Category Archives: Portraits

My photos of interesting people.


Photo: Playing Games

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Playing Games

Shawnee was trying to study, but I interrupted her to put these fake autumn leaves in her hair. I just rested them on her head for this shot. She was reaching up to catch them as they fell off.

The leaves do make a good prop, and she was laughing enough that there’s no chance she learned anything that day. At least her test is days away. There’s always a test coming up. :blindfold:

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 28-135mm, 1/800, F5.6, 50mm, ISO200, 2008-11-07T10:17:42-05, 20081107-151742rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Download the high-res JPEG or download the source image.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please credit me as “Photo by Richard Thripp” or something similar.

You can use the model’s likeness for anything not defamatory. You are one of my “licencees.”

Photo: Beautiful Heart

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Beautiful Heart

A girl named Lyric, holding up a print of Fiery Hearts, which represents her heart. Don’t hurt her! She’s fragile like the glass in that picture frame.

I always try to get my models to look down with eyes up toward the camera, or toward the side… it’s a much more interesting pose than a dead-on stare. That worked well here.

I took out her nose ring, part of a tattoo, and some of her clothes. The photo is much more appealing that way. :cool:

The framed picture didn’t turn out good to start, because it was mostly a blue reflection of the sky. I burned it in quite a bit and took out the blue, so it looks great now. The other big change on this was selective color; I took out all colors except in the red channel, which puts emphasis on her and the picture, makes the background black and white, and makes her skin a bit weird looking. But in a good way.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 28-135mm, 1/500, F5.6, 75mm, ISO400, 2008-11-07T11:42:05-05, 20081107-164205rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Download the high-res JPEG or download the source image.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please credit me as “Photo by Richard Thripp” or something similar.

You can use the model’s likeness for anything not defamatory. You are one of my “licencees.”

Photo: Hello

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Hello

Jenna says hello. She was studying chemistry.

It’s hard to get my models to be serious. Most of them just start laughing when I tell them to look serious. This is as close as I got w/ Jenna.

For editing, I took out some lines under her eyes and made her brighter. Since the sunlight is behind her, she was a bit dark in the original image.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/100, F2.5, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-13T09:23:47-04, 20081013-132347rxt

Location: Daytona State College, Building 410, Schildecker Science Hall, Floor 2, Room 208, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Finding the Answers

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Finding the Answers

Shaun & Krystal, pretending to study calculus. All the numbers are making sense.

I did editing in the Lab color space, which separates luminance from color, to make them look yellow instead of blue. I could’ve done the same with a cloudy sky, but I can’t control the weather (yet…).

This was around noon at the college. I found Krystal smoking with a group of friends, and paired her up with this guy who was really studying. She’s still holding a cigarette in her hand, you can see on the right. Smoking is as popular as ever. :cool:

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 28-135mm, 1/160, F4, 41mm, ISO100, 2008-10-22T12:37:10-04, 20081022-163710rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Sunshine Girl

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Sunshine Girl

It was cloudy out, but Michelle makes it seem sunny anyway. The highlights on her hair and eyes turned out well.

She also has a beautiful smile. A lot of people are afraid to smile. I’ve noticed most fashion models glower at the camera nowadays, but it’s all an act, and it’s getting tired.

I found Michelle studying for her history exam at a picnic table at the college. Not minutes before the test, but days in advance.

What do all her bracelets mean?

I brightened the highlights in her hair, and made her eyes a bit lighter. The blue table and green trees frame the image nicely, on three sides at least. Most portraits are best below eye level. Here, that had the added advantage of excluding the cars and buildings behind her; crouching down makes the background become a plain-white sky.

I get all my models to sign model release forms. I’m not releasing all images as free stock photos anymore; you can use Michelle’s likeness from Fotolia or SnapVillage, which I get a commission on.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/200, F3.5, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-10T12:32:02-04, 20081010-163202rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Caution

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Caution

Caylee was studying some important college course; you can see she’s still holding her book here. I told her to give me the “what are you doing here?” look for this portrait.

She has to use a pencil to keep her hair in a bun… the economy is just really bad now. :cool:

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/200, F3.5, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-10T12:25:19-04, 20081010-162519rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Breeze in the Wind

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Breeze in the Wind

Ashley, resting against a palm tree during a windy afternoon. She’s so cool… probably because of the wind and all.

You can see she’s holding her glasses in her right hand. I told her to take them off since they weren’t working; you couldn’t see her eyes or face because you’d just be looking at her glasses.

Her plants were blue, but I changed them to black with color-channel desaturation. No spot-editing needed! I don’t like spot editing… some photographers enjoy it though.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/250, F3.5, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-10T12:10:52-04, 20081010-161052rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Reading the Script

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Reading the Script

Miss Criscilla, evaluating an important piece of paperwork over her cigarette break.

She was actually preparing for an exam in constitutional theory. This was ten minutes before that. I told her not to let me bother her, so I shot this portrait as she continued studying.

The building is interesting. The wall is all scuffed up, but I decided to include it in a full-body portrait instead of just her face. I like her shoes, and the overcast sky makes for good light.

I hope Criscilla passed her test; she had the material down. I don’t believe in being tested by others, but testing remains a staple of the college experience.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/800, F3.2, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-08T13:17:24-04, 20081008-171724rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Messaging

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Messaging

Bethany, receiving an intriguing text message before class. I don’t know why people use text messages when they could just talk over the phone, but they’ve become quite popular somehow.

She’s in cosmetology at the college, which apparently involves applying makeup and such. I think that’s why she has a purple apron. She could also have a future in modeling, because when I told her to be serious, she didn’t crack up like this girl.

I burned in the corners a lot (vignetting). They were bright to start, but darkening them really strengthens the portrait. You’re in Bethany’s world now.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/250, F4, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-08T12:51:09-04, 20081008-165109rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Photo: Talking

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Talking

Jenna is talking on a cell phone. People have all sorts of interesting conversations on these every day.

I told her to look real serious and pretend she was receiving an important phone call, but she laughed instead. That’s how you get a girl to smile. Tell her to be serious. I think the reverse might work for seriousness. :cool:

It was cloudy and raining out, so the light was diffused. The transition from light (on the left) to shadow (on the right) works well.

Canon Rebel XTi, EF 50mm 1:1.4, 1/50, F2.5, 50mm, ISO100, 2008-10-08T12:39:36-04, 20081008-163936rxt

Location: Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL  32114

Download the high-res JPEG or download the source image.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please credit me as “Photo by Richard Thripp” or something similar.

You can use the model’s likeness for anything not defamatory. You are one of my “licencees.”