Wave of the future for portraits?

[katieq]

I am not a photographer (I only have a several years’ old point and shoot camera and rarely take a photo), but I do like to look at nice photography. I am feeling a little guilty about posting these, but I really would like opinions on this type of photography. Originally, I considered this photographer pretty good, but now she seems to be ruining some of her photos by attempting to make them artistic and edgy. Granted, some of these images do have appeal, but for portraits as a rule, I don’t like it. I am not trying to bash this person’s work or hurt her business. She’s popular in my area and generally does nice work. I’m just wondering, is this the future of portrait photography or is she just trying to carve out a niche for herself in a saturated market? What do you think? Rats, couldn’t get it to hyperlink. Oh well, maybe some of you will have the patience to copy and paste.
https://www.facebook.com/chrissy.perkins.photography/media_set?set=a.1352252680080.2050801.1044298891&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=10200900989460709&set=a.10200745840342078.1073741833.1044298891&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201567435281438&set=a.10200745840342078.1073741833.1044298891&type=1&theater#!/photo.php?fbid=10201433305528278&set=a.10201145556054721.1073741836.1044298891&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/chrissy.perkins.photography/media_set?set=a.1378089445983.2053659.1044298891&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=10200319230117089&set=a.1149060880412.2023004.1044298891&type=3&theater

[cameraclicker]

I’m just wondering, is this the future of portrait photography or is she just trying to carve out a niche for herself in a saturated market?

I hope not, and I have no idea.  I suspect she simply does not have her act together yet.  She certainly has a collection of photos she has done a terrible job of lighting and another collection she has done a terrible job of post processing.  Sometimes collections overlap.

 

[nairbynairb]

Wow she loves the clarity slider in LR…She is out of focus a lot too… She’s so close to being good but then over-edits the photos (and tries to save bad photos by over-editing them)
But the question was about portraits. It’s not a very hard ‘look’ to get, just slide your clarity slider all the way right in LR and voila! You can now have her ‘look’

 

I would say that no, that isn’t the future of headshots – just a photographer that isn’t that good at editing their photos.

[ebi]

i’ve posted this link before, but here is an example of a much better execution of that technique. Sometimes I think he goes a little too far but these images are pretty successful, nonetheless.

http://www.garylandphotography.com/

[katieq]

I have no idea what a clarity slider is, but I think she is really promoting this as “special” work. ebi, I looked at some of garyland’s work, and I do like it much better. Nevertheless, this will never be a technique that I like for portraits.

[cameraclicker]

Katieq, Clarity is the name of a control in Adobe Camera Raw.  The control adds sharpness by adjusting edge contrast.  The control’s effect is adjusted via a slider in the controls panel.

Another couple that I think of when seeing some photos on the page you linked, that also do much better work, are Andrzej Dragan (http://www.andrzejdragan.com/) and Joel Grimes (http://joelgrimes.com/GalleryMain.asp?GalleryID=24128&AKey=P7FJP8B4)

There is a article that describes a processing method here:  http://www.dmimaging.net/photography-trends-dragan-effect/

[Intuition]

Lemme just comment on how annoyed I was at the music that nearly blasted me out of my chair trying to turn it off on Andrzej Dragans page -_-

[cameraclicker]

Sorry!  I’ve been to his page twice, both times from home where the speakers are usually muted.  I don’t see a way to turn it off on his page.

[Bill]

You can turn the music off on his web site, it’s hidden slightly but the functionality is there.

If you go to his site, for me his site is skewed to the left side of the browser.  if you go to the top of the page there is an image of a piece of parchment with a red tab.  Hover over it and it should drop down.  Click on the musical note on that parchment to toggle the music off and on.

 

[cameraclicker]

LOL!  He has a PHD in something.  It figures turning off sound would be simple to figure out when your speakers are screaming and you are desperately looking for a quick way to turn them off!

I found the red tab and it worked.  It is easier to just touch the top of my volume control and mute the system.

[Bill]

LOL, Cameraclicker.  I work into the nights a lot, the wife is in the other room sleeping [she has a real job where she has to be up early in the AM] and web sites like that drive me crazy when you can’t find how to turn it off.

Now t fully disclose, my website also has a subtle guitar and snappy little beat that goes on, but the volume is right in front of you, nice and easy to get to.  I usually turn it off myself, I’m sure many others do to.

 

[JustAndy]

Yes!!!  This is future.  We all need to do this… all the time!

VIVA LA TONE-MAPPING!!!!

 

[Author]

Posts