Maks Danilin - Poses and Lighting

In this week's shots I focused on playing with light and shadows and the way different poses created various emotions and effects.  I used techniques that emulated those of Andrzej Dragan and Yousef Karsh.  I worked with reflectors and diffusors to throw the light around, casting shadows on particular parts of the subject.  Also after studying Karsh's work and his use of positioning the subject, I played around with different poses until I found best poses for the subject and lighting.

For the first shot, I had the model hold the umbrella to diffuse light and to also add a prop that gave interest to the shot and the model.  It added a lightness to the shot, considering the model is a strong figure holding such a delicate prop.  While editing I played with curves to get the highlights and shadows right, reducing any hotspots on the face.  I also decided to darken the umbrella, where the light source is, as not to draw attention away from the face.

For this shot I had the model sit down and lean forward, looking up to draw attention  to the eyes.  I used some of Dragan's techniques with high contrast and using the dodge and burn tool around the face.  I also darkened the metal bar between the model's legs because it seemed to distract the eye.

For this shot, I decided to use overhead lighting with the model looking upwards. I decided to leave it in color because I believe it brought life to the image and also better preserved the way the light was being cast on the model.  I played with curves to get the definition of the shadows correct so that they perfectly outlined the shape of his face and body. 

 For this shot, I had the model wear his boxing gloves, which in my opinion helped to convey his strong masculine image.  I played around with the lighting and decided on placing the light source very low in front of him to create a dramatic shadow effect.  I decided to darken some of the light on the forearms because the direct light created too much of a distraction.  I also had the model look straight into the camera to create more a dramatic look.

For this last shot, I continued to play around with the posing.  I like how the light hit the model and even though his hand is somewhat awkwardly placed, it seemed to work.  I played with the levels and saturation to get the skin tone right, as well as smooth it out with surface blur.