Scottlynn the ballerina
 

I would love to see what you all think of this photo. I will start the painting this week.

Molly

Oops
 

I messed up. Here is the full color photo.

Golly Molly, you do breathtaking photography, in addition to your paintings! She's perfect! Is this the final crop? I would only say, consider that a frame may crop a quarter an inch on all sides, and allow for that. Perhaps digitally place a virtual frame around her to see if you want to tweak the crop. I do like the cropping by the way.

I'm jealous, wishing I could paint her too. I can't wait to see what you do with this.

You've mastered a perfect tonality with your photographic references so that they are quite paintable. The color is perfect too. I hope to learn from you more about this processing of yours. In the mean time I'll just study these.

What a great beginning. You're inspired, I can tell.

Garth

I loved it, she is so Cute!

Garth. I definitly will allow for more space around the figure. I cut it down here in the photo just so that I could get more of her in it for the critique.

I am going to be painting on a 30" x 20 " canvas. I took these photos three months ago, but haven't yet got a chance to start the painting. I am doing this painting for myself for a promo piece if it ends up good. I am so excited to start! Maybe I will start right this second.

It seems to me that Garth and I are posting together.
I can make the words mine too.

I'd recommend you to soften the glow on the lace, the lighting there is stronger than on her face. Well, that's just my opinion and of course I might be mistaken.

Thanks, that is a good point. If the satin ribbon is too strong than it will detract. Right now the ribbon and the arms gracefully lead you up to her face. I don't want to create two focal points.

Go for it Molly. She'll make you famous! It's a compelling image and pose. (Hint: enter this at the PSOA competition this year).

Garth

Hi Molly, this is a lovely, lovely photo and I know you will do a sensitive painting with it (and Garth is right, it's a competition winner for sure). At some point somebody will compare her stance to the famous Degas ballerina bronzes, but if I were you I wouldn't let this bother me in the least.

Please tell us how you lit this photo. Did you use a strobe light?

Dear Molly, I'm with Linda. Tell us more about your photo studio techniques and equiptment!

Which digital camera?

What color space and settings?

Any insights on these fine digital black-and-white conversions?

What sort of strobes and softboxes?

If shooting in RAW mode, then what is your favorite processing software?

We all have so much to learn.

Thanks for any insights,

Garth

I shot this with a Canon 10D set on RAW mode. Aperture f/8 , shutter speed 1/250 sec, ISO 200, with a Bowens flash unit and a huge soft box. I blackout the windows in my studio and take a couple hundred shots. I use Photoshop to open the RAW files, then rank them in File Browser. I always convert my favorite pictures to black and white because that is where I can really see the values and composition. If the values aren't right then the painting will not look right. That is why portraits taken with a flash unit built into the camera look aweful. There isn't enough value shifts to show forms in the planes of the face or body. The flash has to come from somewhere other than the camera.

It is so fun to do photo shoots with kids because throughout the shoot I let them pick the pose, and I get fun shots like this one.

Enlightening!
 

Thanks Molly,

It's so easy for the beginner to get lost in the nuts and bolts of photo processing. This glimpse into your experienced and practical workflow is so helpful to all.

I'm curious as a collector of various current software options for RAW processing. Just like different tubes of paint or different musical instruments, they each do something special and unique. Fortunately many of us also have Adobe Camera Raw with Photoshop, as you have used so successfully.

If you have a Mac as I do, then download the new Lightroom Beta from Adobe. It's simply revolutionary in what it can do for you, and for now, it's free as a six month trial. Only Mac's at the moment, sorry! This product was only unveiled to the public three days ago, so it's quite new and exciting.

I love the dividends of those extra fun shots! Keep shooting, you're good!

Garth

Molly, thank you very much for sharing this.
Do you use the B&W photo to paint also?I have found it very useful for me, and also comparing a B&W image of the WIP with the reference.
I hope to see the result of this jem soon
Ilaria

Molly -

What a beautiful photo!

Would you mind telling us more about your photo lighting? For example, where was the softbox placed, and the same for the flash? And was the flash the reason for the beautiful cool lighting?

I'm struggling with learning how to use a new softbox. If too bright, the people squint. If too low, then the colors are very very warm and I can't quite compensate for it with my camera at this point (probably due to lack of knowledge).

So I hope you don't mind if I pick up some tips from you.

Molly is a very bright penny indeed. She

[QUOTE=William Whitaker]
My wife and I dropped by Molly

Dear Julie, I wish that I could help you more than I can. Everybodies flash unit, softbox, camera, and computer are so different. I honestly don't know how I got mine to look good besides testing. testing. testing. I put my softbox at all kind of angles, also my flash. I set my flash at different settings, my camera at different aperature and shutterspeed. I have an eye for when I start getting good stuff. I just had to be patient untill then.

If I could say anything that I think people make a mistake in when doing art or getting photographic reference is that they use old/bad equipment. One should save up, go into every photo store within 50 miles of your house, talk to every photographer you can, then buy a quality product. Research. Research. Research. Everything I have ever bought for my art (computer, printers, ink cartridges, paper, camera) I have spend hours calling and talking to stores about their product or going into a photo store, putting my memory card into every camera that they have and doing a hundred test shots. You may spend an extra $1000 that you need to pay rent with, but it will pay off in the end when you get way more than $1000 in commissions. If anybody, I know how it is to struggle with trying to make it freelance, but not having the money to buy canvases and paints. I grew up in a trailer on foodstamps. Now, I still drive a 1987 car that the driver side door doesn't open, so I have to crawl through from the passenger side. But for right now, my big investments go into my art. I believe I can make it if I handle these things right. Then I won't have to worry about money later.
Who knows. You may have already done that. I don't know, but just like the old saying, "You will never be better than your scrap." The same is with art equipment.

much love, Molly

llaria, yes, you are totally right. I NEVER paint unless I have the black and white version in front of me also. I know that values will always be more important in a painting than color. Sometimes, I do a grisaille first and then lay colors over it. The figure needs correct values for it to ever look lifelike.

Bill. stop it. ha ha.

To everyone: Bill is the biggest inspiration to me. Its funny, it isn't his talent that inspires me the most. It is his belief in me. . . But when it comes to his talent or his advice on technique or supplies, make sure that you listen to him. He knows what he is talking about and he sees joy in having people suceed.

Actually, Molly, your post has already helped me tremendously. I never had thought about using a flash unit in combination with a softbox.

From what I'd read here and on sites dealing with photography,
I thought that in order to get good photo lighting you either had to use:
a. natural light only
b. artificial light - continuous, like a softbox or umbrella
c. flash - strobe only

Your mention of a softbox plus a slave flash was a paradigm shift. I've gone ahead and ordered a small slave flash unit to try out.

I was trying to pick up some tips, similar to what you see in photography magazines, such as where the lights were placed, what exposure the picture was taken at, etc. because I find that I have learned a lot from reading about what other people do. But you are so right; nothing takes the place of practice and experimentation.

Amen Molly!
 

Thanks for the awesome post.

(I think I've seen you climb in through your car door before)

Molly,

Too cute. Wonderful expressive photo.

Do you have her feet? There is something so wonderfully expressive about a young ballerina's knobby knees and stance that I feel would add so much to this painting.

Molly,

I see I came rather late to this party.

You are probably way underway, however, even IF you don't paint the rest of the legs, I, myself, find that cutting off figures at the joints is quite awkward. All that I have read and studied in portraiture indicates that it is a poor practice. It is better to cut the figure in this case, mid-calf.

That is just my opinion. I'm sure with Bill's tutelage it will be just lovely at any rate.