Reply To: Wouldn't Mind Some Feedback

[emf]

Like here for example,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgterryphoto/16557217395/

She is smiling but her smile and facial muscles seem tense, like she is smiling because she’s been asked to rather than because she genuinely smiling. Also, her eyebrows seem raised slightly and her eyes seem to have a hint of suspicion in them – but now you explain a little about her, it comes across more as self consciousness and worry.

Here,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgterryphoto/16557219325/in/photostream/

her expression seems very unhappy, which may have been intentional, but I read it more as she is uncomfortable in front of the camera. Her shoulders seem high and and tense, so does her hand and arm.

I am stumbling my way through posing and getting genuinely good expressions too; actually it sounds so dumb but the realisation that these things are so important, slapped me in the face during a disaster shoot where I realised I had NO idea about them what-so-ever!. It didn’t even occur to me; I spent so much time thinking about technical details and composition but none about posing and expression. Here is the thread, I had some great advice and it may be help you too.

Getting people to relax in front of the camera.

I think developing the way you work with your sitters/models involves a lot if trail and error and psychology too – working out what the they will respond to best, it will vary from person to person. A lady I particularly like is Ana Brandt, not especially for her photos but more the ease and friendly way she directs her clients. Here’s a short link of hers,

I don’t find the portaits over processed, the one thing I notice though there are some colour inconsistencies between them and as a series it’s good to have more unified colour palette that runs throughout, linking them as a series, some are quite cool in colour temperature while others are much warmer.

like here is cooler, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgterryphoto/16557219325/in/photostream/

but here is much warmer, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgterryphoto/16555534191/in/photostream/

Good luck!