Topic: Portraits: Must Try Harder

[Ed Wenn]

I've decided to use up my remaining 20 or so sheets of Polaroid 5x4 instant sheet film (Type 72) in the pursuit of taking a decent portrait series (...2 shots makes a series, right?  ). Here's one of the first batch; taken with my Tachihara. This is a scan of the goop negative. I like the style and the feel, but I clearly need to brush up on my composition and get in closer!



Hoping to waste a bit more film on this next weekend.

[gregor]

In closer or pulled back a bit.  Either way nice goal for the remainder of the film!

[Ed Wenn]

Yeah and I need to get 'the model' to do something other than stand there being impatient too.
 

Maybe I should follow Carlos's lead get an axe for the subjects to pose with?

[vicky slater]

ooh, nice one ed!
i look forward to seeing how you go.
i've only done a few 4 x 5 portraits and found it incredibly difficult, definitely a skill worth working on.

[DS]

I like the style. Good luck!

Maybe I should follow Carlos's lead get an axe for the subjects to pose with?

Isn't the combo of an axe & a wooden camera slightly dangerous? 

[Alan]

I dont do portraits, something I should look into for sure.

I like the look of this one, would like to see the series whwn completed.

Nice

[Ed Wenn]

Isn't the combo of an axe & a wooden camera slightly dangerous? 

Good point. May have to re-think that...and avoid flame throwers too.
 

BTW, I agree with you Vicky, it is harder to do portraits this way for some reason...mainly the fact that you can't see exactly what's in the frame when you trip the shutter. During this session Damion did take a pretty good one of me and my son, Joe. I think the Joe side of the photo has a certain Walker Evans-esque feel to it...but don't tell Damion I said that.
 

[Phil Bebbington]

A positive way of using up the remaining film, Ed and family shots are something that will mean something. These are great - looking forward to seeing more as you kiss goodbye to the film!

[DS]

Isn't the combo of an axe & a wooden camera slightly dangerous? 

Good point. May have to re-think that...and avoid flame throwers too.
 

Personally though I think portraits lit by flamethrower would be awesome and totally worth the risk...

[astrobeck]

definitely something to pursue.   

Having a family album/collection of portraits done with the remaining sheets is quite a nice touch and you have a handsome family too! 

But where's Amy? 

[Ed Wenn]

The precise answer at time of writing, Becky, is "On her way back from Monaco with her Granny" (which sounds grander than it is...she's been out there for a few days visiting my sister and Amy's cousins)...but w/ reference to the photos; she was at school while Damion & I were fooling with the Tachihara a couple of weeks ago. She isn't a big fan of posing for 5x4 and she moves about too much, so the success rate isn't high. I did manage to get her and Joe in the bath recently though - they weren't happy about having to stop fighting to pose for a shot  May have posted these here already...if so, apologies for repeating on you (like a nice curry):

[Francois]

You know Ed, There's a prop that is bound to work fine at keeping your subject steady: a nice paintbrush with the handle dripping in green paint, all sticky and yucky
By the time the subject figures out how not to get the paint all over themselves, you'll have plenty of time to shoot the portrait

[Andrea.]

Why not just embrace the blur?

[Alan]

Isn't the combo of an axe & a wooden camera slightly dangerous? 

Good point. May have to re-think that...and avoid flame throwers too.
 

BTW, I agree with you Vicky, it is harder to do portraits this way for some reason...mainly the fact that you can't see exactly what's in the frame when you trip the shutter. During this session Damion did take a pretty good one of me and my son, Joe. I think the Joe side of the photo has a certain Walker Evans-esque feel to it...but don't tell Damion I said that.
 

Lovely, like the first! nice one

[Ed Wenn]

Why not just embrace the blur?

While that's a noble idea in principle - and fewer people do motion blur quite as well as you do, Andrea - we're talking more about a completely empty frame rather than a slightly blurred face when it comes to taking Amy's portrait most of the time...and with only 20 sheets of Type 72 left, I need to chose my moments very carefully. I'll get her in the end...just you wait!!

Francois: Have you been checking my Flickr stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwenn/4485523252/in/set-72157621158967029/)? 

[Francois]

I hadn't seen this... but I guess hands full of  green paint would also bring a smile to Damion's wife

[CarlRadford]

Ed - Kids in bath is a great image!

[calbisu]

Portraits... difficult subject. I totally agree with Carl, great bath image!

By the way, ejem, the axe is not a common axe but japanese one. It might be common frome where it comes from, but not where it stays now  not that it matters though...