Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm — 1/500 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
at the very orange Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社), Kyoto Japan
The quick portrait of Zak Braverman I did the other day reminded me that I hadn't written yet about a photoshoot Paul Barr and I did in April, of a mutual friend, Yuko.
I've been trying to get better with portraiture for about a year, but my limited experience so far has been mostly with guys. Last April I did do a photoshoot with a photogenic married couple, including some nice shots of the wife; with that under my belt, a few days later Paul and I met Yuko at the dazzling Fushimi Inari Shrine in eastern Kyoto.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/1000 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
photo by Paul Barr
Yuko has a natural and infectious smile, but had no experience in front of the camera — only slightly less than Paul and I behind it — so things started off as one might expect: stiff as a board.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/500 sec, f/2.2, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
somewhat forced; it's a start, but we can do much better
I knew I had to give her time to get used to us and our lenses pointed at her, so the location was great for letting us explore as a group, to alternate between being silly and trying real portraiture. I have no clue what I'm doing with portraiture except to try to get the subject to forget, even if for a fleeting moment, about the camera. In that short instant, perhaps the real person is exposed, and therein lies the shot. Or so I imagine.
With that in mind, I don't expect much at the beginning... we'll try poses and such, but we're still warming up to each other, so I expect nothing to come of them but a step toward something better later in the session.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Part of my trying to make her at ease in front of the camera is to be silly myself in front of the camera, so at one point I demonstrated (in front of the passing crowds) the kind of pose I was looking for.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 34mm — 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
こういう風に
photo by Paul Barr
Of course I felt supremely silly, but it's only fair, since I'm asking her to pose the same way. (Though to be fair to me, a beautiful woman posing as a beautiful woman is not as silly as a geeky man posing as a beautiful woman.)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
now we're starting to get somewhere
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 11400 — map & image data — nearby photos
showing the results gives her confidence
photo by Paul Barr
To help demonstrate how fun and easy this all was, when I saw a couple (mid-60s?) in the crowd watching us with big smiles, I turned to them and said “now your turn!”, and posed them as a couple in the same way I had posed Yuko, and photographed them with their camera. Everyone had fun, and perhaps they got a nice shot out of it. And Yuko became more comfortable both with me and as a model, I hope.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
sheds that camera-shy feeling
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
she'd taken a silly shot of Paul and me
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
the reality was a serious “orange”, so color balance seems quaint and unrealistic
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
it's not much of a shot, but I feel a sense that I'm there
( of course, I was there, but I mean from the point of view of a viewer )
Another technique I thought might help her feel at ease in front of the camera was to have her take my camera for some shots.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 29mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
photo by Yuko
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/4, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
photo by Paul Barr
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
photo by Yuko
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
With that silliness out of the way, I went the opposite direction to “pensive”, perhaps about a far-away love...
And then we move on.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Paul is a fun person in most any situation
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 45mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
This particular section of path was not photogenic, but I paused here for more shots because it kept the flow going. The goal was not “good results”, but another step on the way to having her feel comfortable in front of the camera.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 52mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
fox statues are plentiful at Inari shrines
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
or whatever sound foxes make
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 58mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
from a friend who knew she'd be here doing this
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yuko was finally starting to get comfortable, and so were we, so the photos steadily improved.
It’s nice of you to document the experience, it’s quite interesting and entertaining to read. Out of curiosity, did you do any special processing on the shot titled “Me”? All colors besides orange look somewhat washed out, and I was wondering if you had selectively desaturated them for special effect.
No special desaturation…. they’re just washed out due to having set the exposure for the shadows I was standing in. And other than a few leaves, there wasn’t much additional color anyway, which looks unnaturally uncolorful next to the unnaturally colorful gates. I guess. —Jeffrey
The modesty and honesty in your blog posts about your portraiture learning quest are supremely refreshing. Its funny that you mention Zoolander in this post because many a photographer would have false-humbly posted these photos with a very Zoolander-esque atttitude and say something like, “Oh yeah, I was just fooling around and these gorgeous shots just kind of happened…. I dunno’ I’m gifted I guess.“. -Its very rewarding and educating to read your honest opinions about your work.
Save for that turned up collar, that shot Yuko took of you is nice. :-p (Beginner’s luck and your practice in front of the camera, I’m sure.)
Using those bright orange Torii gates was a great idea to allow your model something to fixate on since its not easy to get in front of a camera.
I live in Wyoming with my family. I thought I was signing up for your blog. . The whole thing. Your photos are awesome!
This is a very well done site.
Cheers!
Kimberly