subject. Unfortunately, I don't get to do all those headshots in this style. (The ugly one is me.)

 

L1012413 by ffacker, on Flickr

 

L1012432 by ffacker, on Flickr

 

L1012422 by ffacker, on Flickr

 

L1012426 by ffacker, on Flickr

[Hookeye]

Sounds like a fun job you got yourself there. I quite like your practice shots, but I do feel they are a bit contrasty and have to deep and sharply demarkated shadows to my taste. You do get an interesting and dramatic effect, but they may be a little too dramatic for corporate profiling.

 

This is only some subjective input from a grumpy old man. Let us hope you get some more useful feedback from others. Best of luck with your project regardless!

 

HP

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[stuny]

J -

 

Do some experimentation to bring the eyes out of the shadows (especially on the woman). Otherwise, I think you're almost there.

[roguewave]

I'm not sure the X1 is the most practical solution. A larger focal length, like a 50mm, even on an inexpensive camera like the Lumix LX3 or newer LX5 would make this a much more efficient. Setting up the tripod, attaching the camera, with it's autofocus and ability to zoom as needed, would save a lot of time & money. After all this isn't really art you want to create, but straight forward, business oriented portraits. Good Luck.

[JeTexas]

I'm not sure the X1 is the most practical solution. A larger focal length, like a 50mm, even on an inexpensive camera like the Lumix LX3 or newer LX5 would make this a much more efficient. Setting up the tripod, attaching the camera, with it's autofocus and ability to zoom as needed, would save a lot of time & money. After all this isn't really art you want to create, but straight forward, business oriented portraits. Good Luck.

 

I'll be doing the headshots in color with a Nikon DSLR. They will be very boring. This was just me playing around.

[Michael Hiles]

Recommendations from an amateur:

 

- make your camera-to-subject distance about 6 feet. Choose the lens to determine how much is in the shot. A 50 - 75 - 90 would do the job. This distance preserves an optimal sense of perspective. That is a function of camera/subject distance, not focal length.

 

- get a fill light near the camera to lighten the shadows. As Stuart says, the shadows are too deep.

[likalar]

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Nice! The great thing about your lighting so far, is that the "double chin" that so many of us wear will be happily obscured by shadow. Just maybe not so much (I understand that these shots are not your final light scheme).

I did a similar job years ago, shots of each of a bank's 75 employees. A disaster, and mostly my fault. I had way too much glare on the eyeglasses from a softbox right next to the camera. I also didn't yet know that most of the overweight subjects look a bit slimmer when directed to slightly lean forward toward camera. This will reduce that double chin a bit. You can see this on yourself in a mirror. Lean back, then lean forward, all while keeping a level head. Best wishes!

Larry

[vdb]

You've gotten great feedback here.

These images are great fun...take the corporate images as you've planned but take some fun, artful images withe the x1 while you have the subjects. A great opportunity.

[JeTexas]

Ok, I adjusted the lighting. How's this one?

 

L1012507 by ffacker, on Flickr

[Prem]

J-

 

I like this one !

The dog gives an extra dimension to the photo, makes it just more alive.

I would although suggest to lighten up the dog's head a bit, especially 'the eyes'.

In that way you feel even more contact with the subject.

 

regards,

Prem

[epand56]

There is something I like very much in these pictures...

[daveleo]

Never did this myself, but watched a pro work a set for a college catalog. He spent lots of time talking to the administration about what "feelings" they wanted the images to have. Dynamic? Forceful? Conservative? Agreeable? etc etc .

 

In your case, you would control a lot of that with the lighting (high contrast = agressive management, frontal soft light = "we can work this out" . . . . etc etc) One light? . . . hmm

[JeTexas]

Ok, I'll stop now.

 

L1012506 by ffacker, on Flickr

 

Maybe just one more ...

 

L1012496 by ffacker, on Flickr