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The street portraiture session was a great success! Thanks Filo and Craig (+ Gary) for great recruitement. Thanks Gerry for compiling a list of participants? Could you send me the address of the fella who didn't have an email address? I promised him a print! [ I will need all your images to choose which one to print, unless everyone wants to send him a photo]

As Gary has already mentioned, there were lots of willing and some very unwilling subjects. My favourite quote was by a middle aged female quipping "I have my own camera"

As already mentioned, one of the subjects showed me how to change the aperture on Craig's 40D.

Technically, I found it difficult to aim the snooted flash to get it right the first time; which is important in these situations. I was kicking myself for not taking an umbrella!!! Soft light is more forgiving...

Here are my favourite takes from the session. I would love to hear your thoughts....

that snoot has worked marvels on those images suren, the first and second are just amazing - your little old LCD just did not do them justice! hats off to ya.

did i mention that second one was great?

Could you send me the address of the fella who didn't have an email address? I promised him a print!

I will have it cracked out tonight - I really think a print for this bloke and his kid would be great - brave little tacker just back from the hospital.

ABsolutely bloody brilliant!
What a fantastic idea and execution of the concept! Very impressed, and would love to see some more shots!
Well done to all that participated.

I love the 2nd and 4th. Very Newtown and great use of light and shadows. Well donw.

Hey they are fantastic, they looked good on the camera screen and even better now, keep them coming

Very nice work Suren!
NOW I see why you were using the little snoot! It work brilliantly. The last image is my favourite. Very classical and looks like a studio shot!

I think that everyone involved was very brave! Love to seem some general scenery shots of all the togs crowded around the models.

Suren, I keep going back to #3. An excellent shot well executed and I believe this young lady would make a great photographic model for future shoots (if you have her details).

It looks like this was a GREAT success... well done guys... I wish I could have been there...

leek wrote:It looks like this was a GREAT success... well done guys... I wish I could have been there...

John,

You would have enjoyed the day.

Suren,

The way that the light is directed through the snoot is wonderful in these. Great work.

IN the third, I don't like the harsh shadows across the model's face. You've altered the angle from which you're shooting, but not really changed how the flash's light falls on him.

By way of contrast, the other images are simply wonderful, with the directional light well focused but still quite soft.

In the second of these, are you able to pull any shadow detail from around his eyes?

man these really made me jealous for not being able to go. this set is imo the pick of the lot. the use of light is just...wonderful. the first 2 in particular are stunning. awesome work buddy.

Wow, looked like so much fun. i wish i could of been there i really like number 3

I can see that you have put that snoot into great effect...adding a whole new dimension to your photos from the shoot. Love how the shadows and the flash create so much more interest.

Keep it up!

Thanks for all your encouraging comments.

gstark wrote:IN the third, I don't like the harsh shadows across the model's face. You've altered the angle from which you're shooting, but not really changed how the flash's light falls on him.
In the second of these, are you able to pull any shadow detail from around his eyes?

I have tried to recover some detail, but the raw file doesn't really want to give... I will have another go tonight and post a followup image.

Willy wombat wrote:I think that everyone involved was very brave! Love to seem some general scenery shots of all the togs crowded around the models.

I never took this sort of shot because I was busy with either recruiting, secretary work or shooting. I am not sure about the others but I only have one setup shot where you can vaguely see the area.

Here it is

sirhc55 wrote:Suren, I keep going back to #3. An excellent shot well executed and I believe this young lady would make a great photographic model for future shoots (if you have her details).

Will keep that in mind Chris. Gary has the details as well.

Thanks again for all your critique!

I bet the next portrait event will be over subscribed.

surenj wrote:As already mentioned, one of the subjects showed me how to change the aperture on Craig's 40D.

Here is one for you

Thank god for the wealth of knowledge in Newtown

I like best the third and last.

I get a sense that every one was having fun from these photos - what a great idea.

Suren,

I'm in lurve ........

craig.rohse wrote:wealth of knowledge in Newtown

Whoever said that photographers couldn't be good models??


Craig, I like your processing as well. focuses attention to the middle quite well.

I'm in lurve ........

Danger! All systems alert! Danger! All systems alert! Danger!

Just had to put this one in.

Always good when someone can explain a superior (Canon not Nikon) camera to you.

Hope I didn't start a war with this one

I have just looked at all the Newtown threads and what great shots. The idea is supurb the execution brilliant and the end result magnificent, well done to all involved. It would be interesting to conduct the same project in a different suburb to see how different the reponse might be as well as the images.
Well done everyone involved.

craig.rohse wrote:Hope I didn't start a war with this one

I'm going to hit you with my monopod!

