[Irma]

Hallo!

I have been working on a web site during the past weeks. In the agreement I had also to take all pictures needed to illustrate it. It has been a very interesting experience in many ways. Photography for web design can be challenging and so has been to work for someone who has no idea about web sites, no idea about photography but knows well what she wants.


They had already their logo therefore my color palette for the web site had to match and the colors of the entry picture as well... At the beginning the owner said she wanted only pictures of the installations and staff and maybe one in the entry page, but with the time and seeing how well pictures work to illustrate and give the message, I was allowed to take pictures of the therapy sessions and classes they give in the clinic... Just another world from my quiet and relax shooting in the fields or the lake.... but interesting nonetheless.

Here is my entry picture.

The funny thing of this picture is that I did it to show that it would be better to have the patient alone in the frame with no background added, as it might be too distracting. Well, they see it and the liked it... the colors of the logo are blue and yellow so I had to stick to them... I tried to make my picture match the colors and so far this will be the entry picture...




The other interesting thing was the rooms... I think about physiotherapy as an extension of a hospital, where everything "has" to be clean. To show all devices I set my lights to take the pictures of the rooms without many shadows and working the white white, and yes, she was very happy but she told me "they look very well, but cold" so she wanted also to have pictures of the rooms with the sun coming through the window....

I thought it was a crazy idea, as I would have hard shadows and it wouldn't look as clean and septic as "it should be"... She explained to me that the patients are always looking for the sunniest room to take their therapy, so she wanted to show that they have sunny rooms as well... and deliver the idea of a cozier place... I never thought about that idea before...

So then I worked a series of pictures and I arranged them to have both ideas, some pictures are showing a clean environment and others the cozy warm rooms.






Also taking pictures of the girls working there has been a challenge, many of them were taken in a photo session with studio lighting and a proper background I installed in the cellar, but some others had to be taken in a three minutes pause between patients and only with the light from the window and that is just so different. All pictures at the end had to be consistent. So far I think I have managed it... One advantage of this kind of photography is that it is only for web, so fine detail is not really needed.



There have been beautiful moments where I think how I don't have these people in a studio to take a better picture but pictures had to be taken in the fly, when they are taking their classes so there is no time for posing or taking pictures again.. also difficult but so far I am happy with the results....



So this is what I have been doing, so no much time to be in shuttertalk but the greatest thing of all is that just last week after all this work and trying to get out of my home and computer, I found my self in the middle of a field taking pictures of poppies and daisies again and enjoying the outdoor photography as never before...

I hope you all are well...

Thanks for looking...

** Any comment or critique in my pictures as always is very welcome...

[nia]

WOW! Everytime you come with a different projects and different photography, dear Irma. But nothing changes about your beautiful eye of camera. The first one is amazing. And exactly this is for me too, for the entry picture! It really gives the message and you want to visit there.... Wonderful photography, bravo, dear Irma.

The others are well done too, I can see how made you busy in all these days that you were in silence But this is great of course and I am so happy to see you again, you are one of my favurite photographers, and so inspirational one too, Thank you.

Good Luck for all your new projects,
Greetings and Love,
nia

[Toad]

Fascinating. I would have had many of the same ideas you had as far as how it *should* be done, and its great to see your learnings during the project. I think its important to challenge your own perceptions once in a while. I like the mix of the warm and cool photos, and the portraits also look both professional but warm and inviting.

I think your clients will be VERY happy with the site. Nicely done.

[Irma]

Thanks nia, you always so kind and encouraging with your comments... I am happy you like this series....

Thanks Toad... Yes, it has been a great training, with the building and the rooms has been more in the technical area, and with the portraits a great human experience.

I hope you enjoyed your trip to Italy... and I am really looking forward to seeing your Art from that beautiful country...

[Pavel]

Irma I am not a person that compliments easily and often, but I feel like a cheerleader around your photos. The first thought that hit me is the universal warmth of these photos - somewhat of your hallmark both as a person and as a photographer. That personality and photographing style are very suitable for this project. I feel looking at these photos that the company you represent is run by people of genuine warmth and that the facility is also pleasant and cheerful to be in. That message comes across loud and clear. The photos also have this sense of SOFT brightness - the inviting kind. Technically, the photos are of course first class. I am hugely impressed by the speed with which you are improving. I am pleased with my own progress since April 12, 2008 (the beginning of my own journey when I joined my first critique group), but I feel that the gap between my skills and yours (which was always large) keep on growing. I am very glad for you and I feel inspired by you, seeing how much can be achieved in a short time. Please give my love to Jurgen.

Pavel

[Irma]

Thanks so much dear Pavel for your beautiful comment... You made my day...

[Zig]

Excellent.
What is interesting is how the client always thinks (s)he knows the brief beforehand, but actually this can become a learning journey for both the client and photographer: your client knew she wanted the logo colours echoed in the colour scheme of the shots...but out of this emerged a strong sense of introuducing the "natural" via the inclusion of external space/light.
To expand: the most successful shots are the ones with the "outdoors" being a clear feature: either the light into the treatment room, or the natural sitz im leben of #1
I wonder if the portraits of the 2 ladies would also be more in keeping with this theme if shot contre-jour with fill-flash against the window or even outside..?
I'd even perhaps suggest that in any "staff" head and shoulder portraits might be taken from the same height, taking into consideration the effect of this upon the viewer: a lower viewpoint, for example, would accentuate the firmness, control, confidence of the subject(using this "heroic" angle, as it is called); a higher viewpoint might convey the reverse...or even the restfulness of their job if it were implied by the camera angle that they were sitting down!
Having said that, I feel that much of the success of 1, 2 and 4 is exactly because you have taken them from a sympathetic angle, conveying very much the client's-eye view...brilliantly done too, I might add!

[matthew]

These really are great, and I appreciate how you've presented the photos and provided so much of the background. In a rather odd coincidence, I spent a little time recently creating a portrait for a website, and it was my first time working with/for a proper art director who had a particular look in mind for the photos that had to fit into a larger project. It was nowhere near as involved, complex, varied, or successful as your endeavour, but it did give me extra appreciation for your story.

Limitations, such as needing to work with another creative person, can be a powerful and very productive thing.

[Irma]

Thanks Zig... You are right, the angle is not the same in most of them.

It would have been much easier to have them all the same day to have a sit and camera in tripod with some kind of grid and start my session. Those are the things where I think there is still a lot to learn and pay attention...

Still, the angle was not so much problem I saw my mistake but it was done, and no chance to correct it. My real problem started when I needed to have the same size of the faces and the same size in the background.. The size of their faces and different hairdos made the trouble... Some with straight hair and small face and the next one with curly hair filling the frame and no room for the background... Some looked far, some looked too close... what format would be the best to favor all faces... And then place ten portraits in one page without looking boring... at this point the different angle in the pictures had been forgotten....


Thanks Matthew for your comment...

Sometimes I think that for people who works as web designers or product photographers working in different projects and the same time, have very little chance and time to get really involved. I like very much to do this, because it combines two things I like to do. I hope with the time I can work more in this area

[Wedding Shooter]

Hi Irma - great discussion and pictures - I especially like the third shot of the sunlit room.

[Irma]

Thanks Chris... I also think it look nice and have to say that I love the red on this one...