first time model shoot

DizMatt

DizMatt

DizMatt

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,488
Location
Seaham UK
hi!, not on here much at the mo, rushing around, but you'll be pleased to know I'm still expanding my repetoire with some band gigs for a local culture paper and on thursday I have a bit of a model shoot for an acquaintances portfolio.

off to the park with some costume changes and some nice locations, full lenth mirror and my kit
350D, 50mm 1.8, 105mm sigma macro, 28-105 USM, 100-300 USM, and 20-40 sigma 2.8., tripod
was going to use the 50mm for most of it stopped to about f4 or something for most of the work (advice ?)

any big tips, does and don't's or something from personal experience?
first time I've had a model wanting to point my camera at her so any advice is appreciated, cheers.
 
I'm no expert but the 50 will probably be the best to use. Also, if you get the model with the sun behind her, use a fill flash to eliminate shadows. And don't forget to post pics :p
 
Take an umbrella or make use of trees to cut out top light. Nothing worse than panda eyes in a portrait.

Get a reflector of some sort, white card or a white umbrella to bounce light in. Or use the brolly as a large diffuser.

Spare make up.

I have used our Canon 100mm F2.8 macro lens for portraits (equates to 160mm) before, so you may want to consider your macro as well.

As been said before, share the photos with us...for constructive critism of course
 
she's had some taken before but I thought they were pants
eyes out of DOF but the necklace perfectly in focus
colour balance poor
just phoned a mate of mine (lots of kit, 5D, 30D, L glass telephoto)
and am borrowing the 50mm f1.4 to compare it to my 50mm f1.8 before I buy and he's got the 85mm f1.8 too which he said is a good one to borrow
Might use my 105mm macro but it's 160mm ish on a cropped sensor

taking a full length mirror for her, could baffle that for some softer light reflection
an old friend did some modelling (http://www.jitsuka.net/mona/)
pictures NOT taken by me (some of which are good, others not so much),
but I might try to emulate some of the shots as a starting point
 
she is yes, went out with her too for a short time (she was slumming I think :p)

tomorrows model is not as exotic looking, should be a good day out :)

a sample of her previous shots for which she paid a lot of money
natasha1.jpg
natasha2.jpg


the first one seems burnt out to me with bad constrast and the 2nd the necklace is in dof but the eyes aren't, baffled me to be honest
 
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OK, ive done both outside and inside modelling shots, cant post them as the girls will be might unhappy.
But one thing i can tell you is outside ones are very very hard indeed if you dont have some sort of lights or flashs set up.
The ranges of lights, really messes with the look and quality, and they dont come out nearly as well as studios. Backgrounds can be very distracting, so go with something simple like bush with flowers or just grass. Or a chair anythign that doesnt involve any buildings, or long distance views behind. Use foliage as a background, or gain height.

.Use a powerfull add-on flash the inbuilt one wont suffice.
.Try and get hold of a light meter if you dont have one, and meter for fill in flash to contrast with background.
.Get low down or very high up for varation, head on is boring
.Fill the frame totally with some shots, (like above) Modeling shots suit close ups, anything to far away allows eye to wander from model who is the important part.
What she is wearing is just as important as lighting, as it can effect overall look, same with makeup, and hair.
Use limbs for composition from corner to corner, vary head angle, as i the middle is boring.


Il try and think of some more.
 
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thanks, postponed until tomorrow, but some great tips there, exactly what I was looking for
will take them on-board
 
well that was the most fun I've had with a model when she's kept most of her clothes on! 1.3Gb of jpeg later. didn't bother with RAW this time round, not enough card space.

A mate was present also with his 5D, the swine and we mainly shot using primes, 1.4 50mm and 1.8 85mm, also borrowed his 28-70mm L glass, lovely piece of kit but too heavy for use all the time.

Have a few minor samples for you to share
comments welcome, but it's my first model shoot and I want someone pretty conventional for her to use.

1
_MG_4408.jpg


2
_MG_4507.jpg


3
_MG_4520.jpg
 
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8
_MG_4527.jpg


9
_MG_4683.jpg


10
_MG_4597.jpg


11
_MG_4607.jpg


Pleased with the way the whole afternoon went. First time with someone like this posing, nice looking girl who was very professional about the whole thing really, a pleasure to spend time with. She's in Nottingham and if you want to hire her the afternoon I'm sure she'd be happy to work.
Comments welcome, straight from the camera, JPG, too much to do today now, so will tweak and then sort out a gallery later on.
Hope you enjoy
 
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Have you done any post processing yet? I think most of the shots are nice (when she smiles) but I think they lack some good processing.

They have lots more potential. :)
 
Colin_da_Killer said:
Have you done any post processing yet? I think most of the shots are nice (when she smiles) but I think they lack some good processing.

They have lots more potential. :)
Click to expand...

Agreed. Good composition on them but they're crying out for some leveling and contrast :)
 
nothing done in PS yet, straight from the camera and they're JPG's not RAW
wanted more shots
will have a play when I get the chance, busy weekend and friday night ahead!
 
Very nice shots DizMatt, will come up very nicely after some post processing as said. Where abouts did you go to shoot??
 
If you give me one i can show you what to do to get the best out of them in PS.
Got to say not as impressed as i thought i was going to bed, i dont mean to be rude, I just dont think the composition works in many of them. Is ths the best of the best?
 
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