Have you had your portrait taken?

Richard G

Richard G

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We often admire the portraits on here, but has anyone had a photo (or other portrait) taken of them? Who did it, or who did you get to do it? What was it like being the subject? Did you like the result? And what did you learn? I can think of a few of you I would want to commission for such a job, but you would have your work cut out.
 
I've sat for a portrait numerous times. In general I've been quite satisfied. Some portatists are better than others, and I've looked different over the years so sometimes I've looked better than others. The thing I've learned most is that it is generally easier to be behind the camera than in front of one.
 
Not since right before my wedding, we sat for a friend who does albumen prints from 5x7 and 8x10 negs. Never saw the results.
 
About an hour ago I had some passport photos taken at CVS. Man,.... do I look old and tired!
 
My son aged 12 is the only one who's put any time into a pcture of me - about 30 seconds; and I cannot take a decent picture of my wife, despite hours of trying. I am thinking of submitting us both to an expert, but she of course is unlikely to agree.
 
You mean an actual portrait???
The last time I sat for a family type portrait had to have been over 20 years ago...
I have no idea who did it...don't really care either...
The result...I have only seen few pictures of myself that I like...this wasn't one of them...
I learned nothing...I've always preferred to be on the back side of a lens not the front...
 
Richard G said:
We often admire the portraits on here, but has anyone had a photo (or other portrait) taken of them? Who did it, or who did you get to do it? What was it like being the subject? Did you like the result? And what did you learn? I can think of a few of you I would want to commission for such a job, but you would have your work cut out.
Click to expand...

Unwritten Photographer's Rules:

#1 - A real photographer does not like to have his picture taken.:p
 
There's a lot of pictures of me - portraits, self-portraits, press-pictures (because I'm musician). It's not a big deal to be photographied - shooting people, to be shot by people, that's life - IMO there's some mechanisms (mental mechanisms) wich are the same when you take a picture or when you're taken; so when you're still a photographer you can play easily with your own image, when an other one is photographying you.
Here one of my last self-portrait :
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I haven't had my portrait taken for a good many years.

The last time was when I needed a passport photo and I used one of those little booths. I was so horrified by the resulting pictures that I went to a local high street photograher to have them done again. They were much more flattering, all though I wouldn't show them to young children or those of a nervous disposition.

John
 
I read about a guy who felt that his face would contort into something with horse like proportions when ever he was photographed. I can relate to that.

I agree with Dave's unwritten rule #1.
 
Ive asked a fellow RFF member who live across the Escambia Bay from me to do a portrait session in my home.So far I've chicken'd out.Scared how I'd look.

Robin
 
A few recent memorable shots. Linking to their pages as they were taken by other photos and I haven't asked permission to post them elsewhere:

This is pretty formal as 'sitting' goes. My friend Christine and I went to an alternative photography symposium last year. One of the demonstrations was wet plate collodion. Christine had an opportunity to try the process so I ended up sitting. I think this was an 11 second exposure.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladybugrock/5047360717

I haven't paid anyone to photograph me before. I generally try to stay out of pictures as much as possible. That was how I got started in photography; if I was the one taking the family photo when I was 13 or so, that meant I didn't have to be in it. :)

Edit: Removed one of the photos as it turns out it was marked as private. Opps, I missed that.
 
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A long while ago, back when digital was just taking off, I went to get a portrait done by a photographer who had opened a shop in one of the malls. I had never had a portrait taken of myself, except at school, and wanted to give one to my parents.

It was a painless experience, and the photog was very knowledgable about what he was doing. What surprised me was he was shooting with a Nikon 900, considered by most to be a consumer camera at the time. And it was his second one, as the first one crapped out within two months. But then he was using it a lot, so he probably reached the expected life of the camera way before anyone normally would. It turned out to be a very good picture, and I was quite pleased with the prices.

Then about two years ago, the museum where I volunteered as the Facilities Director had photos of all the staff done for their web page. The photog placed us in various parts of the museum, so the backgrounds would show off the exhibits as well. Mine was done in the Auto Gallery, which I happened to have spent a lot of time on getting it prepared for it's grand opening, so I felt that was highly appropriate. It took all of five minutes, and came out great.

I highly recomend getting your portrait done, and it doesn't have to be a formal one at that. Now, if I could figure out how to shrink mine down to avatar size...



P F McFarland by br1078phot, on Flickr


PF
 
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The last time was probably in high school. I shoot my own passport photos now. haha.

I don't care if people take pictures of me, but I don't have any friends who are particularly into photography.
 
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