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Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM
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p.3 #1 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

Prettym1k3 wrote:
The photo you posted is classic. It's well posed. Everyone paid attention. And they probably knew they had one take at it.

Formal portraits today aren't "I want one or two photos". It's more like, "Here's my list of 40 different groupings. I want them all. And I'm only going to give you 10 minutes to do it, because I'm the bride, I will run late, I will take my sweet time, I will have unrealistic expectations, and - oh yeah - my family doesn't listen, so they'll be scattered."

If someone gave me a list of 4-5 groupings, well thought out, and gave me 20 minutes to do it, I could create perfect family formals with perfect lighting.

But on average, my family portrait list is 15-20 groupings in less than 30 minutes.

Truth be told, despite my best efforts to educate my clients, I blame them for crappy family formals.

Why does it take you 5 minutes to set up 1 shot? It doesn't take more than a minute if you know what you are doing.
Also, There's actually no need to do all that creative posing for every group shot. I certainly don't do it as IT WOULD be very time consuming. I just do it for the immediate family and maybe friends.
So, in your case, out of those 15-20 groups, only 3-4 will need to be setup that way.
Does that sound more manageable?

Oct 31, 2012 at 06:18 PM

andreasavd
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p.3 #2 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

For the past eight years I've been marketing, promoting, talking about my style of shooting as 99% unscripted. No posing, no directing. What I always tell clients though, is that the "no posing" refers to all that cheesy wedding stuff we all see. They know that for ten minutes of the day, I need them to sit and hang out with family to get the traditional portraits. I show them a dozen or so portraits and tell them..when we're old, with our kids getting married, the images that WILL matter are going to be the multi generational / family group shot. It's just in us. We need to see images like that.

So, just do it. It doesn't have to be artsy, it doesn't matter if it looks like a sports team shot..if there are a lot of people it just does anyway...make sure faces are clear, exposure is good, eyes are open and everyone looks good..but take the shot...portraits are an important part of covering a wedding.

Nov 12, 2012 at 02:41 PM

nolaguy
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p.3 #3 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM wrote:
Lately I've been noticing family photos on my clients' walls from their grand parents and beyond.
They all are posed very well and look very good.

Example

This image is copyrighted by the owner

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Top and bottom crop look a bit tight to me. And I think the photog surely missed a great upskirt shot, bottom right.

j/k

Good thread, all.

Nov 13, 2012 at 11:52 AM

mineymole
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p.3 #4 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

check out Michael Greenberg's panoramic family portraits. his work is extraordinary.

2013 © mineymole

2013 © mineymole

2013 © mineymole

2013 © mineymole

Nov 13, 2012 at 02:05 PM

DmitriM
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p.3 #5 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

mineymole wrote:
check out Michael Greenberg's panoramic family portraits. his work is extraordinary.
they would be even better if they weren't composites...

Nov 13, 2012 at 03:39 PM

canerino
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p.3 #6 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM wrote:

they would be even better if they weren't composites...

why?

Nov 13, 2012 at 03:44 PM

cordellwillis
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p.3 #7 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:

they would be even better if they weren't composites...

why?

Agreed. There is nothing wrong with composites if you can't get everyone together for a session.

Nov 13, 2012 at 08:53 PM

joelconner
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p.3 #8 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

mineymole wrote:
check out Michael Greenberg's panoramic family portraits. his work is extraordinary.

Those are sick...love that.

Nov 13, 2012 at 09:30 PM

Prettym1k3
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p.3 #9 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM wrote:Why does it take you 5 minutes to set up 1 shot? It doesn't take more than a minute if you know what you are doing.
Also, There's actually no need to do all that creative posing for every group shot. I certainly don't do it as IT WOULD be very time consuming. I just do it for the immediate family and maybe friends.
So, in your case, out of those 15-20 groups, only 3-4 will need to be setup that way.
Does that sound more manageable?

Most of the weddings I've shot, despite asking the bride and groom to inform the family to stick around, and despite asking the officiant to make an announcement, things just haven't gone to my plan. Uncle John runs away to get a drink. Aunt Betty can't close her mouth. I've become more and more of a boss about it, being polite, asking for attention, but some people find it an inconvenience to be in a wedding photo with their family/friends. I find that annoying. But they make it clear that they don't want to be there. Nicely done portraits are awesome, but I get extensive lists from my clients. And I try to meet their wants.

Something I've been doing more and more of lately is telling them, "Give me a very short list of nice family formal images you want, and then throughout the night, if you see someone you'd like a photo with, grab me and we'll get a less formal one. It's more fun for you, and the guests this way - and it saves you time!"

That seems to help out.

I'm perfectly my art and my business.

Nov 13, 2012 at 09:47 PM

Jon-Mark
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p.3 #10 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

cordellwillis wrote:
canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:

they would be even better if they weren't composites...

why?

Agreed. There is nothing wrong with composites if you can't get everyone together for a session.

Even if you can get them together, doing a flash composite allows for much more precise lighting on each and every person. Otherwise when lighting a group that large you'd have to use either a huge source from a great distance or many sources, either way creating a lot of spill and eliminating the interesting shadows. Flash composites are beautiful for group shots, try them before you knock them. ( this last sentence directed at the person who said they would be better if they weren't composites )

Those are stunning family shots, and I would be proud to have that kind of thing of my family.

