Hello Students,
This assignment is an advanced study in portrait photography. You will have to find a volunteer to model for you. Your task is to take a series of portraits as outlined below. The challenge with this project is to coach your model to position themselves in a way that shows their best look. A standard roll of film has 36 exposures. Take at least 2 rolls worth of film, or roughly 70 photos over the course of this challenge, create a Contact Sheet and choose your final 7 images from them.
Advanced Portrait Study Assignment:
Your client (who is a famous model, celebrity, or actor, or millionaire executive, or anyone with money) has just hired you to shoot a series of portraits for an upcoming magazine ad/article/brochure/book/event/website/etc. Your job is to get them to open up and show their best side to your camera. You must coach them, break them out of their comfort zone and follow your directions to show their best look.
Required Reading:
- Find a volunteer to act as your model. You will be shooting many shots so they must be committed
- Shoot a series of images for each of the techniques listed below. Upon completion you should have over 70 images to choose your final 7 from
- Final deliverables: Contact Sheet and 7 final images posted to blog
1) Alter Your Perspective:
A photographers instinct is to shoot at eye level, try an extreme angle from different sides. Try to position yourself around the subject, not vice versa. Try multiple angles and take a shot or two from each one.
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Photo by striatic
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2) Looking Off Camera/Off Frame:
Have your subject framed at different distances and looking off camera. Have your model focus on something unseen or seen, off in the distance or closeup. This helps create an air of mystique. Shoot multiple shots from different distances.
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Photo by monicutza80
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3) Looking Within The Frame:
Have your subject looking at something within the frame. Consider what they are looking at. If it is a snack they might seem hungry. If it is a cell phone that is ringing perhaps they look annoyed.
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Photo by paulbence
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4) Experiment With Lighting:
Try shooting indoors with no lights except our studio lights. Try looking for a single light source, or anywhere with deep shadows or shadows that can cast a patter on the models face. Try light sources from the front, back, sides. Shoot multiple images.
5) Get Your Subject Out Of Their Comfort Zone:
Ask your model to get out of their comfort zone by doing something active such as jumping, spinning, dancing, riding a bike, sprinting, stretching, doing kung-fu etc. Shoot as many action shots as you can, make sure to adjust your exposure settings to reduce motion blur.
6) The Candid:
Ask your model to go about their business and pretend you aren't there. Follow them around, shoot images and try to capture those natural moments.
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Photo captured by Christopher Rye
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7) Get A Smile:
While you are taking pictures, at any time, tell a joke and try to make your model laugh a genuine laugh. If you time it just right and anticipate their laughter you can snap a shot at the right time.
Last Step) Make A Contact Sheet Of All Images:
A contact sheet is a great way to view all your images at once. That way your client can see all the images easily and pick the best ones.
This project is due Tuesday. - Mr.W
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