Portraiture Shooting Assignment

I had an amazing time shooting these shots of my brother. I loved the feeling of excitement my brother had to see the pictures when we were finished and getting a chance to really see what it's like to take pictures of someone this way. As I continued to take pictures, more and more ideas would pop into my mind and it felt like I could stay there all day doing it and not get bored. I loved showing him how to pose and getting a great shot out of it. I liked how we had so many options at the place we chose and the experience altogether was just fantastic. 

Senior Portrait Article

Photographers use a lot of varieties of poses and creative ways to show the personality of the model. Getting to know your clients is extremely important when taking pictures. Photographers that take the time to get to know their clients are more successful than other photographers. Create a fun experience and incorporate elements that will make the images personal to the client. Listening to the teen's ideas is vital. Media has a huge impact on teens. They want their photos to reflect the types of things they see in media. It's what every senior wants, boy or girl. "The trends in popular culture are going to drive the trends for senior portraits", but since media changes so often, it is important for photographers to stay current with what's going on. Also please parents and grandparents as well so take some traditional studio shots as well. Ask the client to bring a traditional outfit, along with some other outfits so that they still have a picture that isn't too outdated in the future. Location changes depending on the client but studio shots will become popular again in the future.

Portraiture - Make It Personal

For this project, I decided to use my brother as my model. I chose him because I know he'd be easy to work with that my parents would love to have new pictures of him. It's also his birthday soon and I was thinking I could make it into some type of birthday present. My brother is special because he plays basically every sport known to man. I know I could find a million different ways to pose him, but make it more unique since he'll have more than just one type of sports gear to wear. I'm going to try to pose him with a lot of different props (basketball, football, hockey stick, baseball bat, etc) and try to take as many candid/laughter shots as possible because it's rare when he's not laughing. I'm going to try to take the photos outside at around sunset because I think outside shots are beautiful and would be cool to work with. I think taking the pictures at sunset will give them a more glowy feel and that the shade will look really nice instead of the harsh light that the sun at it's brightest makes. I really love taking pictures of someone who's laughing and also candid shots. They showcase the persons real personality instead of a typical pose or smile. I also like taking photos in the shade and with the sun shining behind them. I'm going to use photoshop but as little of it as possible. I don't want to spend hours editing but I'm going to mix it up by messing with levels, black and white, and the coloring of the shots I take.

Portrait Examples

Jen Baltgalvis

Candid

I like this shot because the location is unique and I like how it incorporates the sport he plays into the picture and he doesn't look like he's uncomfortable or awkward.

Jen Baltgalvis

Serious

I like this shot because the way they used the rock wall looks cool and I like how they posed.

Jen Baltgalvis

Smile

I love how casual he looks and how natural the guitar looks in his hands. I also love the setting behind him and how it looks like he's performing on a street.

Jen Baltgalvis

Smile

I liked the pose in this one because it's more unique than most poses and the fence and building behind him makes it look really cool and makes his clothes stand out.

Jen Baltgalvis

Serious
I like how it's close up to his face and how she positioned his hand on his head. It kind of lead my eyes to his face. Also posing him against the building makes the green in his shirt pop.

Jen Baltgavis

Serious
I like how they posed him with his hockey stick and that they placed his hockey shirts behind him. I also like how the green all mixes together and that he's not just directly in the middle of the photo like most pictures.

Jen Baltgavis

Smile
I like how the camera is completely focused on him but you can tell how beautiful the background is even though its blurred out. 

Elaine Gates

Smile
I like the location and how the colors of his outfit and ball stand out against the green grass and trees. I also like how he's almost in the middle, but not completely.

Elaine Gates

Smile

I like the composition of leading lines in the background created by the road and how she made it black and white instead of the typical colored pictures. I also like how he's posed with his hands in his pockets but it looks natural.

Elaine Gates

Smile
I like how she posed him with the ball and that it showcases his hobby and how great the location is.

Elaine Gates Recap

I loved having Elaine Gates here and learned a lot of things from her. I learned that the best time to go take portraiture pictures is probably sunset because you have perfect light. Put your client in front of the sun and it creates a hue of light around them. Also use all types of different lighting to your advantage. Not all days will be sunny and bright, but that doesn't mean you can't get great photos out of it. If there's wind, you have to work with it. Pose the client facing the wind so their hair isn't blowing in their face. When you pick locations, pick places where you can walk to different areas so you can get a variety of different pictures. You have to make sure you make your client feel comfortable and pick a client that's willing to work openly with you. While taking the pictures, don't take pictures from angles where they don't look their best. Fix their hair or anything that makes the picture look awkward or where they look stressed. Try out different poses and take some photos above them so you get some light in their eyes. If you see a little mistake, fix it right then and there unless you want to spend hours on photoshop fixing something that could have been fixed in 5 seconds. Most importantly, practice practice practice. Overall, I loved getting to hear from her and the professional side of photography. I learned so much and will definitely take her advice while taking my own photos.