CiC "School of Portraiture" - Anybody Interested?

[Colin Southern]

We seem to be discussing portraiture quite a lot recently, and I've noticed that often we seem to invest a lot of time "putting out fires", which made me wonder "would anyone be interested in me running a short (and public) portraiture course"?

I was thinking along the lines of giving some lessons & easy assignments based around both the thought processes and shooting workflow that I use, and avoiding common mistakes that I often see being made.

Participants wouldn't need any fancy equipment - just a reflector and grey card to start off with; the "hard part" would be the "requirement" to remain engaged with the project, and complete simple shooting assignments (not difficult, not time-consuming, but just a little thought required) (so that we can all move along to the next phase). Probably means shooting something every other day.

So - any interest?

[Klickit]

Tentatively, yes, as long as a reflector could be an 800x800 piece of white polystyrene. I really can't be buying anything at the moment - bus costs etc have ruined the purse for the moment - but if you think that would be adequate, I'd be in.
Rider; I yet have to talk to the Engineer about this....

[wilgk]

Yes please!
most definitely & thank you for offering
I might have to use to use 1 of the bean counters sail board sails as a reflector, but needs must!

[ScoutR]

Very interested, however I don't know about participating. Due to my hours of work, I would find it very difficult to find a model for the shots. Do we have to take people portraits or can we use something else for the shots just to make sure we are getting the lighting right. Even if I cannot participate, I would be very interested in watching and learning.

What kind of lighting will we need?

Wendy

[Dave Humphries]

I'm with Wendy, although I'd like to, finding a model would be tricky (I'm shy and the family are all; "oh no, not me" and run a mile)

and before you suggest it, no I'm not sitting for it either self portaits are even less my style

[arith]

Can't get models and I haven't got enough room to swing a cat. Grey card; is that one of those expensive things I never use preferring to guesstimate a nice colour to my taste. Well I would definitely be up for it except I don't want to frighten anybody with a self portrait done a trillion times.



Not sad just past midnight

[Antonio Correia]

I am in. I will do my best.

Nice to meet you Steve

[triggerhappy]

Nice one Colin. I like your idea.

But I don't have a reflector right now.

Mark

[Loose Canon]

I would be up for that depending on when it happened and my work schedule.

Very generous of you to make the offer, Colin.

And Steve?

You handsome Devil, you!

[Jim B.]

Colin,
What a great offer!Sadly,this month is going to be too busy for me to participate.

For those who don't have a reflector here's a cheap and easy way to make one(Colin taught me this).


Get a poster board,this one is 30"x20",take aluminum foil and crumple it up.Straighten it out a bit and wrap the board with it.
Works great.

[arith]

i would be up for that depending on when it happened and my work schedule.

Very generous of you to make the offer, colin.

And steve?

You handsome devil, you! :d

[Crovean]

Oh sign me up... but i do need time to get some reflectors though.

[Shauna]

I would love to be apart of this, I wonder tho..if my point and shoot will hold me back from the others? Is this for dslr owners only?

[Peter Ryan]

Hi Colin,

I do not do portraits but I love to learn different techniques and I would welcome the opportunity to follow the materials. I do think the lighting and composition of your portriats are excellent. So even if you do not have the public participation as strong as you may want for the course it would appear there is a strong interest to learn from you here. I do not think your time would be wasted and could manifest itself in imporvements in the monthly portrait competition.

[Colin Southern]

Thanks for the replies folks.

To be honest, I'm reminded a little of all the books on body-building that didn't do anything for me depite me reading them over and over and over again whilst sitting on the couch eating potatoe chips; not sure what I did wrong (my subtle / not so subtle {delete as applicable} way of saying that actually putting the lessons into practice will make them 50 times more effective than just reading them).

Anyway, lets give it a go, and see what happens. I'll pop the lessons into this forum, but under different threads -- probably 2 or 3 a week, with more or less depending on how well people do their homework. Portraiture coveres a fairly broad area; at this stage I'll start with outdoors / natural light / and head/shoulders and/or 3/4 length shots, and really just want to do this in a straight-forward way where I'm going to concentrate making good choices and setting up good techniques to avoid the most common mistakes that I often see.

Enough waffle ... I'll type up Lesson 1 now (sleep is SO over-rated anyway!).

[arith]

I'll certainly be reading it Colin Don't know if I put a sign up outside my home; 'free chips for models' you never know, but they seem to be put off by my stunning good looks, they can't be put of by my intellect.

[Colin Southern]

I'll certainly be reading it Colin Don't know if I put a sign up outside my home; 'free chips for models' you never know, but they seem to be put off by my stunning good looks, they can't be put of by my intellect.

Thanks Steve - lesson 1 up now

"School of Portraiture" - Lesson 01 - Backgrounds / Locations

PS: You reminded me of the "photographers curse" ... the other day I was driving along with my camera on the seat beside me when I saw a house on fire ... it was pretty aweful - people were screaming and and as I pulled up several ran out of the burning building with their clothes on fire! Horrific as it was, I though I'd better do what I do best and capture the scene for investigators / tabloids ... so I got out of the car with my camera, but before I could shoot a single frame the victims started screaming "photographer! photographer!" ... and ran back into the burning building! Why does this always happen to me?

[arith]

Thanks Steve - lesson 1 up now

"School of Portraiture" - Lesson 01 - Backgrounds / Locations

PS: You reminded me of the "photographers curse" ... the other day I was driving along with my camera on the seat beside me when I saw a house on fire ... it was pretty aweful - people were screaming and and as I pulled up several ran out of the burning building with their clothes on fire! Horrific as it was, I though I'd better do what I do best and capture the scene for investigators / tabloids ... so I got out of the car with my camera, but before I could shoot a single frame the victims started screaming "photographer! photographer!" ... and ran back into the burning building! Why does this always happen to me?

On lesson one; good thinking, superb. Now I have to put my thinking cap on, where do I know somewhere out of direct sunlight with a regular repeated pattern and where I can get a dappled effect. Only joking got that wrong, without dappled effect. Excellent start Colin.

[Maritimer1]

Coming in a little late, but now that I see I can make a reflector, I'm in! I'll scramble to get the background assignment done. Rain, hurry up and stop!

Off soon to buy some aluminum foil and poster board

Myra

[Ricko]

snap, I'm deffo in on this !! TY Colin