CraigVTR wrote:I have just looked at all the Newtown threads and what great shots. The idea is supurb the execution brilliant and the end result magnificent, well done to all involved.

Is this the Craig show, or something?

Thanx. We certainly had a great time, and yes, the end result is superb.

It would be interesting to conduct the same project in a different suburb to see how different the reponse might be as well as the images.

That is so true. The question is, which other suburbs? Newtown is great because of the diversity of the people there, and it also has a couple areas that naturally lend themselves to exactly this sort of activity: we were right on King St - the main drag - but completely out of the way in terms of obstructing any flow of pedestrian traffic. Newton is somewhat unique in that it has several such areas, and I am struggling to think of any other suburb that can present us with anything similar, as well as the foot traffic. Bondi Junction (but parking is an issue), and Carlton in Melbourne probably could do this sort of duty ...

But neither of those areas - the specific places I'm thinking of - would offer the open shade that we enjoyed in Newtown.

This requires some thought ...

gstark wrote:

It would be interesting to conduct the same project in a different suburb to see how different the reponse might be as well as the images.

That is so true. The question is, which other suburbs? Newtown is great because of the diversity of the people there, and it also has a couple areas that naturally lend themselves to exactly this sort of activity: we were right on King St - the main drag - but completely out of the way in terms of obstructing any flow of pedestrian traffic. Newton is somewhat unique in that it has several such areas, and I am struggling to think of any other suburb that can present us with anything similar, as well as the foot traffic. Bondi Junction (but parking is an issue), and Carlton in Melbourne probably could do this sort of duty ...

But neither of those areas - the specific places I'm thinking of - would offer the open shade that we enjoyed in Newtown.

This requires some thought ...

I was thinking a suburb that may have a different demograpic such as, Liverpool, Parramata, Penrith or even a tourist area at a time whan you would get the locals.

CraigVTR wrote:

gstark wrote:

It would be interesting to conduct the same project in a different suburb to see how different the reponse might be as well as the images.

That is so true. The question is, which other suburbs? Newtown is great because of the diversity of the people there, and it also has a couple areas that naturally lend themselves to exactly this sort of activity: we were right on King St - the main drag - but completely out of the way in terms of obstructing any flow of pedestrian traffic. Newton is somewhat unique in that it has several such areas, and I am struggling to think of any other suburb that can present us with anything similar, as well as the foot traffic. Bondi Junction (but parking is an issue), and Carlton in Melbourne probably could do this sort of duty ...

But neither of those areas - the specific places I'm thinking of - would offer the open shade that we enjoyed in Newtown.

This requires some thought ...

I was thinking a suburb that may have a different demograpic such as, Liverpool, Parramata, Penrith or even a tourist area at a time whan you would get the locals.

Craig,

Absolutely, and I gathered all of that. I was merely thinking in terms of the practicalities of what and how we did this on Sunday, and how those could be employed in any other area. Parramatta might have a couple of areas along Church St, perhaps near the Town Hall or St Johns (I think that's its name) ?

Craig and Gary,

I am sure we can find open shade in other areas but, it maybe that we had a good day in Newtown. There is no guarantee that it will work out anywhere else or in Newtown again for that matter.

If we were to choose another area, one person would have to scout it out a bit and post some sample photos. That's how we came to a decision on this one. There were only two choices however.

what do you think?

localities aside, wouldn't it be awesome to have half a dozen albums of portraits from around the city (or state etc).

THAT would make a really interesting exhibition! I can see it now, Newtown, Penrith, Bondi, North Sydney....etc

Gerry, that sort of project could go national....

No seriously, one could sell that sort of book... We could call it, MILK ....no wait ....that's taken already..

How about SILK - Sydney Inhabitants Look Kool.

Count me in....

biggerry wrote:localities aside, wouldn't it be awesome to have half a dozen albums of portraits from around the city (or state etc).

THAT would make a really interesting exhibition! I can see it now, Newtown, Penrith, Bondi, North Sydney....etc

I'm sold!!!
Matt was saying to get more people involved and have different locations around the city, we could get the hole forum onto it and make it national

This could be a great project!!!

Absobloodylutely!

And I just checked .... Oct 31 is a Saturday this year .......

surenj wrote:Gerry, that sort of project could go national....

No seriously, one could sell that sort of book... We could call it, MILK ....no wait ....that's taken already..

How about SILK - Sydney Inhabitants Look Kool.

Count me in....

