EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 10th GET YOUR IMAGES IN NOW!!!
OK Folks—It’s SPRINGTIME!! The snow is melting and the trees are starting to come back to life, so get those cameras and get outside! We are proud to announce the first annual ProPhotoResource.com Ask Steve Outdoor Photography Contest! The prizes ROCK, so I expect a lot of participation.

Here’s the deal: This is a proactive contest so you will first post a description of the situation that you will face [i.e., high noon sunlight, open shade with a bright background]. Questions or requests for suggestions about how to handle the situation are allowed at this point...but on the honor system no suggestions are allowed once you start shooting the assignment. Your subject matter can be anything as long as it involves people.

You are to first photograph the scene without modifiers and post an image from these outtakes. Then post your final edit and describe what you did to create the new image. Your images will be judged based on a 10 point scale on each of the following criteria: the overall quality of the final image; the difference between the before and after image; and your description of how you created the image—so be specific. Total points will determine the winners.
Will Crockett will break all ties.

Grand Prize Package Includes:

A one-hour phone or e-mail consultation with Stephen Dantzig—topics may include any issue related to lighting
A signed copy of Master Lighting Techniques for Outdoor and Location Digital Portrait Photography [or any of my other books if you already have this one]
A DVD of your choice from ShootSmarter.com
A one year subscription to ProPhotoResource.com
Winning entry featured as the cover of PPR.com for one month.

First Prize:

Your choice of one Stephen Dantzig’s lighting books—signed
DVD of your choice from ShootSmarter.com

Second prize:

A DVD of your choice from ShootSmarter.com

Third Prize:

Stephen Dantzig’s web-based Beauty, Fashion and Glamour lighting lesson.

Rules:

A MINIMUM of ten separate participants is required. Contest is null and void without ten entrants—so encourage your forum partners to get involved.

Images posted must have the photographers name embedded in the photo.

Each image must have some verification that a valid model release is on file.

Final images must be posted in the Ask Steve forum by 11:59 PM HAWAII STANDARD TIME ON JUNE 10th.

The judges are Stephen Dantzig, Paul Gero and Cris Mitchell.

All decisions by the judges are final.

I hope my scenario will qualify.

I have a l50 something grandmother (a little on the heavy side), her two daughters and 2 year old granddaughter coming in for portraits on May 5th. The appointment time is 1pm and weather permitting they would like some outdoor photos. I tried to make the appointment later but that was the only time they have available because one of the daughters has another engagement later that evening.

First I need some posing suggestions because I have only shot a group like this one other time and the granddaughter was much older. Secondly, I will be shooting sometime between 1pm and 3pm which is the most sunny part of the day. Finally, I have no idea exactly where to take the outdoor photos but I do have a few general locations.

My studio also known as my home is near Eagle Creek Park and Dam. Eagle Creek Park is one the nations largest innercity parks with more than 3900 acres of land and 1400 acres of water. Ok enough with the commercial. Close to the dam there is a restaurant, Rick's Boatyard, and the restaurant has a boat dock where quite a few pontoon boats are docked. There is also a gazebo next to the restaurant that is accessible without having to be a restaurant patron. On nice sunny days there are many colorful sail boats on the lake. Also the city park has a beach, which won't be open yet, and there is also a marina. Of course the park has several children playground areas as well as picnick areas with shelters. There is also a 5 acre pond called Lilly Lake in the park as well as a 1 acre eco pond. The small pond is completely shaded but also has lots of algae. I will try to get pictures of all the areas I think are possible shooting locations and upload them.

Let the games begin!

George

P.S.
Where should photos be uploaded? Is there specaal folder in the member gallery?

George,
You can post the images right in this forum thread.

I'll let Steve comment on the rest.
Cris...

Thanks Cris and George,

Welcome to the competition George!!! We still need 9 other entrants to make it happen! I'm going to consult with Stan on the specific posing issues you asked about--however in general you want to angle the body more on a heavier subject and maybe in this case have her hold the baby. The lighting and backgrounds are a different issues. You'll want to "short light" her--have her positioned away from the main light and turn her face into the light. It sounds like you have some pretty locations ready to go. I like the idea of the gazebo with the marina but you need to make sure that the boats don't become too distracting. It's tough to shoot wide open for a shallow depth of field because the background is so bright and the light under the gazebo is less than the background. I rely on on Photoshop to soften the background after the fact. I'll talk a little more in my May column. You are going to have to bring some strobes with you to either balance the light in the shade with the background...or create the illusion of sunlight in a very shady area. You'll also have to deal with a green cast by the algae filled pond.

Aloha All!

Hey, George...the grandma is 150 something???!!!!! Hahahahah typo... 50, eh?
And "heavy"...Unless she's one of those very rare birds who is proud of her largness, I would hide her bod as much as possible with her kids. I might seat the sisters together, with the one holding her 2yo baby, and Gma behind the girls.

Another pose I might try would be with mom seated on a bench, maybe with one daughter next to her and the other sitting on the ground in front and to the other side so she partly hides Gma, and with Gma holding baby. Or both sisters on the ground with Gma holding baby.

I would probably also try putting them all on the ground on a blanket with the sisters and baby occupying the foreground and Gma with her body angled away from the key light, (and partly hidden by a daughter), feet farthest away from the camera, and her shoulders turned a little back to the camera, and her face turned back into the key light, and have her lean in toward the camera, leaning on her arm, hand on the ground, then lift her chin a little.

In my mind, I nearly allways design poses with an interpretive portrait in mind where the subjects are interacting with eachother rather than the camera, but you can see that they will also work more documentarily as well with just minor adjustments.

Also, I like to guide people into poses by giving minimal directions so they can find their own natural version of what I have in mind. Like: "Why don't you 2 sit over there, you can sit nice and close right next to her, and you can hold the baby in your lap, OK?" Then as they get settled in, if it doesn't look right, I'll give a little more direction. Then I'll direct them to play with baby, or share this picture book with baby, etc. Just get them into doing something together but in a position where you can see all the faces, and capture their natural expressions as they interact. Make sure your lights are also "seeing" all the faces!

Have fun with it!

If I were doing the shoot, George, I would find an area of open shade to pose them in, preferably with a beautiful background. I hate overhead light! But, as long as it has enough direction that you can use it to backlight the girls in such a way as to also get a real nice background, use it that way. And remember that the background is just a background...the portrait is of the People...You don't want the background to distract from your subjects.

I hope my thoughts are understood, and are helpful!
Aloha,
SPC II

I'm in. We are going into winter here, so I'll have to look for something less green. Will think of a scenario.