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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Challenge 74: Character Studies (host: Michael Puff) >> Challenge 74: Eligible > # 6
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11-AUG-2006 Lonnit Rysher

# 6

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
1/90s f/3.5 at 66.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Canon DSLR Challenge21-Aug-2006 01:11
I agree with Photocat. I like this one better than the black and white. I also agree that the halo effect is a bit distracting, otherwise a fine image. Chris
Guest 19-Aug-2006 23:22
This one would be my choice compared to the previous one. Not sure if I fancy the halo effect around his head. And thank you for sharing your opinion about MZ. I would not have expected anything else from him. ... -Cat
Guest 15-Aug-2006 15:32
Nice shot of this handsome man :). Great challenge shot too!
cherylm
Canon DSLR Challenge14-Aug-2006 21:25
Thanks Michael. Monte is a beautiful person with an enormous heart. The workshop was an incredible experience and I implore each of you to grab the opportunity to sign up for one. We laughed, we cried, we learned, we learned, we learned! My class was four 8.5 hour days. My brain is full! It was full by the end of the first hour; the more I tried to stuff in, the more it fell out! LOL! I've got tons of notes and DVDs to review. Even this image, for all it's "mistakes", shows a higher level of skill from me. It was extremely thrilling to occasionally discover I was doing a thing or two right, or was thinking towards the right direction. BTW, he liked my Modern Rockwell. :) ~ Lonnit
Guest 14-Aug-2006 19:03
Nice work on that glowing line, I think you've conquered the beast. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Monte Zucker workshop. I was going to ask you about it in the challenge thread, but this is a much better place to have a record of your thoughts. -Michael
alexeig13-Aug-2006 19:00
This guy has mischievous streak to his character, or so it seems from the picture
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Aug-2006 17:35
Yes, Olaf. I do prefer to have the person seated, but it wasn't possible in most of the locations. I should get a posing stool and bring it along. I'm so hideously underpaid for my time on these assignments as it is, that the last thing I want to do is start lugging more and more equipment with me. I was already hauling a reflector and stand. I'd like to find one of those collapsable cane/seats, and then I can just leave it in the car. It won't have adjustable height, but it'll do the job in 90% of the cases. ~ Lonnit
Guest 12-Aug-2006 10:02
I find it interesting to compare this to #5. Especially studying the effects of the camera angle - I think biggest difference between the two shots lies in the camera height relative to the subject's face. The higher camera angle in this shot, makes the subject appear more humble and is well in line with your attempt to represent your clients as warm and friendly, approachable, gentle and lovable...
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Aug-2006 07:08
Ok, fixed it! ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Aug-2006 06:54
Michael, I went back to that stupid glowing line repeatedly, and it's the most stubborn thing! I got sick of fighting it and gave in to it, but I know I've got to fix it.

I too was thinking, "What's the difference between a character study and a portrait?". I agree that it's in the personality. A portrait can be stiff and traditional and rigidly posed, virtually obscuring the subject's personality. This gentleman is a client of mine, shot this morning. The purpose of the images was for an on-line dating service. When I shoot these images, it's important to let the personality shine through. I like them to look warm and friendly, approachable, and fun loving, gentle, lovable... whatever the vibe is that I get from them. I was very happy with this particular image.

It just so happens, that I spent the last four days, from 9-5:30, in a portrait class given by the legendary Monte Zucker. It was beyond exhausting! The man is a beautiful person - warm, loving, generous, kind, passionate... The class ended in a cry-fest, with all two dozen of us in a big circle, arms around eachother, taking turns speaking about what we experienced this week. There were so many tears, it was just one of those rare warm-fuzzy moments. What a privilege it was to be there.

Sure, I screwed up a lot during today's shoot, but recognized a lot of the mistakes going thru the images later. But even so, mistakes and all, as you can see here, I learned so much this week! I'm telling you guys, if you EVER have the opportunity to take a class with Monte, it's an absolute MUST!!! You should have seen the difference even the first day made, in the quality of everyone's images! It was astounding!! Go to his website, montezucker.com, and find a class to take! The only problem is that now that I've had classes with him, anything else has got to pale by comparison!

I got more usable shots, in less frames, with less throw-aways today, than I ever could have imagined. I need to submit a dozen shots to the agency, per client. Usually, by 8 shots I'm really scrounging around to find 4 more. Today's shoot produced 3-4 times as many shots as I needed. I was skipping over shots that, prior to my newly aquired knowledge, I would have thought were really good, but know that I know better, I see thier flaws. Even so, I still had plenty to choose from. I shot less than I used to, had less throw aways, and this time my problem was which to eliminate! LOL! Now, of course, they're not all up to Monte standards, but there a HUGE improvement on Lonnit. LOL! ~ Lonnit
Guest 12-Aug-2006 05:42
Really glad to see this contribution, Lonnit, because it's really helped settle in my mind the difference between a "character study" and a "portrait". There's no doubt in my mind that it's a classic portrait style and beautifully accomplished. Is it a character study? My answer is yes, and for a variety of subtle reasons. My first thought at seeing the image was "rugged" and "masculine". You've held on to the textures of his face and hair as strong character features, he is not glamorized. The sepia toning reinforces those features. The gentle smile and sparkle of the eyes give a feeling of openness to his personality. Nicely done.

My only nit is that there's a slight glowing line above his shirt on the right side of the image (his left) which competes for my visual attention...burning that down a bit would work better for me. -Michael