Are the portrait shoot on CS just shooting a pretty face?

[sprintist]

No offence to all but this a question i've been challenging myself

Are the portraits on CS just shooting a pretty face(same angle, bokeh, poses, albeit different dresses and face) and nothing else?

Aesthetically and techinically wise, some are really good but is the recipe used all over and over again only on different models and location?

Of course some works are really mind blowing but they are very rare here.

Are we expecting to see true blue improvement in pictures in terms of controlled lighting and concepts other than a outdoor shoot and everyone shooting the same model with almost similar angles ( a few degree of difference if they stand near each other).

The creation and first meetup of Sg Strobist I thought was a great leap for newbie photographers like myself even though I read about it only after it concluded.

Mr flipfreak has been experimenting with off shoe lighting and that's quite encouraging too, will we see more budding and learning photographers follow in that footstep soon?

I'm just voicing my opinions, if there's any direct flaming please pm and curse me but I am looking forward to likeminded and un-likeminded point of views!

 

[night86mare]

i have to agree with you

one point to also add on, even for the usual poses, etc with bokeh.. you can see some much stronger shooters, should move to that level if you want to specialise in that

just look at kongo's stuff, you look already won't feel like posting comments like "nosebleed"

you just want to go wow and ask him how he does it

paiseh, expressing fanboy opinions here

 

[yamapi]

yes,pretty face alone.
Then we have the same old usual and limited pose.
recurring places of shoot.

 

[Yapster]

Agree with ya as well. I would prefer more strobist stuff to be employed on potrait shots as well.

Personally, not into posed portrait shoots though. Not yet.

This guy is good.

http://www.stateofthenation.co.nz/

 

[hacknet]

well, amature photographers put together with amature models. what more could you expect. i feel a lot of the time, these shoots lack direction. on top of that there are normally at least 4 people shooting a particular model at anyone time. its truely impossible to set up fancy lighting rigs at these sort of shoots. even if you are able to, then come the technical problems, the triggers and the settings and all. at the end of the day, unless you have time on your side, you're just going to be one frustrated person and the other's sharing the model will be equally frustrated. it might be much easier if you had the model for yourself, but how often does this happen on CS?

 

[redstone]

I find shooting "pretty girl" kinda plain portraits boring.

 

[razor]

Well, i think this is the right place to put these images and hope someone out there comment and give pointers. They may be the same to some but if this forum does not give newbies a stage to show their weekend "catch", what are the alternatives? Its easy to be an armchair critic, saying this and that should be done or not done, but if you give really positive criticism, maybe these guys improve over time. but there will always be a new group of newbies going thru the same cycle.

 

[sprintist]

i have to agree with you

one point to also add on, even for the usual poses, etc with bokeh.. you can see some much stronger shooters, should move to that level if you want to specialise in that

just look at kongo's stuff, you look already won't feel like posting comments like "nosebleed"

you just want to go wow and ask him how he does it

paiseh, expressing fanboy opinions here

so there's more depth to it too, if it wows you, do go and ask then can share w all of us too. Unless its strictly a trade secret haha

yes,pretty face alone.
Then we have the same old usual and limited pose.
recurring places of shoot.

we can't blame singapore having no new locations can we? haha i always curse that many times silently in my heart, if i say it out loud sure get blasted because there are many hidden spots yet to be explored!

Agree with ya as well. I would prefer more strobist stuff to be employed on potrait shots as well.

Personally, not into posed portrait shoots though. Not yet.

This guy is good.

http://www.stateofthenation.co.nz/

Saw the links, those are off shoe flash? or strobes?
favourited that link just for future references heh

well, amature photographers put together with amature models. what more could you expect. i feel a lot of the time, these shoots lack direction. on top of that there are normally at least 4 people shooting a particular model at anyone time. its truely impossible to set up fancy lighting rigs at these sort of shoots. even if you are able to, then come the technical problems, the triggers and the settings and all. at the end of the day, unless you have time on your side, you're just going to be one frustrated person and the other's sharing the model will be equally frustrated. it might be much easier if you had the model for yourself, but how often does this happen on CS?

hmm maybe that was how the thread of models demanding pay came about? haha like they mentioned demand high so in order to cater enough supplies price goes up..not exactly perhaps..in that thead's case is from 0 pay to a price. haha

I find shooting "pretty girl" kinda plain portraits boring.

quite agree to a certain extent but i believe besides that, as learning photographers, there are more or less some ropes to be learnt, we cannot definitely slam that case down too

 

[sprintist]

Well, i think this is the right place to put these images and hope someone out there comment and give pointers. They may be the same to some but if this forum does not give newbies a stage to show their weekend "catch", what are the alternatives? Its easy to be an armchair critic, saying this and that should be done or not done, but if you give really positive criticism, maybe these guys improve over time. but there will always be a new group of newbies going thru the same cycle.

CS is really somewhere fellow members can learn, I myself benefited alot from this forum..i remember my first few pictures i submitted on the critique section, back then we could submit more than 1 pic..thinking back my picture was a clueless and boring orange finger flower..with more than desired contrast and saturation. haha

so regarding those critics, i suppose its pay first, then go shoot, come back post and learn from mistake. hopefully during the shoot, they can learn some what to and what not to do along the way. that could speed up the learning process on the spot, taking advice from the more experienced. But time is money, more often than not, everoyone might be eagerly waiting for the model to look over and snap. How true is my opinion?

