This isn’t great and definitely isn’t up to the level of a good, pro photographer but I get the feeling this is another one that’s being posted because of the subject and not the fauxtographer. If the girl had been pretty I might have still said “this photo sucks” but I don’t think I would have thought about sending it in to this site.
I’m not sure I agree, Kristian. The photo is blurry, it has horrible exposure, it’s awkwardly posed, and the concept is poorly executed.
Normally, I’d agree it’s rude to make fun of a photo just because of the subject, but this one has enough against it, I think posting it here is warranted.
On the contrary, I think this photo does a lovely lady a great injustice by not showcasing her in a more flattering manner. Besides, yellow construction tape? Don’t you think the fauxtog inadvertently insulted the subject by choosing to use it?
I would bet the CAUTION tape was not intended as insult, but more to imply that this lady is dangerous in the GOOD way. It was an opportunity ruined with blur and unflattering pose because the colour composition works very well and she seems a right attractive fuller figured lady. It’s not a good photo, but by no means a trainwreck.
I would hazard to guess it’s illustrating care must be taken when posing and shooting plus-sized clients. Ignoring the other factors that are wrong here (blur, hair tie around wrist), it’s very easy to screw up a photo of a heavier model if you don’t take care to flatter their unique physique.
Some people might think posting this is a commentary on the client’s size (which is distasteful, we all agree, since we’re here to look at photography and not models). I would say it’s rather showing how a photographer can make the client look as good as possible given the circumstances. Or bad, as it may be.
Who knows. Maybe someone was just being cruel in submitting this; in that case, jerk! For me, though, I just think the tog could have done better than to have her squished up on a floor with a hair band around her wrist and blurred into oblivion.
Side note: Saw a photographer post some photos today of a naturally thin model. I love their work, but the lighting made her look like a cadaver with bones sticking out. For a boudoir shoot, it was unsettling. So it’s not just plus sized clients photographers should take care with.
I just recently had a plus-size photo session. I can’t believe she kept her hair band around her wrist just like this image. And she wore a strapless dress…not the most flattering outfit for any size in my opinion. Tan lines, and it accentuates the big arms. Perhaps the yellow caution tape is a warning…to consult the photographer before choosing your outfit!
Yes, the subject *is* a critical part of the photo, so of course the subject *is* a critical part of picking the photo for this site. Of course.
Obviously, portrait photographers do not get the luxury of only having clients who are easy to make look good in photos. It takes skill and some talent to produce flattering photos for clients who are not super models or NBA cheerleaders.
Trying to do so and failing so dismally, yet watermarking and posting the failure to advertise their fauxtography business is completely worthy of mockery.
I feel badly for the lady in the picture, but it’s not her who’s taking the pic, setting up the shot, deciding on the pose, failing to get it in focus, AND yet still putting the picture out there as advertising for their business.
not sure, the background is as flat as it can be, and i am not sure about the photographer intention. not to mention the model could be at least maked up, or dressed different
Kristian, I actually think YOUR comment is rude. YANAP did not mention the looks of the subject, YOU did. You specifically said “if the girl had been pretty”, which means you think she is not.
“Hey, I have this cool ‘caution’ tape! Let’s use it in a portrait!”
“Yeah! It totally says, ‘I’m cool and hip’, to be surrounded by yellow construction tape!”
umm, i think its a bad idea and a bad photograph. regardless of who’s in it. I mean seriously what am i taking caution over? does this person smell bad? is she a heart breaker? is she diseased? the white balance is off, the focus is blurry and the pose is just bad.
I’m still trying to figure out if this is entirely poor focus, or if the photo was at one point cropped to a very low resolution and then resized a second time before watermarking. It almost seems more fuzzy than blurry…if that makes any sense.
