Some portraiture

[justiceischeap]

Still playing about in Lightroom with presets to get the right look for my photography... I'm over the whole semi-HDR thing. I think I'm getting closer to something I like.

My friend Kelsey


My roommate Mike


My roommate David


Daughter of David's coven mate


Random blue-collar worker


Meet-up member


My neighbor's new grandchild

[glinda]

1. Love the title on the last one especially!

[Sherman A1]

2. Great Pics

I just finished doing a batch of Senior pics for a friends niece (Single Mom of 3, trying to hold down expenses where she can and I did it for free). Some good, some okay, some really, really bad. But, as I told them upfront, you are not getting a photographer, you are getting a guy with a camera who uses the "we take lots of pictures and we're bound to hit something. 2 outings, 1 Prom, 1 Family Graduation Party and 600 shots later they are sure to have at least a couple of somethings to put in a frame or family album.

[justiceischeap]

3. Thanks. That's pretty much how I feel

and I'm always surprised when I get something I think is decent. My roommate David has a friend that wants me to shoot his wedding. I told him I don't know what the 'f' I'm doing and he said that I couldn't do any worse than anyone else then. I still feel the pressure though to provide something decent for them. It is their wedding after all. I kinda dislike that when people know you enjoy taking photographs that you'll enjoy taking all kinds of photographs.

[Sherman A1]

7. Yup, I do like doing portraits, but

I would have to improve by several magnitudes to reach the level of amateur and these were the young ladies HS Senior Pics so I get what you are saying about not feeling entirely comfortable doing the wedding. While I was "Dragooned" into doing them, I did find the young lady easy with which to work and I set out to have fun. We started at a local park just to get comfortable with each other, I had given her a book I had on posing, so she had some ideas what was involved.

My suggestion to you, is to ask the couple to meet you at a local park in your area and do a test run of some shots. It's possible that you could do very well or just not have enough chemistry to get the right shots. The shots you had here were pretty good from what I could tell, but a wedding is a different ballgame as you know.

[justiceischeap]

10. Thanks for the tip

I'm pretty familiar with the couple, my roommate has them over often but hanging out and shooting the sh*t is much different than capturing lifetime memories.

[Sherman A1]

11. Good Luck with the shoot & wedding

I would offer to come help and be the back up camera, but I am sure that geography and scheduling wouldn't allow.

[justiceischeap]

12. Appreciate the sentiment. nt

[Stevenmarc]

4. Well it's good

you're over the whole semi-HDR thing because any HDR and portraiture usually doesn't work, well unless you are shooting 110 year olds from the Urals.

[justiceischeap]

5. I like the Dragan effect for portraits but it really only works

on super wrinkly people with crazy hair.

When I say semi-HDR, I was using a lot of "clarity" when processing in Lightroom. Now, not so much.

[Stevenmarc]

6. The Dragan Effect is the Photoshop

equivalent of paint on velvet without the kitsch.

[alfredo]

8. Successful use of effects is when no one can tell you used one.

[justiceischeap]

9. I don't find these photos to be paint on velvet at all

[alfredo]

13. Intense photos. I don't think anyone would see them and see "effects."

Because they are done right, you see what the photographer wants you to see.

That's why I stay away from effects. I just don't know what I am doing when I get into heavy processing.

[Solly Mack]

14. Love the young girl.