Looking for some hope ( still on body language)

The other day i found myself grabbing a piece of paper , and drawing how i feel those days . Using a pen and a pencil and photoshop for coloring , i managed to get some of whats inside me , and push it out on a piece of paper .

Some times when things get real dark ..... the only thing u could hang onto is.... Hope .

El Gezira Club Session

About 2 weeks ago i was asked to give an overview of photography session at the Gezira sporting club .

Personally i loved the idea because of 2 reasons : 1) I cant waste a chance to talk about photography . 2) To meet people who in the near future are gonna be my superiors when it comes to shooting pics .

So i started reading the basics once more ( which I have to thank them for making me revise ) , summarizing a lot of books , and putting together a presentation which i hope didnt confuse u people all that much .

We discussed :

1) Basics camera controls
2) Lenses
3) How to put together a pic : Composing with different lenses , Basics elements of design .

We still had two sections to go which were : Rules of composition , and LIGHT .

Maybe we could finishem in another session later on .

Btw u guys , for all of u whove been reading the presentation as i explained and noticed sum words that werent spelled right , dont worry , i know the right ones , i just dont believe in spelling , as long as it pronounces right , it works for me .

Anyways , was a great night u guys , dont forget the field trip next saturday .

Just remember to put together an idea log before u go , and decide what types of shots u wanna take , just so u wont be lost when u get there .

Any questions or remarks regarding the presentation , i will be glad if u leavem as comments here .

Thank u all for a great chance . Keep on shootin .

A warm cup of coffee with a mood ....

The only thing better than a warm cup of coffee and a good read , is shooting them i guess ... I know this is another interruption in the middle of all the body language posts , but a lil change never hurt anybody .... The setup here was :

1) First the foreground :
the cup , and book . They set the color scheme for the whole scene , so knowing my cup was brown/ beige , i placed it on a reddish brown book .
2) The background :
a) and here u have to once again remember the color scheme in the pic (brown/ beige) , so any wooden object in the background was gonna work fine for this one ..
b) make sure that the part of the background against/behind the vapor of the cup has to be real dark , so the vapor would show .
3) Lighting :
I placed a lightbulb right behind the cup ( which u could notice by the shadows on the book ) . Now i did this for 2 reasons ,
a) it usually gives for a dramatic heroic feel to the subject ( my cup) , ie it help me set my MOOD
b) Its the best way to light the vapour ( from behind ) .
I also have to note that the fill light on the front of the cup and book were bouncing of the white walls of my corridor ( where i took this shot ) .

And thats about it ... until we meet later ... keep shootin ...

A lil break from all the body language posts

Thought id give u a lil break from all the body language posts , and talk a lil about having a vision . A unique personal goal or style that makes ur photography standout from the rest . Ur trademark , ur copyright , a way in which people will know U shot this , without having to see ur name on it .

I just have to point out that personal style or vision , isnt sumthing that comes overnight . But it will start appearing in ur work without u even noticing it after years of reading , trying new forms of photography and polishing urself as a photographer . I find it limiting that sum people will stick to one form of photography and leave out the rest under the claim that they "like it" . What theyre doing unconsciously is leaving out vast amounts of knowledge experience and ending up having a weaker personal style that comes out of inexperience and not the opposite.

I admit that after 4 years of shooting im still in search of a "personal style" , but in that search im always learning sumthing new and developing myself , so im in no hurry to end that anytime soon .

Body Language 5 : Hand to face Gestures

Sooooo ! , were back on the same topic , BODY LANGUAGE and posing ur subjects ! Today were gonna be discussing HAND TO FACE GESTURES . Hand to face gestures are extremely useful when posing ur subjects as they can tell a great amount about the person . Lets take those 3 shots for example :



1) Shot one : when u have the index finger supporting ur face in that manner and ur middle finger rubbing ur lips or just across'em , that's indicative of a CRITICAL attitude . It means ure evaluating whats being heard and criticising it in ur mind . Now if i were to shoot sumone , that i know has a criticising personality , i am likely to shoot him posing that way . That way the viewers will get that impression when they see the pic . So i used this gesture to tell my viewers more about my subject , and that makes for a more successful portait.




2) Shot 2 : The hand on the cheek position . Ok now thats usually a negative gesture indicating BOREDOM
,DISINTEREST . Usually accompanied by sleepy facial expressions . Now if we were to look at Mr No face's face and see him looking upwards , smiling slightly with the angles of his mouth , that would indicate a DREAMY attitude .




3) Shot 3 : Rubbing ones chin , or holding it between ones thumb and index fingers , is a sign of DECISION MAKING . Its a pose most people make when theyre about to make a decision . If i were to shoot, say a leader , posing him that way would make him seem like a person more capable of making decisions .

More on this topic later , until then , enjoy .

Body language : part 4

Now , firstly im sorry ive been a lil late to post , i apologise. But i still remember we were on the interesting and very imp topic of body language , so lets continue with that . Today were talking about some body gestures that are considered negative body language signs . So here goes :

Negative Body Language

• Leaning back and looking down: Lack of confidence, aloof

• Limp, weak handshake: Nervousness

• Leaning in too close: Could be threatening

• Weak, soft voice: Nervousness

• Clearing throat, saying "um, uh," using overly complex sentences: Insecurity, nervousness

• Dropping head and looking down: Untrustworthy

• Staring at other person during silences: Increases tension

• Maintaining eye contact too long (over 7-10 seconds): May cause anxiety or discomfort

• Rigid, stooped posture, feet shuffling: Lack of confidence

• Folded arms, crossed legs, picking lint off clothing: Disinterested, disagreement

• Twiddling thumbs, drumming fingers: Not paying attention, anxiety

• Clenching or wringing hands, playing with jewelry, sitting on edge of chair, jiggling foot: Stress, nervousness, anxiety

• Rubbing hair or back of neck: Frustration

• Touching your face: Nervousness, dishonesty

Got them from this link here .

I will have to point out sumthing though . Body language is read in clusters or groups , just like words only make context when theyre in sentences . So its a mistake to judge only one sign on its own . U must link several body gestures together to give a correct interpretation . Well discuss that in more detail later .

New Photoshoot

I know its been a while since ive posted and i also know that were still on the topic of body language , but this is a break . A small slideshow of a recent photoshoot ive done . Enjoy