Close-Up Portraits of Karen : Sometimes Good Photos Come Out of Tricky Situations
Introduction
A few days ago I did a tutorial on "Easy Black And White Portrait Conversion" and used a photo of Karen from this shoot at Dunstanburgh Beach in Northumberland during winter.
I thought it might be nice to share some of the other photos from the same shoot. It was absolutely freezing and the longer we were out there the more Karen's makeup was coming off and her nose was running. Plus there was a breeze too which was making her eyes water. This was making a mess of her makeup but somehow it seemed to fit with the shots (at least for me). Sometimes in life adverse conditions can make for a great shot!
These are very closeup portraits taken with my Sigma 70-200mm lens. If I had a favourite type of shot I would say it is this very closeup, raw kind of portrait. The longer lens gives a very flattering compression of perspective and beautiful bokeh.
I hope you like them.
The Photos
1 - You can see the makeup is getting a bit ropey but it gives it an interesting feel.
2
3
4 The Photo from the tutorial. You can see how much the light was varying between the shots.
Bonus Shot
5 - This is a bonus shot from the same shoot although it looks completely different. I asked Karen to put her hood and gloves on and warmed her up in the car (if I remember correctly). She also fixed her makeup. I decided to take a shot with her still wearing the hood. I also moved her to get more light on the face. I love this shot but it lacks some of the rawness of the preceding ones in my opinion. I didn't really get any more that looked like this because it was getting too dark - most of the light from this came from the flash - it looks brighter due to adjusting in PS.
6 - Of course I couldn't resist doing a quick black and white version of photo 5. This is a very basic Lightroom conversion. I just clicked the B&W button and let LR choose the colour mix. I can't decide if I prefer this or the colour version.
If you like my work please follow me and check out my previous photography work and tutorials @thecryptofiend - hope you enjoy.
Technical Information:
- Nikon D800 Camera
- Sigma 70-200mm/2.8 lens
- Adobe Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.
- Model is Karen Thompson Pringle
- Location is Dunstanburgh Beach in Northumberland, England.
(Verification for me here: http://www.aapicture.com/about-me)
What a beautiful woman. Great subjects and the appreciation of them always comes through the lens. I feel the energy of the photographer is as important, if not more so, than the subject itself. My love for my favorite subject always turn out to be my most amazing shots!
Your photo number 4 is AWESOME! I love the full-on gaze, the composition, the color, the clarity on parts and the haziness on others. I love that her lips are the only real color yet doesn't detract from the intensity and feeling in her eyes. This one is definitely my favorite.
I also really like no. 6--this pic is great in color, but I think the beauty of it in b/w is that the textures are not overtaken by the color, so stand out as a true display of depth, tone and focus. The density of the fur, the shine of her gloves, the glisten in her eyes are all accentuated by the simplicity of b/w.
Thanks again, @thecryptofiend, for providing this opportunity to examine our preferences and the messages we share through the lens.
Thank you for your kind words.
Great shots. Even though you said it was cold outside, the light on her face gives the photos some nice warmth. And the black and white version in photo 6 enhances her expression and tone of the photo! Excellent!
Thanks:)
Great shots
💋 @halo 💋😇
Thank you:)
More beautiful photographs, and yet another interesting and lovely model. I like the 'raw' shots, such cool colors between her hair, lipstick, sweater and amazing eyes, but the one with the hood is terribly charming.
Thank you. It means a lot coming from you:)
EXCELLENT COMPOSITIONAL WORK! 11/10!
Thank you:)
thecryptofiend I need to get into photography so I can photograph all these beautiful women looks like a great job
Lol yes:)
Seeing how tough the conditions you had to work in were, you did a great job. Fantastic photos! :)
Thanks. Yes it was hard because it was so cold.
She looks rather cold in the first couple pics. The bonus shot is awesome, would make a great movie poster for a new James Bond villain!
It was sub zero temperatures and we were next to the sea with a cool breeze blowing in!
Man, that's some hardcore photo shoot right there. I'm amazed your fingers didn't freeze trying to manipulate your equipment!
Great shots! 👍
Thank you:)
She looks much more comfortable with the hood and gloves on! Great portraits!
Yes definitely:)