Black and White of Maria

From yesterday. One of her high school senior portraits.

Ben

I like the lighting, but something seems lacking. Maybe color?

Love the pose and the model is breathtaking. However, she's almost too perfect. Just curious: Did you edit with portrait professional?

Rachel Foster said:

Love the pose and the model is breathtaking. However, she's almost too perfect. Just curious: Did you edit with portrait professional?

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Rachel,

Thanks for the kind words. I used to use Portrait Professional and when I did on the screen the images looked good, and in the 4 x 5 proof they looked good. Then I ordered a 16 x 20 from a file where I had used it. Wow what a difference. It looked like I used a kit lens wide open. I went out and bought Imagenomic and quit using Portrait Professional and I have never regretted it.

I have discovered in the last 28 years that my female clients prefer smooth skin over zits, scars, blemishes, enlarged pores, wrinkles, discolorated patches of skin and bags under their eyes, so I remove these things before there ever see the preview images. This is first done by having a Mary Kay representative do their make up just prior to the shoot. When the MK gal has finished they look into the mirror and say to themselves "WOW, I didn't know I could look so good." Clients that feel good about the way they look tend to project that "feel good" persona into the lens of the camera. After I make the capture, I show them the images on the LCD screen, and "the look" is further solidified in their mind. Then before they see the resulting images I retouch anything that the make up couldn't cover, and I liquify anything I think they hate about themselves, such as a lazy eye, a little extra weight around the tummy and so forth. I have also flattened out protruding ears, and dolled up certain areas that I feel need some dolling up.

In Maria's image, I retouched her face, enlarged her left eye slightly, and shrank the width of her nose a little bit. The MK lady either doesn't know the dark stripe of make up down the middle of the nose trick to slenderize it or the effect wasn't enough for photography. Lastly I used Imagenomic to smooth her skin.

Ben

Ben Jones said:

Rachel,

Thanks for the kind words. I used to use Portrait Professional and when I did on the screen the images looked good, and in the 4 x 5 proof they looked good. Then I ordered a 16 x 20 from a file where I had used it. Wow what a difference. It looked like I used a kit lens wide open. I went out and bought Imagenomic and quit using Portrait Professional and I have never regretted it.

Click to expand...

Ben,

I too fround portrait professional lacking in the first edition. I'd be interested to know your opnion of the latest version.

Ben Jones said:

female clients prefer smooth skin over zits, scars, blemishes, enlarged pores, wrinkles, discolorated patches of skin and bags under their eyes, so I remove these things before there ever see the preview images.

Click to expand...

How true. But it's not only men. Teenagers, especially male and female want ths attenton to some degree. However, they often want it to be subtle.

Ben Jones said:

This is first done by having a Mary Kay representative do their make up just prior to the shoot. When the MK gal has finished they look into the mirror and say to themselves "WOW, I didn't know I could look so good." Clients that feel good about the way they look tend to project that "feel good" persona into the lens of the camera.

Click to expand...

Frank Doorhof teaches in his fashion/glamor/lighting workshops to always give the best treatment to the makeup artist and pay her! Models? Just some free pics and they pay for the rest! Using the Mary Kay cosmetics rep is a brilliant idea. does she charge you?

Ben Jones said:

After I make the capture, I show them the images on the LCD screen, and "the look" is further solidified in their mind. Then before they see the resulting images I retouch anything that the make up couldn't cover, and I liquify anything I think they hate about themselves, such as a lazy eye, a little extra weight around the tummy and so forth. I have also flattened out protruding ears, and dolled up certain areas that I feel need some dolling up.

Click to expand...

Ben, how much time do you spend on each picture? What do you charge to cover your time? would you consider using a retouch artist.

Ben Jones said:

In Maria's image, I retouched her face, enlarged her left eye slightly, and shrank the width of her nose a little bit. The MK lady either doesn't know the dark stripe of make up down the middle of the nose trick to slenderize it or the effect wasn't enough for photography. Lastly I used Imagenomic to smooth her skin.

Click to expand...

