Find yourself a face by next Wednesday!

First you find yourself a face...

Listen up all ye photographers!

Scott Thomas, our resident photographer, has announced another assignment over at Views Infinitum.  The latest assignment?  It’s called Portraiture.

Now we can’t be nervous just lookin’ at the word, can we?  Stiff upper lips!  Get out your cameras.  Find a person.  Any person will do.  An interesting-looking person is a plus.

Dead beaver skull? Will this work for portraiture?

Tell them that they’re going to be a valued model for a portraiture.  (Definition of portraiture: A likeness of a person, especially one showing the face, that is created by a painter or photographer.)

When they finish fussing about why they don’t want to participate (such as they don’t look good enough, they’re too old, too young, don’t have any clean clothes, a blemish has mysteriously popped out) offer them a bribe.  You may choose the bribe.  Lunch out might be nice.  You could promise them fame, but you may not be able to follow through.

Portraiture of a snow-woman?

Scott says we must first pay attention to the background.  Find yourselves a lovely background and ask your portraiture subject to smile.  OK, maybe he looks more intriguing frowning.  Maybe a Mona Lisa half-smile will do.  Then start snapping.  Right?

No, no, no!  Scott tells us to pay attention to the lighting.  We want the lighting to appropriately highlight our subject’s cheekbones and white teeth.  (For some reason Scott says a cloudy day is appropriate…I am trying to figure that one out.  I suppose a bright vicious sun in the sky would overwhelm the subject.  She might faint.  She might look far too bright.)

Anyway, find the appropriate light.  Throw dice to figure out the most advantageous light.  Get an umbrella to shield the sun.  Gauge the appropriate hour.  Invite your victim–I mean portraiture subject–over to the house for muffins and tea.  That is, if the lighting is still correct when they drive over and you somehow have discovered an appropriate background.

How about a statue? No? Has to be a real live person?

Now start snapping.   Fool around with the flash.  (Yes, outdoors!  Scott, I HAVE learned something from your photographic advice, you see!)  Adjust the ISO.  How about adjust the white balance?  (Just kiddin’, I only adjust the white balance in wintertime, although maybe professional photographers do that with every shot.)  Mumble to yourself in camera-speak so that your subject looks impressed.

Take a couple more shots at odd angles.  How ’bout get on your knees and point the camera up at the person?  If he/she doesn’t run away now…invite her in for tea.  Tell her–if the photos turn out–you’ll paste it on her Facebook page.  When she starts protesting, give her more muffins.

After you upload your photos and fiddle with them in your Picasa software–or whatever software you use–either groan or tentatively smile.  OK, a big smile if the results look fabulous.

Then publish them on your blog.  Tell a little story about your adventure.  March on over to Scott’s blog and provide a link to your face. 

By next Wednesday.

And remember what he said!  It has to be a human.  No furry creatures.  No pieces of bark.  No statues.  No dead beaver skulls!  (What kind of person would post that on a blog anyway, shame on you!)

A person.

Find yourself a face by next Wednesday, ye photographers. 

Let us know how it goes!

And that means no bulldogs!! Don't try to sneak one in!