You can ALWAYS make a plus-sized gal look good… this site even suggests how to do a nice nude with plus size! http://theperfectpose.com/2010/08/how-to-pose-plus-size-girls-for-boudoir/ I have a friend who wanted to become a photographer and his wife is a plus sized model. She sat him down and said “Ok Babe, I’ll help you, but you don’t get to work with anyone until you can learn to pose me and make a woman my size look good, because if you can, you can make every woman look good.” She made him treat her like a normal woman with no experience posing. She’s a size 22. They spent hours and 2 years later he started shooting other women for his portfolio. One was a group shot of the ladies in our charity group. He did individual portraits too. Women of ALL shapes and sizes, he made every single woman look like a rockstar. I’ve never been so impressed. He posed each woman and made them each feel like a million bucks without being creepy and we did look like a million bucks. Totally at ease and gorgeous. If the photog tried, he could have made this woman look amazing, but no, besides all the technical issues, the pose he has her in is terrible. I’d cry if I got a photo like this back. If all you do is shoot gorgeous models when you are learning, you learn little about flattering people of different shapes, sizes, colours. If you spend the time practicing with all different kind of people, you will be in demand. The people who will hire you are bigger, smaller, shorter, taller, “too dark”, “too pale,” have scars on their faces, etc. If you can make them look good, they will tell your friends and you will be busy. Biggest pet-peeve I hear from my girlfriends looking to hire a wedding photographer is that all the girls in their portfolios look like super models and they do not and they worry they won’t look good. Anyhow, at this point I’m ranting. But the point is, spend the time to make each person look their best.
Wow. I don’t think it’s out of focus what it looks like is they used a softening filter to smooth out the wrinkled backdrop and probably the face of the model (not saying she needs it but I have seen a lot of Fauxtogs do that just because they think all portraits are supposed to have a softening filter on them). The softening filter will also deepen the saturation of the picture (didn’t anyone notice she’s orange?). You can tell the model didn’t want to do it.. look at the look on her face and her posture.
Has anyone noticed how the fauxtog is holding the camera? Not using the eyepiece viewer but the monitor instead will get you in trouble. A sure sign of inexperience. She may as well be using a cell phone.
Kristian
This isn’t great and definitely isn’t up to the level of a good, pro photographer but I get the feeling this is another one that’s being posted because of the subject and not the fauxtographer. If the girl had been pretty I might have still said “this photo sucks” but I don’t think I would have thought about sending it in to this site.
Peace
I’m not sure I agree, Kristian. The photo is blurry, it has horrible exposure, it’s awkwardly posed, and the concept is poorly executed.
Normally, I’d agree it’s rude to make fun of a photo just because of the subject, but this one has enough against it, I think posting it here is warranted.
Cherry7Up
You forgot over-saturated. The posing isn’t just awkward, but downright unflattering. This image should have never left the camera.
Christina
On the contrary, I think this photo does a lovely lady a great injustice by not showcasing her in a more flattering manner. Besides, yellow construction tape? Don’t you think the fauxtog inadvertently insulted the subject by choosing to use it?
spike
I would bet the CAUTION tape was not intended as insult, but more to imply that this lady is dangerous in the GOOD way. It was an opportunity ruined with blur and unflattering pose because the colour composition works very well and she seems a right attractive fuller figured lady. It’s not a good photo, but by no means a trainwreck.
Peace
Well said, Christina and Spike.
kbee
I would hazard to guess it’s illustrating care must be taken when posing and shooting plus-sized clients. Ignoring the other factors that are wrong here (blur, hair tie around wrist), it’s very easy to screw up a photo of a heavier model if you don’t take care to flatter their unique physique.
Some people might think posting this is a commentary on the client’s size (which is distasteful, we all agree, since we’re here to look at photography and not models). I would say it’s rather showing how a photographer can make the client look as good as possible given the circumstances. Or bad, as it may be.
Who knows. Maybe someone was just being cruel in submitting this; in that case, jerk! For me, though, I just think the tog could have done better than to have her squished up on a floor with a hair band around her wrist and blurred into oblivion.
Side note: Saw a photographer post some photos today of a naturally thin model. I love their work, but the lighting made her look like a cadaver with bones sticking out. For a boudoir shoot, it was unsettling. So it’s not just plus sized clients photographers should take care with.
LisaBE
I just recently had a plus-size photo session. I can’t believe she kept her hair band around her wrist just like this image. And she wore a strapless dress…not the most flattering outfit for any size in my opinion. Tan lines, and it accentuates the big arms. Perhaps the yellow caution tape is a warning…to consult the photographer before choosing your outfit!
Rick A
Yes, the subject *is* a critical part of the photo, so of course the subject *is* a critical part of picking the photo for this site. Of course.
