Portraiture Photography


Originally posted by Poledra
.
Uncle Larry, I'm not really speaking in code. 'You-know-who' is just a subsitute for a name. *poke*

u mean your uncle Larry knows who is "u know who"?
 

Originally posted by lavenderlilz
u mean your uncle Larry knows who is "u know who"?

:bigeyes:

Okay, you're going way off here.
You-know-who is.. Well... Him....... in church. ;)
 

Originally posted by Poledra
:bigeyes:

Okay, you're going way off here.
You-know-who is.. Well... Him....... in church. ;)

Of cos i know who is u know who. Got the impression that Uncle Larry also knows.

Eh u sure none of ur church mates r reading this?
 

Originally posted by Cool_VIR
I've always ask my gf to pose for me but she she keep telling she doesn't know how to...?

eh, for my attempts in doing feeble portraits with my then-coursemates, for those who know i will shoot them, they know to behave as if i'm not there so that i can shoot :)

to me, "posed portraits" aren't natural anymore - though it can allow one to create moods to the picture.
 

Originally posted by lavenderlilz
Of cos i know who is u know who. Got the impression that Uncle Larry also knows.

Eh u sure none of ur church mates r reading this?

I don't believe anybody from church is reading this. Even if they are, they don't know who I am.

And Uncle Larry doesn't know. You're the only one, I think.

Okay, we better shut up in girltalk or they'll... :complain:...
 

Originally posted by sehsuan
eh, for my attempts in doing feeble portraits with my then-coursemates, for those who know i will shoot them, they know to behave as if i'm not there so that i can shoot :)

to me, "posed portraits" aren't natural anymore - though it can allow one to create moods to the picture.

:devil: Don't be too sure my friend.... ;)
 

ooops! :D

i mean, in my not-so-successful attempts la. i also totally at a daze when a model asks me how i want him/her to pose for me... sheer lack of idea/experience :D
 

Originally posted by sehsuan
ooops! :D

i mean, in my not-so-successful attempts la. i also totally at a daze when a model asks me how i want him/her to pose for me... sheer lack of idea/experience :D

Then the key here is to try... go flip through mags.. try the standard cheesy poses.. head and shoulders, make them smile in a cheesy manner even.. anything to make them feel comfortable...
 

pardon my late comment, as i haven't been accessing this forum too frequently.

thanx Wolfgang for your open letter.

Wolfgang: "Anyway, the singular fact that one is interested in portraiture photogarphy only because it's an opportinuty to be in the vicinity of a "pretty" model pretty much sums it all up abt what kind of a person he is."

very well said.

as a heterosexual member of the male species, i fully understand why others from the same group prefer 'pretty' models, "taking the chance to ogle". it's an expected and natural phenomenon, although that doesn't mean that it's right.

allow me to add to what has already been said.

i guess everyone wants their portraits to look good. and what's the easiest way to ensure that? use a gorgeous model. if you show your mediocre portrait with a gorgeous model to your drinking buddies, they'll probably be quite impressed, since the beauty of the model will distract from the inadequacies of your technique.

replace the face with a not-so-pretty one, and your portrait will be less appreciated, showing that the 'quality' of your portrait is directly proportional to the 'quality' of your model.

so if you really are serious about improving your portraiture, pick an ugly model ;)

sehsuan: "i mean, in my not-so-successful attempts la. i also totally at a daze when a model asks me how i want him/her to pose for me... sheer lack of idea/experience"

shooting a model requires a lot of planning. my first experience was quite stressful during the shoot itself. after every pose, you'll have to be prepared for the next one. and it's easy to run out of ideas after a while, esp if you're not well-prepared. and when you're out of ideas, it reflects badly on you the photographer. what i did was just to take the opportunity to give the model a break and chat with the model a little (esp important if the model is inexperienced), while racking my mind for ideas.

just another theory of mine on why men want pretty models, triggered by sehsuan's comment.
some men with egos needing strokes want to exercise some form of 'control' over a beautiful woman, and getting a model to do poses for you is one of the best ways to do it without crossing the boundaries of morality. plus the camera lens is a powerful phallic symbol :eek: maybe i should get a bigger lens :D
this theory is sponsored by the freud foundation :D

i think i'm getting carried away. maybe i should stop. soon.

IMO, a good (and cheap) way of improving your portrait photography is to use what is already available- street portraits. if you're with a friend, and you see an interesting 'pose', tell that friend to continue in that position and shoot.

once you've mastered that, you're really for models.
pretty ones.
 

meng kuang said:
hi new here!have anyone try child portraiture?


Welcome to Clubsnap. :)

Yes, there are some CS members here whom do a fair bit of baby and child portrait. :) I hope we can look forward to you sharing yours. :)

Once again, welcome. :)
 

that for sure! i just happen to find out abt this forum last month when ppl from here having outing near my place at queenstown!have spoke to one so came in to look look!
 

Hi MK

Look at his post, there is a www link there. Click on the www and it will bring you to his homepage loh....
 

Me, I dont mind to work/help as PA's because I believe that observing is the good starting for learning and working under one expert brings you a lot of chance to grow .
BTW what is the requirements to become a PA's? and how long the shooting will last (per session) I'm afraid that my working schedule doesnt meet the time.

cheers!!
 

cole said:
so if you really are serious about improving your portraiture, pick an ugly model ;)

I can't say that I'm very experienced in portraiture, but the hardest to photograph is not an ugly person. Someone with a very ugly face (very subjective) still draws the viewer to the picture. The hardest to make a good portrait of, IMHO, is a plain-Jane or plain-Joe. Average looking, with no discerning or interesting feaures. And it is not easy to find such a person, if you look hard ;)
 

Yeah, well said. Pretty faces were mention. How about great body shape. I like both. All the buayas out there would have an extra incentive to shoot.

Photogs are in a way voyeurs and gearheads - these are 2 very common traits among photogs, whether you like it or not, deny it or not.

A great winning shot is very difficult to produce. Moreover, those very pretty gals tend to be rather snobbish, with their noses literally in the air, and so more difficult to work with. I prefer to work with Plain Jane or in local argot, Ah Huey or Ah Lian. They are more casual and easier to get the kind of pose and effect and more importantly the expression of the mood.