Take a picture once a day, whether you need to or not

[IainC]

Yeah, I had two speedlights, one on the left of the frame through a reflecting umbrella and a smaller one on the right through a beauty dish. I didn't use a background, I just had about 5 metres between the model and the back wall of my living room, and used a fast shutter so that there was no ambient light in the shot. The pictures were taken in the middle of the day so it wasn't especially dark even indoors.

Originally my plan was to have far more contrast but it turned out not to work so well, there were just disembodied bits of skin floating around in darkness so I ended up pushing exposure and reducing contrast by quite a lot in post.

[Khaldun]

I think it worked really well. I think your models are actually better served by a low key setup like this than the more brightly lit shots you posted a while back.

[Mosesandstick]

I'd echo everyone, I think the setup works - lighting looks the best to me on the last shot.

Some photos on a day walk in the Peak District, with usual British weather...


2017-05 Peak District 003 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2017-05 Peak District 004 by Aled Moses, on Flickr

And messing about with a 24/1.4 lens...


2017-05 Peak District 005 by Aled Moses, on Flickr

[Mosesandstick]

Can't remember the last time I had the pleasure of posting twice in a row! Took these while doing the second half of the North Downs Way, one of the National Trails in the UK.


2017-07 North Downs Way 001 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2017-07 North Downs Way 009 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2017-07 North Downs Way 004 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2017-07 North Downs Way 006 by Aled Moses, on Flickr

[RhyssaFireheart]

Those are beautiful, Moses, but that first one is especially great, IMO.

[Khaldun]

Really love the light on the path at center of the first shot. That's freaking great. I might crop it a slight bit tighter to bring it out, but you wouldn't want to lose the way it sits in the middle of this dense, rich vegetation. The last shot of the fields is also especially great.

[Mosesandstick]

Thanks for the comments! Khaldun - that's an interesting point. I think I had some thoughts along those lines when I was pping the photo, the left and right sides seem a bit unbalanced - but I think in the end I decided not to touch it as the "window" at the end of the path was pretty much bang on centre (and it saves me time and effort post-processing  ). I might have to go back and play with it one day.

[IainC]

Nice stuff Moses. Looks like you were out near where my family is based - Broughton and Mottisfont.

[Fraeg]

very drunk... just spent 9 day on north coast of California... will come back and add clarity.. I hope






http://imgur.com/UoibglN

[IainC]

Someone parked a train on the high street outside my apartment.


IMG_8828.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr


IMG_8831.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr


IMG_8844.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr

[Khaldun]

Very nice! I like the first one especially.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Very nice! I like the first one especially.

This!  Those are nice, Iain.

[Mosesandstick]

Agreed, really lovely lighting from the interior in the first one.

Fraeg - nice shots but I think your formatting might be off, I think they're being posted at full resolution.

[IainC]

Somehow I managed to not wind on after taking a portrait of a re-enactor and ended up with a double exposure of two different re-enactors on two different train carriages that still lined up almost perfectly. I'm not sure how I managed that because, while the shutter can be triggered if it's not wound on, you can't do it via the shutter button but you need to push the linkage directly.


LegioVlak005.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr

[Khaldun]

wow. that's an amazing image.

[IainC]

Some more medium format shots of the re-enactment crew. They want to licence some of my photos for postcards and promotional stuff which is nice. They really liked the idea of the photos being taken on 70 year old Soviet gear too.


LegioVlak002.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr


LegioVlak003.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr


LegioVlak002.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr

I was chatting with someone earlier about this thread and it was mentioned that maybe some people don't feel that they can contribute because they think that their photos aren't as good as some of the stuff that gets posted in here. I really hope that no-one stops posting their pictures for that reason. Everyone has a different eye and a different perspective. It doesn't matter if you are shooting with a smartphone, the latest full-frame DSLR hotness or something you found in a thrift store (I paid $20 for the camera that took these shots for example). We all just want to see interesting photos regardless of how skilled you think you are. It's not an art appreciation thread, it's a place for us to share whatever interesting pictures we've taken recently.

[Khaldun]

Yeah, absolutely. The idea is "take a picture once a day". Doesn't matter if it's a work of art. Post 'em!

[IainC]

I did a shoot for a local 'hostess club' and they decided that they didn't like the style that I shot them in - despite the fact that the manageress was there with me and I showed her every picture as I took it.

They are all safe for work.


IMG_8911.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr


IMG_8893.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr

[Khaldun]

I understand not liking the first one--shots from above are hard to pull off, and they often feel like someone is looking up at a giant or at a monitoring camera. But I love the second shot--it's very human and honest.

[IainC]

The girl in the first shot is a big girl and she was very self conscious about the way the camera showed her weight. I tried to find an angle that didn't make her size as obvious.

We did a lot with various gauzy sheets like this.


IMG_8880.jpg by Iain Compton, on Flickr

[Merusk]

I'm going to assume they don't like them because the photos don't focus on the best attributes of the women more than showing they're people.  At a hostess club they're objects not people.

[IainC]

The brief was dark and sexy but safe for Facebook and not overtly sexual - the Facebook marketing is about it being a place to relax with cultured ladies, not just a place to buy professional girls overpriced drinks.

[Merusk]

Right, not "overtly sexual" to folks who have a skewed perception. Yours are tasteful and have class.  :D

[Khaldun]

I almost would have gone for something then that was more fully clothed? Though I also like the second shot of the curvy woman, I think it's quite human also. But if the goal was, "These folks are not out to seduce you into spending $$$$$$ on three shitty drinks and some flirtation" I think I would have changed the whole thing entirely. The models in business suits, the models in ordinary domestic situations, the models in anything *but* a boudoir situation. That's what the guys will see when they're in the club, after all; show them something that switches it up visually, against the backdrop of whatever patently lurid stuff the overall setting offers (neon lights, etc.) outside.

[MisterNoisy]

Spotted a butterfly taking a break outside the office:

[Mosesandstick]

I'm impressed you managed to avoid spooking it!

My sispyhean effort of clearing my post-processing backlog continues, I've got some old holiday photos from Shanghai to share:


2009-08 Shanghai 010 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2009-08 Shanghai 009 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2009-08 Shanghai 005 by Aled Moses, on Flickr


2009-08 Shanghai 019 by Aled Moses, on Flickr

[calapine]

Not quite art, but it was a pretty nice sunset



I took a few more steps to get that post centered, but that picture turned out too dark (I guess?):

[Furiously]

My cat Guybrush is definitely staying inside more.

[rattran]

Elderly coyote with mange? Baby-eating dingo? Blue Heeler on crack?

[Furiously]

My guess is a coydog.

[Khaldun]

Mange seems possible.

[IainC]

You guys are so cruel. Can't you read? It's his cat, Guybrush.

[Khaldun]

Who is staying inside more often.  To avoid getting eaten, I presume.

[rattran]

You guys are so cruel. Can't you read? It's his cat, Guybrush.

That's one ugly cat. He should totally keep it inside more.

[Furiously]

And a couple zoo photos from my most recent trip, because baby giraffes are much cuter than blood thirsty predators in my backyard.