Twin Trouble

Posted by Suby and Sinem (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom) on 8 December 2006 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.

Suby In The House

I love location shoots, but one cannot discount the control one has when one is in the studio. There you can adjust all and everything to you own requirements. I am trying to get back into studio shoots, I just realised a chink in my armour (invisible armour), I have not yet mastered studio shooting, and that is not good enough, so for the next few months, I will be taking as many studio shots as I can.

I totally dislike going into the studio to spew out the same type of shots one sees everyday, "people/models stood in front of a white wall effect" I call it. With a little imagination, one could still make the images look unique or special, not just your "stood in front of white wall" every day image.

Enjoy the shots I post up, most of all I do want to hear what you really think, would the images look at home in a magazine, remember, I want my images to have that magazine quality to them.

Words and photography by Suby
"Ars longa, vita brevis"

Comments (13)

MnX from PARIS, France

It's a really nice photo. And it's not cliché at all (I mean it's not something one sees everyday - at least I don't see that kind everyday). About pulishing it in magazines... It sure has this pro feeling of magazines photo but I think there's something about lighting. I feel it's a little hard. Some magazines do use photo with such a lighting which enhance the models curves, but I feel that generic fashion magazine like Elle use photos with a smoother lighting. (Although it's only a memory, I didn't read such a magazine for some time).
The other drawback of the lighting I can see is the (too big?) difference between illumination in different areas : the bust and face of the back model is more exposed than her arm or the skin of the first model. I never did studio photos before so I don't know if there are rules about lighting except the basic physics of optics. I hope what I said can help you. keep on the good work you sure will succeed in your goals if you continue like that.

8 Dec 2006 8:31am

@MnX: Cyrille,

Thanks for taking the time to comment, yep, you definitely right about the lighting, I should have pointed out in my comments that my access to this studio was by pure luck as I was passing the studio and a photographer asks, wanna shoot? Of course I jumped at the opportunity, lighting was done by 1 softbox placed on my right, I just kept grabbing people walking past the studio to pose for me :)

I would have preferred to have used 3 lights here, but I think I would have been pushing it if I asked as I was basically given like 15 minutes to shot which I cunningly stretched to 30 mins.

No worries, I plan on going back to the studio soon and I will ensure there are no excuses. LOL

Suby

Jason Kravitz from Brussels, Belgium

ha - good title for this one :)

I think the composition is a good idea but a little busy in the way they combine together. The back hand kind of floating in the space between the front model's arm is a little off to me. Plus their hair is so similar it kind of all blends together. Not necessarily a bad thing but make sure this is what you are trying to shoot.

I also think you should have cropped the back models arm tighter or put more space on the right side. The way you cut off the tip of her elbow looks like you were not sure if it should be in or out. Same goes for the front model's hand. You kind of cut off her fingers in a sort of odd place.

Don't mean to be purely critical - you have great vision, passion and technique both in camera and out. Just make sure you consider the finer details when setting up a shot.

8 Dec 2006 11:01am

@Jason Kravitz: Thanks Jason,

Truth be told I thought I was going to get slated for the uninspired text, I am trying to train myself to write texts on my images but finding it soo hard, I have no imagination when it comes to that LOL

I did try that crop but left it like this, something to do with me disliking cropping my images once off camera, Get it right 1st time I say.

Hey you are not critical, next time I am in the studio all the critiques received will be at the back of my mind enabling me to come out with stonking images, how else will I improve if no one tells me how to improve :)

Suby

navin from India

Good luck with your shots but this one still is a "medel in front of white sheet shot". I would suggest using props in the studio and maybe playwith natural light if you get it in your studio.

8 Dec 2006 11:27am

@navin: Thanks for your comments, unfortunately my time in the studio was very adhoc, I was shooting somewhere else when I was surprisingly given access to a studio for free and for only 30 minutes. I had use of only one softbox which was placed to the right of me. Had to make the best of the situation :)

Duncan Galbraith from kyoto, Japan

As far as studio stuff goes (lighting etc) I'm the wrong guy to ask. I can tell you however that I like it. As Jason said, Id recrop the right side (more space or tighter, whatever your preference as they'd both work for me). The lighting does appear quite stark, particularly on the rear model but Id have no idea as to how to set it up other than suggesting using filters or bounced light. But man, you're way more technically capable than me so I'm not really in a postion to suggest solutions!

8 Dec 2006 11:27am

@Duncan Galbraith: Duncan,

Hey any feedback is always welcome even if you do not profess to know it al LOL. I did actually think of doing that crop and did do it but just preferred the crop this way, something to do with me not really liking cropping my images off camera.

You are correct, the lighting is stark, I had only use of one softbox placed on the right of me and access to the studio for 30 mins. My access to the studio was by pure luck, was walking past that particular studio and was asked "hey want to shoot?" Of course I said yes. LOL

As I said, any ideas are always welcome here,even if you think you don't know, let me know what you think or think you know :)

Suby

micki from United States

I think this is your best studio shot yet, and I can't believe you pulled this one off with the limited time and complete lack of preparation that you had. I'm not going to nitpick, I think you're moving in the right direction. Keep moving ahead sure and steady, Suby and grab all those opportunities that come your way!! I'm enjoying watching the direction your photography is going in.

8 Dec 2006 2:13pm

badala from Leiria, Portugal

Really nice pictue.

8 Dec 2006 2:27pm

Ella Cooper from Toronto, Canada

Something is not working in this shot and I can't figure it out. The girl on the left is perfect and the one on the right seems to almost take away from her line and expression....The lighting is good but the shine of the right girls forehead is distracting. I'm looking forward to seeing more....I know what challenge it can be to shoot in the studio...can't really leave anything to chance.

8 Dec 2006 11:19pm

Darren from Japan

Well mate they just keep coming. Another fine shot.

8 Dec 2006 11:20pm

Sidney from Manila, Philippines

Excellent result. Very nice pose. The light might be a bit too harsh and another (less white) background could still enhance the picture. I like studio shots who don't look as if they were taken in a studio. I think (since you are a PS wizard) that you could easily paste those girls on a colorful background.
What about some funky graffiti?

9 Dec 2006 3:04am