50th Aniv. Portrait

[kennykodak]

The lady is going to celebrate her fiftieth wedding anniversary. She had a custom dress made and called for a quick portrait in it.

[Ian]

Re: 50th Aniv. Portrait

It's an eternal question, should your sitter smile, not smile, keep their mouth closed or show off their gnashers!?

How does one resolve this fundamental question?

Ian

[kennykodak]

Re: 50th Aniv. Portrait

when it's the client's image, it's their call. many wont show teeth whereas some couldn't do a pleasant closed mouth smile if they had to. as a photographer we try both ways but in the end they decide. when doing this for "hire" it's about their personal taste not ours. good question though. the subject had to be in her mid seventies, i doubt i would have won any argument over expression. as Bob Dylan once said in a song, "money doesn't speak, it swears".

[Pol]

Re: 50th Aniv. Portrait

Well I think that's a lovely picture. Nice background, nice dress and clearly a very nice lady. She doesn't look old enough to have been married 50 years either ... unless she married when she was somewhere between 5 and 10.

I dare bet she'd be thrilled with it.

Pol

[kennykodak]

Re: 50th Aniv. Portrait

i'm going to place a little effort in marketing "the baby boomers" as we call the generation here. she's a little bit older but many people are becoming in their sixties, have money and would like to be remembered nicely. church directory companies take a big segment of this market but the care to detail and essence of subject is lacking. as an older photographer i should capitalize more on this market and less after chasing two year olds. people are more at ease if they can identify with you. remember for most, sitting before a camera is not a natural act, or comfortable. a good discussion on this market would benefit many in this recession.

[Pops]

Re: 50th Aniv. Portrait

Its a lovely portrait and the background compliments the dress nicely.