Thread: my eyeballs are glazing over - need help to pick good promo shots

So I had a shoot with my really great photographer friend Jen Kunz the other day. We were lucky enough to have good weather and she had a new camera she wanted to break in.

I really liked a lot of the photos, but after sorting through them all to try and decide which ones to edit up nice for promo purposes, I've lost my perspective. I could really use some outside eyeballs to look through and help point out which photos really pop as the best ones. I've narrowed it to my favorite 58 photos... a lot, I know (what can I say, I think Jen is really great!)...so if you have a little extra time for a quick scroll through and a reasonably quick computer, well here they are:

Jen Kunz 09

<3

Thanks in advance for any replies!

I'm just off to look at your album, but just a hint about picking photos from a set... Put the pictures into groups of maybe 5 or 6 and pick the best one out of that group. Then you can look at just the favourites from each group. (And if there are too many to choose from, then break it down into groups again). That way, you're never overwhelming yourself with choices.

OK, off to look at your photos...

I couldnt get info/numbers for individual pics since it was running as a show, but the 4th, 6th and 20/21 pics in the blue, and the 6th or 7th in the pink were my absolute favorites :-)

okidoke, my faves (not helping you cut it down to only a few, unfortunately, lol)

blue-green:
2, 4, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 32, and the one at the very end of the slideshow
some of them you look really cute in! :) in some you're face is partly hidden, i'd avoid those i think.

pink:
2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 14, 17
i like 8 cos the perspective is great, but looks kinda odd with the sword placement, looks like you're rubbing it against your nose lol. really like that one otherwise...

graffitti:
number 6!

i'm afraid that still leaves you with 20pics lol

Originally Posted by beafarhana

I'm just off to look at your album, but just a hint about picking photos from a set... Put the pictures into groups of maybe 5 or 6 and pick the best one out of that group. Then you can look at just the favourites from each group. (And if there are too many to choose from, then break it down into groups again). That way, you're never overwhelming yourself with choices.

OK, off to look at your photos...

hi bea! ..g.:

that's what i do too. compare either 2 or 3 items and eliminate my least fave of the lot. then re-compare the left over ones from each group together. it really does make things easier!

Yummy!

There are lots of them that I really like as photography, or as pictures of your costume/veil.

But my favorite as a portrait of you as a dancer is this one:


You look beautiful, graceful, and joyous. And the empty space can either be cropped away or used as a background for text. (years of magazine publishing made me cherish photos where the model is offset and there's lots of space for lettering!!!)

jen-photos-275
jen-photos-236
jen-photos-188
_MG_0974 - love this except stupid SUV in background.
_MG_0969

Great pics!

Of the turquoise Sahar set:
2nd - beautiful movement
5th - good head shot
28th - love the way the veil is wrapped around your hip
29th - great smile!

Of the pink set:
2nd - good strong pose, goes well with the sword
8th - dramatic pose, could you photoshop some brighter sky in?!
15th - I like the pose, and I like the background

Of the black/red set:
6th - I like the way the swirls in the graffiti reflect the curves of your body

Yes, this one is my fav too. I appreciate the cityscape as an artistic concept, but I found many of the backgrounds a little busy and distracting in terms of promo shots.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Yummy!

There are lots of them that I really like as photography, or as pictures of your costume/veil.

But my favorite as a portrait of you as a dancer is this one:


You look beautiful, graceful, and joyous. And the empty space can either be cropped away or used as a background for text. (years of magazine publishing made me cherish photos where the model is offset and there's lots of space for lettering!!!)

Yay! Thank you glorious eyeballs and typing fingers.

BTW - the turquoise costume isn't a Sahar, it is my own design that I had made for me by Viktoria, a local ballroom dance costume tailor. I'm planning to switch out the "nude" back strap for a sparkly one, but other than that, I'm loving my new original costume. :D

I couldn't pick just one, either! I like
359
275
236
205
995
973
807

I love the grafiti concept, but the costume gets a little lost. You've got some excellent shots!

i love em all
sorry i'm no help lol
that city looks fantastic. was this all shot in one place (just various parts of the city?)

Originally Posted by shems

BTW - the turquoise costume isn't a Sahar, it is my own design that I had made for me by Viktoria, a local ballroom dance costume tailor. I'm planning to switch out the "nude" back strap for a sparkly one, but other than that, I'm loving my new original costume. :D

Ooooh...I knew it wasn't a Sahar- but am thrilled to hear you had the ballroom costumer make one of your own designs. It's beautiful. Hmmmm..... (where's the "thinky face" smiley)
I think your background choices were really cool for each costume. Some are "busier"- but not ALL promo shots need to be for business cards/post cards or other promo material requiring text- some would be absolutely beautiful on your website and therefore don't need text. The mood created by the background (once SUVs etc are cropped out) adds to the flavor.
As for promo material shots- ditto to the one Lauren chose. It's simply YOU- beautiful and joyous and the background will lend itself well to text.
Heh-heh-heh- you gotta love the wind on the Baltimore water front.

