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Portrait Photography

James Uqualla- Havasupai Elder

 Arizona, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Native American's, Nikon D3x, People Photography, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Portrait, Portrait Photography  2 Responses »
Jul 142011
 

James Uqualla, Havasupai Elder. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 150mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/640th of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. My last visit to the Grand Canyon was work related and included attending the grand opening ceremony of the new South Rim Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center. Prior to the opening ceremonies for the visitor center a Native American Blessing Ceremony was performed by James and his sister, Dianna Sue Uqualla. It was a beautiful dance at the new amphitheater, located at the rim of the Grand Canyon near Mather Overlook. After the ceremony I had the opportunity to talk with James and to thank him for his words which all seemed to touch each person in a different way. I have always though of the canyon as the “center of the earth” and a place from which I seem to draw energy. James’s words touched on this asking each person to draw strength from this sacred place and pass it on in the name of peace.

I met up with James a little while later after many people had left and asked if I could shoot a portrait. He agreed without hesitation. In my mind the light seemed just right and I suggested a few test shots to determine my histogram. But as I raised my camera to the viewfinder and focused in James’s eyes just pierced the lens and straight into me. I fired three shots and just lowered the camera. The shot was done. James did not really pose. He just looked in to me with a sense of peace and calm. I felt it immediately. Normally I would take all manner of images but I just stopped after the three. I never checked the histogram knowing that it was right. I thanked James and we parted ways. Later in the afternoon I had a chance to photograph James and his sister performing an Eagle Dance and while I like some of the images they do not speak to me in the same way as this portrait. It is hard to put into words but when I look at this shot I feel his connection to the place and ultimately to me.

Originally I thought of this shot in black and white but in processing felt some color tones should be included. So the RAW file was processed twice, once for color, and once for black and white. The two files were layered in Photoshop and I went through some exploratory processes to achieve the final look. I worked on the file off and on for about a week to get to this final rendering.

Thank you as always for stopping by to visit.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

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Dolphurs Hayes – Pole Vaulter

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Gritty Technique, Lightroom, Nikon D3x, People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Portrait Photography, Track and Field  2 Responses »
Jul 032011
 

Pole Vaulter, Dolphurs Hayes. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 150mm. Image exposed at ISO 200 at f2.8 for 1/500th of a second.

Well as promised I am posting some new images from my pole vault shoot. As I mentioned in the last post the process of photographing these incredible athletes has been a lot of fun. Going from the relative stillness of the great southwest to such a high octane shooting event has required a total shift in gears for me. In general I reset my camera menus for autofocus so I could quickly dial in to the athletes. I shot all the images with a fast, f2.8, 70-200mm Nikon lens which put a premium on my hand holding abilities since I was just a bit out of practice. The location was in an area with tall pine trees that provided some light filtration. I generally shot at f2.8 to help soften the background and achieve a dappled bokah. There was a lot of activity and I had to work to isolate each athlete to help simplify the background. The camera was set to Aperture Priority with a +3 exposure compensation. The longer lens allowed me to shoot more covertly which kept the vaulters relaxed and natural.

This is high school pole vaulter Dolphurs Hayes, one of the athletes at my daughters pole vault camp in south Georgia. I found Dolphurs to be very photogenic and quite patient with the photography. In some of my earlier shots he tended to pose and I was really after something more heroic. In this shot I caught him waiting on the runway while another vaulter was going. His gaze was down the runway and he seemed to be concentrating on what he needed to do when it came time for his turn. This was a mid morning shot and the light was beautiful.

The RAW files were brought into Adobe Lightroom for sorting and development. I have been working in a more “gritty” style with some of my recent portrait work processing and I found this technique worked well for these images. But I put my own development twist to the files and created some different Development Presets in Lightroom. I began by using the Lightroom Bleached ByPass Preset by added my own twists to the processing to create my version. I actually created three different Presets and employed each one based on the characteristics of the image including the scene lighting and overall color rendition in the athletes skin tones and clothes. The technique relies on a pronounced sharpening routine for a more hyperreal look. Capture sharpening was performed in Lightroom and a second round of sharpening was applied after setting the Black and White Point and minor Curve work in Photoshop.

