What took you to the next level of portariture?

Eighth Avenue

Eighth Avenue

Messages
1,254
Name
Iain
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,

I was browsing the internet, flicking through my favourite photographers websites and marvelling at their work as I usually do :) when a thought hit me. These guys must have started out at the normal basic level and have improved, so....

have you ever had a lightbulb moment where you've tried something new that just worked and has significantly improved your work that you have stuck with ever since?

Iain
 
Last edited:
What's normal? It's all relative, isn't it? Maybe it's when you start to learn to use DOF effectively for the first time, that seems AMAZING if you are used to a point and shoot. Or the first time you got the flash off camera, and achieved your first butterfly lighting, maybe? Or maybe it's when you realised that technique is secondary, and personal engagement is more important?

You see, when you start out, you learn a technique here, another one there. You keep learning those little tricks which makes up your box of tools from which you can choose the right tool, depending on what you think is appropriate. Over time, your toolbox is filled to the brim, and at stage you just know that you have reached a new level of competence. But that's all it is. While there are better ideas than others, photographic skills is accumulative, and not reliant on "Eureka" moments.
 
I think for me it was when I started to think about environmental portraits: the idea of externalising people's inner characters through the place where they live and work allowed me to communicate more about them in a single shot than it was possible to do with a more normal portrait.

Still haven't taken a good one, mind, but the theory is sound. ;)
 
I think for me it was realising that I could be artistic where as before photography I had written off any kind of artistic skill even though I had the ideas!
 
I think the lightbulb moment is when I stopped obsessing over the quantity of light (I'd got exposure nailed) and started to think about the quality of it.

The next one was realising that what was ordinary to me isn't universally ordinary. Looking at other photographers work and being jealous of their fancy locations, I was overlooking how 'special' my locations could be to others too.

But as above, photography is the tool that I could use for artistic expression where my drawing and painting skills had let me down.
 
Phil V said:
The next one was realising that what was ordinary to me isn't universally ordinary. Looking at other photographers work and being jealous of their fancy locations, I was overlooking how 'special' my locations could be to others too..
Click to expand...

Thats a great point .... I always look at other peoples pix and marvel at the exotic and far flung locations .... when maybe to them my location is just as interesting.
 
Beyond basic technique and an understanding of exposure and composition, photography is an art and fully subjective of course. The best breakthroughs come through content, rather than technical merit as far as I'm concerned. A "level" is judged by the majority, as how it compares with popular trends at the time.

Terry Richardson's portraiture is in fashion, the way it's lit, it's simplicity and styling...but technically it's no master piece. He's reached the "top level", but I don't think he would've taken a shot like his for the first time, and thought, eh up what a breakthrough. Because it's been done before. However, it's popular, and it's going to stand the test of time.
 
Reference, reference, reference! Study the Masters rather than the mediocre.
 
BazEP said:
Who would you count as the masters from an educational perspective?
Click to expand...

My main inspiration away from TP.

Michael Herb. http://www.flickr.com/people/204studios/

His blogs and set-up description is extensive and very descriptive. Started off as a speedlite man, then on to mains lighting, and it goes to show although you need to consider with care with your lighting technique and modifiers, you don't need extensive lighting or expensive camera gear to produce very striking and artistic ideas.

So to answer the OP question.

What took me to the next level and the next level and the next level? I consider I crawled before I could toddle before I could walk and like to think I am just about at the walking with still some concentration regarding lighting and portraiture. Next steps are jogging, running, sprinting and then oh my god I don't know what.

Main inspiration from having no clue to now has been TP. It is like having a multi-faceted mentor/library/teacher/product forum/everything else a budding togger would need. It has given me the inspiration and the tools to get where I am now, where you can use current and archive threads alone to learn some very serious skills. I stopped buying magazines, and have decided against joining various societies/organisations etc purely becuase of the online resource I have here.

All hail TP!
 
Last edited:
Marcus Geezer said:
My main inspiration away from TP.

Michael Herb. http://www.flickr.com/people/204studios/

His blogs and set-up description is extensive and very descriptive. Started off as a speedlite man, then on to mains lighting, and it goes to show although you need to consider with care with your lighting technique and modifiers, you don't need extensive lighting or expensive camera gear to produce very striking and artistic ideas.
Click to expand...

I can see why you get inspiration there, however my question was more - who are regarded as THE masters of portrait? I have a books of Jane Bown and HCB with some really outstanding portraits. In terms of educating myself about styles etc who else should I be looking at?
 
My portraits moved to a new level after purchasing my 1st reflector which allowed me to shoot backlit portraits using natural light and exposing the face with reflected light. I find particularly in delicate light conditions it's my favourite technique and much less harsh than using fill flash.
 
BazEP said:
.....however my question was more - who are regarded as THE masters of portrait? ....
Click to expand...

Karsh, Leibovitz, Penn and Arnold have to be up there somewhere, if only for their sheer volume of work with the who's-who.... personally I love Corbin but he's not to everyone's taste.....
 
