all great points... that 6' from the back ground... I have a shoot next week where I have a total of 15 feet for cameras, people and strobes... I wish I will have 6' maybe 6"
Good points, all. I must say though, they don't apply to every situation (well, a couple might). For example, some of my best selling images have been square-on shots of ladies (granted, I don't do those for every single shoot, but sometimes one can just see that it is going to work beautifully).
These things are good guides but, like every set of rules regarding photography, there are times to break them.
@jinximages, @wahyusp, @moncooga, I agree with you all :-) But to know when and how to break "the rules" you have to know what they are to start with ;-)
@henri Great idea. I'm not much of a portrait photographer myself but I'll see if I can give it a go.
@jinximages Nice shot. I like how the model and bike seem to be emerging from the background.
I thought that article was pretty vague, honestly - avoid lens glare? Seems to me more like a checklist than anything else.
I also didn't like the racist/sexist undertones, e.g., don't face your subjects into the sun because their squinting will make them look asian, and that men should be posed in masculine poses. REALLY? Not only does that sort of language make me not want to look at the author's portfolio, if they have one, but I assume that it wouldn't even be that interesting, since they have such normative views.
I agree with @jinximages - that the best photos take risks, particularly around powerful, personal themes such as gender, sexuality, place, and politics.
@fillingtime Lisa, I very much appreciate you posting the article - we must share what we know with each other in order to learn!
Since we as photographers inherently present our world view through our imagery - and accompanying conversation, written or otherwise - we can either show that we are thoughtful, just, and open-minded, or that we are thoughtless, stereotypical, and narrow. It was to the author's demonstration of the latter qualities that upset me.
@fillingtime You didn't offend me at all! You didn't write the article. :) Thank you for sharing the article and I hope you continue to do so in the future if you come across another. As a photographer I am forever learning.
I agree with all of them, but 4, 5, and 6 really depend on the type of picture you want to create. Kelly Webster has used these tactics in her photos and have created amazing images.
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@moncooga LOL!
@icywarm That sounds ... challenging *lol* Good luck.
@moncooga *lol* I did have to wonder if some of these were from his personal experience ;-)
These things are good guides but, like every set of rules regarding photography, there are times to break them.
If photogs had to follow rules, we would all take the same picture. Boring.
I work the rule of thirds, but I also break it periodically, intentionally.
You know what'll be fun? Doing a photo challenge to pick one of those don'ts and make it look cool.
@henri Great idea. I'm not much of a portrait photographer myself but I'll see if I can give it a go.
@jinximages Nice shot. I like how the model and bike seem to be emerging from the background.
I also didn't like the racist/sexist undertones, e.g., don't face your subjects into the sun because their squinting will make them look asian, and that men should be posed in masculine poses. REALLY? Not only does that sort of language make me not want to look at the author's portfolio, if they have one, but I assume that it wouldn't even be that interesting, since they have such normative views.
I agree with @jinximages - that the best photos take risks, particularly around powerful, personal themes such as gender, sexuality, place, and politics.
Since we as photographers inherently present our world view through our imagery - and accompanying conversation, written or otherwise - we can either show that we are thoughtful, just, and open-minded, or that we are thoughtless, stereotypical, and narrow. It was to the author's demonstration of the latter qualities that upset me.