Hi from Los Angeles

Lets get to know each other better. Here's a forum to post images and short autobiographies of ourselves as well as any other info you would like to post about yourself.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

animatexyz
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:26 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Hi from Los Angeles

Post by animatexyz »

Just dropping in to say hi. I'm not much of a macro photographer but I do have an interest in it. The extent of my macro photography to date is my use of a 100mm macro that I use for headshots. lol

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4037
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

Welcome aboard, Justin! :D

Probably, a lot of us here use our macro lenses for headshots on occasion--I certainly do. In post, I usually tone down these lenses' relentless sharpness, at least for anyone I don't want to make an enemy of, but that's easily done.

Cheers,

--Chris S.

animatexyz
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:26 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Post by animatexyz »

Chris S. wrote:Welcome aboard, Justin! :D

Probably, a lot of us here use our macro lenses for headshots on occasion--I certainly do. In post, I usually tone down these lenses' relentless sharpness, at least for anyone I don't want to make an enemy of, but that's easily done.

Cheers,

--Chris S.
Thanks Chris !

I do the same unless they have amazing skin.

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4037
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

animatexyz wrote:I do the same unless they have amazing skin.
Justin, a thing I like in your portfolio is that your subjects still appear to "have" skin--nice skin, but still within the range of human normal! So many photographers Photoshop faces until they look like mannequins--horrid to my eye.

Other than for news photography, my sense is to retouch faces as if seen by a kindly or loving eye. For example, I was aware that my dear grandmothers had wrinkles, but my eye barely registered these. What I saw when I looked at them was the love in their eyes and smiles. When I photographed them, I wanted others to see my grandmothers as I did--so didn't eliminate the wrinkles completely, but downplayed them a bit in attempt to convey the perspective I saw.

I think your portfolio reflects a similar sensibility--representing the perspective of a kindly eye without going too far and making your subjects look non-human. (OK, a couple of your subjects do have their eyebags entirely removed, instead of just partially downplayed, which does look wrong to me--but my bet is that your clients preferred this look, and as a professional, you acceded to their preferences.

Cheers,

--Chris S.

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