Sitting for a Cut Portrait: Color, B&W or Neither? I sometimes take photos when I'm helping my cousin at crafts shows, running the business end while she cuts silhouette portraits. It...

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

I sometimes take photos when I'm helping my cousin at crafts shows, running the business end while she cuts silhouette portraits. It is always impossible for me to handle the crazy mixed lighting, but I am still trying. The image does have a real purpose so I'd appreciate any constructive feedback.

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NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

Minn I prefer the color shot. I am sure the lighting had to misable. So I think you got what you could from it. Your cousin doing it freehand I,'m impressed. The "model" did her job and continued to look forward not even asking a peek at you. :) ☺

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I prefer the b&w - it takes away a lot of the "busy-ness" of the shot and allows me to concentrate on the subjects.

However - at the risk of sounding like a broken record (hydraulics at your ugly bridge) - I don't know what the older lady is doing, so the scene is confusing to me.

Can you share what the purpose of this particular image is, that you alluded to in opening? Will that help us help you?

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Linda From Maine wrote:

I prefer the b&w - it takes away a lot of the "busy-ness" of the shot and allows me to concentrate on the subjects.

However - at the risk of sounding like a broken record (hydraulics at your ugly bridge) - I don't know what the older lady is doing, so the scene is confusing to me.

Can you share what the purpose of this particular image is, that you alluded to in opening? Will that help us help you?

Thanks! You should see how busy the original is! I tend to prefer the monochrome too, but wanted too see what others thought.

I want to make a print to keep in the booth so we can show people what they are supposed to do when they sit for the portraits. Visuals are easier. Also could be part of her portfolio which she has to update with the guilds ever soften to explain what she does. It's kind of obscure if you never saw it done before.

The older lady is the artist, she's cutting silhouette portraits from live models, and the girl is the model.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

NJFrank wrote:

Minn I prefer the color shot. I am sure the lighting had to misable. So I think you got what you could from it. Your cousin doing it freehand I,'m impressed. The "model" did her job and continued to look forward not even asking a peek at you. :) ☺

Thank you!

BTW she only works from life, not ever from photos, says she can't get their personality into the portrait without seeing them "live" for at least a little while.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Great, thanks, Minnie. I did think that if this photo was being used as instruction or as a visual for those familiar with the art/craft, it would be successful (documentary).

I understood your original description; what I mean by not knowing what I was seeing was if I had no background info - no words to go with the pictures :)

minniev wrote:

Thanks! You should see how busy the original is! I... (show quote)

Chefneil

IMHO the image is nicely exposed. My eye gets a little confused though. I know the younger lady is the prime subject, but the older lady takes away from the focus.

Having said that, if the lady in the background could be removed, or maybe put into a more blurred aspect(with a blur filter) thus making the subject the true focus...

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Chefneil wrote:

IMHO the image is nicely exposed. My eye gets a little confused though. I know the younger lady is the prime subject, but the older lady takes away from the focus.

Having said that, if the lady in the background could be removed, or maybe put into a more blurred aspect(with a blur filter) thus making the subject the true focus...

Thanks for your thoughts!

I don't want to lose the artist completely, because we will use it for a purpose to show how the model should sit, but that's a good thought to add a bit of blur beyond what I got at capture.

Chefneil

Try the Gaussian Blur in PHOTOSHOP. I works well as long you don't over use it.

For what it is worth, I like the color version better, it pops more.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Chefneil wrote:

Try the Gaussian Blur in PHOTOSHOP. I works well as long you don't over use it.

For what it is worth, I like the color version better, it pops more.

Thanks, will give it a try.

I think the B&W might could be worked a bit further, too. It has plenty of range but it suffers from what I'm trying to purpose it for. If I just did a portrait of the girl, it would have better possibilities in B&W I think, but that would be a whole different image.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Prefer the colour min. Probably not the best BW conversion I have seen you do so my mind could be changed by a nother visit to silver efex. The artist, and that sure is some trick, is working on the girls head so if you crop under the table get rid of her arms the over busy look goes as well. Results in a square crop but it tells all you are trying to say in a more concentrated way.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Billyspad wrote:

Prefer the colour min. Probably not the best BW conversion I have seen you do so my mind could be changed by a nother visit to silver efex. The artist, and that sure is some trick, is working on the girls head so if you crop under the table get rid of her arms the over busy look goes as well. Results in a square crop but it tells all you are trying to say in a more concentrated way.

Glad you mentioned that crop, I started to post it that way but waited for feedback. Good point of tying it to the work that's being done.

I wasn't sure where else to go with it that wouldn't take it into a darker realm than I needed. If you (or anyone) wanta cook up a demo version, I'd love to see it. I'll fiddle some more too. I'm just not all that swell with people anyway.

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

minniev wrote:

If you (or anyone) wanta cook up a demo version, I'd love to see it.

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mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Two things that I would suggest for your next go at this are: use a smaller aperture, f2.2 doesn't give enough depth of field to get both subjects sharp; talk your cousin into wearing a white apron. I think both ladies need to be sharp since they are really co-subjects. I think a white apron and, perhaps waiting until the Scherenschnitte was a little further along - to the point where we could see the girl's profile, would render redundant any verbal explanation. I think this traditional German craft is highly suitable for black and white presentation. If you set your EM-1 to monochrome you would be able to see what the end products would look like and still get a colour raw file for editing. The black and white image in the viewfinder would help with seeing the advantage of the white apron, and you could quit worrying about the mixed lighting.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thank you Frank. You've brightened us up a bit.