Showing posts with label Eagle Scout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eagle Scout. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

How NOT To Take A Headshot Part Deux

Okay, I have to pick on my husband once again.

He is very good at many, many things, and he's not that bad with operating a camera, it is just that he does not have what you'd call "the eye" for it. Usually, I can take one of his images and crop it and make it AWESOME...but when it comes to portraits...neither he nor my younger son, Ross, have a natural talent.

If you read my previous post, How NOT to Take A Headshot, then you saw the images Ross took of his Dad.  If you haven't read it, scroll down a few blog posts or just click on the link.

Now, both of these photos needed to have a professional look to them for the purposes of which they were to be used.

I am not a professional photographer. I am more of a hobbyist, but I do read about how to improve my shots. That, and my husband has gifted me some very good lens and flashes for my Nikon Cameras.

I also have a back drop which they set up and lighting which they did NOT set up.

So first, here is the best of the portraits my husband took of Ross who has completed all his requirements for Eagle Scout and needs a portrait.


The only lighting was coming from the ceiling fixture.

This is my unedited version.


And my edited version:



I cropped it in a bit, and darkened the background because there was a slight shadow cast by the flash and I toned down some of the reds in his skin tones and ears.

In my version, he is shaven, has a new haircut, and a new but a bit too large BSA shirt his Dad bought, complete will all his latest patches.

Unfortunately, the color of the shirt does wash out his skin tones.

Also, Ross has a prominent chin like his Dad's and a 5 o"clock shadow immediately after he shaves, so I toned down the high lights and stubble on his chin.

It's all about the eyes and I did bump up the sharpness just a touch.

I turned his right shoulder towards me for two reasons. I feel it showed off his patches and it helped keep the oversize shirt from looking as large.

I don't typically follow the rule of thirds on portraits to the exact measurement because I don't like a lot of empty space above the head. In fact, some of my favorite portraits skim off just a bit of the top of the hairline because it makes the hair appear fuller.

For example:


Do you think my hair looks fuller and thicker on top? Or maybe at least you don't notice how flat it actually is.

FYI: My husband did take this photo of me. To be frank, I picked out the location according to the sun and time of day and I told him where to aim. However, there were a LOT of outtakes. Still, you'd think he'd pick on a couple of my tips.

Speaking of tips!

Don't forget my number one tip!

Have FUN!


I really like this one but he needed a different t-shirt. Darn!





Wednesday, July 29, 2015

How NOT To Take A Headshot

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT a professional photographer.  I'm definitely more of a hobbyist with a purpose.

My first "good" digital camera was a NIKON D50. Then I moved up to a D80, then a D90 and now we have a Nikon d3100 and I have a few extra lens and flashes to go with them.

But I'm not going to bore you with the technical jargon...

I want to cover the basics.

My husband needed a photograph wearing his pilot uniform and because I asked him and my son to set up the backdrop and lighting for me...they decided to stop at the backdrop and do the job themselves.
To be fair...my 17 year old son doesn't take many photos and my husband wasn't "aware" that the ceiling light in our den would cast such an unflattering lighting across his nose, hair and wrinkles in his shirt.

HOWEVER...
I do want to point out how just a few simple changes made a big difference in the images I took.


First was makeup.

Yes, I put make up on my husband because he had some serious shine going on so I dulled it with powder. I also touched up the eyebrows with a light brown flat eye shadow because his eyebrows, especially the outer half,  has a lot of gray and that is just something you can't fix in Photoshop as well as adding a bit of make up.

He suggested I add some to his mostly salty Salt and Pepper hair, but I didn't because I think that's kind of sexy.

POINTERS:


No, seriously, POINTERS:

LIGHTING:
Make sure the lighting is flattering to the subject matter.
I turned off the overhead lighting and opened the blinds. Since my son and husband refused to set up the lighting...I depended on the camera's flash to achieve Phil's headshot.

PLACEMENT:
Don't...I REPEAT...don't stand close to the backdrop (or up against a wall unless that is the look you are going for) because it comes into focus and you loose your depth of field.

CAMERA SETTINGS:
I forgot to check to see which setting they had put the camera on before I started taking the headshots. I would have thought they would have set it on PORTRAITS (I would have) but both their image and my image of Phil was taken on full automatic. Still, you can see a difference.

LENS:
I actually own a portrait lens (don't ask me the technobabble) that is an 85mm 1:18 D that I love using. It just makes everyone look better but you have to get up close and do at least a head and shoulders shot or closer.

FRAMING:
He needed a head and shoulders shot...that's what I took.

TOUCHING UP:
Thank you PHOTOSHOP and all of the other wonderful photo enhancing softwares out there that make us look our best!



I also used the bandaid tool to touch up some blemishes and gave his face a softer (Gaussian Blur) and did a color wash to even out his skin tones. Then I took an eraser and removed the color/blur from his eyes, nose, mouth, and hair.

This is my quick fix trick I add to the headshots I take for our local theater.

However, don't over do it!

I lightened Phil's teeth one shade lighter (Color Enhancements/Color Variation on Photoshop Elements) but when I adjusted the Lighting Levels...the teeth really popped! This was not my intention, but I did several versions and let him pick.
Basic Touch Up


Adjusted Contrast
Darker
Anyway...
The most important thing is to HAVE FUN and take LOTS of photos...you can always delete the bad ones!

This is actually an exercise where you have your subject blow out their cheeks when there smile is getting tense and fake looking. Try it! It really works!

Before you go...please check out the link on the German Shorthair Pointers. Travis and Gus have become and Internet hit with fur baby mom's beautiful photographs of this heartwarming pair. 



In memory of Travis.