Square cropped portraits (SCPs) - please post them here

[Admin Edit]: This thread grew so large that it was becoming very slow to load for a lot of people - so we've moved the first several hundred posts to an archive thread that you can view here]

There are only a few guide lines I kindly ask you to follow when you post your images:
1. The portraits must be square (obviously)
2. One portrait by entry only. (this will allow us to comment. However, on commenting you can post more portraits to demonstrate what and how you do, why, etc.)
3. The author can - should - add comments to his/her own picture.
4. If you wish you can show us the original photo and/or the setup used.
5. Only Humans please !

More guide lines will be added editing this thread if and when necessary.
Hope you cooperate and enjoy my initiative. I would like everybody to be happy, discuss and comment. Thank you. :)

The idea comes from this thread which I kindly ask the administrator to close and point to this one.

I will begin with my concept, a comment and an image.
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My concept of SCP (Square Cropped Portrait) is a tighter crop not exactly targeting on an action but on the person herself.
It doesn't mean however that I am "chained" to this. No. I crop the way I feel, as simple as that. A SCP may have one, two persons or more. And they must not have canvas either...
Oh well, my concept is so vague ... :)
*
At the time I shot this picture, not very long ago, I didn't use what I can consider my sophisticated canvas, shadow and name but this is not important, is it ? :)
We were among friends and I suggested I could take some pictures.
My wife was holding the flash and all that stuff you know ... :)
This picture is a very intimate one. In the shots I made this one came out very deep. Other pictures of the same lady were not so good.

http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/ph..._NfKWw-M-4.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wirefox

... The quality and consistency of these latest images is very salable to a large portion of the public...Steve

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Some hours ago I had some thoughts about these last Colin's portraits.
I was thinking indeed how these shots are salable, how they please the largest majority of the public.
They are neither a work of art - they do not pretend to be - nor bad pictures. They are nice, beautifully made/taken photos with the public as target. Made to please the available client.

I was comparing them to the shots of another professional photographer in Setubal - where I live - and how similar they are.
He is successful while others are not, as usual.

But what is interesting to watch is that people look but sometimes don't see.
And what is "people look but sometimes don't see"?
My wife at her work saw sometimes pictures blurred but people were saying they were nice.
It happens all the time. When those people see something better made, it is then that they understand the differences and may come to the conclusion of what a good picture is.
They were just looking before and now they are seeing.
Educate the eye, educate the brain, culture, knowledge.

What is good and pleasant to some is not to others.
When we are - I am not - selling our work we have to please people and do how and what they want.

Have I told you about my experience as Architect for 30 years where a politician - ignorant as many - was in charge and was imposing less good solutions ? I think I have told you somewhere in this forum if not in this very one.

Enough said. I shut up with my comments now. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wirefox

Colin she looks so fed up in the first image. It must be all that testing of the new studio set up. The quality and consistency of these latest images is very salable to a large portion of the public. I have paid silly money for portraits of my kids in the past and they do not come near the technical quality of capture. However I would really like to see something unique in how the subject is presented to us (the story telling really). I think if you can get that trade mark 'something' into you compositions you will be able to buy us all a new lighting set up.

Steve

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Hi Steve,

She certainly does have a "bit of a temper" at times (gets it from her mother, I'm sure!) - but on this occasion it was just a pose :) I spotted a couple of types of material at a local fabric shop that I thought would make good backdrops - so was just testing them and that's one of the poses we tried just for a bit of fun.

When I get the studio up and running I'll probably use my favourite technique of just letting kids loose with a bit of music (and perhaps a fan) - and essentially just freeze them in various dance moves.

Excelent Colin, excelent ...
:)

But Colin, will you please move the picture to the nSCP's ?! with a link from here ?
Thanks ! :)

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

Excelent Colin, excelent ...
:)

But Colin, will you please move the picture to the nSCP's ?! with a link from here ?
Thanks ! :)

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Sorry Antonio - my mistake. All fixed now :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Southern

Sorry Antonio - my mistake. All fixed now :)

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Please Colin, don't ! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

Please Colin, don't ! :)

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Easier if I just remove it altogether I think!

Or how about this?

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/fo...8&d=1270337130

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Southern

Or how about this?

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/fo...8&d=1270337130

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My! What a clever boy you are making a nSCP into a SCP by adding some side bars (in a non matching colour). That won't wash with Antonio at all. :rolleyes: He ticked me off the other day (quite right too) for posting a squirrel shot in with portraits. I suppose you would have cloned a human head on it? :D

Now, let me tell you something about ladies dress-sense, before you go shopping with any female! The belt is a no-no, I'm afraid. Her red top is quite long and the belt looks quite high. This has the effect of making her look too long in the mid-body area. The fact that she is bending her right hip makes this more of a problem. I'm also not sure about the hand/arm going into the background. It just doesn't look right to me.

Sorry for the criticism!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carregwen

Sorry for the criticism!

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No worries Rob - I just hope you remember this conversation because I'll probably have to take it down when Antonio sees it!

Thanks for the critique - unfortunately though, it's probably wasted as the image wasn't a keeper (parents already have the good one :)) - it was just an example to show Steve that not every portrait I shoot is a posed 3/4 shot :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Southern

Or how about this?
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/fo...8&d=1270337130

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Fantastic. Excelent. Better than rectangular.
Thank you :)

Maya helping Grandma make cakes, the results of which can be ssen shortly in another thread.

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3292/mg9251.jpg

"Very cute Maya making cakes", instaed.

And she is happy... :)
uuummmm scones ? with marmelade ? nmham nmham...

Baounced flash I bet. Good work Peter. :)
And thank you for posting Peter :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

"Very cute Maya making cakes", instaed.

And she is happy... :)
uuummmm scones ? with marmelade ? nmham nmham...

Baounced flash I bet. Good work Peter. :)
And thank you for posting Peter :)

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Thanks Antonio,

I used the 580EX catch-light card. i find this little piece of card very good for getting just the right amount of fill flash.

Peter

A lovely shot Peter,

Good exposure balance and framing where you have managed to keep the shot reasonably uncluttered, as kitchens go.

Only minor thing I'd have done was tone down, or crop off, the three bright things on right hand edge.

Still very good though,

Of course not all the mixture ended up in the cake:D:D

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2266/mg9246.jpg

Meanwhile Luca waited patiently for his slice. :)

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8569/mg9260.jpg

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Originally Posted by peterb533

Of course not all the mixture ended up in the cake:D:D...

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only the most of it ... :) :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peterb533

Meanwhile Luca waited patiently for his slice. :)...

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which he was entitled to :)
May be if you could darken a bit the photo on his forehead and apply a little Smart Sharp it would look better...
Nice image anyway ! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky

I shot this one several years ago at a safari type place in Pennsylvania. I always get a kick out of it.

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Sorry Steve ... Here, no animals. It's in the rules, at the beginning, number 5.
Are you so kind as to move your picture somewhere else ? :o
Thank you.:)