Portrait Analysis - A Recreation - Part Two
Introduction
Last week we took a look at a photo by Pete Coco, a New York based portrait photographer with an inspirational style. At the start of this process, my intention was to review what I like about the photo, and brainstorm how I would replicate it within the limitations of my studio space and equipment. By the end of the discussion, I had decided I would go ahead and try to recreate the image. This week I’ll be going over the recreation that I made and assess how well it honours the original. As mentioned in last week’s discussion, I did not include the studio on the right due to limitations of space and lighting. I also had the model look at the camera to get a better understanding of what role eye contact (or lack thereof) plays in the image.
The Images
I found this to be a difficult exercise. It took a while for me to feel satisfied with what I captured in camera, and even then, I would easily take the opportunity to try again if I could. Finding a white balance that fit the original was difficult given the importance of editing in the image. This is my first lesson in how important it is to consider the model’s skin tone when selecting colours for the composition. Aside from the the model’s skin, I’m pleased with how the colours came out. They aren’t perfect by any means, but given my limitations, I’m happy with the results.
left - Maddi - by Lucas Preston Photography (Recreation right - Rachel - by Pete Coco Photography (Original)
Discussion
As I’ve mentioned a few times, there are limitations to the lighting I have access to. I don’t own anything similar to the lighting modifier on the right side of the original image - a fresnel lens shaped with barn doors. These lenses have a very unique construction creating a difficult to replicate light quality. The lens has more character than what I used in my version - an optical snoot with a medium slot gobo. This is the main reason I didn’t include the light in the image, as it had to be far out of frame to achieve a similar effect as the fresnel lens.
The shadows are more accurate than what I expected. However, there is variation due to the fact that the angle of the main light doesn’t match that of the original image. The shadows on the model’s neck reveal the biggest difference in how soft the fall off is in Pete’s photo compared to the messy shadows in my recreation. I think this is because the main light on the left was further away from the model and too far to the left in my image. This is likely why I’m not the biggest fan of the highlights here as well. Pete’s image has smooth transitions from highlight to shadow that I haven’t been able to achieve consistently in my work and it shows here.
The composition, aside from the right side of the image, is good, but it’s not great. The position of the orange streak on the backdrop could be improved and the angle of the main light could match the angle of the orange streak, like it does in Pete’s image.
The eye contact. I like the eye contact as I think it creates a connection between the model and the viewer. However, I also think that it causes a bit of tension through confrontation. There is a feeling of invitation in Pete’s photo that is missing from mine, likely due to the eye contact and the lack of studio space on the right side of the frame.
Conclusion
Overall, I’m happy with the attempt, but I see a lot of room for improvement. I think it does well to honour the original. I’ve also learned a lot for the next time I try to recreate an image if that’s something that I do again. I would give this a completely subjective and biased 6/10. And for my first try, with my limited experience, that’s not so bad. Let me know what you think.
I encourage everyone to go check out Pete’s website and his Instagram page. He was also interviewed on the podcast and YouTube channel Camera Shake. It’s a great interview in which Pete goes over his style and techniques in greater detail than I ever could. Pete also has his own YouTube channel, so there’s no shortage of great content to consume. And thank you, Pete for allowing me to go through this process with your photo.
