Assignment #5 - The Assignment

Assignment #5 is yet another portrait assignment. We have to shoot 4 photos of the "Student Photographer of the Year" (whoever our model is) using three styles: wide/full (where the subject's full body is in frame), medium (where their waist up is in frame) and closeup (where only their head is in frame).
We spent the first hour of the class going through examples, which is when I learned the different terms, and listened to pointers from the instructor. He suggested we go vertical (portrait) and get really close, partially cutting off the very top of the head or bottom of the chin. These were not great pointers to me as I have to force myself to take some horizontal (landscape) shots every once in a while and also to get further from the subject to have some options when it comes to choosing my submission.
Chris came to the class with me and was my model all night. I was extremely lucky to have her and realized this most when we were in the studio doing some headshots. The other students were having their model pose with photo equipment and getting close, using telephoto lenses and whatnot - it looks like they will have good photos. But Chris was amazing - easily the best model in the class (and I think a bunch of the other students knew it as some watched us with great interest). She posed with equipment, giving me ideas as well as great images. She took direction when given and then went with it even further, making my ideas even better. She had her own ideas, as she knows photography and lighting and what works. It was wonderful. We used a few available light locations that other students did and I can guarantee they don't have the shots I have simply because of my model.
I was also able to use some of the (flash) lighting techniques I learned this past weekend in the absolutely amazing Small Flash Workshop I took (post to come in due time). I bounced light off ceiling and walls, I used my flash in remote mode and commanded it through my on-camera flash, I altered the exposure level of both flashes to decrease the harsh feeling they can give. I was really pleased with the results and how I was able to use something I had learned so quickly. I have almost 600 shots to go through now and the vast majority of them are really good. There are some where my flash didn't go off as I was out-running both my flash and the studio lights sometimes (knowingly) and there are others were I caught Chris in a not so flattering facial expression (eyes closed, mouth in the middle of a word, etc) but like I said, most of them are really great. I stayed up late last night working on them and got rid of about 100 quite easily. I marked another 20 or 30 as my preferred shots for the assignment and will work on them more tonight when I have fresh eyes and more time.
I had the greatest time shooting this assignment and it has given me some really great results so far. I intend on using these photos for not only this assignment, but also the portfolio at the end as a replacement of one other studio assignment I wasn't nearly as happy with. Thanks again Chris.