From My Portfolio

J'ere at ease, originally uploaded by Sheba Wheeler.

The meet-up held with members of the Mile High Digital Photography School social group last month was a goldmine for fashion portraits for me! The models were versatile and fun to work with. And I'm finally starting to feel more confident about using strobes and blending flash with ambient light.

This shot of Model J'ere Hicks is one of my favorites from the day, as well as a signature candid portrait. I think J'ere is looking and smiling at his girlfriend, Model Pinay Bella. He is natural and at ease in this shot.

One of the things I realized during this meet up is how few male portraits I have in my port. Not only do I not have enough, but I had a hard time posing the male models as well. I kept making the mistake of accidently putting them in classic feminine poses. So I asked J'ere to help me learn how to pose men. I let him take the lead and paid attention to how he sat, what he did with his legs and his hands and how he positioned his body.

In an article with ePHOTOzine, portrait photographer Michael Alan Bielat, offered these tips for posing men:

1) pose (men) with arms crossed or standing shoulder length, with thungs in their pocket.
2) have (men) squat down, knees bent, arms resting on the knees and shoot down on them
3) although he avoids this particular angle, Bielat says he can get away with "shooting up at a man....to make them look powerful"

I found these suggestions on campusmen.com regarding how male photographers make male models look good:

1) emphasize a models assests (such as toned abs, chest and buttocks) while avoiding problem areas such as scars, birthmarks or pimples
2) when stressing muscular poses, make sure the model's body does not appear distorted or twisted unnaturally.

STN Photography offered these tips for positioning males:

1) male hands should be closed while females shoudl be more open
2) make men a little taller than women
3) tilt the top of a the male's head toward the far shoulder
4) pose men to the right of the frame and women to the left

I think I got some good shots, but I want to work with more males so I can learn how to shoot them in ways that flatter their nature. Plus, the space available at North Denver Photography Studios was plentiful so we could all branch out and have several shooting stations going at once. So if you are looking for a place to shoot, I would definitely suggest it. The studio has expanded.

This Weekend: Time to Get Back to Work

For the last couple of weeks, I've been enjoying a lull between photography assignments, organizing my office, backing up images and shooting fun (though unpaid assignments) for myself. But the holiday seasons are upon us, and it's time for me to get back to work!

This weekend will likely be a harbinger of how hectic the next few months could be now that people are starting to think about photography gifts they can give to friends and relatives, including portraits and seasonal cards.


Roadrunner logo for Metro State College

To kick things off:
Saturday: I will be shooting a session with students modeling Auraria Campus bookstore clothing, including items with logos from the Metropolitan State College, Community College of Denver, and University of Colorado at Denver.




Sunday: I will be shooting Kim and Mike's engagement session. We narrowed down several location choices and decided to shoot along the bike paths near the REI Building and the Platte River in downtown Denver. The couple spent a lot of time there during their courtship, and I can't wait to capture some fun panning shots of them on their bikes. Here are a few images I took of the Platte River and numerous walking and bike paths which should serve as great location shots.



Meanwhile, I plan to do some bartering for my photography services with the owner of my dog's daycare center: she needs a family portrait for her holiday cards and in exchange she will give my dogs a month worth of free days. During these touch economic times, I think it makes sense to take advantage of exchanging goods or services without handing over cash. It's a great way for people to share their expertise, save time and never spend a dime. Plus, I could use some new family portraits in my portfolio and doggie daycare is expensive, so I think it's a good deal.

One of my neighbors who received my business postcard asked yesterday if they could use it for a portrait session. He wants to surprise his family with a nice photo of himself since he often shies away from the camera. "Can you make a guy like me look good?" he asked shyly? You betcha!