Photograph, Image, Pixelsorganizedforpleasantviewing... call it whatever you want. I just call it "Classic Black Dress"
On one of the forums recently, there is discussion surrounding the use of photoshop and whether or not the end result is a photograph. I don't know, nor do I care. A whit.
Some of my images are made on film and some of them are made digitally. Most are the result of something I wanted to create. I see something in my minds eye and then set out to create it. Sometimes serendipity steps in and what I saw was transformed into something different, but equally appealing to me.
Many of my images have very little post processing and some, like this one, have considerable post processing. Does that change the nature of the work? Again, I am more focused on producing work than worrying about what someone may say about it.
This was created on Mercer Island, Seattle. A classic black dress and a small piece of old building combine with some Ivy for an interesting composition.
I wanted more drama so I added a speedlight in a small softbox to camera left and a speedlight in a small box to camera right. Camera left light is aimed at the subject, camera right light is aimed at the foreground.
The strobes are set to a little over the ambient exposure which creates pools of light and shadows... drama that wasn't there in the very soft overcast. By exposing for the speedlights, the light overall was a bit darker... again more drama.
In post I increased contrast with local masking and worked through several levels of luminance masking to make the image 'pop' a bit more. I then added the texture (old rusted metal) to give the image some patina.
I don't know if that makes it not a photograph... not sure I care. But it makes an image that I saw well before I had her stand there in the little doorway, in a classically static pose. Looking a bit awkward and distracted (good posing by the model).
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Uploaded on Nov 8, 2009
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The Point of this exercise was to make the white background white. First we metered the foreground subject, then... are you paying attention here? Sheesh.
White background metered to 1/2 over the main key light which is a grid spot on a 12" reflector. Ambient was supplied from a 60" umbrella. Grid-spotted light was 1/2 over ambient light and background is 1/2 over the grid.
Umbrella is slightly to camera left and behind camera, grid is on a boom and directly over axis of the lens. Background light is a zebra umbrella boomed over the top of Samantha and aimed at the background which is about 12ft behind her. I used some sort of radio transmitter (I think it was a cybersync) to fire the strobes which are some really old and funky Normans... for those of you who find that sort of stuff interesting.
She is wearing a black swimsuit and some really cool ear-rings.
Shot to the right and with little Photoshop (increased contrast and some skin retouching... minor work) is presented for your Friday night amusement.
The marvelous Lorri Mitchell did hair and makeup (http://www.lorrimitchell.com)
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Uploaded on Nov 6, 2009
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A lot of discussion on Meters lately. I wrote a long article on using a meter and "placing" the exposure for the effect you want.
www.lighting-essentials.com/using-a-lightmeter-and-placin...
I made sure that I used images that have very little Photoshop manipulation or fixes. These are images that are nearly straight out of the camera (but do have my final presentation added) so that you can see the absolute results of the lighting and exposure without any manipulated results.
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Uploaded on Nov 2, 2009
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Melissa: From an upcoming article on editng images and making choices on ProPhotoResource
Beauty Dish (22" Norman) on boom over camera axis, speedlight in a zebra umbrella over Melissa and behind at 2/3 over main exposure. Spray light is set at a distance of 8" from the background.
Large fill cards are added totally in front of her, allowing her arms to have a dark edge at the curve away.
Article should be published Monday.
Makeup and Hair by Lorri Mitchell.
www.lorrimitchell.com
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Uploaded on Oct 31, 2009
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Life. And Death. In Boston.
Taken in Boston Common.
The photograph was taken there as well.
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Uploaded on Oct 31, 2009
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