Ok guys i just have to share this one with ya. Last week our newest member on our team, after learning i was also a photographer asked me if i would go over at his house to shoot a Christmas family portrait. Sure i said why not ! Then he explained briefly he and his wife wanted a picture in the Family Vacation style. he said it in french so i absolutely didn't pick up he was actually referring to the Chevy Chase comedy movie. So not wanting to sound ignorant i accepted and we arranged the shoot last Thursday hours before our first night shift of our 7 night stretch. Not knowing exactly what to expect (should have Googled the term before hand i admit) i brought lots of gear (way too much gear in fact). I had my Einstein heads, along with a few Nikon flashes, reflectors and umbrellas, the works.
Once i got there i was greeted by the whole family dressed as you see in the shots. The wife was explaining exactly what she wanted showing me pictures on her iPhone as she did. I laughed so hard it was hilarious, but i knew then what they wanted I.E. a true Kitsch 1980s family portrait.
So i ended up shooting this with a single Einstein flash head in a medium Paul C. Buff soft box. As i started shooting i had the idea of creating a contact sheet and i purposely shot frames between poses as the family was arguing on a pose or simply goofing around. It took some time to make the 35mm film strip template, but although not perfect i am happy with the effect (i find it convincing enough).
After seeing the shots the whole family was in awe and they are all very happy. Won't win a prize with this shoot but i made a whole family very happy. In fact i have 2 similar shoots lined up before Christmas, 2 other guys from my team loved this concept and want such pictures.
It was sure funny to do i tell ya :-)
1-) Contact sheet
2-) one of the final shots
Nikon D3s-24-70mm f2.8 at 40mm f8, 1/60th sec - 200 iso
These are fun! When I looked at the larger photo, I thought it was taken at a wider focal length. I guess the parent's heads are asymmetrical in a complimentary way, which makes them look slightly distorted.
Anyway, you did a great job for a fun family (love the cat) and I know they are very pleased.
dmacmillan wrote:
These are fun! When I looked at the larger photo, I thought it was taken at a wider focal length. I guess the parent's heads are asymmetrical in a complimentary way, which makes them look slightly distorted.
Anyway, you did a great job for a fun family (love the cat) and I know they are very pleased.
That's what I was thinking! That he purposely used a wider angle and distorted everything away from the center... Either way, very funny, colorful, sharp, and the scratch collar on the cat cracks me up!
This is great stuff. Not only is it a fun concept, it looks like everybody had a great time and that shows well in the photos. The Elizabethan collar on the cat is priceless, whether intentional or not.
dmacmillan wrote:
These are fun! When I looked at the larger photo, I thought it was taken at a wider focal length. I guess the parent's heads are asymmetrical in a complimentary way, which makes them look slightly distorted.
Anyway, you did a great job for a fun family (love the cat) and I know they are very pleased.
Actually at 40mm since i shot low on purpose the distorsion started to show quite a bit and i didn't even try to correct it in PP. I though it looked funny and also figured such a shot would originally be done by the parents themselves using the self timer, hence the unprepared poses amongst the shots in the film strip. So it would be likely the shot would have such defects assuming the typical American isn't an expert photographer (or typical Canadian for that matter) :-)
Poff Photo wrote:
That's what I was thinking! That he purposely used a wider angle and distorted everything away from the center... Either way, very funny, colorful, sharp, and the scratch collar on the cat cracks me up!
Squirrely Eyed wrote:
This is great stuff. Not only is it a fun concept, it looks like everybody had a great time and that shows well in the photos. The Elizabethan collar on the cat is priceless, whether intentional or not.
No kidding even when i showed the pictures in front of the whole team we laughed at them for 15 minutes we just couldn't help laughing during the fall-in that night.
The scratch collar who was the wife's idea was a key point of the whole shoot. The cat actually didn't have to wear it for 2 days before, but they absolutely wanted it back for the shot. I must say it was indeed a good idea. For those details i have no merit it was all their ideas, some from the kids most from the parents.
I went shopping today (for boots and jacket) and i saw very similar pull overs in many stores, i guess it's coming back into fashion or something. I almost bought one thinking i'd do such a shot for myself with the kids but since i have no significant other i thought i just wouldn't work as well. Perhaps i could have asked for a stand in amongst my friends :-)
I have to ask . . did the cat really need the cone of shame or was that probably the best prop ever.
Ha ha cone of shame, never heard it quite put that way. But to answer your question the cat was suppose to keep it for a week but the owners after hearing from friends and family removed it after only 3 days, but they put it back on specifically for the shot. They took it off again as soon as the shooting was over. Much to the cat's relief :-)
I have to process the center one from the film strip where the cat is screaming and trying to get away :-)
gempixel wrote:
I love how fun these are! And the mad cat is nut... How perfect!
Thanks gempixel, the more i look at the mad cat one the more i realize just how much is going on at that exact moment. Each in his own little bubble; the father and the eldest daughter arguing, the youngest pulling her tongue out at the camera, the wife concentrated on the photographer, and most importantly the cat going bananas with his collar.
To be honest i didn't notice all of this when i took the shot :-)