The first one that struck me was Lauren's pick also, and number 14 (I think, where you are looking right at the camera). I like number 2 in the pink set and the reclining ones 6 & 7, and 10 (sword on knee looking away). I think the urban background is too busy with that costume but I like the one super-close-up of you.

Teal & Black: 4th, 6th, 17th, 30th (3rd to last)

Sword: 2, 6, 8, and the last one

Red & Black: 4th one

And the very last photo (in teal & black again)

I like Bea's idea to help you sort through the clutter. They're all lovely, BTW.

Some fan favorites: Num 4, 5, 8

W/sword: 3, 4, 5, & 6 (6 because it's hard to look good when you're lying down and you got a stunning pic)

And the very last photo is really pretty, too.

0772 0816 0735*
0974 0995* 0999*
184 188 205 207 209 244 338* 359*

*= favorites

love that turquoise costume, it's a beautiful design!

My short (er) list picks are
turq:
215
216
236
344
359
361

Pink
936
981
995

Black
807
842

You have a lot of great shots there, I particularly like the pink ones with the sword.
I have automatically eliminated any with slight focus issues or harsh shadows or hair across your face.
Then I chose the remaining ones I liked on a combination of best facial expression, body line and background composition.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

But my favorite as a portrait of you as a dancer is this one:


You look beautiful, graceful, and joyous. And the empty space can either be cropped away or used as a background for text. (years of magazine publishing made me cherish photos where the model is offset and there's lots of space for lettering!!!)

I was going to say the same. This is by far my favorite!!

I like these 3 best :)
359
207
993

There are sooo many good ones, Shems. It's hard to choose just one, but Lauren's pick is also my overall favorite for promotional use. It's gorgeous and really captures you in both looks and attitude.

However, I do also have to give a shout-out to one of the sword shots, the one that begs to be entitled "I defy you, Peabody Institute!" You MUST do a show there and put that on the poster!

For the turquoise costume, my picks are 236 and 188. I love the way you look with the veil wrapped around you in 207 and 205, but I find the background too distracting.

For the pink costume, 958 struck me the most strongly, and, for the red/black costume, I like the playfulness of 816.

It's a great photo set, so at least you can be reassured that you can't make a bad choice!

Shems, they are ALL GORGEOUS!!! (Yes, I had to shout.) I think every single one, especially in the turquoise with that water in the background, would be great. These are my very faves:

205. Love your body line, and the movement in the veil.

981, reclining with the sword on your stomach. Yowza!

I think you look like the Bellydancer Superhero in 969. ..g.:

816, because the spunky look on your face goes so well with the edgy background.

807, ditto, plus we get to see your lovely bling.

772, just because.

Dang, you're gorgeous.

Shems, you look very beautiful! I like your hairstyle a lot. There are many beautiful pictures, but I like the one Lauren picked the most.

Ohh pretty pictures, now let me see...

359 This is an exceptional picture, probably the best in the bunch. I could see it working on a lot of promo things - a business card, website wallpaper, or just as is.

275 very nice, excellent lines.

981 is HOT.

842 is different in a good way, love the graffiti background.

and 087 is a picture I'd use on my Christmas cards...or just for fun lol

Originally Posted by Zana

However, I do also have to give a shout-out to one of the sword shots, the one that begs to be entitled "I defy you, Peabody Institute!" You MUST do a show there and put that on the poster!

Truthfully, that photo cracks me up every time I see it. It totally needs that caption!

I love bhuz. You are always great for honest feedback. <3

Originally Posted by zfejzic

i love em all
sorry i'm no help lol
that city looks fantastic. was this all shot in one place (just various parts of the city?)

Oh yeah, all Baltimore, the inner harbor by the Science Center, Baltimore's Washington monument (Peabody), and the graffiti alley behind Load of Fun.

The photos are very nice Shems! Love the colors and the contrasts. Cities scenes seem to be hot for 2009! I like how playful your expressions are in the turq/black, but I also like the 'urban' transition of the grafitti shots.

Good job!

Lotus N.
2009 Belly Dance Nationals Competition
(Updated Category and Wait List information)

The ones I liked are:
338, 337, 275, 239, 236, 227, 216, 0999, 0995, 0993, and 0842. Very nice!