Portrait shots

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

okok cool it ya? it doesn't do anyone any good to be engaging in such banter. peace :heart:

 

[student]

"#1 Stop your blasphemy."

ill do what i like thank you very much. if you dont like that, then...well thats just tough for you isnt it.


"#2 You have nothing better to do? If you have anything to say that might do some justice to the human brain, then go to the "Stephanie" thread instead of spewing trash here."

heh. me nothing else better to do. so says the man who has nothing else better to do that to waste his time here spewing diatribes against DP. theres a word in the dictionary for that. its called hypocrite. in any event, thanks for the invite, but ive already made my points. so here endeth the lesson, student.

Typical answers from those who cannot debate on facts and logic!

Judge!???

 

[raptor84]

I think "auntie" zaren has got it down well. That adding on the fact thet you need to know your camera and exposure fundamentals very well

 

[roygoh]

jesus, give it up dude. its not like he slept with your wife or something..

Please watch your language.

 

[roygoh]

student and jdredd, if you wish to continue your debate, please do so in another thread in kopitiam.

 

[student]

Please watch your language.

Thank you. I did warn him on that.

 

[PnS]

i suggest three steps;

1. admiration
2. imitation
3. improvisation

step 1: "admiration": find out what portrait shots inspire you. study and appreciate the works of the best portrait photographers, through books, the internet, photo exhibitions etc.

step 2:"imitation": ask yourself whether you can imitate these works as closely as possible. try setting up the shot to achieve the same effect as the famous portrait photographer. experiment with your models/subjects to achieve similar poses, expressions, effects backdrop etc.

step 3: "improvisation": having discovered what it takes to make a super portrait photograph, develop your own style. don't be afraid to do something differently from the "masters" if it results in a photo that elicits more feeling and impact.

Your advise seems to be the most useful

 

[student]

student and jdredd, if you wish to continue your debate, please do so in another thread in kopitiam.

I have no wish to continue debate with him. He is not worth my time.

But I would like you to explain why you felt my comments regarding DP was irrelevant.

It is abundantly clearl I have zero love for DP, and I will not shed a single tear for him.

But the thread starter did ask for assistance and advice to make portrait.

Since #1 DP loves to give advice on portraits, and #2 DP is the only person whom I know who publicly said he "specialise" in portraits, perhaps he might be the right person to give advice, given his well-known love to give advice. You do not think so? Is this recommmendation inappropriate?

However I realised my recommendation may not be right after digit's post. So I clarified in my second post, explaining why my recommendation might not be correct. Is that wrong?

After that I stopped making reference to DP, and gave some general comments to help clarify TS intent. I hope this part is acceptable to you.

 

[student]

i suggest three steps;

1. admiration
2. imitation
3. improvisation

step 1: "admiration": find out what portrait shots inspire you. study and appreciate the works of the best portrait photographers, through books, the internet, photo exhibitions etc.

step 2:"imitation": ask yourself whether you can imitate these works as closely as possible. try setting up the shot to achieve the same effect as the famous portrait photographer. experiment with your models/subjects to achieve similar poses, expressions, effects backdrop etc.

step 3: "improvisation": having discovered what it takes to make a super portrait photograph, develop your own style. don't be afraid to do something differently from the "masters" if it results in a photo that elicits more feeling and impact.

These three points are very useful, not just for portraits, but also for any other genre of photography.

However, I approach it differently. My emphasis (and my question to TS) is the first point (step 1).

There are many genres of portrait photography, ranging from streets, glamour/beauty, formal, psychological, fashion, environmental, experimental, etc etc. The field is vast. Of course one can spend a lot of time looking at lots of images from lots of books, etc, and get an idea what resonates with oneself, before going in specifically into that area with your other points. (steps 2 &3)

If the TS have absolutely no idea what type of portraiture he is inclined to, then there is a lot of home work to do. If he already has some idea, then it is easier for others to suggest further directions to make the kind of portraits he wishes to make.

 

[Canonised]

anyone can briefly tell me how to take good portrait shots?

