Goofing off in photoshop - what do you think?

I think YOU choosing is perfect -- people don't want to say these things about themselves, but nonetheless deep down appreciate it. If they can shrug and say "wasn't me!", they get their cake and eat it too.

I guess it depends somewhat on who the recipient is. If they're just getting it for themselves, it's harder to "justify" and you might have to do some salesmanship.

How I saw all the previous ones is something that I would see on a card or poster and, having nothing directly to do with it, think "oh, that's beautiful." The next step from there is to think, "oh, that's beautiful -- and it could have something directly to do with me! My baby, or even [blush] myself!"

As a marketing thing then, I think you can go whole hog, let people think, wow, I'd love it if they could make me look that good/ say such nice things about me. Then you could probably take it down a notch if they insist when they actually have it done.

Me choosing would most definately be easier.

But then you get into the whole nightmare of chosing wrong.

About half the time when I'm sitting with someone reviewing proofs and helping them to put together a package I will be amazed at what they overlook and at what they like. When all is said and done, my opinions don't really count.

Right now I'm working on displays - things to give people that "oh that could be me" idea. It's pretty easy when I'm looking for baby/graduation/anniversary type quotes - generic things. Most people are going to be pretty game for anything that sums up the situation.

Beauty, especially their own beauty, is something most women have a difficult time with.

But I'm thinking on how I might perhaps be able to chose for them.....

Maybe you can have a selection for each, 3 choices maybe, and tell them they may select between them.

I think the April one would be good for "that could be me." (How old is the assistant, btw? She seems very young to me, maybe she isn't.)

Oh and people are absolutely awful at choosing photos of themselves. I had a quite talented photographer friend when I was in high school, and I now cherish the two pictures she took of me that I have. At the time I couldn't stand them -- they were too personal, captured too many thoughts, weren't magazine-pretty at all. Now I like them a lot more than all the "glamour" shots with the same smile from that era.

There's a famous phrase about portraiture -- if you show it to them right away, they'll always hate it, but if you wait 10 years...

She's 24. She does look younger though, doesn't she?

Yeah, giving them a limited selection, or letting them submit one may be the way to go. Perhaps adding a few extras around Valentine's Day....

That would work!

And yes, many people are horrible at chosing their own photos. I like it when they bring along friends or family to help them choose. I really try to keep my own opinions in check - they see things about themselves that I don't know; a certain smile, or gesture, or something that makes the picture work for them.

"...but if you wait 10 years...."!

That is so true!

Hah! She looks 15.

Great shots. My favorite one is the first one. When I first looked at it, it looked like two people. One holding the other, and someone's rear end showing. But I see its just one person. Most excellent!

Hey! Thanks AngeliqueEast.

Not only for your comments but for snapping me out of my stupor. My computer has been goofed up for a month now. A friend has offered to preform an excorcism so I can get back to work. I'm going to haul it in TODAY!

I'm not going to leave this posted for long but I'd like to know what you guys think of it. I'm trying to test myself against the "kids you (meaning me) really know well as opposed to kids you don't". If you hired someone and they came up with this would you like it or not?

<snip>

I don't know about all this palaver . . .


I just like the pick-chers . . . please keep 'em comin' . . .

I'm going to take that as a "yes".

Thanks!

I think it's great.

I'm imagining it real big -- not sure how big, but maybe at least 18 inches across for the whole pic?

Would love to have something like that.

(Y'all have got me thinking about photography again, I haven't been doing much in the last several months, zipped through almost a whole roll this weekend, hopefully got some good ones. Went to a local festival [if it seems like you see that phrase from me a lot, they seem to happen all the time 'round here] and watched some belly dancers -- sozlet was ENTHRALLED and they danced with her [and other kids] afterwards, got one pic of little tiny her looking very serious as she took her lesson in hip-swiveling surrounded by tall belly dancers in all their finery that looked great through the viewfinder... we'll see.)

bm

That sounds great, soz! Post the photos when you get them back, or PM me -- I'd love to see.

The young girl across the street from us chooses a different county for her birthday party every year. Last year it was Egypt and they had a belly dancer come. EVERYONE was enthralled.

Her party is next week. This year it's Hawaii (okay, not a country but still kinda foreign). The plans are all top secret and I'm dying to find out what they have planned.

Thanks for your comments on the photo. I should hear from the mom tomorrow. All of the photos I picked were from about a 1 1/2 minute section of shooting and I was worried that they were all too similar to be interesting.

That's part of what I like about it, that it shows all of these transformations and moods within such a short time.

What does it look like in color? I love black and white as a concept, and love the idea of that one jumping out, but there isn't a ton of contrast in his face -- even the pupils are pretty small because of how bright it is, plus white dot (flash?) in the middle. Lots of mid-tones, not much black or white.

I can see big-ness taking care of that concern, though.

I think the layout and expressions, and picture quality are all great.

Ohhhh. That's a good way of looking at it!

I asked him to sing me a song and that created all of those moods -- but I did shuffle them around a bit.

In color I thought it was too much. I always think it's too much when there is more than one photo on a page. It was very bright out and I did use a flash -- I really like to have a strong catch-light in the eyes to give them a little more sparkle.

I confess I had a photo-school flash back. I'm "flat" girl. I always printed with little contrast. I blame it on having no depth perception but my photo teachers always whacked me on the head over it. I can't seem to get past "flat" even in digital!

Oh no, not a film school flashback!!

Bottom line, I would love to have something like this of sozlet, full stop. I have so little disposable income at the moment that I get hives thinking about buying non-generic shampoo, so thinking about paying for it wasn't a productive route, but I imagined my mom buying me the session, with something like that as the result, and I'd be thrilled.

I think it captures his personality in a genuine way, much different from usual studio portraits, which I have never cottoned to. Sozlet's had three studio portraits, ever, and I just don't like any of them very much though I appreciate how great the focus is yadda yadda. There's just a HER-ness that's missing. While I don't know this kid, I'd imagine the image is full of HIM-ness.

Just out of curiosity -- what would you expect to pay for something like that?

Maybe I'm thinking of under charging!

It is finding the "him/her-ness" that is leading me away from studio shooting. Now that J. is there I don't have to think about the studio much.

I'm hoping to have a great portfolio of this non-studio type stuff by the time Mo goes off to school and I have time to really do something with it.

I'm getting ready to call it a night so I took the photo down. I can repost it if anyone really want to see it.

Thank you for commenting Sentanta and sozobe. Feedback is always so good to have and I value your opinions!

Oooh, I'm really not the one to ask.

Two of the three studio sessions we've had were "free sitting" promotions, and the other one was paid for by my mom. If this were "The Price is Right", I'd be totally choking. Just don't have a feel for things.

I've mostly just been going by this:



I'm assuming that "hired" would entail more money than a standard studio shot, but again, <whooshes hand over head>