Day 439 - Portrait of Tye

 

ISO 100, 125mm, f/13, 1/160 sec: one light, camera left side—soft box

ISO 100, 100mm, f/13, 1/160 sec: two lights, camera left side—soft box,  camera right—hard

 

ISO 100, 150mm, f/13, 1/160 sec: three lights, camera left front—soft box, camera left rear—hard, camera right rear—hard

ISO 100, 70mm, f/13, 1/160 sec: four lights, camera left front—soft box, camera left rear—hard, camera right rear—hard, camera right rear—ground

The final project for portrait photography. Woo hoo!

Tye is one of the sophomore basketball players. I wish I could say I have watched him play for both years, but I admit, my interest in basketball did not peak until I went to shoot it for the first time.

When I asked the coach if I could take his portrait, he was more than agreeable, they are very good to me. Tye and I scheduled a time for 9 am this morning... I never took into account the fact that he was 19 and finished with finals.

I had to laugh when I looked at my phone and discovered that he had left me a text this morning  at 3 am asking if we could do the photos at 10:30 instead of 9. I was already set up and ready to go. So the coaches and I made idle chit chat waiting for Mr. Sunshine to rise and shine.

Totally worth the wait.

Day 438 - Portrait of Karen

 ISO 100, 90mm, f/14, 1/160 sec

Tomorrow I will shoot my final images for my portrait class. 

My assignment is to shoot four portraits, starting with one light working up to four. I won't lie, I have been in panic mode. Lighting has been a total crap shoot for me. Light, shoot, crap. Repeat.

That is, until David Hobby spent a little quality time breaking it down for me on the Flash Bus Tour.

I am meeting with one of the basketball players in the morning and Karen graciously sat for me tonight as I walked through the steps.

Woman, you rock! Thank you for helping through Lighting Confidence 101.

Day 426 - Portrait of Terry

ISO 400, 145mm, f/2.8mm, 1/200 sec.

I work with Terry at the college. He's a theater kinda guy and probably one of the nicest men I know. I suspect if you needed the shirt off of his back, he would have it off and give it to you before you had to ask.

He was in need of a head shot for a position he is running for on campus. The request I got last week asked if I would take a head shot because "So far the photos taken do not reflect the friendly Terry that we know and love."

Oh boy, not that there was any pressure there.  When he wandered into my office today, I took him to the best place I knew on campus in the pouring rain and told him to look evil. Hmmm, I'm not so afraid of him now.


David duChemin had a wonderful post last week about waiting for the soul. I know that I tend to hurry through to avoid my own awkwardness and move on. I at least have this post bouncing around somewhere in my brain now.


When the lighting just wasn't right for the first pose, I didn't hedge at all when I turned Terry just a tiche, backed up and went again. I was so glad I did because when I look at this portrait, I see the wonderful Terry that I have grown to love and enjoy over the years.

Day 420 - Heritage

ISO 3200, 125mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec

During last weeks portrait class, we had a guest from the Lakota Sioux tribe. I wish I could remember his name, but his a grandson of Chief Red Cloud. He is wearing a replica of a garment that Chief Red Cloud wore.


Although he was very serious about his heritage, including a smudging before the portrait shoot, clearly he had a playful side.

Day 414 - Portrait of Alan

ISO 800, 27mm, f/4.0, 1/60 sec

Our assignment this week for portrait photography was to create an image of someone we respect and treasure.

The very first person I thought of was Alan. He was responsible for giving me my job at the college almost 11 years ago and then he retired just two short years later. He is kind and gentle and someone that I have always looked up to.

Alan and his little dog Maggie live in Portland, about an hour from my home. We picked the time and I took a vacation day so that I could go up to Portland and not feel rushed. My arrival time was set for 8 am.

It was an early day for us, we were up at 4 am. Since I love the evening skyline of Portland, I thought I would get there early and take advantage of some shooting time in the early morning. Despite all of the rain we've gotten this week, the morning looked promising.

As I crossed the river, I plotted my course of shooting in my head. I parked my car, put on my warm clothing and opened the back door to get my camera and tripod. Or not.

Yup, in my blond, senior moment this morning I walked out of the house without my camera. Tripod, light stands and light modifiers were all loaded, but no camera.

I didn't panic, but I was pretty happy I had gotten up there as early as I did. Drove the 60 miles home got my camera and drove back up.

I never even used any of my other equipment, I just used the available light from the window.

Sheesh.

Day 394

ISO 100, 33mm, f/4.0, 1/160 sec

Day 394 - The finishers

My third assignment for my portrait class is to shoot a portrait of two people that communicates something about the relationship of these two individuals.

Since both of my daughters have finished in the Portland Marathon, I thought it would be really fun to have them running in the foreground of the skyline at sunset.

Believe me, this was nothing short of ambitious. I discovered quickly that the fading light is a pain in the butt to work with when you have moving targets.

The girls rocked it though. Karen had flash patrol while I made the girls run the same mini-course over and over again.

Day 387

ISO 100, 102mm, f/8.0, 1/200 sec

Day 387 - Meet Tommylyn

Don Giannetti of Lighting Essentials is doing this fabulous 52 week photo project that I have joined (anyone is welcome to join at anytime). The assignment this week is a portrait of a stranger and here are the rules:

• - The person should be unknown to you.
• - It can be a street portrait, studio portrait or environmental portrait.
• - The portrait should be simply lit.
• - Tell us a little bit about the person – through the image and the caption.
• - Tell us how you approached and worked with the subject(s) for the project.

I was a little apprehensive at first, but this project really rocked.

Tommylyn is one of Salem's street advertisers and I have watched her stand on the corner waving and smiling at the traffic as they drove by. I love her enthusiasm, she really is a ray of sunshine. I have seen her so many times, she almost didn't feel like a stranger.

I was lucky to have the winter sun work it's magic for the lighting. When I walked up to her and ask to take her portrait, she was more than happy to do it. I stepped back and told her to work the crowd like she always does, because that is how I see her.

I stepped back, she put her headphones back in place and began singing gospel music to her mp3 player strumming her sign as if it were a guitar.

After several images, I went back to ask a few questions. Five years ago she sobered up and got clean. She is a former crystal meth addict shooting up everyday, several times a day and was in and out of jail. She gives all of the credit to getting sober to God. She says he gives her the strength and the energy to sing and dance as a street advertiser every day.

She loves being a testament to "yes there is life after meth." She never believed that she would have a relationship with her family, especially her sister, that she would have a job and even a beautiful apartment.

Tommylyn is a delightful lady.

Day 384

ISO 160, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec

Day 384 - Rosa

My assignment for this weeks portrait class was to create three images of a single person using available light.

Rosa is a student ambassador that works in our office.

For every ounce of beauty that she possesses, she also has personality. I really enjoy working with Rosa.

ISO 160, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec

Student ambassadors are hired to help recruit new students to the college. Rosa is brilliant and received one of the coveted scholarships that pays all of her tuition.

ISO 200, 135mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec