High Rise Model

[GB1]

Taken several weeks ago at a friend's San Diego high rise before he moved in. I have yet to do serious PP (being super busy with class n work).

C&Cs welcome. More to come

G

[Greg McCary]

Gb I think these are two of your better ones. Level the first one though.

[caleb]

These are excellent.

If you shot in raw, I think the first picture could use an exposure boost on just her face. The background being very dull works really well.

In the second, her thigh is somewhat distracting, but I don't see an obvious way to crop/otherwise make it less so. Possibly some photoshop to make it skinner to match how the other one seems to be.

What PP effects did you use for photo 2?

[jetrim]

HaHah! now it's my turn to bust your stones about getting horizon level (first shot) :lol:
Beyond that, this is a seriously great shot, very moody and the color & DoF choices were perfect in my opinion.

Second shot looks great, although now that Caleb has brought it up, I tend to agree. This is a very easy fix in PSP (find editable mesh - lower end of left tool bar) just push the outside of the right thigh over until it's more straight than curved between the knee and hip. This one would also work fantastic as a square crop (at the black boy shorts)

[Grandpaw]

I think the square crop idea for the second one is a great idea, Jeff

[GB1]

Thanks fellows. Some very helpful critiques!

A little background.

I shot these with two other photographers, both much more experienced with model photography than I and esp. with studio lighting. My friend who just bought the condo was ok with us doing the shoot but was also a little apprehensive, as he paid a lot for it (~ 3/4 of a mil). The wood floor is very soft and we had to place pads under all the light stands' legs.

But the biggest issue was time. We only had 3 hrs and due to a communication snafu the model wanted to bolt after only 2. She ended up staying for an extra 15 min, but time was certainly constrained! We decided to set up various areas of the condo and each photographer would get to shoot 6 shots in round robin. We ended up doing two passes for most poses. The six shots thing worked well - it made you think about your shots instead of shooting like a lunatic and just hoping something came out (which is what a lot of us do..). We also had a rule where the two other photogs couldn't shoot or distract the model during someone else's time (I actually violated this on the first shot, but it was w/o flash so it was OK).

Needless to say, time blew by fast! Good thing the model was very good and experienced. She could turn it on and off in a heartbeat.

Now to answer your critiques:

Greg - thanks. I already played w/ that top one and that's all I could get! I could really have used a light on just her, but this was a grab shot while she was getting ready to pose for another of the photographers. I am just happy I got it off.

Caleb - Thks and I agree that the 'dull' background really provides some nice separation. Yes it's in RAW: do you mean to do a mask? (I guess so.) I think that's all that can be done. Now that you say it, you are totally right on the size of her thigh.. it at least looks too big. I guess some incredible PP could fix it. All i did was clean up BTW.. nothing special. Any other ideas for PP effects would be appreciated.

Jet - you know I didn't even notice that the horizon wasn't straight.. I can see that the middle background building is leaning there ( easy to fix, but it also means I lose a little of the sides). The shot's a little bit of a dizzy-ier .. makes you uneasy seeing someone standing on a ledge 31 floors up.

Great idea on that square crop, though I think the overall density needs some work.. maybe too much contrast? See attached here.

Jeff - See attached too!

Gb

[Shebang]

Very nice, GB1. Hearing the "rest of the story" is interesting, and the square crop is great.

[draymorton]

GB - I always love seeing new model posts from you. You're getting better all the time.

The first shot is great, but (IMHO) could benefit from:

- straightening
- bringing the model out a little (i.e. making her lighter)
- ever-so-slightly darkening everything else around her, to help make her stand out.
- playing with color balance to kind of tie everything together
- maybe putting a black gradient in diagonally from bottom right
- cropping in from the left and up from the bottom, so as to minimize the distraction of the railing.

I fooled around with the first shot a little, but don't want to go posting any unsolicited edits.

I love the lighting and pose in the second, but I might try to get some of the red out of her skin. Not sure as to which crop would look better at this point.

p.s. Wanted to bolt after two hours? That kind of ******** makes me glad I don't shoot models.

[Anbesol]

I agree that the leg in the second shot is distracting. I think its the stance, I would like to see it with her left leg up and maybe her foot against a wall, something to angle the legs in a more pleasing way, as is she looks like shes probably flat and straight footed. If she was in heels, or if she was otherwise lifting herself with her toes - her thighs would take more pleasing shape as will her stance. She also looks like shes reaching a little too high to rest on the bar, though she still did a great job letting her torso relax in a pleasing way.

I really like the first one too, but I think the two symmetrical arms and hands gives the shot a bit of a rigid balanced feeling. I like how shes kicking her hip to her right, but her hands arms and shoulders look too parallel.

[GB1]

Thks Paula, Dray and Anbesol. I agree that neither of these shots are quite there but they do have an alluring effect nonetheless. The model was good and with a background like this it is much easier to get a hit than a miss.

Dray, good ideas and you are more than welcome to edit and repost the shots. I did do a bit of work on the top one but it was just harder to get right than it looks. Ahh.

And unfortunately you are spot on about many of the models (and this one in particular). One of the other photogs apparently told her she could leave and it sort of teed off both the other photog and I. If she wasn't in such a hurry I could have done better on the nighttime shot I posted her. She was already whining about it being cold (it wasn't) and how the other dude said she could go. I would be hesitant to recommend this model to anyone in the biz after that .. and in the rush we also forgot to get her to sign the model release. Repeated emails to her asking for the release since then have gone unanswered... You live and learn.

Anbesol, thanks too for your insight. I agree on the rigidness of her arms. It was sort of a grab shot. I have many more to post but need to do some editing -- will have to wait till my class ends on Friday first

G