FallisPhoto
Veteran
Only thing that bothered me was that in all but two of the photos she has that really blatantly fake smile. In one of those two, she is not smiling. That leaves one smile that looks genuine.
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Hey, if you don't like the smile then find somebody else to photograph. I have a friend, a local politicion who has his standard fake smile. He likes it. He keeps getting re-elected, I keep getting paid for photographing it.
Darkhorse
pointed and shot
I agree with you to a large extent.
I don't plan on getting into fashion photography seriously, I just wanted to photograph more people. What does that entail exactly? I dunno. But I went into this thinking of the history of photography course i'm listening to on iTunes, and portraits by people like Steichen or Käsebier and the like. Nothing at all like what I ended up with of course, haha.
Plus, you know, my girlfriend isn't always cooperative and has things to do than have her shutterbug boyfriend hovering around her. And it might be a while before I can coax her into doing photographs like this in the nude:
I don't plan on getting into fashion photography seriously, I just wanted to photograph more people. What does that entail exactly? I dunno. But I went into this thinking of the history of photography course i'm listening to on iTunes, and portraits by people like Steichen or Käsebier and the like. Nothing at all like what I ended up with of course, haha.
Plus, you know, my girlfriend isn't always cooperative and has things to do than have her shutterbug boyfriend hovering around her. And it might be a while before I can coax her into doing photographs like this in the nude:
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Frank Petronio
Well-known
Just my two cents about motivation.
Oscar is probably right, at least I've found that to be the case, you need to acknowledge the sexual attraction/energy and use it constructively. It doesn't mean you always act on your impulses or be an asshole about it, but if you don't admit that you're a horny hetro guy and the female model before you is sexy then I think the photos are usually stilted and fake looking.
What I find creepy is all the men who photograph hot and/or naked women and then claim that it is 100% platonic and just for "art and an appreciation of the female form" without considering the person they are photographing is any sort of individual -- those shots are usually cold and sterile, and when they try to be sexy they reek of creepiness (to me.)
Make portraits, not nudes, even if the model is naked.
I have a great wife. She understands and for me at least, hanging out and shooting with a cool young girl fulfills my needs for friendship and fun -- better these girls than some 50-yr drunken suburban golfing buddies, right? -- and my pictures get a lot of attention. It's simply a matter of choice, I rather go out and have beers with crazy 22-yr old Meagan than to hang out with men from my own age group and class. I'm only friends with smarter, interesting young women -- no bimbos -- and they're fascinating because that age is a time of struggle and change, blah, blah, blah and there is always some drama to talk about. I bet you would too if you thought you could do it, but most people are too uptight to do what they really want to do.
But yeah, I'll opening admit I'd bang them all senseless if I lived in Utopia and they were into it too. That I don't/won't/can't is just reality, but I still get the benefits of having a fun time and getting good pictures. And yeah, on the rare occasion that you "have a moment", it makes you feel like a million bucks. But I also get satisfaction in knowing that I've helped a lot of my friends with difficult decisions and probably been a good influence on them, at least in terms of having a reasonable adult to turn to. Some of these girls are from some pretty tough situations.
Be open about it, admit your motivation, define your intentions, and just be a decent guy about it. Your partner will trust you and you'll get better photos.
Oscar is probably right, at least I've found that to be the case, you need to acknowledge the sexual attraction/energy and use it constructively. It doesn't mean you always act on your impulses or be an asshole about it, but if you don't admit that you're a horny hetro guy and the female model before you is sexy then I think the photos are usually stilted and fake looking.
What I find creepy is all the men who photograph hot and/or naked women and then claim that it is 100% platonic and just for "art and an appreciation of the female form" without considering the person they are photographing is any sort of individual -- those shots are usually cold and sterile, and when they try to be sexy they reek of creepiness (to me.)
Make portraits, not nudes, even if the model is naked.
I have a great wife. She understands and for me at least, hanging out and shooting with a cool young girl fulfills my needs for friendship and fun -- better these girls than some 50-yr drunken suburban golfing buddies, right? -- and my pictures get a lot of attention. It's simply a matter of choice, I rather go out and have beers with crazy 22-yr old Meagan than to hang out with men from my own age group and class. I'm only friends with smarter, interesting young women -- no bimbos -- and they're fascinating because that age is a time of struggle and change, blah, blah, blah and there is always some drama to talk about. I bet you would too if you thought you could do it, but most people are too uptight to do what they really want to do.
But yeah, I'll opening admit I'd bang them all senseless if I lived in Utopia and they were into it too. That I don't/won't/can't is just reality, but I still get the benefits of having a fun time and getting good pictures. And yeah, on the rare occasion that you "have a moment", it makes you feel like a million bucks. But I also get satisfaction in knowing that I've helped a lot of my friends with difficult decisions and probably been a good influence on them, at least in terms of having a reasonable adult to turn to. Some of these girls are from some pretty tough situations.
Be open about it, admit your motivation, define your intentions, and just be a decent guy about it. Your partner will trust you and you'll get better photos.
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Darkhorse
pointed and shot
Thanks for the tips you guys.
You know, I wish I could get into more details about my relationship with my girlfriend but I don't want to divulge too much to strangers on the internet. I'll just say that she'd be OK with any interaction I may have with a model... read into that what you will. That side of things is a total non-issue. However, I will say that I've been or was a pretty sexually repressed person before my current girlfriend and expressing a sexual energy with a model may need some getting used to.
