I'm working towards a series of portraits to submit for competitions and I have a willing model, but have to get into her head first.

We met up in the dark and oddly lit Shunt so I could run off a few pot shots.

http://www.pbase.com/michael_toye/image/97110848/original.jpg (http://www.pbase.com/michael_toye/image/97110848/original.jpg)
Canon EOS 1D Mark II N, 1/50s f/1.2 at 85.0mm iso640

Next session will be in Laura's flat. I am hoping that as I learn more about her, I can bring in suitable and relevant context to the images as well as shooting more of Laura too obviously.

I'll post my progress :)

CD

Hi CD
I do like your portrait work that you share with us on here:thumb: However, if you could stop posting photos taken with that delicious 85mm 1.2L I would be grateful. I simply can't afford one at the moment and it's driving me mad seeing what that piece of glass can do:cry:

Seriously mate, keep the images coming - I look forward to seeing your work with Laura:thumb:

Andy

I have to be honest, the reasons I use this lens are
1. if i don't ever use another lens, i shouldn't get too much dust in the camera
b. i'm not allowed to buy any other lenses lol
4. it's damn sharp - on a resized image, i rarely have to sharpen anything. Okay i only have the 50 f/1.2 and 24 f/1.4, but they don'tcome anywhere close

are there any cons?

this lens on a 1D mean I can't take candids anymore unless i'm really sneaky.
I have to manually focus. i don't focus and recompose or use the AF system. bit of a waste of this camera's techy bits really lol

i wouldn't trade body or lens though :D

I'm working towards a series of portraits to submit for competitions and I have a willing model, but have to get into her head first.

We met up in the dark and oddly lit Shunt so I could run off a few pot shots.

http://www.pbase.com/michael_toye/image/97110848/original.jpg (http://www.pbase.com/michael_toye/image/97110848/original.jpg)
Canon EOS 1D Mark II N, 1/50s f/1.2 at 85.0mm iso640

Next session will be in Laura's flat. I am hoping that as I learn more about her, I can bring in suitable and relevant context to the images as well as shooting more of Laura too obviously.

I'll post my progress :)

CD


Naked Happy Girls :norty: ?

Seriously - great shot Michael. Your eye for light and composition is, IMO, simply stunning :thumb:

You do seem to frequent some, shall we say, less than mainstream places though, and there is a lot of 1930's art deco type stuff going on. Just an observation, BTW, not a criticism :)

strangely enough, I won't now be referring Laura to this thread lol

And it really is all about the light :D

Great shot again

quick question, why do you have to manually focus ?

quick question, why do you have to manually focus ?

*** personally ***, i find the AF system too restrictive for close up wide open portraits.

at 1.2, the DoF is, as you all know already, so narrow that to AF focus and then focus-recompose is too time consuming, distracting and error prone.

maybe i need to g on a course for AF lol. when i first started I had the AF on nearest subject/dynamic, but I was soon finding that what i wanted in focus wasn't being noticed. So then I switched to an off center focus point, but found that all my images had this element of same positioning to them. obviously focus-recompose is valid for most shooters, but at 85mmx1.3@f/1.2 from 5ft I can focus on the front and back of someones eye.

I shoot for the composition and frame that and manually focus the subject, usually the eye(s). there's no distraction from little red boxes in the frame, no beeps. This may be strange, but I shoot with both eyes open most of the time too, rangefinder stylee i suppose, but it allows me to see the scene not imposed by my viewfinder and focus with stereo vision is better/faster too.

If stats are anything to go by: I rarely crop now and my keeper rate is significantly higher.

remember, this is all my opinion and workflow and it doesn't mean anyone else's is not valid - just not my bag :)