The Lazy Eye

Posted by Philip in Photo Philosophy, Photo Technique

I have an advantage over most photographers. It’s not dashing good looks or superior technical skill.  My advantage is a vision issue.  I see the world two dimensionally and have nearly all my life. This “problem” means I’m not very good at sports or anything that requires an exceptional handle on depth perception. There is a parallax (distance between images) in your two eyes that allow you to see objects in 3D and give you important distance information.  I don’t have that ability, however I don’t have a problem walking or driving since there are plenty other cues to gauge distance.  So how can my vision problem help you?

Should you go around winking at your models/subjects all the time?  Most people would have a difficult time viewing the world through only one eye long term.  So, just be aware of the parallax between your eyes when you are shooting.  And when you are setting up before you start looking through your lens, look at the scene through one eye.

The Photography Tip of the Week #044

Posted by Philip in Podcast

044 Photography Tip of the Week (audio)

Aye Aye

One complaint I hear from photographers of all skill levels is not having a variety of people as subjects for photos.  Whether you are trying out new techniques or you are tired shooting the same people over and over, finding subjects to shoot is often a photographer’s biggest personal challenge.  Asking someone to model for you can be daunting and sometimes nerve wracking. It makes no difference if they are doing a shoot for free or for some form of compensation.  Most of the time, just ask and they will say yes. I have a short list of things I do when asking someone to model for me.

1. If you can, ask face-to-face.  Online or over the phone is so impersonal and it’s easy to turn down someone that’s not face-to-face.
2. Make sure you smile.  It doesn’t have to be a cheesy grin,… actually it better not be a cheesy grin, just enough of a smile to show you are comfortable with asking them.
3. After you ask, give a little nod like you are saying yes.  This is a bit of a psychology trick that many magicians employ.  Where ever they look, you look.  If they ask you a question and nod a bit, you will often agree with them especially if you haven’t had a chance to think about your answer.
4. After you ask, if they have reservations, offer up a compromise. Like, “if you aren’t satisfied with what we are doing or don’t like the photos, we’ll stop.”  You want them to feel as comfortable about you taking their photos as possible.
5. Have a few photos with you of other “models” you have taken so they can see your work.  I have a number of photos on my iPod Touch.
6. If they are uncomfortable with their looks, make sure that they understand that post processing the photos can work wonders.
7. Don’t immediately start taking pictures.  Take some time to talk and get to know them.  And if you already know them go over a list of shots you want to get a list of any they may want.
8. Take time to explain what you are doing and what you hope to achieve.  This way they can better anticipate your needs.

So where can you find these people to ask.  Start out with people you know.  This way you can build up your portfolio.  These people will already (hopefully) feel comfortable around you.  After you have a few photos under your belt, take a walk.  Walk around your town or city with your camera out with the sole purpose of taking pictures of interesting people.  I’m working on a photography book about my local county.  So I use that as a conversation point.  If you are carrying a big camera and tripod around many people will stop you and ask you what you are doing.

But if the key is to find people you don’t know to be models.  See about joining a local photography meet-up group.  Many of these groups will plug into either the local models or bring people who want to become models.  And don’t forget, if you are going to publish or sell the rights to your photos, get a model release.  It will also help  you in the future to get a photo of your model holding the release.

Photo Retouching a Face Pt.2

Posted by Philip in Photo Processing

Here is the promised part 2 of the photo retouching a face.  These are the enhancements in Photoshop after doing basic adjustments in Lightroom or Camera Raw.

Photo Retouching a Face Pt.1

Posted by Philip in Photo Processing

I’ve had a number of people ask me about the steps I take when I do facial retouching.  This is part 1 of 2.  In this I show the adjustments I do in Lightroom.  The next part will be enhancements in Photoshop.

The Photography Tip of the Week #043

Posted by Philip in Podcast

043 Photography Tip of the Week (audio)

It’s all in the eyes

“The eyes are the window to the soul.” I don’t know how true that is in real life or as real as a metaphysical determination of an interesting quote can go. But in photography, the eyes are the most important feature you must photograph. Except if you are doing landscape photography… or architecture photography, … or abstract photography, … or space photography, … or food photography, … or product shots, … Well, it is the most important feature in people photography. While in a shoot with people, you have to concentrate on the eyes. With multiple people in a shot, the person with the clearest/sharpest eyes in the photo is most likely going to become the person people notice first. The eyes also set the tone of the photo.

Finding photos that are good/reasonable but don’t show the focus is difficult and I must admit rather embarrassing. I don’t like showing off photos that aren’t up to my standards. Here’s one that is what I would consider marginal. Over all I like the look. The motion blur in the background is nice and if you can’t tell this is taken at a skate rink. I was panning with my subject so I got some wispiness in her hair, but all around the image is slightly out of focus. Not enough for most people to notice, but enough to get a ho-hum.

Here’s why, take a look at her eye at full resolution. There’s a softness to it that isn’t unpleasant, but it isn’t exciting. That overall softness may be nice for someone showing some age, but for her features it’s unnecessary.

This shot was taken later and obviously she wasn’t skating. I also used a very bright flash, in this case bouncing off the ceiling with a bit directed at her so I could get the catch lights in her eyes. Even though you may not notice it, this image has quite a bit of noise in it, but it doesn’t detract because her eyes are sharp and bright. They are the obvious focus and set the tone. Fortunately they don’t say who is this guy with the camera. They say, I see you and I know you are looking at me. Eh, maybe not. But it certainly sounds good.

So now lets take a look at the eyes at full resolution. Sharp, bright and a nifty catch light from the flash. The rest of the photo could have errors, blemishes or a tight depth of field. As long as the eyes are sharp, the image will stand out.