Finished up some more head shots. Eventually I’d like to get the awesome Rokinon 85mm lens for taking better portraits. The Nikon 35mm prime is nice, though I worry that features are too distorted. (I usually stay a few feet back and crop closer to hopefully negate the wide lens).

   So since I’ve been working in local film projects in the last couple years, I took it upon myself to go outside my norm and try something new. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with taking portraits/head shots for people to use, but I’m glad I did it.

   I really prefer environments or capturing those objects that people never paid attention to. Actually dealing with people head on is a situation I usually don’t find myself. I knew it was going to be challenging, but I cannot turn my back on an opportunity to grow as an individual. The most difficult part was giving people instruction. I’m not used to guiding my subject into the proper position for the photo. Partly is because of my distaste of posed photographs. I prefer a natural situation that lends itself to a little moment caught in an image. I think I did well for my first crop of head shots. These were some of the best in the series and hopefully bring in some work from local actors.

   I’m charging relatively cheap at $65 to not scare away students from this opportunity. Most professionals charge nearly $300 or more! At that range, most of the inexperienced actors do not get proper head shots, perhaps even costing them the role in a film. Since I’m fairly new to this side gig, I want to be fair but professional to all.

   Even though these first sessions were a completely new experience to me, I definitely see the value of posed photography. To be able to bring out a look or emotion through direction is a skill. I no longer look down at posed photographs, but I still do not prefer it. Despite this, I do want to get better and more comfortable with portraits and interacting with the subjects themselves. It was a great experience. I feel more comfortable with portraiture than I ever have and look forward to my next session!

   So I have finally finished all the photos for Lance’s calendar! I had some that turned out really well! I am glad that I was given this opportunity. I was able to take a shot with portraiture (which I never really wanted to), and now I even consider doing more portraits in the future. I’m just glad that I can add these shots to my portfolio and hopefully get more work out of it!

   Also, I’m pretty sure that I’ve made up my mind to get the Nikon D7000. The only reason for me stating this is that I have an Amazon wishlist of all the accessories I want to buy for the Nikon already! Well I’m trying to decide what would be the best accessories to get for a wedding. Besides the camera obviously, I’m considering a prime lens, a flash, a telephoto lens, and possibly a battery grip (not really needed, but nice for the vertical functionality!). I’ll have to see where my funds are and what will give me the most bang for my buck.

   Lastly, I added an even newer music player to the right side of the page! I’m glad grooveshark made this cool widget. I’ll update it periodically with music that I’m listening to. For now, it consists of select songs from Enigma. I find these songs particularly haunting/mesmerizing. It really helps me zone out by transferring my thoughts to a completely different universe as these songs create lush soundscapes within my mind. I hope someone else can appreciate!

   So I was given the opportunity to try my hand at portraiture this fall. My friend Lance approached me in helping him out with a calendar featuring his newly bought Dodge Challenger along with some female friends. I have never really taken portraits before and was a little nervous, but I could not turn down the opportunity to get some experience. Also the photos below are the images I’ve finished editing, but I have a few more for the calendar that will go up once I have finished!

   Overall, I think that I did a good job. My ability as a photographer grew along with my portfolio. I am pretty nervous around people anyway, but forcing myself to interact with my subjects one on one was interesting. I loved the feeling of knowing that I was doing something right and seeing the image come together. The best feeling is when you are snapping the shutter and know without a doubt that those images are golden.

   Another challenge besides working with the subject was the light. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to shoot at that special “magic” hour right when the sun is setting. I really enjoy using natural lighting, especially when it’s diffused and evenly lights the entire photo. Those photos are particularly flexible within Photoshop, giving me the ability to play around and adjust the final image.
   The downside of shooting at this time of day, is that you don’t get much time before you lose all light. There was one day where we had four women ready for photos. To try and get four decent images of four women posing and taking turns all within an hour is pretty daunting. So we learned quickly not to overbook an evening of shooting.
   Speaking of lighting, I decided early that I wanted the winter months to feature cooler temp colors on the photos, while the summer months features warmer colors. Unfortunately some people dropped out, and we didn’t have enough models to go around. So while the idea worked well in my head, some of the women will be featured twice. This breaks what I was going for, but oh well; live and learn.

   I’m glad I helped out with this project. I think that it will really come in handy when I’m shooting a wedding in April. If anything, set photography and these portraits will logically assist me with wedding photography. It is like a blend of both. We’ll see when April rolls around!

   Also this was the last project using my Canon 30D. It is already sold! I feel slightly naked. It’s been a long time since I have been without a camera. Once my tax money arrives, I’ll be making the hard decision as to which camera I’ll purchase, the Canon 60D or the Nikon D7000…. hmmm.