I will post a few more of these images in the next few days as I work them up from their RAW state. I promise to return to landscape soon. In the meantime please enjoy these images. The kids were fantastic and my daughter was not too embarrassed. In fact most of the kids were excited to see the images and how I might process them. Overall it was just great fun to work on new techniques.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

 

 

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Kay Clark – Pole Vaulter

 Adobe Lightroom, Gritty Technique, Nikon D3x, People Photography, Portrait Photography, Sports, Track and Field  No Responses »
Jul 022011
 

Kay Clark, Pole Vaulter No. 1. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200 at 150mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 350th of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. My daughter Kay and I are hidden deep in the hot south for a intensive pole vault camp. Happily she is the pole vaulter and I get the pleasure of coaching, observing, and of course taking a few images. I have been focusing so much on my landscape work lately and I found shooting the athletes a refreshing break. These shots are from the first day of the camp. This is an intensive, two practices a day camp with her coach and eight other vaulters. I kept the processing fairly simple by applying a Black and White, Soft Light Layer over the color base image and then desaturating the reds and blues. A few curves, some dodging and burning, and sharpening completed the look. I focused on the athlete and also shot some details to pick out the character of this sport. Today was great fun. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I had fun shooting them. I will be posting some more images from this shoot in the next few days. Thank you for stopping by today.

Bob

Taping the Hands. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 200mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 500th of a second.

Pole Vaulter, Kay Clark. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 200mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 500th of a second.

Setting the Grip. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 200mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 500th of a second.

Taping the Hands. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 200mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 500th of a second.

Ready to Go, Kay Clark. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 200mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 350th of a second.

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Dr. Doug No. 2, Terlingua Texas, Big Bend – Gritty Portrait Technique

 Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Lightroom Workflow, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Gritty Technique, Lightroom, People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Portrait Photography, Sony α900, Texas, Zeiss Lenses  2 Responses »
Jun 122011
 

Dr. Doug, Terlingua, Texas. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Images exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/90th of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am in the midst of getting ready for a week in the field that will see my first trip into Canyon X in the Antelope Canyon Drainage. But before I get there I have all the usual “getting out of town” issues that seem to consume a lot of time. Getting a new blog post out was not on that list but I had started this one a few weeks ago and as it turned out it did not require too much time to finish the processing.

My frequent visitors will recognize this image as my wise old friend, Dr. Doug, of Terlinqua, Texas. Recently I was inspired by some beautiful portrait work of surfers on the North Shore of Lake Superior by my friend Alec Johnson. The gritty, hard look of these images were amazing and really brought out the character of the subjects. In today’s post I decided to explore my own version of the “gritty” portrait technique. The technique is characterized by a “hyper-sharpened”, desaturated processing technique. While I do not think it is appropriate for all portraits it is none the less an effective technique that produces an edgy look. The details in Dr. Doug’s face, from his piercing eyes, to his coarse beard, all lend themselves to applying the technique.

Dr. Doug. The processed RAW file used as the starting point for the "gritty" look.

The original shot was made in natural light in the late afternoon. I moved in close using a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. To the left is the processed RAW file developed in Adobe Lightroom. I followed my usual processing procedures for the RAW file including curve adjustments, fill and recovery, color luminosity adjustments, and sharpening. The file was exported into Adobe Photoshop for the final finishing. The work for the final image proceeded in the following steps:

Step 1: I duplicated the file and performed a little “digital gardening” on the copy to remove a few dust spots.

Step 2: I added a Levels Layer and set the White and Black Point. I routinely perform this step on all my files.

Step 3: I created a Black and White Adjustment Layer set to Soft Light Blending Mode with an opacity of 40%. This is a salt to taste setting but generally 40% is a good starting point. You will begin to see the “gritty” effect with this layer.

Step 4: I created a Selective Color Layer. From there I went into the Red Color Selection and set Cyan to +20 and Yellow to +20. This has the combined effect of removing the Red Cast.

Step 5:  I created a Hue/Saturation Layer and in the Master set the overall Saturation to -35. In the Red I set the Slider to -40, and -20 in the Yellow. Steps 4 and 5 are a salt to taste adjustment. Make sure the preview button is set so you can visually see the effect of the changes.

Step 6: Make sure the top layer in your layer stack is selected then go to the Layer Menu and select Merge Visible. Hold down the Option Key when you do this so you can retain your other layers. This will put a merged file on top of your layer stack.

