# People and their sofas



## Hertz van Rental (Feb 12, 2005)

When I was doing this for a living I used to like taking semi-formal/informal portraits of people, couples, families in my own time. It wasn't until a friend looked through my work and pointed it out that I realised that 95% of these pictures were taken with the subjects sitting on their sofas. It wasn't a conscious choice on my part. But once it was pointed out I started doing it on purpose... and so it stopped working for me.
I used to have dozens but now I can't even find the negs. Two prints have just surfaced (and two of my favourites at that) so I thought I'd share. Besides, I'm sure lots of you have pictures of people sitting on sofas so this could be a good thread.
I'll post more if I find them.

It's the way people start to behave when they begin to get bored with what you are doing - especially children - that I liked. And the way their behaviour countrpointed the formality of the more patient adults.
I particularly like the feet in the second one.


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## Corry (Feb 12, 2005)

Oooh, interesting theme! And I like the feet in the second as well.


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## hobbes28 (Feb 12, 2005)

That is a good theme.  The guy on the far right of the top picture looks a little like Robert DiNero.


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## Hertz van Rental (Feb 13, 2005)

hobbes28 said:
			
		

> That is a good theme.  The guy on the far right of the top picture looks a little like Robert DiNero.


No, not DiNero. Guess again.


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## Tammy (Feb 14, 2005)

For some reason I was watching the intro to a show about Van Halen - and Terry Jones popped into my head.


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## Hertz van Rental (Feb 15, 2005)

:mrgreen: (it's the most appropriately smug smilie I can find) and the other guy is Mike Rosen. Well I did say I used to do this sort of thing for a living.....


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## NikonChick (Mar 6, 2005)

As soon as I saw the theme, I was reminded of this shot.


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## Hertz van Rental (Mar 9, 2005)

Now I like that one. Love the harmonising colour - makes the pic. Not sure wether I like her eyes looking out of frame though... No. You're right. It works. Maybe a bit more air over her head to balance the feet though.
Nice one.


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## NikonChick (Mar 14, 2005)

Hertz van Rental said:
			
		

> Now I like that one. Love the harmonising colour - makes the pic. Not sure wether I like her eyes looking out of frame though... No. You're right. It works. Maybe a bit more air over her head to balance the feet though.
> Nice one.



Thanks. 
A lot of people are iffy about the eyes being up that far. Its actually a self portrait and Im not big on having my pic taken so I usually look out of frame. Plus people comment all the time that I have huge eyes... I never got that till I did a few shots like this.


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## Belvedere (Mar 14, 2005)

Really interesting shots! Did you know the families? Great Idea!
Noah


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## CrazyAva (Mar 15, 2005)

NikonChick said:
			
		

> As soon as I saw the theme, I was reminded of this shot.


Excellent job for a self portrait..........I have not yet mastered taking a pic of myself..........although I am sure I have captured some good ones, but I absolutely hate pictures of myself.


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## NikonChick (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks. Portraiture isnt my strong suit(in the slightest), especially getting self portraits in focus, but I was pretty happy with this one.


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## ksmattfish (Mar 15, 2005)

Hertz van Rental said:
			
		

> No, not DiNero. Guess again.



Wow!   I thought he looked familiar when I first saw this post.  Did you meet him as a photographer, or some other way?

Here's my theme contribution...

camera:  Rolleiflex 3.5E Planar
film:  Arista Pro 400
hand held, