Psychiatric Sunday VI Dark and Edgy

As I move through editing the series I'm figuring out more and more as to what I think the best processing techniques work best with this setting and these photos.

The hardest part of editing is that I feeli like I have to do multiple techniques to figure out what I like most and then I end up spending so much time editing a series.

So, that's what I'm really trying to focus on....looking at a photo and being able to say to myself that I know what the perfect post processing will be just by looking at it. I know this is possible but I just haven't gotten to that point yet.

Don't get me wrong, I like giving the subjects the variety...especially for a shoot like this that has so many opportunities for variety but it really makes post processing take a while.

I hope when I start doing formal portraits I develop some key styles that I love and stick with them so that I can quickly decide how I want to process them.

Here are the latest from the Psychiatric Sundays photo series from 3/9/08. I love how so many of the ones below came out!!

To view the entire series click HERE.



















Check out those eyes!

More With Lee

Finally got back to editing the photoshoot of my pal Lee. I know...you're saying "there's more?" and the answer is yes. Quite a few more to go through and edit.

Lee was a patient subject and even though the time flew by I took a lot of shots. The reason why it's also taking so long is because these photos (in my opinion) are filled with a lot of emotion and I feel the need to try multiple post processing effects until I find the right one for the photograph.











One of my FAVORITE EDITS today! I love how I made Lee's eye look!!





















Since Lee is a writer we decided to do some shots with his trusty blue notebook.



Lee also wanted a shot showing the area where her lives so we took this shot with is pup Elliot Igby.

And The Deep Thoughts Series Continues

In between other sessions I've been working on the "Deep Thoughts Series" also seen here and here and here!








Interesting idea...have your model lie down and take them from this angle:



Classic T-Shirt! PLEASE REMAIN CALM it's no use both of us being hysterical at the same time.



I broke out the Nikon 105mm lens for these...

Lee is a writer so we decided to incorporate some his "tools" into the photoshoot. Once being his "little blue book." He carries this blue book with him and when he has ideas he jots them down in the book.

I like this shot because he didn't realize I was about to take it. He was telling me something and I like that natural moment captured with pen in hand:



Then I decided that since hands can tell a story that I'd focus on them along with the incorporation of the blue book:



I did a harsh gritty look on these 2 shots...I like how they came out...





...these are the originals:








This lens is great! It focused right in on the pen tip here:



More dramatic shots of the hands of a writer...

I know...I know...More! I take a lot of photos... LOL!

Of course I spent the night editing...I continued on the Deep Thoughts series.

These were 3 that really stood out to me tonight.

I can't wait to do another photoshoot outdoors in the New York City (hint...hint...Lee!!)!

These are all done with Photoshop Actions but taken to the next level with tweaking of brightness, levels, textures, etc. Some that I've done in this series have multiple actions applied on top of each other or I repleat the same one over a few times on the photo.

They bright ones didn't start out overexposed - I MADE THEM THAT WAY ON PURPOSE!