A good portrait shooter is never cowered by:
1. age (many good portrait shooters are very young, students, etc.. and also of course some of them are in their 60's...)
2. hardwares : have seen really nice portrait shooters using PnS cam, kit lens, etc...

what you need are:
1. Passion
2. Creativity and ideas (the x-factor)
3. Focus / Objective - specialisation
4. Time
5. Practice

 

[Larry]

I have no wish to continue debate with him. He is not worth my time.

But I would like you to explain why you felt my comments regarding DP was irrelevant.

It is abundantly clearl I have zero love for DP, and I will not shed a single tear for him.

But the thread starter did ask for assistance and advice to make portrait.

Since #1 DP loves to give advice on portraits, and #2 DP is the only person whom I know who publicly said he "specialise" in portraits, perhaps he might be the right person to give advice, given his well-known love to give advice. You do not think so? Is this recommmendation inappropriate?

However I realised my recommendation may not be right after digit's post. So I clarified in my second post, explaining why my recommendation might not be correct. Is that wrong?

After that I stopped making reference to DP, and gave some general comments to help clarify TS intent. I hope this part is acceptable to you.

Your animosity & ongoing debate w DP as well as your opinion of him is well-known. You yourself admitted as much above. So it calls to question your motive for raising such a suggestion as to refer the thread-starter to DP in the first place, without another more constructive comment. In a subsequent post, you stated that "Actually we do not know if he really knows what portrait photography is about because we really have not seen much of his images. But he is very good at finding faults with other people's images."

So why point someone to refer to DP when you obviously don't place much credibility in him?

Pls don't cloud the thread with semantics & logical arguments and asking for clarification for roygoh's motives. Yours are clear enough to anyone who knows the history. Roygoh was entirely justified in his actions to steer the thread towards a more constructive discussion, and as moderators, it behooves us to exercise our judgment as we deem fit.

Moderator
ClubSNAP

 

[student]

Your animosity & ongoing debate w DP as well as your opinion of him is well-known. You yourself admitted as much above. So it calls to question your motive for raising such a suggestion as to refer the thread-starter to DP in the first place, without another more constructive comment. In a subsequent post, you stated that "Actually we do not know if he really knows what portrait photography is about because we really have not seen much of his images. But he is very good at finding faults with other people's images."

So why point someone to refer to DP when you obviously don't place much credibility in him?

Pls don't cloud the thread with semantics & logical arguments and asking for clarification for roygoh's motives. Yours are clear enough to anyone who knows the history. Roygoh was entirely justified in his actions to steer the thread towards a more constructive discussion, and as moderators, it behooves us to exercise our judgment as we deem fit.

Moderator
ClubSNAP

You can exercise your judgements as you deem fit. But I do not have to agree with you.

My way of thinking is to look at arguments logically. Personal feelings are of secondary importance. I had written to roygoh to look at the comments in context. And how they developed.

If moderators do not want to deal with logical arguments, it is your perogative. You guys are entitled to your own ways of thinking. I respect you guys spending time as moderators. But I do not have to respect your thinking.

In any case, I had stopped refering to him in this thread. See my subsequent posts.

 

[Larry]

In any case, I had stopped refering to him in this thread. See my subsequent posts.

Thank you for that.

General note to all:- Pls refrain from further OT posts hereon. Any such post will be removed without warning.

Moderator
ClubSNAP

 

[student]

So why point someone to refer to DP when you obviously don't place much credibility in him?

Just to clear up a couple of things and I won't come back to this thread anymore.

#1 If you guys had kept up with the so-called "ongoing debate", you will have known that I wrote several times that I am not in disagreement with most of what DP said in his often acid criticisms. What i do not like is his delivery. I pointed this out many times.

#2 It is true that DP hardly post any pictures on CS, and therefore from that perspective, his credentials as a portrait photographer may be suspect. However that does not mean he cannot take pretty pictures that please his model. And I do know at least he could please his models. So from that perspective, DP is qualified to give advice to someone on "portrait photography" especially when most "portraits" shown in CS belong to the kind of pictures DP makes anyway.

I will not respond anymore. Log off from this thread.

Have a pleasant weekend.

 

[Tetrode]

One important non-technical skill of portraiture or portrait photography is the ability to put your subject at easy. The ability to do this is paramount in capturing the essence of their true character.

 

[ziploc]

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