Attempts at a new style of portrait from me!

[david357]

Matt mono by david357 on Talk Photography


Jim mono by david357 on Talk Photography

An attempt at something new for me, these images were taken in daylight using flash, and inspired by Glyn Dewis, whose work I think is brilliant. I am fairly happy with the first attempts and now, having seen them on the screen can start to improve them.

Model in the first image was street photographer Matt Hart, and both pics were taken outside Cambrian Photography during their winter show.

My mate Jim Moody is the subject of the second image, taken in the same style but with the ambient exposure lowered, and my next attempts will be closer studies.

Both images were taken with camera in manual mode, and exposure was dropped to reduce the ambient light almost completely, then flash was used to light the subjects.

The flash was a Phottix Mitros+ used off-camera and triggered by a Phottix Odin transmitter, which is one of the few options for use with the Sony A7R2. It needs to be held higher in the next attempts, but my assistant's arms would not reach any higher this time (thanks Jude!).

Comments would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[XFile2708]

I thought I recognised Matt in the first shot - I've seen some of his YouTube videos and follow him on FlickR lol

I'm by no means an expert with portraits but my two-pence worth is I prefer shot #2 out of the x2 images.. the first shot of Matt is to heavily shadowed on the right hand side of his face for my liking..

 

[Pookeyhead]

Agreed... shot 1 has the light too far round to the side, resulting in the "black eye".

 

[david357]

Thanks Guys, I agree the second is better than the first, shows I'm learning already.
Glyn has posted a useful video on Youtube today that shows how to check that a modified speedlight covers the far cheek - much easier to do with studio flash with modelling lights.

 

[Tintin124]

I thought I recognised Matt in the first shot - I've seen some of his YouTube videos and follow him on FlickR lol

I'm by no means an expert with portraits but my two-pence worth is I prefer shot #2 out of the x2 images.. the first shot of Matt is to heavily shadowed on the right hand side of his face for my liking..

the effect of the shadow is making him look like he has a droopy eye too. But nice conversions to mono

 

[mrtoad]

i do prefer head and shoulders so we are looking at the man rather than all the attire...unless its for showing fashion
your second one suits me as its ripe for fine tuning using dodging so letting the unrelated areas be in the 'blackground'

cheers
geof

 

[david357]

Thanks Guys.