This is my sharpening layer. For this effect I used two sharpening passes; A Large Aperture Sharpening Routine and a Small Aperture Routine. For the Large Aperture go to the Filter Menu and select Unsharp Mask. Set the Radius to 20 and the Amount to 75. Generally the amount will work between 50 and 100 but you will need to judge the effect on each image. Once you are finished close out to apply the sharpening. Add a filter layer and fill will black. This will hide the sharpening effects. Using a Soft Brush set to 15 to 20 percent, paint white over the filter layer to reveal the sharpening effect. I concentrated on Dr. Doug’s eyes, nose and part of his beard. I do not bring out all the sharpening. Only enough to begin to see the “hyper-sharpened” effect.

Now for the Small Aperture Routine. Using the same image layer go to the Filter Menu and select Unsharp Mask. Set the Radius to 5.0 and the amount to 225. This will tweak out finer detail but it will be mitigated but the Layer Mask. Using the Soft Brush at an Opacity of 20% to 25% I painted White over the eyes and the beard to bring out these areas. In a portrait the “eyes” are the key. This is where the soul resides.

Step 7: I made a Curves Layer and lightened Dr. Doug’s eyes to increase the intensity and bring out the lighter colors in the whites and the iris.

Step 8: I also created a Dodge and Burn Layer to Lighten and Darken a few areas in the portrait. This is a key component for all my work whether it is a portrait or a landscape. The pushing and pulling of light and dark is a painterly process that helps create the sense of depth I like in a photograph. To make a D and B layer add a new Layer on top of the Layer Stack. Change the Blending Mode to Overlay and the Opacity to 66%. Fill this layer with 50% Black. Using a Soft Brush set to a low opacity of 5% to 10% I paint in with White to lighten areas and Black to darken. This is a subtle building of tones. There is some intensive work on Doug’s eyes to create a 3-D quality.

And that is the technique. The combinations and applications of color adjustment, saturation, dodging and burning, and sharpening are all on a per image basis. The settings used above are a starting point. I also had a good, solid starting image to make the adjustments. The differences in my mind are not subtle. The starting image is soft and on its own would make a fine file under a normal workflow. But I like the intensity created by this technique. Dr. Doug appears more intense and worldly. The gritty look deepens the story for me.

Give this technique a try on your next portrait. I will be back in a week or so from my Grand Canyon/Canyon X trip. You can follow me through my Twitter and Facebook Feeds.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

 

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Blair Pittman – Terlingua, Texas, Big Bend Country

 Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Black and White, Desert, Photography Trips, Portrait, Portrait Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses  9 Responses »
Feb 042011
 

Blair Pittman, Terlingua, Texas, Big Bend Country. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/125 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I would like to introduce you to Blair Pittman, award winning photographer, writer, and folklorist. For several decades he has been telling and listening to tales on the Terlingua Ghost Town porch. On a beautiful late afternoon I found myself next to Blair as he recited a few yarns about the history of the old ghost town. With my beer in hand I sat back and soaked in the afternoon sun. I could smell the desert stretching out before me. Life just seemed to happen that afternoon. I had already spent time with Dr. Doug and here I was ending my day with Blair. I retreated to the trading post for another beer and as I paid I saw a small display featuring two books by Blair; Tales From The Terlingua Porch, and More! Tales From The Terlingua Porch. I bought them both and Blair signed and personalized each book. In one book he wrote “To Bob – If it ain’t the truth, it otta’ be. Viva Terlingua”. And in the other he wrote “To Bob – See you on the porch”.

The two books are a special reminder of an incredible week I spent in Big Bend. Small and easy to read the stories take you into the heart and soul of this place. That day on the porch life just happened and I was lucky enough to be there when it did. I did not intend to shoot an image of Blair but like life it just happened. As he was talking he looked off in the distance and I just brought the camera up and snapped the shot. For me it captured a lot about this man; wise and grizzled, but kind and reflective. If you let it, life just happens. And that is the truth.

Thanks for stopping by today. See you on the porch.

