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Shooting a Conceptual Beauty Shoot Part 2

Lesson 15 from: The Art and Business of Conceptual Portraiture

Jennifer Thoreson

Shooting a Conceptual Beauty Shoot Part 2

Lesson 15 from: The Art and Business of Conceptual Portraiture

Jennifer Thoreson

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Lesson Info

15. Shooting a Conceptual Beauty Shoot Part 2

Lesson Info

Shooting a Conceptual Beauty Shoot Part 2

First we'll have you stand up there and then we're gonna have you sit down there we'll play fantastic and she also kind of looks like a statue writer like a doll an icon of some kind yeah I think let's let's get rid of the thinking for now yeah let's just have you you and you can toss it for the well it's gonna be in the shot there somebody grabs that we could just chuck it somewhere it's fine think of ashes in my nose your idea I know you d'oh way need opinion it's actually showing a little on that side too we can always throw up in there if we need a way I've done this before too or I put um clay ash and such on vintage gallons and things like that we're going to try later in fact twenty minutes or something um putting on street clothes and I've never done it before so we're gonna try it and see what it looks like and see if we get a different message out of it maybe we do maybe we don't okay fantastic let's try just something statue like hands out to the sides needs were glued toget...

her throwing that that weight onto that right leg as much as possible so there there there that's it yeah and just letting your head totally symmetrical forcing right at me chin out away from your body and down so you're scaring me down beautiful and I was closest for a moment good try something maybe hands up on the face and weak so your elbows their way out to the side let's have one hand up a little higher than the other still both up there but maybe one's grabbing the temple and one's on the high area try the temple on the same side as they're there that's pretty on the mouth too like the yeah let's bring those fingers a little lower just right right at your lips the index finger on the lips let's bring that hand a little s o your index fingers may be here on your left hand beautiful beautiful if you hang in there for a minute so we can talk about light just keeping in the hands up there if you look she's got this when she tipped her head that way the sort of butterfly pattern that like a traditional lying pattern so that lie eyes get that smoky feeling so if you tip your head all the way the windows so they can see that you and I think that hand up there one more time let's go ahead and put both and try the other hand ride upon your temple hey yeah it's like you same idea but chin out and down down way down there their eyes are closed just for a moment good so chill a minute I'm still looking for a balance symmetry in line if my arms were like this at you, this line becomes really short, right? The gesture is pretty similar, it's. Almost the same gesture. But when those arms go out to the side and this is a lot more difficult ps to hold but it's the line is a lot more interesting and more dynamic now. And you really see the effects of that symmetrical pose more so when I'm looking that's, what I'm looking for is the longest possible line, and I do it in the other. So sort of worked too in testament things like that. Interesting lines from a body that then maybe they connect to a big sculpture or something, but it's the same technique. So okay, I'm gonna have you, uh, sit on that thing. So speaking of line, let me have you turn your news that way, actually, all the way nineteen, ninety degrees to me. Yes. Well, in fact, if we show is somebody from the camera angle, if you come three quarters back to me for a moment, just kind of turned your knees three quarters back just to show that different. So that's, this is what we're taught to do in classic portraiture. In fact, come back a little more is to turn people three quarters to the camera because its limbs them down right. That's what we're taught to do and turn the body away from the light and all that stuff. But if I do that, if you look at her leg lie right now from my camera angle it's pretty. But if I turn your ninety degrees and I'm just like you were before it's just we just got six inches of leg, so the line is so much more beautiful from the right angle also all the way into the hip, into the core of the body that shoulder and look at the arms. I mean, we just gained so much length and line in the body just from turning her ninety degrees to the camera. So that's kind of why I do it on pretty much everything okay, let's, pull the feet up against the log. So you're up on your tippy tippy toes. Yes, there we got another five inches of length, right? Must put elbows on the knees and just let him yes, beautiful. Pressing them down as far as that goes in the neck is nice along just letting your head sort of fallback. That's lovely. Hang in there. Just nice clothes from there just yeah, and maybe kind of arching the back a little bit, but then leaning forward onto your knees yeah, beautiful. What about curving the back over by letting your head fall ford yeah that's lovely too same thing I think in fact we could amplify that if he toes me up a little more on the fetus far as they'll go you give yourself another little bit arch the back and see if you can touch the forehead down to the knee yes, yeah I love the hands actually on the log you have kind of the heel of the hand on the log with you down on the there you go yeah you can use them for support and really throwing their shoulders as low as they go in the sockets pressing down like you're reaching for something good same idea just turn your face toward me a ce faras it'll go beautiful even a little further if you can just rolling your face up towards the light that's lovely pressing the shoulder down and back take the hands for me same body just take the hands and flip him over so the palm's air up yes and let him rest on the log with you so the elbows are bent there you go there you go pressing them back for the shoulders to show their good let the fingers curb just a little bit so they're curling it on you I know it's hard but you're doing a beautiful job that's great good okay, relax a moment so this pose as a really different mood that curled in feeling than something where she's up and victorious and having the arms up and out we talked a little bit about body language but it is just kind of amplifying that idea she's curled in she's kind of guarded maybe versus something where she's letting her whole body expects post has a different vibe different meaning kind of okay, what