Portraiture.

For a while now, I obviously am, and want to be a product, food, more particularly, automotive photographer. However, every now and then I'm asked to do a portrait and usually its for a friend. So I can't necessarily turn it down, one for the friendship, two I'm NOT a superstar automotive photographer yet, or at least as far as I want to be, and three, anyone could use $400 in this seemingly slow economy. So the only right thing to do is the portrait. And sometimes, you get something that just completely surprises yourself as well as a happy client. More and more, I like doing portraits from time to time. I like the editing process after and what it takes to get one that really stands out from others that are out there. I used to wonder HOW these other photographers we obtaining that "look" from the pixels. I knew it wasn't just lighting, I KNEW it had to be digital technique as well... What I didn't know, is that eventually I would get it and really push my skills and knowledge of Photoshop as well as a few programs in my secret arsenal. Ok, they're not so secret, I've talked about them before, but it does take technique and time to work through an image. About an hour or so actually. In Ventura, California in May it is extremely overcast for a month or so. We call it "May Gray" and "June Gloom". You can either sink or swim in this kind of light. These are done with one soft box umbrella with a Canon 580ex flash. Reyna (the woman in the picture) is a repeat client. This is her second pregnancy and she wanted one with her family this time for the Baby Shower invitations. She thinks we nailed it right on the head. The quality of light of the Marine Layer coupled with the soft box is beautiful. Who thought I would ever like May Gray. :)




Outtakes!