Band photoshoot

[Nickcanada]

My brother's band The Second Glance asked me to take some pics for them. Let me know what you guys think. I need to work on my PP skills for sure and I need a better eye for detail. These are quick edits. Consider your selves my test group. :) I think I'm going to pick up a monitor calibrator... I've only been talking about it for a year....

[Nickcanada]

Here is a B&W conversion I did on the first one.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/Blackandwhite.jpg

[griptape]

I think having some of them looking at the camera and some of them not is distracting. Maybe it's just me. But every picture, it's like 2 or 3 of them are looking and 1 or 2 aren't. It's just strange. Like some of them noticed the camera, and some of them didn't. Or like some of them are part of the group, and the others were just jerks that wouldn't get out of the way of the picture.

[speaklightly]

griptape-

Thanks for posting some excellent photos. You should be proud of your work. And no, I don't think that two band members looking away in photo #1 is distracting at all. It sort of goes along with the whole band culture.

Sarah Joyce

[nqjudo]

I like the look/no look at camera scenario. It's been used quite heavily in band photography. U2 used it for years. I like all the shots. There is one shot that looks, on my monitor at least, like 2 members faces are a little blown out. Overall very nice work.

[rawpaw18]

Nick,
I was doing highlight recovery on this one in Lightroom, then while playing around I converted it to b/w. I like this one in b/w, it just looks grittier to me with the beam and the stone background. Beefed up the blacks and the contrast a hair. You have one dude that is a little rigid but I think it adds to the mystique of the shot, like what the is going on over there? I am a little worried about this guy.

25525
I like the first one in color and the last shot as well although in the last one I would like to see all facing forward.
just my 1.5 cents, can not spare it all.

[Nickcanada]

Thanks for the input guys.

The band wanted a candid look to the shots. That's why most of the time one or two are looking away. It is quite common in band promo shots. I was trying to get some origional/creative stuff going but most of it failed and all the shots that turned out ok are the safe shots.

As far as the over exposed face shot. It was actually on perpose. I increased the contrast in PP to blow out that part of the photo. I was trying to add a little grit to the shot.

Thanks for the input guys it's much apreciated.

[griptape]

^I think what you're saying is what I meant in a way. It's not distracting that they're looking away, it's distracting that they're looking away, and look like they're 100% aware of the camera being there. I guess I blame the subjects more than the setup.

And I know the point of music isn't fashion, but it looks like two of them dressed for a photo shoot and two didn't. Just my two cents.

[adam75south]

i like the edit on the one with the blown out faces, but would rather the last member have a blown out face also. besides lightening his face, you could also do some selective dodging and burning on the background to make it more grungy. here's something along the lines of what i'm thinkin. hope you don't mind. this is all with dodging and burning...just duplicating layers and using a blend mode, then a mask to paint what i want blended with the new layer and leaving off what i don't want. a little bit of unsharp mask for contrast. i used color burn on the bricks to give them the weird colors.

[zmikers]

I like the fact that the one guy in the back never smiles. That's his "thing" you know, kind of like Slash! I like the shots. Some of the b&w edits are cool too. What does the band think, they must be pretty happy with them eh?

[24Peter]

The second beam shot and the staircase are the best ones for me. Good job Nick.

[r6isnum1]

the beam pics are pretty sweet...


adam nice job on the pshop...

[Nickcanada]

Thanks everyone. I showed the band the black and white pic they thought the guy on the left looked like a bull frog..... :rolleyes:

Here are some bloopers and fun shots we did, along with a few more edits... I really want to get some proper lights so I can get some decent shots! I don't know how CW does it!



#1
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0471.jpg

#2 These guys are really funny which is why I tried not to do the typical tough guy shots... but that's how most of em' turned out.... except this one...

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0262.jpg

#3 that girl in the background was also doing a photo shoot of her friend.... SURPRISE!

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0222.jpg


#4 Cool hole in the floor... I need to go back and do this one properly! I'm sure I could come up with some cool lighting....

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0182-Edit.jpg

#5 I like this one...

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0179.jpg


#6 Different edit

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0160-Edit.jpg

#7 My take on this one... I think this is my good copy.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/testing/IMG_0123-Edit.jpg


This shoot was much harder then I thought it would be. I think I found some serious limitations of my flash. It felt like a P&S for stuff like this, very uneven, deer in the head lights stuff. I also don't like my ultra wide for this stuff anymore. I think maybe the sigma 30mm 1.4 would be great for this work. I think that will be my next lens.