Bob

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Dale – Big Bend Workshop Portrait

 Adobe Lightroom, Flash Photography, Lightroom, People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Portrait Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses  No Responses »
Dec 232010
 

Dale. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/90th of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to todays post. I am switching up from my usual landscape shots and featuring a portrait of Dale I shot at a recent workshop at Big Bend. When you shoot a lot of landscape the relative skills necessary to compose a portrait go out the window. I really do not have to ask a hoodoo to pose and relax. I find the angle and the light and the hoodoo resides in all of its splendor, patient with my process. Shooting people is a whole other process, that for me, requires work. In this workshop we were given an assignment to photograph one of our fellow participants. I will admit I approached this with a bit of angst and some relative bad attitude thrown in. But I had to move past this as there was no getting around the deadline. Plus I just need to work on relating more to the people I photograph. So I shot Dale and he shot me. I think we were both uncomfortable with the whole thing. But we waded in to make the best image we could. The shoot took place at the Terlingua Ghost Town General Store. We had to limit the shoot to approximately 20 minutes each. I tried all kinds of positions, props, vistas but to no avail. I just could not seem to capture Dale’s inner being. He is conservative, calm, and yet has a dry sense of humor. We finally moved into an alcove where I could get a more monolithic backdrop and just started to move in close with the 70mm lens. Many people shooting portraits are afraid of moving in close. You have to enter the personal space zone which can make photographer and subject tighten up. But as Dale and I talked I found it easier and soon was asking for a different position, or a tilt of the head. For a very brief moment he turned away from the lens and when he looked back I sensed his his features were more relaxed and I got this shot. And it is all in the eyes. That is where the soul resides. Serious but with a touch of whimsy. It only took about 60 shots to get this one. I used an off camera flash aimed up into the ceiling of the alcove. The pop gave me some nice reflection in the eyes and opened up some shadow areas.

The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom using a preset called Antique Photo. From there it received some additional work in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bob

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Dr. Doug – Terlingua Ghost Town

 Adobe Lightroom, Big Bend, Desert, People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Portrait Photography, Sony α900, Street Portrait, Texas, Zeiss Lenses  4 Responses »
Nov 182010
 

Dr. Doug, Terlingua ghost Town, Terlingua Texas. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/500 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to todays post. I will be out of town again for a week and thought I would get this story up before heading out. I would like to introduce you to Dr. Doug, a man I am glad to call an acquaintance, and one I would be proud to call a friend. Dr. Doug leads guided mental health sessions and group therapy from the porch of the trading post at the Terlingua Ghost Town. Whatever your issue just grab a bear, have a seat, and just let it go. If you have time stay and watch the sun set for his expanded sessions. I met Dr. Doug during my last Big Bend workshop. Craig Tanner, from The Mindful Eye, had asked us to shoot a series of portraits of workshop participants, and if time permitted, grab one of the local inhabitants and shoot a portrait of them. Craig was really pushing my buttons on this assignment. I just do not consider myself a people photographer, with more of an inclination to shoot rocks, plants, and landscapes. I find that human interaction from behind a camera is tough for me. It is a learned skill and I do try to engage people who interest me whenever I can. When we operate from a place of fear we can invent all kinds of stories that keep us from overcoming that fear. The trick is to recognize it, accept it as irrational, and work proactively to overcome the fear. Easier said than done.

Well, if I had not tackled this assignment I would not have spent a great afternoon drinking beer and talking about everything and nothing with Dr. Doug. It was a chance meeting that would have gone by and I would have been the loser. I had finished shooting my partner, so I bought a Lonestar and found an inviting seat in the warm, afternoon sun. Within minutes here comes this charismatic character with a long beard, befitting a civil war general, who sits down beside me. We started talking and soon we were trading our stories, laughing, toasting, and just soaking up the Texas afternoon. This went on for some time when I finally got up the nerve to ask if I could shoot a few portrait shots. “Why absolutely”, he said. A couple of beers and about 30 shots later I got this one. It is Dr. Doug to a “T”. The deep, caring eyes, draw me in every time I look at this image. To me it says a lot about this man who has experienced so much of life.

I started with basic shots to feel my way into the shoot and then moved in close. Close is where the magic seems to happen. If you and your subject can move past this comfort zone, or “discomfort zone” as I like to call it, I believe portraits that capture a persons real personna can be achieved.  Doug turned away for just a second and as I moved in for a tighter, more intimate shot he turned back to the camera, raised his eye and I tripped the shutter.

The image was shot RAW and processed with a preset called Aged Photo in Lightroom. From there I applied my own processing tweaks in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by today. I’ll see you in about a week.

Bob

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