Reviewing my Photography in 2010: Portraiture

Had you asked me at the start of the year which style of image I would shoot the most in the course of the year, I would not have thought portraiture. Far from it. I normally shoot buildings, bands, landscapes and wildlife. But 2010 was to become the year to improve at portraiture and "modelled" photography. From a journalistic day attached to the Green Party's campaigning in Manchester to street photography, this was the year of the face.

I don't consider myself to be at all accomplished at photography of people — certainly not when I began the year! — but by about March I realised it was something to confront and try to improve. It began with Cat and Justine proposing a goth/industrial photo-shoot, and via a course touching on studio photography, the year ended with me taking of family portraits at Christmas. This genre is the one I feel most improved over the course of 2010, and I'm hugely pleased with my progress; and I have several ideas for how to push myself further in 2011.

What have I learned? There is far too much to list here, but soft lighting, gentle shadows, take time to review and ask those posing to change expression if the picture doesn't work, casual and candid can work really well, and don't be so nervous!

Jan 4
First portrait of the year. Wonderful soft lighting from the hazy sky and snow on the ground. Closer portrait. Looking back on it now with more experience, this is one of the pictures where I should have taken a couple more shots, so that Justine's right eye isn't squinting in the light so much. Jan 4
Apr 24
Journalistic attachment to the Green Party. This picture had to tell a story, and I think the low angle I chose was a good one to make it interesting. Looking back on it now, I think a reflector to shine a little light into the shadows of Justine's face would have helped massively: the sun that day was very bright and acted like a "point source" for deep shadows. Yikes, straight in at the deep end with this journalism lark! Another picture where a reflector, some time to get expressions right, and better composition all come to mind now. Apr 24
Apr 25
Candid expressions can work: Cat was laughing at a joke either Justine or I had made at the time, and this shot captured her natural smile. One of my favourite portraits of the year, this is actually a very close crop of the original image. Apr 25
Apr 25
Justine directed this shot, but I pressed the shutter. Several friends have commented that it is a homage to Cartier Bresson (Justine still won't tell me if that was her goal). Oddly, this wouldn't be the last time in the year someone would make this comparison. Drat: should have been more careful with the focus! Apr 25
Apr 25
Her neck stretched forward slightly, and with amazing skin, Justine needs no retouching in this picture. Plenty of cleavage also helps distract the viewer! I think there were three "ages" to my photography before this picture was taken: childhood pictures with my parents' camera, black and white, and then the beginnings of using a DSLR. Shot with the highest sensitivity of the EOS 350D and with the colours mostly desaturated, this is very much a tribute to the B&W days of high ISO films with lots of grain texture. May 28
Aug 15
Another planned photo-shoot with Justine, this time to show off the Victorian parts of Manchester with a beautiful lady in neo-Victorian attire. While technically a profile, this picture pleases me, despite ignoring the rule "don't let the nose break the face". On this shoot I actually directed my model more carefully, now having a bit more confidence in my ability with the camera. Neutral expressions only go so far. Aug 15
Aug 15
I'm really pleased with the light and the colours of this picture, and especially glad to have caught Justine's happy expression. This photograph is "straight out of camera": not even any cropping. By now I have upgraded to the EOS 7D, and am using my first prime lens in about twenty years. This portrait is extremely "high key", though I wouldn't know what to do with it till a few months later in the year. I also wouldn't appreciate that shooting at f/3.5 gave a huge improvement in sharpness from this f/1.8 lens. Aug 25
Aug 25
The angle I chose here isn't always the most flattering, but lots of soft light from the ceiling and reflecting off the light concrete floor made me think I could get away with it. One of the very few times in the year when I would use a skin-smoothing brush, this indoor shot had awful lighting. It's also one of the few shots where I've "significantly" done any retouching. Aug 25
Aug 28
Back to more candid photography: men at work, with critical focus on Wes' eyes in the foreground. He was the more interesting subject in this picture, so I'm glad I composed it this way. The lens might have been slightly soft at f/1.8, but this semi-candid photograph captured Tails' expression wonderfully. I was really pleased with this one, and am grateful that the 7D metered it so well. Aug 28
Aug 29
Flash-free, high-ISO and wide-open: I didn't know better! But Allan's portrait here is remarkable given the potential pitfalls of this indoor photograph. Candid Louise, flash-free. I now can tell that the lens wasn't wide open when it took this picture: the "nifty fifty" signature pentagonal bokeh is the give-away. A reflector or some fill lighting to eliminate some shadows or at least balance the highlights are what I would improve in this picture now. Aug 29
Oct 16
There are only three months left this year, and I'm starting to get creative with flash guns. This picture would have been perfect had I noticed the shadow her nose cast, but I'm still really pleased with this picture. My project, Goths in Space, began here. The Salford "Space-Ship" Shoot had two goals: firstly, it would be the first time I had shot with a professional model; secondly, it was to develop my ability at creating an image from a story. Oct 16
Oct 16
Nerina is in a band. This is their first gig. Another tribute to my days of high-ISO B&W. The flash gun here creates the illusion of stage lighting. I'm slowly starting to figure out what the diffuser I bought is for... and still enjoying playing with colour changes. Oct 16
Oct 16
Another Goths in Space shot, high ISO and a contrasty colour-grade for that "film poster" feel. I'm really pleased with how Cat's shorts and top contrast against the metallic features of The Lowry, and how her hair frames her face. I only wish I knew whether I'd seen that subconsciously when I composed the picture, or whether I'm seeing it after the fact. Oct 16
Oct 16
This picture is very much about the light, and its absence. The only absence I wished wasn't there: the nose shadow again! My first brush with studio lighting and now I'm starting to learn what diffuse light is for. Oct 19
Oct 19
All the other photographers on the course were earn-a-living professionals (and the model, Colleen, is full-time too). I felt it my duty, therefore, to try some things which weren't the standard "commercial look". I noticed Colleen had been striking some poses which looked remarkably familiar, and asking Colleen, she confirmed that she also did ballet dancing. With that I asked her to run through some ballet poses, and when she put her hands up like this, the shadows playing on her face worked really well. Someone moved between me taking the focus and the shot. It might have been me, or it might have been Colleen tilting her head back slightly. Whichever it was, her lips were in focus but her eyes weren't perfectly sharp, so in this picture I've drawn attention to the lips through the use of colour. Oct 19
Oct 19
At the time I commented that portraiture isn't something I would ordinarily shoot. Lighting, reflectors for fill, hair highlights... I think I'm starting to get the knack of this now. Candid portraiture can give good results, as can huge diffuse light sources. I've now learned that two flashes bouncing light around the room in a horizontal fashion are much better than relying on overhead lights or a camera-mounted flash. Nov 20
Nov 20
This picture was more "posed" but didn't use the lighting in quite the way I should have. Still, hair-light, catchlight, key and fill are all there. My sister challenged me to take a good portrait of her. I think I succeeded, and by now I was starting to apply key/catch/hair/fill lighting in a busy setting. Dec 24
Dec 24
Ugly can be beautiful too...? Street photography here we come! Dec 28