The only issue with her isn't so much with her, but with my impatience because I wanna shoot photos when I wanna shoot photos. Whether she wants to be photographed or not. But just yesterday afternoon I was listening about how some of Steiglitz's finest portraits were of his wife, Georgia O'Keefe. I guess I've seen all the pulpy content put out of models and a part of me wanted to know if I could do that, too... when maybe I should be more contemplative and think about what I really want to do more.
Anyway, here's a couple more photos I've taken of my fiance:
You know, I wish I could get into more details about my relationship with my girlfriend but I don't want to divulge too much to strangers on the internet. I'll just say that she'd be OK with any interaction I may have with a model... read into that what you will. That side of things is a total non-issue. However, I will say that I've been or was a pretty sexually repressed person before my current girlfriend and expressing a sexual energy with a model may need some getting used to.
The only issue with her isn't so much with her, but with my impatience because I wanna shoot photos when I wanna shoot photos. Whether she wants to be photographed or not. But just yesterday afternoon I was listening about how some of Steiglitz's finest portraits were of his wife, Georgia O'Keefe. I guess I've seen all the pulpy content put out of models and a part of me wanted to know if I could do that, too... when maybe I should be more contemplative and think about what I really want to do more.
Anyway, here's a couple more photos I've taken of my fiance:
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Tuolumne
Veteran
All photography has an element of the voyeur to it. I prefer taking photos of women to men because I find them more interesting. This is obviously a sublimated sexual attraction. Acknowledge it, channel it, use it. This is what gives a photo its emotional content. Transfer your emotion about the person into the photo of the person. That way others can share it.
/T
/T
Darkhorse
pointed and shot
I don't know. I wouldn't mind taking photos of men. They have expressive faces, and great physical attributes. But male models I've seen all look like vain douchebags and don't look like any normal man I know... but hey! Women must feel the same way about female models, and we men must just accept the over-glorified female model standard without thinking.
Hmm, this thread is making me think critically.
Hmm, this thread is making me think critically.
Tuolumne
Veteran
I said "prefer", that's all. And why must "models" all be horse meat of one gender or the other? Anyone who poses for a picture is modelling, whether a snap shot or something more specialized.
/T
/T
jslabovitz
Member
Thanks for writing up those thoughts. I'm a big fan of your photography (via your blog) and as I view your new shots I'm often wondering how you got to where you are. Your "models" (I hesitate to call them that, as they seem far more personable than the usual sterile model-figure-object) appear dimensional in both form and mind, which I appreciate. In fact, that makes them even more attractive.
I can definitely identify with your connection to younger folks -- I have a lot of friends in their 20s. I also have a lot of friends on the other side of my age, in their 60s and 70s. They're all amazing, wonderful people, and I'm pleased to be able to know & photograph them.
Darkhorse
pointed and shot
Well I didn't mean to denigrate anybody if that's how it sounded. It was just a general feeling (or sweeping generalization) I had browsing places like modelmayhem. That is all. I didn't mean to offend.
Tuolumne
Veteran
Perhaps I was too sensitive. I'm just saying that sites like Model Mayhem that have "Beautiful People" are not the only definition of what a model is.
/T
Gumby
Veteran
Gulp. what a doll! Wow, looks like a nice session and good results. Next time you might want to try adding a reflector to your set up to relieve some of the darker tones on her face in a couple of those shots.
... and for Keith: she looks like very nice girl with a great brain and an even nicer personality. (I really mean that!)
... and for Keith: she looks like very nice girl with a great brain and an even nicer personality. (I really mean that!)
Frank Petronio
Well-known
Lots of photographers are creepier ;-)
http://jamesmgraham.blogspot.com/
http://www.aericmg.com/dailypic/
http://www.thachipsta.blogspot.com/
http://stacyleighisfluffy.blogspot.com/?
http://www.myluckylife.com/
http://garybreckheimer.com/
http://www.aaronhawks.net/
http://www.mcnew.net/portraits/
http://hotelroomnudes.blogspot.com/
http://jamesmgraham.blogspot.com/
http://www.aericmg.com/dailypic/
http://www.thachipsta.blogspot.com/
http://stacyleighisfluffy.blogspot.com/?
http://www.myluckylife.com/
http://garybreckheimer.com/
http://www.aaronhawks.net/
http://www.mcnew.net/portraits/
http://hotelroomnudes.blogspot.com/
Frank Petronio
Well-known
Araki said he had sex with every model he photographed.... But the more oppressive Japanese and German cultures seem to breed the more extreme behaviors.
Such as that whats-his-name in Japan who photographs people getting it on the bushes of public parks at night in infra-red. He got in some big shows and Aperture last year for doing that.
Such as that whats-his-name in Japan who photographs people getting it on the bushes of public parks at night in infra-red. He got in some big shows and Aperture last year for doing that.
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The Japanese are not so much living in an oppressive culture than a unique one. (I'm married to one)
Westerners seem to think the Japanese live in a restrictive, closed culture, but in terms of sexual experimentation, the Japanese are more open than almost any other society.
A Japanese girl will allow sexual experimentation to almost any extreme. There is no trace of conventional Western morality, so no taboos are being "broken".
Araki may seem extreme to Western eyes, but in reality, from a Japanese standpoint, he is merely a somewhat mild straight-up documentarian of "the floating world". He's continuing an old tradition.
Westerners seem to think the Japanese live in a restrictive, closed culture, but in terms of sexual experimentation, the Japanese are more open than almost any other society.
A Japanese girl will allow sexual experimentation to almost any extreme. There is no trace of conventional Western morality, so no taboos are being "broken".
Araki may seem extreme to Western eyes, but in reality, from a Japanese standpoint, he is merely a somewhat mild straight-up documentarian of "the floating world". He's continuing an old tradition.