Square cropped portraits (SCPs) - Archive

I've always loved square printed photos. Too bad not many people like them, and I try hard to convince some of my clients to accept certain crop styles which compliments the image better.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3332/...9487c39f4d.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/...1b892283d9.jpg

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Originally Posted by Amberglass

I've always loved square printed photos. Too bad not many people like them, and I try hard to convince some of my clients to accept certain crop styles which compliments the image better...]

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Thank you Dave for posting your pictures adding some value to this thread.:)

Your photos look just fine. :)
Could you please be kind enough to post more but with nicer background ?

Thank you. :)

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Originally Posted by Alis

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Good as always.:)

Is he the only available model in the USA ? :D:D:D

Your wife Alis, where is she ? :)

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

Thank you Dave for posting your pictures adding some value to this thread.:)

Your photos look just fine. :)
Could you please be kind enough to post more but with nicer background ?

Thank you. :)

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Antonio, my images are from actual competitions during a routine performance. This is as best of a distracting background as I could do. Unfortunately there was no high points that I could shoot from to use the mat as a background. The only other choice I had was the audience which is more busy in the composition.

Do not worry, I hear it a lot:rolleyes:. Many people do not realize how challenging sports photography is, and how much you have to really work with your environment as best as you can make do.

Here's two more since you asked. If I had my choice, I would post many of my images in squares, like in the days of classic wedding albums.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/...5ddd0e498d.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/...2a78148685.jpg

Working with mixed artificial lighting (sodium and mercury vapor) is extremely challenging btw. These two images are perfect examples of fluctuating light frequencies, but bottom line is that the skin tones are correct.

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Originally Posted by Amberglass

Here's two more since you asked. If I had my choice, I would post many of my images in squares, like in the days of classic wedding albums...Working with mixed artificial lighting (sodium and mercury vapor) is extremely challenging btw. These two images are perfect examples of fluctuating light frequencies, but bottom line is that the skin tones are correct.

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Nice again David ! :)
I know how difficult it is to shoot with different white balances...
I am sure you do have other pictures with such quality as these but with clear backgrounds.:)

We all hope to have a look at them some day. :):)
Again, thank you for posting. Keep doing so. :)

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

Nice again David ! :)
I know how difficult it is to shoot with different white balances...
I am sure you do have other pictures with such quality as these but with clear backgrounds.:)

We all hope to have a look at them some day. :):)
Again, thank you for posting. Keep doing so. :)

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My name is Elsie:D, but my husband's name is David and he's not a photographer:rolleyes:. I shoot mostly local competitions, all the way to local Regionals. The National competitions are held in major arenas were clutter is not a problem. I shoot (but edit more artistically) mainly for the competitor's parents as a memento than for magazines and media. Also the parents like the realism and the memory of knowing where the competition took place, but I will start doing studio work of the girls very soon.

The facilities are setup for competitions only, not for photographic opportunities. Believe me when I tell you that most gyms have apparatuses all over the place, which makes my life an absolute nightmare. Such is the life of a photojournalist and sports shooter;).

What a mess I have made with the names ! :)
Sorry Elsie. Just me ...:)

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

What a mess I have made with the names ! :)
Sorry Elsie. Just me ...:)

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No offense taken, Antonio:). LOL. At first I thought you were replying to another thread and then added me to the bottom. It took me a bit before I caught on to asking myself "Who's David?":p.

I am slowly saving up for the Nikon 300 2.8 VR, with this baby I will be able to shoot into the mats, and achieve the better bokeh of backgrounds within tighter shots. The 70-200 2.8 VR is great but requires me to be closer to the mat's edges. As you know, Bohek is achieve with camera distance to subject and distance from behind subject. Since you like my work, here are some more......but you did mention in the beginning that I'm suppose to only post one image at a time:cool:.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/...6fc98ceb58.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2176/...595d5465_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/...3738eff7b5.jpg

Btw, all images were shot with ISO from 3200-6400, f2.8-4. The lighting was literally that bad at these locations.

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Originally Posted by Amberglass

Btw, all images were shot with ISO from 3200-6400, f2.8-4. The lighting was literally that bad at these locations.

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This really doesn't show Elsie, you make it look so easy, well done.

Very acceptable skin tones, white balance and lack of noise.

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Originally Posted by Dave Humphries

This really doesn't show Elsie, you make it look so easy, well done.

Very acceptable skin tones, white balance and lack of noise.

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Thank you, Dave. As I tell the photography students that I mentor, it's really important to do the prep work prior (series of custom wb because some lights takes longer to fully power up than others), shoot in RAW, and really understanding post processing corrections on a calibrated monitor. None of these images were Ps, just balanced corrections and cropping.

If you like, I can post some of my biggest challenge shoot this year. I called them "Putting them in the light the hard way." The gym that this particular competition was held in had natural, mercury vapor, fluorescent, and incandescent lighting all in one room:eek:.

