New portrait shoot

I recently undertook a portrait shoot as a part of a free giveaway I held on my Facebook page. This one was a little different in that my model wanted to hold the shoot at a library or bookstore as they are an aspiring author and wanted to be surrounded by books. Fortunately, the local bookstore I approached as the venue was very amenable and agreed to us holding the shoot on their premises.

I'm still pretty new to the whole portrait shoot, especially on location and it certainly ramped up my nerves some. Plus it meant that not only did I need to be aware of all technical issues with my camera and lens choice, I had to keep my lighting in check, stay aware of my model for poses; I also had to be very aware of the store's customers and try to not get in their way or have them get in my way. Unfortunately, as I found out, something had to give and I didn't do such as good a job as I could on directing my model - or providing good feedback and encouragement. With so much going on, I got too engrossed in the other tasks and was not the most communicative. Luckily for me, Debra (my model) was very helpful in filling in the gaps. It didn't hurt that we have known each other for a few years, so we had some common ground to build on.

All things considered, the shoot turned out pretty good. I have done some basic editing and provided proofs for Debra to make her final selection from. Once this is completed, I'll provide her with the agreed on number of digital files and also have one printed out for framing - in line with my basic photo package deal.

Here is one of the photos I took on the day, processed in TopazLabs BW Effects, that was actually taken after the shoot was winding down. I like it because it is much more relaxed and natural. though one thing you might not realize is that it was a "reject" image due to my flash not firing; meaning the overhead fluorescent lighting threw the colors off. Converting to B/W enabled me to save the shot; plus I do like the look of a good B/W image.

I have to admit, I'm toying with the idea of making some B/W HDR images just to see how they turn out. Yeah, I know I'm being weird, but art is all about experimenting and I view photography as a form of art that lends itself to experimentation.