 

[Deadpoet]

Totally disagree.

Why you might ask. Let me ask you a question, please define "pretty face" using definitions that are commonly adopted?

 

[sprintist]

Totally disagree.

Why you might ask. Let me ask you a question, please define "pretty face" using definitions that are commonly adopted?

Well i would be putting it more simply across as a simple model, one either that has the figure to kill, looks to seduce or even the just above average looking model plucked from nowhere. The least is being photogenic and what makes the average photographer on CS wants to pay for the organised shoot or private shoot.

Now, its time to hear from someone who disagrees, let's share your ideas!~

 

[yamapi]

Totally disagree.

Why you might ask. Let me ask you a question, please define "pretty face" using definitions that are commonly adopted?

What does a "bimbo" tell you?
nice packaging but lack ingridients

 

[binbeto]

Not really.

Sometimes, if we are lucky, we get to see some good figure as well.:bsmilie:

 

[Canonised]

Correct me if I am wrong ..... we have on many occasions when we met the "model" the very first time....we have, literally got a little shock!:dunno: The model has lousy size, lousy shape, lousy height, lousy dress sense and worst of all, a not so nice face.
Then our brain started to work, and wondered how to present her in the best of light .... and we tried. We shoot, we experimented, and we finally got it.
Finally we did manage to get some nice images where we can proudly present and post them as "pretty faces". :think: .... the model looked at them and was surprised and happy, and that gave them a lot of confidence boasting, and encouraged them to work harder for their next shoot.
This, i believe is the essence of portrait photography in a public forum, and i dont think there is anything wrong with it.

 

[phoakm]

Correct me if I am wrong ..... we have on many occasions when we met the "model" the very first time....we have, literally got a little shock!:dunno: The model has lousy size, lousy shape, lousy height, lousy dress sense and worst of all, a not so nice face.
Then our brain started to work, and wondered how to present her in the best of light .... and we tried. We shoot, we experimented, and we finally got it.
Finally we did manage to get some nice images where we can proudly present and post them as "pretty faces". :think: .... the model looked at them and was surprised and happy, and that gave them a lot of confidence boasting, and encouraged them to work harder for their next shoot.
This, i believe is the essence of portrait photography in a public forum, and i dont think there is anything wrong with it.

Well Said :thumbsup:.......As my Si Fu always say, challenge yourself to make the subject presentable

 

[Rashkae]

the model looked at them and was surprised and happy, and that gave them a lot of confidence boasting, and encouraged them to work harder for their next shoot.

... and charge more... :bsmilie:

 

[wakaowalao]

Correct me if I am wrong ..... we have on many occasions when we met the "model" the very first time....we have, literally got a little shock!:dunno: The model has lousy size, lousy shape, lousy height, lousy dress sense and worst of all, a not so nice face.
Then our brain started to work, and wondered how to present her in the best of light .... and we tried. We shoot, we experimented, and we finally got it.
Finally we did manage to get some nice images where we can proudly present and post them as "pretty faces". :think: .... the model looked at them and was surprised and happy, and that gave them a lot of confidence boasting, and encouraged them to work harder for their next shoot.
This, i believe is the essence of portrait photography in a public forum, and i dont think there is anything wrong with it.

Erm sorry, if the "models" falls in even one of those categories, please tell them to go home, wash their mirrors, take a bath and wake up their ideas then go out and fly some kite, not even thinking of charging a single CENT!

 

[Cheesecake]

everyone has a different perception to beauty, fotorgaphy and portraitures.

everyone has a different level of understanding n appreciating portraitures as well as taking them.

not everyone can appreciate a dark, goth-like shoot, nor can everyone appreciate nude fotography.



cut urself some slack. most likely we all jus want to enjoy the hobby first n foremost.

 

[nemesis32]

There's nothing wrong with shooting "pretty" models. It's often said that find a nice model and your job of taking a nice photo will be much easier, which is true. It's easier to take a nice picture of a supermodel than someone you just grab off the street. It's just factual.

That said, it's up to each photographer to decide on how far they want to develop their skills, technique, unique style etc. People like Kongo, Will etc all develop through this way. Of course, some lucky photographers may have their development quicken through the time/money/network that they have.

One more thing to add is that to expect those CSers who attended group shoot to come out with very different photos is a bit unreasonable as they sometimes do not have 1 to 1 time with the model, to know the model, the look at the most favourable angle to shoot the model, to pose the model.

Like what cheesecake says, cut yourselves some slack and enjoy. If you want to take it up another notch, look for a mentor and learn from him, read from book and copy/imitate the style or attend some of the better workshops/lessons (i.e. PBS workshop... not sure still running. LOL).

 

[Deadpoet]

Correct me if I am wrong ..... we have on many occasions when we met the "model" the very first time....we have, literally got a little shock!:dunno: The model has lousy size, lousy shape, lousy height, lousy dress sense and worst of all, a not so nice face.
Then our brain started to work, and wondered how to present her in the best of light .... and we tried. We shoot, we experimented, and we finally got it.
Finally we did manage to get some nice images where we can proudly present and post them as "pretty faces". :think: .... the model looked at them and was surprised and happy, and that gave them a lot of confidence boasting, and encouraged them to work harder for their next shoot.
This, i believe is the essence of portrait photography in a public forum, and i dont think there is anything wrong with it.

We pull every trick out of the bag, we deliver, the girl now feels she is god gifts to modeling, and overnight, we created another deluded soul ...