Last edited:
Try these to name a few

David Bailey
Rankin
Martin Schoeller
Annie Leibovitz
Terry O'Neill
Terry Richardson
Vincent Peters
Uzo Oleh
Uli Weber
Mario Testino
Helmut Newton
Ellen Von
Dave Hill even...(check out his black and white film portfolio)

Alot of them shoot/shot fashion too but have a dig around and you'll find their portrait works :) hope that helps
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
Try these to name a few

David Bailey
Rankin
Martin Schoeller
Annie Leibovitz
Terry O'Neill
Terry Richardson
Vincent Peters
Uzo Oleh
Uli Weber
Mario Testino
Helmut Newton
Ellen Von
Dave Hill even...(check out his black and white film portfolio)

Alot of them shoot/shot fashion too but have a dig around and you'll find their portrait works :) hope that helps
Click to expand...

Now there's some new year reading....

Thanks

Dean
 
Still LOTS to learn

But I think going for a tight crop and realising it was OK to cut off the top of the head sometimes was a bit of a lightbulb moment.

Also realising that being snobbish about natural light or flash, or even flash v studio is no way to progress. As has been previously mentioned you (we) need to build up the toolkit, including knowing the camera inside out, I'm bad at that, instead of just sticking with the basics.

Keeping an open mind and keep on taking that picture of the bottle of wine on the kitchen unit until you can't make it any more stunning then you already have
 
Hmmmm, I guess the ding moment for me was when I first started using ultra shallow dof when I got my first 1.4 lens for my film body back in the early 90's...

Then it went ding again big time when I discovered off camera flash and softboxes :D

Then finally it positively went BONG when I ended up on my first trip to Africa 7 years ago...

To quote... "if you want to make better pictures, stand in front of something more interesting" (y)
 
Lots of "ding" moments but one in particular lately - Presets and plugins!!

Dean
 
Training
I appreciate there are many out there and you need to be very selective but training will help. You may think you know more than you do.... i thought I knew more but am starting from scratch again and learning from the ground up!
 
Wow, it's interesting reading thru what everyone defines as their personal 'lightbulb moment' as you called it. I think most likely mine was learning to use DOF more creatively & realising roughly which kind of work represented me & the photographs I imagined the most. I'd always thought I worked best in natural light but during my college course I discovered that I worked just as well with continuous light soft boxes on a low setting. If I'm honest, that surprised me & it just goes to show that we should never stop experimenting! I'd never have discovered my hidden love for studio techniques if I hadn't studied, just to confirm what @EOS_JD mentioned. Perhaps next on my wishlist is a reflector?

I've had those moments where I feel especially inspired by dreams, books, locations or another photographers' work, & think of new ideas for a new collection ~ that's often given that feeling of a breakthrough. Hopefully I'll have more 'lightbulb moments' to come!?
 
Last edited:
A reflector :) All you need is a cheap piece of white card - A 5 in 1 can be had very cheaply.
 
@EOS_JD
Think I've found a rather cheap one, folds up smartly into a little bag! Cheers for the suggestion :}
 
Last edited:
Mine does too :)
 
IamAshlyRose said:
Wow, it's interesting reading thru what everyone defines as their personal 'lightbulb moment' as you called it. I think most likely mine was learning to use DOF more creatively & realising roughly which kind of work represented me & the photographs I imagined the most. I'd always thought I worked best in natural light but during my college course I discovered that I worked just as well with continuous light soft boxes on a low setting. If I'm honest, that surprised me & it just goes to show that we should never stop experimenting! I'd never have discovered my hidden love for studio techniques if I hadn't studied, just to confirm what @EOS_JD mentioned. Perhaps next on my wishlist is a reflector?

I've had those moments where I feel especially inspired by dreams, books, locations or another photographers' work, & think of new ideas for a new collection ~ that's often given that feeling of a breakthrough. Hopefully I'll have more 'lightbulb moments' to come!?
Click to expand...

Don't just think about adding light, think about taking it away :) The black side of my V-flats get used alot more than the white. Just saying (y)
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
Don't just think about adding light, think about taking it away :) The black side of my V-flats get used alot more than the white. Just saying (y)
Click to expand...

I need to lok at that more often great point (y)
 
Very interesting thread. My approach to portraits changed once I realised what I didn't like.

I went on an excellent training course (by Bert Stephani) on using off camera flash but realised that I much prefer the shots I take in natural light and, because of my usual subjects, not having to faff around with lights.

Then, looking through the work of others, I decided I don't really like the very deep depth of field shots. I am still too tempted to go to the other extreme and shoot at 1.2-1.4 when something a little closed down would be more appropriate, but I am getting there.

Oh, and getting Silver Efex Pro 2 made me realise that B&W portraiture is a different ballgame and one that I enjoy.
 
Great thread. I had a point and shoot and was awful. A really good friend brought her slr to our house and took some great pictures of our kids. From that moment (just over 18 months ago) I wanted to get better.

My eureka moment (granted not as big a step as many of the talented toggers here) was using DOF and the single focus point on the eyes.

However am just looking for suitable softboxes and reflectors now after reading the above!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top