Jacob Rainey Headshot

[joefoto]

Here's the kind of high key portrait shots our theater executive director likes. This photo is for the annual student production. We need photos that will reproduce well for posters, programs and newspapers. Please comment on everything from basics through posing, etc. to help me become better at this work. The shot was taken in color and processed through ACDSee.

Joe

[Archangel]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

Here's the kind of high key portrait shots our theater executive director likes. This photo is for the annual student production. We need photos that will reproduce well for posters, programs and newspapers. Please comment on everything from basics through posing, etc. to help me become better at this work. The shot was taken in color and processed through ACDSee.

Joe

Hi joefoto,

My personal opinion on this is:

This type of photo is a complete "look at the lens, slightly turned and smile" stereotype photo. The entire photo reveals an artificial setup and look.
These type photos are not supposed to be:

1. id/ passport or driver's license photos
2. police photos of criminals or "Wanted Dead or Alive" photos
3. portrait artistic treated photos

and they cannot promote the student's talent either.

I would personally prefer, if these students were captured on some natural and different poses in some theatrical scene as background. In other words these students photos in the way they are going to be used, should show the students in their natural environment, promote better their talents and possibly reveal what is their artistic character in the play. So I think they should be photographed:

a. while acting on the play (can capture emotions, moves, reveal type of character of the play, e.t.c)
or
b. while not acting on the play, but still with some theatrical type of background (can reveal their natural type of character or of their life behind the intense lighting and without any make-up)

and as I said before in natural poses and not in fixed stereotype old-fashioned "looking straight to the lens, slightly turned and smiley"

This is my personal opinion and totally different from the theater executive director's one.


Regards

George

[joefoto]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

George, I thank you for your direct and specific comments. And I Agree!

In the meantime, I'll try a few as you suggest and see if I can influence her to accept something less penal. For example, photograph as more of a silhouette style and without direct eye contact. Or, horror of horrors, maybe more than just head and shoulders!

With regard to this specific shot, and within the boundaries imposed by my customer, any ideas on how to improve the result?

Joe

[Archangel]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

George, I thank you for your direct and specific comments. And I Agree!

In the meantime, I'll try a few as you suggest and see if I can influence her to accept something less penal. For example, photograph as more of a silhouette style and without direct eye contact. Or, horror of horrors, maybe more than just head and shoulders!

With regard to this specific shot, and within the boundaries imposed by my customer, any ideas on how to improve the result?

Joe

Joe,

I don't think there is much to do with this specific photo apart from adjusting the contrast to light up a little the left part of the forehead in order to distinguish the skin. That will probably enhance slightly the entire photo's contrast. Also, a very slight touch up in sharpening maybe will reveal some extra detail too.


Regards

George

[Blank Page]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

You said the theatre director likes high key photographs, but I think an exception should be made in this case. The white background overpowers the subject's dark skin, on my monitor at least, and I would think that even more detail would be lost in the face with reproduction in a print medium which might produce an embarrassingly silhouetted effect. The same would go with a slightly bleached out white face against a dark background; reproducing it in print would exagerate bleached look.

As for pose and expression, this actually strikes me as a yearbook style portrait, though a good one. I don't know if that's what the theatre director wants, but aside from that, he looks like a happy, genial guy whose picture certainly wouldn't deter me from buying a ticket to the play. But in my opinion, I would try to lighten his face as much as possible and bring out as much detail as you can, especially for program and newspaper publication.

[joefoto]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

Thanks for the advice. I'll work some more on this shot as you suggest.

Joe

[joefoto]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

George and Tom,

I reduced contrast, increased brightness, and adjusted levels. I didn't do any sharpening, as so much more detail showed up after these changes. My big concern is showing his skin tone as too much lighter than I perceived it.
But the changes make a substantial difference. Thanks for your advice.

Joe

[Blank Page]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

This will certainly reproduce better than the first one. Another thing, now that I see the shadow cast by his nose, it looks like your light was too low. But it still wouldn't stop me from seeing the play.

[joefoto]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

You caught me!

I was fighting some flash problems throughout the shoot. When setting up, I had used a relatively short stool for the subject. But just before the cast came in, I found a much better, but taller, stool backstage and used it. I am rushed during the shoot, because this is the night of the first read-through, and the cast was just named late the prior evening. Almost all the lighting was at or below eye level, and I didn't catch it until my last shot. (mea culpa)

The shadow of the nose to his right side and the one on his neck to his left side are the more obvious tip-offs, but you can see it in the light reflections in his eyes too.

Thanks for the help, Tom.

Joe

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

You caught me!

I was fighting some flash problems throughout the shoot. When setting up, I had used a relatively short stool for the subject. But just before the cast came in, I found a much better, but taller, stool backstage and used it. I am rushed during the shoot, because this is the night of the first read-through, and the cast was just named late the prior evening. Almost all the lighting was at or below eye level, and I didn't catch it until my last shot. (mea culpa)

The shadow of the nose to his right side and the one on his neck to his left side are the more obvious tip-offs, but you can see it in the light reflections in his eyes too.

Thanks for the help, Tom.

Joe

Sorry to say this, but on my monitor the 2nd photo after bringing out contrasts etc make his skin look whitewashed. His hair looks as though a plastic bag has been put over it! One eyebrow is much darker than the other. People with dark skins, or Afrique complexions have beautiful reflections to their skins unlike Caucasions, so I would prefer the first shot quite frankly, albeit a tad unreal in pose etc & not enough contrast! This is only my personal opinion!

[Archangel]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

George and Tom,

I reduced contrast, increased brightness, and adjusted levels. I didn't do any sharpening, as so much more detail showed up after these changes. My big concern is showing his skin tone as too much lighter than I perceived it.
But the changes make a substantial difference. Thanks for your advice.

Joe

Hi Joe,

You have overdone things here. Everything is too bright and shiny to the point that details are ruined.
Give a slight kick up to the original, but just a slight one.


Regards

George

[chryslerchick]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

im not realy 1 to be giving advice,but on my comp the pic is way to bright & the hair is looking like speckled dots, & has lost alot of depth from the facial tones.i like the original but just needs as slight bit more light

[joefoto]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

Here's another attempt, execising some restraint this time.



Is this better?

BTW, I'm using a Huey for color calibration, but setting brightness and contrast is an arcane art. I do get a good match with my printer, however.

Thanks, everyone,

Joe

[Archangel]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

Here's another attempt, execising some restraint this time.



Is this better?

BTW, I'm using a Huey for color calibration, but setting brightness and contrast is an arcane art. I do get a good match with my printer, however.

Thanks, everyone,

Joe

Much better now Joe and better from both previous versions.

Regards

George

[chryslerchick]

Re: Jacob Rainey Headshot

this one looks sooo much better,good luck with your project