Photoshoot in NYC at the Cloisters...

[Janie]

I had about 10 people in full dress for a cool shoot on the grounds of the Cloisters, this past sunday. Check out the pics here...

http://bizfx.com/cloistersweb/ Which ones do you guys like best?

[gahspidy]

Jane, that place is so interesting. I have a few shots from inside the cloisters in the single compositions gallery on my site.
I think you have quite a few good images from the day, but the ones that stood out for me were
3atpost
group4b2
couplespast
joescene2
There are more that I like but those were most noteworthy , I feel. Some are a bit too contrasty, but most are effective.

[Asylum Steve]

Janie, obviously a great location to shoot moody and slightly haunting images.

Not being a Goth/Metal fan (sorry if I'm not using the precise term to describe your styling), I'm a little prejudiced here, but IMO your individual shots are much better than the groups.

My favorites are darkangel, fireballjoe and ivywalljoe. These are all very strong compositions, are well lit, and make real good use of fitting the subject to the scene.

Once you include more than one subject in shots like these, everything gets much more complicated and difficult. You want the shot to be natural and spontaneous-looking, but to do that you need to almost be a choreographer, carefully placing each individual in the scene and posing them to create the composition, but not having it LOOK like you posed them.

Sorry, but in most of your group shots, to me it looks like the subjects are simply standing around trying to look cool. That doesn't usually work, and the pics end up looking like "outtakes". Faces are hidden in many of the pics by hair, shadows, or other people, but it doesn't appear to be intentional. Also, the spacing of the individuals often looks awkward, almost as if you asked them to pose themselves..

Don't get me wrong. I think you did a pretty good job on the whole. It's just that creating striking group images with heavy styling and dramatic lighting is VERY hard. It is much easier to direct a single individual and get them to evoke a feeling or emotion in a scene than it is to do that with a group...

[megan]

Wow, six degrees and all...
I know at least one person and have photographed him!
Are you sure our paths haven't crossed someway, somehow?
I love the B&W group shot on the steps!

[Sebastian]

Darkangel, by far my favorite.