Can you give us an example of before and after with the black stripe on nose effect and the Imagenomic smoothing filter.

I myself blend back 1-7% of the original (not for changed eye/nose size) to give back a realistic look for wrinkles.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Ben,

I too fround portrait professional lacking in the first edition. I'd be interested to know your opnion of the latest version.

I don't have it so I can't give any opinion on it.



How true. But it's not only men. Teenagers, especially male and female want ths attenton to some degree. However, they often want it to be subtle.



Frank Doorhof teaches in his fashion/glamor/lighting workshops to always give the best treatment to the makeup artist and pay her! Models? Just some free pics and they pay for the rest! Using the Mary Kay cosmetics rep is a brilliant idea. does she charge you?

No. the MK reps are not permitted to charge, so I usually give them a free session and a free 8 x 10.



Ben, how much time do you spend on each picture? What do you charge to cover your time? would you consider using a retouch artist.

The time spent on each image varies depending on how many blemishes the subject has and so forth. I charge a maximum of $185.00 for the proof magazine of all the retouched images. So far I have sold about 95% of them.



Can you give us an example of before and after with the black stripe on nose effect and the Imagenomic smoothing filter.

I'm not sure the MK girls that I use know this trick, and with Photoshop it is almost no longer needed in photography.

I myself blend back 1-7% of the original (not for changed eye/nose size) to give back a realistic look for wrinkles.

I do too but usually on the more mature subject.

Asher

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Asher,

My responses are in bold below your questions.

Ben

Ben,

Thanks for all your answers. I'm still intrigued by the black strip on the nose. It sounds good but have not used it. If you have time to post an example before and after, that would be magnificent! With the cheeks, that's a great idea wth youn models but I've never used t.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Ben,

Thanks for all your answers. I'm still intrigued by the black strip on the nose. It sounds good but have not used it. If you have time to post an example before and after, that would be magnificent! With the cheeks, that's a great idea wth youn models but I've never used t.

Asher

Click to expand...

Asher,

Years ago, a professional photographic organization of which I was a member invited a professional make up artist to one of our monthly meetings where she showed several make up tricks. The first one she showed was how to make a wide nose look thinner by using a darker (but not black) "line" of make up down the middle of the nose, then use lighter makeup on either side of the nose, blending as you go. This will make a flat nose appear to be "taller." Another trick she demonstrated was to add some blush under the cheekbones which will make them appear to be higher. All women want high cheekbones, and this trick will get them for those who don't have them now!!!

Ben

Ben Jones said:

Asher,

Years ago, a professional photographic organization of which I was a member invited a professional make up artist to one of our monthly meetings where she showed several make up tricks. The first one she showed was how to make a wide nose look thinner by using a darker (but not black) "line" of make up down the middle of the nose, then use lighter makeup on either side of the nose, blending as you go. This will make a flat nose appear to be "taller." Another trick she demonstrated was to add some blush under the cheekbones which will make them appear to be higher. All women want high cheekbones, and this trick will get them for those who don't have them now!!!

Ben

Click to expand...

Ben,

Do you always get the MK lady? I'm thinking of having makeup ready to touch up folk, especially those with blemishes, it seems that one should get this done before the shoot but so many arrive ill-prepeared, just fine clothes but a new set of zits to have my light reveal perfectly.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Ben,

Do you always get the MK lady? I'm thinking of having makeup ready to touch up folk, especially those with blemishes, it seems that one should get this done before the shoot but so many arrive ill-prepeared, just fine clothes but a new set of zits to have my light reveal perfectly.

Asher

Click to expand...

Asher,

I ask the girl if she would like a free professional make up session prior to her session. About 98% say yes. The beauty of this is it allows the image maker the opportunity to be a little more creative in the retouching and Photoshop work on the subject. When she sees the images and remembers how great she looked in the mirror prior to the session, she is expecting to see some fantastic images, and we deliver just that.

I also tell the subject that with proper lighting I can take off about 10 pounds, then when she sees the images and if she happens to notice that she looks ten pounds lighter (due to my liquify tool AND the lighting) she won't question it.

Ben