Larry's Random Ramblings

Joe was quiet and polite as we photographed his senior pictures.  I was talking with him in an attempt to get him to open up and be a little more expressive.  Then he mentioned he liked to skate board.

“Do you have one in your car?”

“Sure, I always have one in my car.”

And off we went to the skateboard park.

First it was some simple images with Joe doing some moves over the ridge.  Then he mentioned he wanted to try something else.   After a demonstration, I positioned the camera and light in the proper spot while he performed his trick.  With some dramatic clouds for a background, this became one of my favorite senior pictures and would later be entered at state contest.

The Foster Photographic Arts network of web sites:
Senior Pictures
General Portrait Site
Weddings
Architectural
Photography Classes

Click on any image to enlarge:

This expressive little girl came in as part of our “Be in our front window” promotion. We wanted to do something different, so I borrowed a lab coat and a stethoscope from wife and we had the girl bring her teddy bear. The concept for this child’s portrait was a “teddy bear check-up”. She played along very well and we created some great looks.

The Foster Photographic Arts Network of Sites:
General Site
Photography Classes
Weddings
High School Senior Pictures
Architectural Photography

Click on any image to enlarge:

The child’s grandmother Phyllis would commission this portrait. Phyllis had a preconceived idea what she wanted her grand-daughter’s portrait to look like. Preconceived ideas are both good and bad – often more the latter than the former. I can look at an example, and tell you how it was lit, what lens it was taken with and even be reasonably close with estimating the camera settings. We can go to the exact same spot at the same time of day; but at that point I no longer have control. I can’t control expression. I can guide the pose, but really it comes down to the subject to pull execute it properly. This used to happen frequently when I was photographing weddings. The bride-to-be would show me an image cut from a bridal magazine of bride and a groom frolicking in the waves on a Caribbean beach at sunset and ask for the same image when their wedding was in cow pasture in the dead of winter.
The point is, it’s okay to have a preconceived idea – if you are willing to let go of it when something better is shown to you. As a professional with over 25 years of experience, I know what will make you look the best.
Phyllis ended up liking one of my ideas better than what she had originally envisioned.

The Foster Photographic Arts Network of Sites:
General Portraits
Weddings
Photography Classes
Architectural Photography
High School Senior Pictures

Disclaimer: I know what they say, “don’t criticize other people’s work.” I’m sorry, I have to part with that. As an educator in photography, I feel it is necessary to inform my students of both the good and bad. Our professional magazines should be upholding the standard of quality in this industry. What appears in the magazines is seen by the aspiring photographer as the standard to attain. When our magazines publish sub-standard material, this needs to be called out, so that the new people in the industry understand what true quality is. If we allow sub-standard to become the acceptable as “professional” then we are for not.

Cover: Professional Photographer Magazine, November 2011

This is the cover of the November 2011 issue of Professional Photographer. This portrait is not flattering. It is lit with a small light source placed above the subject’s head. This type of lighting, called “butterfly” or “glamor” lighting and is not unique; but it is reserved for faces that are perfect because there are no shadows to hide the flaws in the face. You will most often see this type of lighting used in advertising for cosmetics. The subject of this portrait does not have a perfect face. Furthermore, there is no post production work. Every wrinkle and pore on this woman is painfully visible.

What really baffles me about this cover is that it was a contest, and this was the image selected by a skilled photographer that I used to have respect for.

(c) Don Weaver

Here is second place image. A wonderful portrait that is beautifully lit with a large light source (same type of lighting used on the cover shot, but with a larger light source). The face is beautifully sculpted and the hands do not interfere with the face.

(c) Babsola Bamiro

Third place. A wonderful image with some excellent tonal control. Here detail and pores are not a bad thing. Wonderful composition with the hood and the eyes just penetrate out of the darkness.

Yancy had better images to select from. To place that image on the cover is a slap in the face to professional photography.


The Foster Photographic Arts universe:
General Portraits and Picture Restoration
High School Senior Pictures
Weddings
Photography Classes
Architectural Photography

It was several years ago when I photographed Elizabeth’s and Micheal’s wedding. It was a beautiful and memorable event in Guthrie. Elizabeth and Micheal are now proud parents of two beautiful little girls. It’s always fun to photograph babies of couples whose weddings I have photographed. I am honored to create the “first family portrait”. Like the wedding, it is a landmark.

The Foster Photographic Arts Network of sites:
General Site including picture restoration
High School Senior Pictures
Wedding Photography
Architectural Photography

Click any image to enlarge.

What a little cutie! McKinley came in for some portraits and she was just a charmer. How can you refuse a face like this?

Foster Photographic Arts universe of links:
General Portraits and picture restoration
Weddings
High School Senior Pictures
Architectural Photography

I met DJ about 15 years ago photographing his sister’s wedding. He would become my #1 assistant for over 10 years. We have photographed hundreds of weddings in everything from freezing cold to broiling hot. He would move on from the assistants cor to devote weekends to building his house. I expected that after the house was built, he would put a ring on Kristi’s finger.

It is always fun photographing a wedding when you know the people involved. DJ’s had wisely built in some time for fun, creative photographs before we went to the reception. We wandered around the OU campus in some very warm weather taking some wonderful images of the two of them. Then off to the reception. It was fun and I was glad to see DJ and Kristi so happy.

The Foster Photographic Arts Network of links:
Weddings
Portraits and Picture Restoration
Senior Pictures
Architectural Photography

Click on any image to enlarge:

I have photographed bridal portraits at the State Capitol more times than I can count. On this day, we had a shaft of light coming through the dome. This vision is what I saw when I took the image, however, it was not until recently when I acquired some HDR software that I could bring it to reality.

The Foster Photographic Arts Network of sites:
Wedding Photography
Main Site
High Senior Pictures
Architectural Photography

I’ve known Kristi for years through her fiance who assisted for me for several years. When Kristi and I were discussing her bridal portrait, her statement was, “I don’t want anything normal.” Sounds find to me. I considered it both a challenge and permission to “color outside the lines”. We stated with an abandoned brick warehouse and moved on to an old barn. It was a blast and we got some really fun pictures.

The Foster Photographic Arts Universe of Links:
Weddings
General Portraits and Picture Restoration
Photography courses
High School Seniors
Architectural Photography

Click on any image to enlarge.

Amanda and I had a great time with her senior pictures. She was a little shy to start with, but she warmed up and the pictures where great – and you have to love that hair! Thanks Amanda.

The Foster Photographic Arts network of sites:
Senior Pictures
General Portraits and Photo Restoration
Wedding Photography
Photography Classes and Lessons
Architectural Photography

Click on any image to enlarge.