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I have never tried to take portraits before as I don't feel comfortable in getting people to pose for shots
but my friend wanted me to take some for him so I finally gave it a try yesterday





I told him if he wanted normal portraits it was going to cost him time and he had to indulge me with my setups
the second shot was taken out on a main road in Marrackville in the rain with cars tooting as they went by and no he is not a boxer hahaha

both shots are natural light with a little fill light from a silver steering wheel heat shield held by my 11 year old son

we spent about 3 hours at it and I had a lot of fun

all C&C most welcome

I like them both.

The first would be my pick for lighting. This is perfect the way it is, and is very well lit. I also like his pose, shows a warming personal side to the bloke.

The second would be my pic for character, and choice of backdrop. The colors are great in the backdrop, if was possible (may not have been is in a busy street footpath), perhaps provide a little distance between sujbect and wall, just to get a little out of focus. But still very nice. Perhaps a longer lens, across the street would get it?

Both very nice, and from what I have seen of your other images, your portraiture will strengthen in leaps and bounds.

Keith - these photos reflect your talent. You are what is often called an 'all rounder'. Well done! I love taking portraits

Oz_Beachside wrote:a little distance between sujbect and wall

I completely agree with this - first thing I thought with that second shot! Other than that you've done a very good job.

thanks for the comments they are appreciated
Just a note on the second shot, It was taken @24mm F4 as I actually wanted some of the wall to be sharp and in focus as it is an integral part of the story I was trying to tell, I want people to see the the old raw flaking paint not just a pretty soft bokeh
but I must admit I did try it with background blur but in this case the sharp background looks better for my intended use (all my other shots I had lots of background separation)

Now that you are out of your comfort zone....stay there until it's no longer uncomfortable. Portraits are very rewarding because people are basically interesting to look at.

With the second shot, if you want to bring your friend out a bit more, use the burn tool in p/shop and burn the background a bit to darken it. I don't know about having it more OOF as I can see why you wanted to maintain the harshness of the background. It just lacks a bit of contrast that's all.

I told him if he wanted normal portraits it was going to cost him time and he had to indulge me with my setups

That is a nice easy way to get a co-operative portrait subject for the right price Keith.
Regards Colin