Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | People Photography | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       3       end
  

Archive 2015 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.

  
 
Numfar
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Congratulations to Numfar for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 6 votes - View Previous Winners


I've been working on the painterly look for a while now. This is Madison, the grand-daughter of a photographer friend. She's 14 years old.

A little back story added - Madison came into the studio wearing big black plastic glasses, her messy hair down over her face and ultra baggy sweat shirts and track pants. Clearly this was a shy girl, and as a size 8 or so, she was a bit curvier than the other very young girls in her class/friends group, and because of that, she endured a fair bit of teasing. Madison also developed a larger chest, earlier, than most of her friends, and she was taking pains to disguise that from the world - and I would learn later, this was Madison's standard appearance.

To be honest, however, I didn't take much notice of how she was dressed, and just asked her mom to get her into one of the simple unbleached cotton pieces I have set out for this series, which she did and I went about doing what I do.

When I sent the image to Madison and her mom, however, it was a Saturday afternoon. I posted the image on a couple photo forums, and just on my profile on Facebook. By sunday, the image had over 1000 combined likes and more than 100 comments, many of them referring to the 'beautiful' or 'lovely' or 'perfect' model.

I took some screen caps of the photo forums and sent them to Madison's mom, who shared them with Madison.

Then something remarkable happened, and Monday evening, I received the most amazing note I've ever gotten in 10 years of photography....

Apparently, on Monday morning, Madison's mom heard Madison up early for school. When she came down, Madison was doing her hair, putting on some light makeup, and rather than frumpy sweat pants, she was dressed in a dress. She told her mom that for the first time in her life, she felt beautiful.

Honestly, just typing the above still brings a tear to my eye - I have done a lot of photography in the past decade - I've shot fashion in all the major centres and been published in Vogue; but never has anything I have done had 1/10th the effect on someone's life that this simple portrait apparently had.

And it's continued - a couple months later, Madison went out to a model call and was selected for a small local show. She then auditioned for Atlantic Fashion Week and was chosen to walk for two designers.

I'm not sure I've ever been witness to a young girl growing like this in my life, and to have maybe played a small roll in it...it just makes a lot of the other not-so-positive stuff one has to deal with in photography all worth it.

Comments, critiques and feedback appreciated.






Edited on Dec 25, 2015 at 11:23 AM · View previous versions



Dec 24, 2015 at 12:48 AM
nolaguy
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Absolutely exquisite, Brent.

Regards,

Chuck



Dec 24, 2015 at 06:18 AM
wager
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


I think you have gotten the look down pat. great image
mitch



Dec 24, 2015 at 07:18 AM
Big Appa
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


I've been sitting here trying to think of something to say..

but how do you describe perfection?

This is just so downright lovely.

Ed



Dec 24, 2015 at 08:15 AM
Bryston3bsst
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Very pretty shot.


Dec 24, 2015 at 08:20 AM
scorpio1
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Perfection and definitely a wall hanger. Great work!!


Dec 24, 2015 at 09:38 AM
elliotkramer
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


beautifully done!


Dec 24, 2015 at 09:55 AM
friscoron
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.



This is beautiful as it is. But I would have flipped the lighting to switch from broad to short lighting.



Dec 24, 2015 at 11:03 AM
hatch1921
Online
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Such a great capture! This is a timeless image, great work. I wouldn't change a thing... print it large

voted

Hatch



Dec 24, 2015 at 11:26 AM
film_4ever
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Wow! One of the nicest images posted to the People Photography forum in a while.

It already looks Mona Lisa-esques.

I would second frisoron's comment on the lighting, just as an option for the future.

Very nice composition and pose. Lovely model.

thanks for sharing!



Dec 24, 2015 at 12:24 PM
bcguy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


You've done a great job here!


Dec 24, 2015 at 04:17 PM
Michaelparris
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


out standing. hilites are a bit hot for my taste, but that is just me......they are not clipped so all good.


Dec 24, 2015 at 04:41 PM
Ipanematom
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


This is so good, you've left me speechless!


Dec 24, 2015 at 05:13 PM
Charles Loy
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Wonderful. Timeless classic
Try a tighter crop along the seam of her dress.



Dec 24, 2015 at 05:36 PM
Numfar
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Because of her round face, right? At least that was my thinking - and I started there. And honestly, it was fine. But near the end of the shoot I flipped it (I always set it up to be able to mirror it fast) and for some reason I don't understand at all - when I broad lit her I just was stopped cold when the first image came up. I still had to tweak it a bit, but the difference was huge - from 'pretty good' to ...well, for me, it just looked 'period'.

I think it's because Madison has such a symmetrical face, but that's just a guess.



Dec 24, 2015 at 05:55 PM
Numfar
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


I think it's because this is a saved jpg of the jpg I originally uploaded to Facebook when i first made the photo - I have the print done and it looks less hot than this.


Dec 24, 2015 at 06:03 PM
Bob67
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Wow Brent, you have a master's touch with these young ladies (see Kate earlier in the People Photography). You really captured the classic look and pose with this girl. She has such a long, slender neck which gives her that great demeanor. Nice, nice work. As far as cropping the image, I agree with cropping the bottom. Bring the bottom of the image up to just above her left sleeve. I tip my hat to your skills.


Dec 24, 2015 at 08:16 PM
Big Appa
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


The flip of her beautiful red hair off the right side of her face helped with
the making of the long slender neck. I don't think I'd change a thing.

Ed



Dec 24, 2015 at 11:13 PM
Big Appa
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


The flip of her beautiful red hair off the right side of her face helped with
the making of the long slender neck. I don't think I'd change a thing.

Ed

Edited on Dec 25, 2015 at 10:15 AM · View previous versions



Dec 24, 2015 at 11:14 PM
calk
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · A recent portrait of a friend's grand daughter.


Lovely model, perfect costume, excellent photography. Stopped me cold, too!
This really stands out.
Cal



Dec 25, 2015 at 09:29 AM
1
       2       3       end




FM Forums | People Photography | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       3       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.