about tuck ing you up onto that log completely feet and bomb and everything and you're still gonna be facing ninety degrees that way yeah yeah and tuck inasmuch as you khun issue khun stand yeah is it possible I don't I don't know but to bring that front foot even further back to your hell is almost touching your bum and you can move your bum forward to you if that helps yes so you're almost perched trying to kind of close them in a little bit more we're getting there yeah okay so then if you stretch up from the back as tall as you can get and then lay your arms over your knees up high yes oh the arms extended beautiful in the closer we get the hell so your bomb the better I don't know if there's any more leeway in there you might need to actually perch on your feet doesn't make sense like a little gargoyle, so if you're actually on your toes on the law yeah let's try that I think that will give you more leverage yeah yeah hang in there you good yeah pressing the shoulders away down that's fabulous that's great just let your head fall lovely let's press that front shoulder down even more now let your head fall back this far is it about your little creature basking in sunlight lovely try a little more arch in the back if we can get it so you're kind of rounded over your knees really reaching like you're trying to reach something in front of you over there yeah yeah dropping the shoulder yes roll your face toward me just a little bit more letting it fall yeah, well your face away from a full profile even a little more lovely good okay relax all right so you can see that I kind of work in serious and small bursts where I'm trying to keep the attention so there's no break I don't look at the camera um ever when I'm kind of building up this little crescendo of okay here's the first version now let's change this let's change this let's add this christian no epic moment got the picture and then fall apart so it's those I do the same thing when I work in the testament type work what I'm trying to get at a very specific thing so I'm trying to keep my language going so I don't break speaking at all and because if I do she'll move it's just natural it's what people do but if I keep talking and keep you'll see like when I'm looking at her I'm literally got my hands and I was like, ok hang in there hang in there and then I fall apart and so she does she doesn't move between each pose kind of thing and I can keep building on what we have I found that to be really helpful okay um here too yes, I was just going to say why don't we when you're ready for them you guys are all yeah so let's we can start putting clay on them and then we can have him jump in awesome I put them try these old antler things with you what we're gonna do with it we're gonna figure something out okay? Do that guy there's a nail in the bombs to be careful. Okay, well that's kind of cool actually can it go back over your back still the same pose but let it flop over behind you a little bit some wondering if if it actually touched your back and became yeah I mean, I think I may need to hand it to you don't fall is there a way for you to hold it or arrested on you wait, we can hear yeah mommy, mommy, mommy okay yeah yeah that's beautiful ok same everything except the hands if you can turn the hands toward your own face yes so what happened? I just get a longer line in the hands when I turned them like that let's try arching the back as much as we can kind of rounding the back hunching the back yet and feet in closer to the log if we can do it pressing the shoulders down and tucking the face inside yes in fact took the face even more so we're kind of hiding yeah it's lovely beautiful. Okay, well nice since they were right there for one moment tuck your chin inside the shoulder beautiful and the hands are rotating back toward your face again as closed lovely okay, chill for a moment. Okay? I use a lot of animal things so antlers uh well, stuff like that because again we're getting the kind of life cycle going on okay? Let's get rid of mr antler from it and he can come over here we'll try something. Yeah, that requires a little flexibility, baby. Okay, can I have you? Thank you. Have you sit on the log and with your knees that direction and if we can get the feet up there with you and she's gonna probably need a little help for this one get somebody on set with her that's pretty let's shoot this and then we're going to need her she's gonna need a little help so let's just do arms down beside your but like kind of like you're cradling the bottoms of your feet with your hands uh let the feet show a little bit more for me what from the hands yes sir they're under really gentle just barely touching good good you're really tight little ball and you're hiding your face from me yes you can turn your face toward me and still kind of just talking role so everything is tucked in eyes of clothes good I'm gonna lay you back she's gonna help you to lay her shoulders back on the on the floor from where she is like a back bend just like that and legs are going to stay long so to me she looks like a sacrifice like an animal sort of going to be sacrificed right I see that other people won't but that's okay yeah let's try one first with the arms down beside you on the other side so flop them over this way reaching toward the log on on the ground I think yeah in problems up for me uh palms are facing the sky so flipped the hands for me there you go so but even little things like okay if your hands with the other way it's more closed and we're still if she's got her hands open she looks like she's not only alive and gestural but kind of open to something happening and touching her and that kind of thing okay, let's get uh there we go so shoulders pressing down as far as they will beautiful and try kind of the weight on the top of the head so the chin's gonna come up a little bit uh huh yeah, yeah beautiful no let's reach the arms up overhead yeah and I think elbows up so they're going to be completely vertical over your face hunt both of them and send the arms are not gonna cross there you go you got it maybe hands on the face like we were doing before you can put their hands on the forehead, huh? Yeah beautiful, lovely lots of gesture in the hands of just really grab on and if you can just let your shoulders touch down they're they're beautiful a little bit in the wrist so we're kind of like so yes lovely lovely tiny little bit and knees if you can do it, just sweep the feet into your body just there, there there last thing to screech the hands all the way over, head straight arms behind you yes, so you're completely open lovely, yeah, okay, relax a moment love lights so pretty ok, we can get her out of peril

