MMA Fighter Headshots

[Bob Hubbard]

Did a portrait shoot this past weekend with a local MMA fight club. Here's a group shot and 9 head shots. I'm still working on the full and 3/4 shots with the later getting a more in-depth process. What do you think of these? I went for a bit of a surrealistic somewhat edgy processing effect.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

All but one of them look a bit like police lineup mugshots to me. The backgrounds are bland, and the fighters are nearly all face-on to the camera.

I like the idea of using hard contrast to emphasize that they're not there to be pretty, but to be tough and threatening. But other than the one shot of the guy with his tapout shirt and dukes up, what about the photos tells us that they are MMA fighters and not just some dudes off the street? IMHO, one should get the idea without being told that these guys are warriors. I'd like to see the menace in their eyes, see the danger in their fists. Scars, stubble, broken noses, all emphasized. Tilt the heads down like a boxer faces his opponent. Turn the heads a bit to get the busted-noses in profile somewhat. Perhaps some side-lighting instead of even modern portrait lighting to increase shadow and therefore the feeling of menace. Get them after they fight, dripping with sweat - or wet them down some.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/07/rembrandt-lighting-um-no.html

These guys are badasses. Their portraits should scream DANGER in big red letters. That's the challenge of the photographer, to tell their story without any words.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

The 3/4 shots are more in that vein.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Cool link. I've only got the 3 lights right now but that's the type of complex lighting I'm trying to get into more. Thanks!

 

[jks9199]

I'm with Bill; they're bland, school yearbook/driver's license photos. I don't see anything edgy in them. Many of them look like they're half out of it, whether falling asleep or seriously rocked... You can do better, even if they are supposed to be semi-boring head shots.

(Of course, with the title, I was hoping for something more like the final scene in Rocky II)

 

[Bob Hubbard]

A closeup at one of the full portraits.

 

[Tez3]

All but one of them look a bit like police lineup mugshots to me. The backgrounds are bland, and the fighters are nearly all face-on to the camera.

I like the idea of using hard contrast to emphasize that they're not there to be pretty, but to be tough and threatening. But other than the one shot of the guy with his tapout shirt and dukes up, what about the photos tells us that they are MMA fighters and not just some dudes off the street? IMHO, one should get the idea without being told that these guys are warriors. I'd like to see the menace in their eyes, see the danger in their fists. Scars, stubble, broken noses, all emphasized. Tilt the heads down like a boxer faces his opponent. Turn the heads a bit to get the busted-noses in profile somewhat. Perhaps some side-lighting instead of even modern portrait lighting to increase shadow and therefore the feeling of menace. Get them after they fight, dripping with sweat - or wet them down some.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/07/rembrandt-lighting-um-no.html

These guys are badasses. Their portraits should scream DANGER in big red letters. That's the challenge of the photographer, to tell their story without any words.

Oh lord no, please no! they are martial artists not street scum, broken noses, scars? They aren't gang members, they aren't dangerous, they are skilled. If you show them as thugs it's buying into the myth of MMA as a sick sport and I'd be really disappointed with you if you did that.

The last one of the chap on his own is good but please don't do anything to MMA fighters that you wouldn't do to a karataka or judoka please because frankly there's no difference and I don't want my sport protrayed as mindless violence, badasses? No! tough warriors, yes!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Based on careful analysis of all the images, I'm leaning towards needing a different light setup for this type of shot. I think I got the best out of the shots I could, but, need to work on the lighting recipe for this style shot. I was aiming for something kinda a cross between a BlackBelt cover and a UFC advert. kinda, but not quite.

 

[Tez3]

A lot of fighters like good photos to use for publicity etc, something between 'noble warrior' and 'gritty but entertaining fighter' does the job :ultracool

 

[Steve]

You need to avoid lighting them so flat. Create some depth. A little shadow is good, not bad. If you're using a soft box as the key light, try backing it off a little to harden the light. Then use the fill light to adjust the shadows. Will make the portraits masculine and dramatic without having the guys (and gal) look like they're on a lineup at the county jail.

I'd also recommend adjusting color for the female. It looks like a very orangey spray on tan, and it's not flattering at all. Personally, my opinion is that the trick with women is to make them look tough and legit, but not at the expense of being feminine. I mean, there's no reason they have to look like a dude to look tough.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Artistic fight shot. Text is clearer in the print version (which is 6mb)

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Out of the first group I like the guy with his hands up and also the group shot. The rest just do not work for me.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Couple more