Silk. I thought you said National. Sounds like a really good idea for a coffee table book. A Sydney shoot is a long way for me to go but I suppose we could organise one up here in the sunshine state.

gstark wrote:And I just checked .... Oct 31 is a Saturday this year .......

hmmmmm, is that a special day???

If we are ever thinking of coffee table books for this, we will need to get model releases.

We don't need them for a gallery type of use as I understood after talking to you guys on the day.

craig.rohse wrote:

gstark wrote:And I just checked .... Oct 31 is a Saturday this year .......

hmmmmm, is that a special day???

Yes ...

I is free on the 31st....

Damn a Saturday....I work saturdays

Cameron, have a day off. You are missing out.

we could get the hole forum onto it and make it national

This could be a great project!!!

bloody hell, craig your spelling is worse than mine

I reckon a nation wide thing may work - as before, there are a couple of good locations in sydney, I would love another crack so if Oct 31 is gonna be the day for a nation wide DSLRusers.com 'Faces of [insert location here]' lets make it happen.

My proposal is to have 2 or 3 or more stations set up around Newtown/Balmain or wherever and do it again. All stations to use the same colour backdrop so we get consistency..same lighting and a certain look....maybe even a standard pose. Then print for an exhibition. That way the portraits can speak for themselves without the photographer imposing his view. This needs a little thought but ultimately the exhibition would have consistency. We'd need about 60 A3 prints of high quality to make a splash on the art scene. Comments? Further discussion?

biggerry wrote:

we could get the hole forum onto it and make it national

This could be a great project!!!

bloody hell, craig your spelling is worse than mine

I reckon a nation wide thing may work - as before, there are a couple of good locations in sydney, I would love another crack so if Oct 31 is gonna be the day for a nation wide DSLRusers.com 'Faces of [insert location here]' lets make it happen.

English is my second language


so why is the 31 a special day, Gary???


I will be in the beautiful Hunter Valley October/November

English is my second language

fair call

Matt. K wrote:My proposal is to have 2 or 3 or more stations set up around Newtown/Balmain or wherever and do it again. All stations to use the same colour backdrop so we get consistency..same lighting and a certain look....maybe even a standard pose. Then print for an exhibition. That way the portraits can speak for themselves without the photographer imposing his view. This needs a little thought but ultimately the exhibition would have consistency. We'd need about 60 A3 prints of high quality to make a splash on the art scene. Comments? Further discussion?

I like the idea, and a backdrop is a must had enough of red backgrounds for a while

I think natural light is the go, it worked very nicely in Newtown.

I think the different poses added to our work and made the photos interresting.

Lets do it!!!

craig.rohse wrote:so why is the 31 a special day, Gary???

Halloween.

Who's bringing the pumpkins?

If we repeat Newtown on Haloween, we may get a bit of a scare...

maybe even a standard pose

hmm, i have had a think about that, I think that different subjects required or should I say, imposed a different pose depending on the person, I think a bit of leeway on the pose would be good and essential to capture the essence of the subjects, for example, if we were doing tight head shots we would have missed the great upper body art of a couple of those young ladies - which really projects them and also, in this case Newtown.

I agree on the consistent background though, I only used the whole background in a few shots so really the back drop was fairly insignificant, that said some of teh shots with those bill posters as a OOF background were great...

I think natural light is the go

On the suggestion of Matt K i used fill flash dialed in at -0.7 for most of my shots - I was really happy with that

without the photographer imposing his view

on the flip side there needs to be some leeway to enable teh photographer the ability to capture the essence of the person..

We'd need about 60 A3 prints of high quality to make a splash on the art scene

we knocked over 63 subjects on sunday and I am sure between the lot of us we can rummage a decent set of 60 just for that day

Further discussion?

yes please.

we may get a bit of a scare...

harden the 'f' up, you got a taste of some of the people out there on sunday and most of them did not bite,...

I also vote on being lenient on the pose. It would be great to have some variety, spontaneity etc...

Black background maybe the easiest but then people with dark clothes may dissolve into it. A 18% gray one would be boring somewhat... Eitherway, red was very fitting for Newtown...

I would feel a little vulnerable without a bit of flash.. [Secretly I was hoping to bring a collapsible softbox but then I will need to wind proof the stand] Any major objections?

I have finally found my 50mm 1.8 so hoping to use that instead... focus is somethat slow however... Maybe I can borrow Craig's 24-105 for half the shoot. You can have the 17-85 Craig .

More discussion the better... That's how the first episode came to life.

Gerry, I might wear a haloween mask myself and scare the others. Wait... I probably don't need one!!

Guess who I saw walking in Newtown.... Andy.....