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with RSVP

Syllabus.pdf

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Book Proposal Sample.pdf
Critical Mass - Digital Book.pdf
Curriculum Vitae Example.pdf
Keynote PDF Segment 1.pdf
Keynote PDF Segment 2.pdf
Keynote PDF Segment 3.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

"Thinking about art is not making art." In this inspiring and informative workshop, Jennifer helps you put thought into action - through meaningful self-reflection, exploration and by taking her through her own processes. Through exercises and examples, she explains how to pull out a thread of an idea and develop it into a conceptual project that is informed and invigorated by personal experience, preference, interests, and so much more. Her workshop not only feeds the creative soul, but offers earnest information on taking first steps toward publishing and showing fine-art. Jen so beautifully shares her talent and her love of teaching - I first "met" her on Creative Live and have had the joy of being mentored by her in-person as well. This workshop is a very close second to spending time with her one-on-one. Thank you, CL, for bringing her back!

kalei harmon
 

I love Jennifer, she's one of my cL favorites! She is such a soulful photographer and her art just resonates with me in so many ways. While she was creating her conceptual piece with the mother and child, my eyes welled up because it was such a profound experience to witness. I appreciate that she has a graduate degree in art and is able to refer to others in the field who are leading the way. She is so genuine and I'm grateful for her willingness to bare her soul to us through her art and process. I've learned so much by watching how she interacts with models and communicates efficiently and gently to get AMAZING poses. Definitely worth the buy if you're looking for inspiration from an artist who creates images which evoke emotion and communicate a message, not just trying to make "great photos." I can't wait to learn about the business side of it all!

Majda
 

I am so grateful for this class; it is just what I have been looking for to help me go beyond my "photographic potty training". By leading us through her own creative process, Jennifer Thoreson invites us to think about why we do what we do and to make our work more meaningful and authentic, creating our unique visual vocabulary. Moreover, she provides detailed info on submitting work to galleries and publications, contests, printing editions, preparing an exhibition and pricing. In her calm, unpretentious manner, Jennifer demystified art without trivializing it and I finally saw light at the end of a rather long tunnel.

Student Work

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