Obviously, portrait photographers do not get the luxury of only having clients who are easy to make look good in photos. It takes skill and some talent to produce flattering photos for clients who are not super models or NBA cheerleaders.
Trying to do so and failing so dismally, yet watermarking and posting the failure to advertise their fauxtography business is completely worthy of mockery.
I feel badly for the lady in the picture, but it’s not her who’s taking the pic, setting up the shot, deciding on the pose, failing to get it in focus, AND yet still putting the picture out there as advertising for their business.
joel souza
not sure, the background is as flat as it can be, and i am not sure about the photographer intention. not to mention the model could be at least maked up, or dressed different
Flash
What a cowardly, backhanded way of slapping the photo subject in the face. Well done, Kristian.
Amanda
Kristian, I actually think YOUR comment is rude. YANAP did not mention the looks of the subject, YOU did. You specifically said “if the girl had been pretty”, which means you think she is not.
Christina
“Hey, I have this cool ‘caution’ tape! Let’s use it in a portrait!”
“Yeah! It totally says, ‘I’m cool and hip’, to be surrounded by yellow construction tape!”
rachel
umm, i think its a bad idea and a bad photograph. regardless of who’s in it. I mean seriously what am i taking caution over? does this person smell bad? is she a heart breaker? is she diseased? the white balance is off, the focus is blurry and the pose is just bad.
Annoyed
Caution! This idiot fauxtog will take your money and give you a shitty product in return.
Jude
I’m not sure why somebody would have what appears to be a white backdrop of some sort, but not know how to shoot things in focus…
spike
I’m still trying to figure out if this is entirely poor focus, or if the photo was at one point cropped to a very low resolution and then resized a second time before watermarking. It almost seems more fuzzy than blurry…if that makes any sense.
Thom
We’re all gonna feel bad when we discover, this was used for selling caution tape. And it worked.
spike
I admit..I actually took a selfie of me festooned in CAUTION! RADIATION AREA for shits and grins last year.
Anna
You can ALWAYS make a plus-sized gal look good… this site even suggests how to do a nice nude with plus size! http://theperfectpose.com/2010/08/how-to-pose-plus-size-girls-for-boudoir/ I have a friend who wanted to become a photographer and his wife is a plus sized model. She sat him down and said “Ok Babe, I’ll help you, but you don’t get to work with anyone until you can learn to pose me and make a woman my size look good, because if you can, you can make every woman look good.” She made him treat her like a normal woman with no experience posing. She’s a size 22. They spent hours and 2 years later he started shooting other women for his portfolio. One was a group shot of the ladies in our charity group. He did individual portraits too. Women of ALL shapes and sizes, he made every single woman look like a rockstar. I’ve never been so impressed. He posed each woman and made them each feel like a million bucks without being creepy and we did look like a million bucks. Totally at ease and gorgeous. If the photog tried, he could have made this woman look amazing, but no, besides all the technical issues, the pose he has her in is terrible. I’d cry if I got a photo like this back. If all you do is shoot gorgeous models when you are learning, you learn little about flattering people of different shapes, sizes, colours. If you spend the time practicing with all different kind of people, you will be in demand. The people who will hire you are bigger, smaller, shorter, taller, “too dark”, “too pale,” have scars on their faces, etc. If you can make them look good, they will tell your friends and you will be busy. Biggest pet-peeve I hear from my girlfriends looking to hire a wedding photographer is that all the girls in their portfolios look like super models and they do not and they worry they won’t look good. Anyhow, at this point I’m ranting. But the point is, spend the time to make each person look their best.
Heather
Wow. I don’t think it’s out of focus what it looks like is they used a softening filter to smooth out the wrinkled backdrop and probably the face of the model (not saying she needs it but I have seen a lot of Fauxtogs do that just because they think all portraits are supposed to have a softening filter on them). The softening filter will also deepen the saturation of the picture (didn’t anyone notice she’s orange?). You can tell the model didn’t want to do it.. look at the look on her face and her posture.
Karin
Has anyone noticed how the fauxtog is holding the camera? Not using the eyepiece viewer but the monitor instead will get you in trouble. A sure sign of inexperience. She may as well be using a cell phone.