
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm — 1/500 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yuko
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
“Uh, Okay, What on Earth do I Do?”
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
Smile
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
Having Fun Together
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
“Sort of Like This”
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
Yuko's Version
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
Opposite Side

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 11400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Team Effort
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
Paul's Turn

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just Being Silly
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
More Silly Fun
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
Less Silly

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Playful

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Futile
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
Real
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
Me
photo by Yuko

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/4, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yuko, Pro Photographer
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
Getting my Zoolander on
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
More Silliness
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
Yet More Silliness
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
More Poses
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
Three Foxes
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
Grrr...
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
Incomming Message
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
Paul's Turn Again
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