Nov 13, 2012 at 10:52 PM

DmitriM
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p.3 #11 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:

they would be even better if they weren't composites...

why?

sigh...

one would show skills in photography(posing,lighting,dealing with crowds ) while other in Photoshopping for the most part. I am not taking anything away from the images as they are really good,but I've seen similar images done in 1 set and that's what I personally consider a true skill.

Nov 13, 2012 at 10:59 PM

canerino
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p.3 #12 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM wrote:
canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:

they would be even better if they weren't composites...

why?

sigh...

one would show skills in photography(posing,lighting,dealing with crowds ) while other in Photoshopping for the most part. I am not taking anything away from the images as they are really good,but I've seen similar images done in 1 set and that's what I personally consider a true skill.

lol. you are right, those photos took no skill or vision.

can you post me a link to the images that you have seen in 1 set that demonstrate "true skill"?

Nov 13, 2012 at 11:12 PM

david1234
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p.3 #13 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

because we dont take out time

Nov 14, 2012 at 12:15 AM

DmitriM
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p.3 #14 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

canerino wrote:

lol. you are right, those photos took no skill or vision.

That's not nice...you shouldn't say things like that unless you can back it up

Nov 14, 2012 at 12:16 AM

canerino
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p.3 #15 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM wrote:
canerino wrote:

lol. you are right, those photos took no skill or vision.

That's not nice...you shouldn't say things like that unless you can back it up

and you shouldnt say you've seen portraits like this before without them being a composite without providing a link.

Nov 14, 2012 at 12:26 AM

DmitriM
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p.3 #16 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:
canerino wrote:

lol. you are right, those photos took no skill or vision.

That's not nice...you shouldn't say things like that unless you can back it up

and you shouldnt say you've seen portraits like this before without them being a composite without providing a link.
I don't need to prove anything to you dude.You haven't been in this business for long so you don't know,but there are thousands of extremely successful and accomplished photographers all over the world beyond this forum and the WPPI scene. If you really believe the photos YOU see are the best in the world, that's extremely ignorant.

Nov 14, 2012 at 03:17 AM

mjoshi
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p.3 #17 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:
canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:

they would be even better if they weren't composites...

why?

sigh...

one would show skills in photography(posing,lighting,dealing with crowds ) while other in Photoshopping for the most part. I am not taking anything away from the images as they are really good,but I've seen similar images done in 1 set and that's what I personally consider a true skill.

lol. you are right, those photos took no skill or vision.

can you post me a link to the images that you have seen in 1 set that demonstrate "true skill"?

I think DMitri got point here, he started this thread with very specific aspect of posing, lighting and taking time to create good portraits. If you are doing things in post processing instead of one shot it is different aspect than OT. Yes there is vision to create end product even if you are doing it in PP but it is not exact same as what Dmitri started this thread with.

Nov 14, 2012 at 03:51 AM

canerino
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p.3 #18 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

DmitriM wrote:

I don't need to prove anything to you dude.You haven't been in this business for long so you don't know,but there are thousands of extremely successful and accomplished photographers all over the world beyond this forum and the WPPI scene. If you really believe the photos YOU see are the best in the world, that's extremely ignorant.

hahahahaha. Is something in red square's water causing you to misread my postings? you claimed "I've seen similar images done in 1 set and that's what I personally consider a true skill." I just asked for the link. I never commented on the quality of work posted in this thread. You made bold statements and I called you on it. So your answer is to attack how young I am in the wedding game? Hahhahaha. So weak.

Nov 14, 2012 at 03:52 AM

DmitriM
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p.3 #19 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

canerino wrote:
DmitriM wrote:

I don't need to prove anything to you dude.You haven't been in this business for long so you don't know,but there are thousands of extremely successful and accomplished photographers all over the world beyond this forum and the WPPI scene. If you really believe the photos YOU see are the best in the world, that's extremely ignorant.

hahahahaha. Is something in red square's water causing you to misread my postings? you claimed "I've seen similar images done in 1 set and that's what I personally consider a true skill." I just asked for the link. I never commented on the quality of work posted in this thread. You made bold statements and I called you on it. So your answer is to attack how young I am in the wedding game? Hahhahaha. So weak.

Weak was you putting your words in my mouth...I just played with it. It's amazing how you can't see it when it involves you...
I never said the photos in question required no skills. I said they are good,but the true skill is when a photographer can set it up all in one shot. If you disagree with this common sense statement, you need to evaluate your whole career as a photographer. If the reason you don't understand the fact that similar portraits had been done for years in 1 shot, it DOES says a lot about your experience as a photographer and your knowledge of the technique - that's all I am saying. Makes sense?

Nov 14, 2012 at 06:04 AM

Ziffl3
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p.3 #20 · Why did we forget how to take good portraits?

i was doing a little digging ....
Not a wedding but shot by a wedding shooter ....

This image is copyrighted by the owner

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Nov 14, 2012 at 06:06 AM

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