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Originally Posted by Amberglass

Thank you, Dave. As I tell the photography students that I mentor, it's really important to do the prep work prior (series of custom wb because some lights takes longer to fully power up than others), shoot in RAW, and really understanding post processing corrections on a calibrated monitor. None of these images were Ps, just balanced corrections and cropping. If you like, I can post some of my biggest challenge shoot this year. I called them "Putting them in the light the hard way." The gym that this particular competition was held in had natural, mercury vapor, fluorescent, and incandescent lighting all in one room:eek:.

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Yes, yes ! Teach me something about the mixture of WB and how you did to get such great results under so bad situations.
Please... Elsie...:):):):) please...:)

But here only SCPs. :)
Better: a link to the thread you are going to create with those gym photos.

Thank you Elsie ! :):)

Here I go again since you insisted, Antonio. LOL.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/...732da8d6a4.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/...850fa21085.jpg

Second image was taken in a hotel stairwell with palladium windows late morning on marble staircase. I used the white marble steps and post to reflect the light back upon her, just by asking her to lean forward just enough to capture.

ISO 200, 24-105 f4L IS at f4 with 1/60 shutter speed (IS off). I can hand hold fairly still from years of practice.

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Originally Posted by Amberglass

Here I go again since you insisted, Antonio. LOL.
... Second image was taken in a hotel stairwell with palladium windows late morning on marble staircase. I used the white marble steps and post to reflect the light back upon her, just by asking her to lean forward just enough to capture. ISO 200, 24-105 f4L IS at f4 with 1/60 shutter speed (IS off). I can hand hold fairly still from years of practice.

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Thank you for posting Elsie !:)
They are gorgeous. Very clever to use the marble steps as fill in.
I do - really - like your pics Elsie !
:)

But, reconsidering, you could have avoided that light on her shoulder and arm... That is not very well, is it ?
And may be a small vignetting, no ?
:)

Hi,

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Originally Posted by Antonio Correia

But, reconsidering, you could have avoided that light on her shoulder and arm... That is not very well, is it ?

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I am not sure about that. Given a choice I would have done the opposite and moved her so the same light is on her hair and other shoulder, too thus creating a rim light which would have even further enhanced the subject/background delineation. :D

However Elsie said it was on a hotel staircase so I imagine there was no space to manoeuvre either way without compromising the background if that hotel was in any way similar to the hotel stairs I know... ;)

Best regards,

Anton

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Originally Posted by aia21

Hi, I am not sure about that. Given a choice I would have done the opposite and moved her so the same light is on her hair and other shoulder, too thus creating a rim light which would have even further enhanced the subject/background delineation. :D However Elsie said it was on a hotel staircase so I imagine there was no space to manoeuvre either way without compromising the background if that hotel was in any way similar to the hotel stairs I know... ;) Best regards, Anton

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Well Anton we have not been there have we ? :)

The fact is that we would do it in a different way.

Your idea is also great, I think.

Best regards young man ! :):)

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Originally Posted by aia21

Hi,



I am not sure about that. Given a choice I would have done the opposite and moved her so the same light is on her hair and other shoulder, too thus creating a rim light which would have even further enhanced the subject/background delineation. :D

However Elsie said it was on a hotel staircase so I imagine there was no space to manoeuvre either way without compromising the background if that hotel was in any way similar to the hotel stairs I know... ;)

Best regards,

Anton

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You are correct, Anton. That was exactly what I wanted to achieve, but we lacked the maneuvering space since it was a "very busy stairwell".

Antonio, the purpose of this portrait is to delineate the subject with light, using what I had available. A vignetting would be an unwanted shadow of a distraction and make the image "unbalanced". I am not a fan of vignetting but I will use it in a more subtle way to enhance an image, like below.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3381/...586137d7dd.jpg

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Originally Posted by Amberglass

You are correct, Anton. That was exactly what I wanted to achieve, but we lacked the maneuvering space since it was a "very busy stairwell".
Antonio, the purpose of this portrait is to delineate the subject with light, using what I had available. A vignetting would be an unwanted shadow of a distraction and make the image "unbalanced". I am not a fan of vignetting but I will use it in a more subtle way to enhance an image, like below.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3381/...586137d7dd.jpg

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And you do an excellent work ! :)
Again very nice and well done. :)

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Originally Posted by Alis

Colin, by blurring you mean Guassian blur, right?

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Hi Ali,

Sorry - I missed this one before.

In a word, yes - but - another trick is to simply use the history brush to revert over-sharpened portions to their previous state (eg on high-frequency areas like hair).

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Originally Posted by Colin Southern

Hi Ali,

Sorry - I missed this one before.

In a word, yes - but - another trick is to simply use the history brush to revert over-sharpened portions to their previous state (eg on high-frequency areas like hair).

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Thanks. And before I forget again, what do you mean exactly by high and low frequency? I can guess now that you gave me an example but not sure what the exact meaning of the term is.

Thanks,

Ali