[Marianne]

OK, feeling brave enough now to post in this section now....
This was a taken at a photo-shoot with our camera club. Barry was watching the model talking and noticed she had a tongue stud, so me being me, waited until everyone had done all the usual model poses, and then I asked her to poke out her tongue!

[Braeden]

lovely photo Marianne

very pretty eyes too.

[Dave]

She looks a tad embarassed...or is that the blusher

[CT]

It's a nice shot and there isn't a thing technically wrong with it beyond it needs a slight sharpen?

DJW put his finger on what's wrong with it and it's not you, it's the model, she looks self conscious and slightly embarrassed, and no doubt she isn't a professional model, so it's quite understandable, but this is one of those 'In yer face' shots that needs a full on brass neck approach. One of Arkady's girls would know how to do it .

Why do pretty girls insist on having these studs anyway??? Dont tell me, I think I know.

[Marianne]

I do find posed shots rather boring anyway...much prefer candids....I liked her coyness, she was only 17 I think. Her lttle smile when I asked her told me she was quite proud of her tongue stud The sheer naughtiness of the shot is what appealed to me really

[Venomator]

Great shot, embarrassed or not ... reminds me a lot of how my daughter introduced me to hers ... eventually ! That says a lot too ?

Only thing I would say otherwise, and mainly because it struck me when I first viewed it and that is the pose appears more pointed and poignant if the space under the hands is cropped out ? It is how it works for you at the end of the day though that counts.

Web site portfolio is great Marianne !

[Arkady]

The lighting's a bit boring - two lights at 45 degrees to the sitter? I'm looking at the catchlights in the eyes here.
To me it looks like a passport photo with the plain backdrop (apart from the tongue sticking out, obviously).
Technically OK, but nothing to commend it compared to some of the other stuff you've posted.

[Marianne]

I agree, it does look better cropped to under the hands and you know what Mr Arkady?, apart from the fun side of this shot I find it boring too , which only goes to prove that the way I like to take a photo usually works better and pleases me more than a set up bit of studio work at the camera club.....it was a good experience, my first using studio flash anyway

[Joe T]

Originally Posted by CT

Why do pretty girls insist on having these studs anyway??? Dont tell me, I think I know.

If you watch the film Pulp Fiction, that will tell you...

[Arkady]

It's something I never have enough time to practice on, and the one thing I really wish I had more time to apply myself to.
We touch on studio lighting, but most of what I learned has come from studying images taken by other photographers and working out from the catchlights in the eyes where the lights were positioned.
As to using natural light - you're preaching to the converted here - the struggles I had with the Military Schools who make you use fill-in flash for everything under the sun, you would not believe.
Only now am I in a position to influence the way things are done - my success in hitting the broadsheets is a testament to that.

One day it'll all be good.

[Dave]

Promised to treat myself to a home studio setup at some time....money allowing. Have no experience of the area, so lots to learn.

Interesting Rob brings up not using fill in flash, as had just read article about portrait Photographer James Bignell, who stated ...

"When using natural light you need to know how to best position people & what you can & can't do. Having spent a lot of time using light in the studio , you can use that knowledge to utilise light outside" . He claims to not even supplement available light with fill flash, believing an overcast day is fine as longs as it's not really dark or raining.

[Arkady]

One of my better investments was a 3-head Bowens kit a few years back.
Comes out to play for the occasional family portrait.
I used it for the industrial shot over in Farnborough last month as well.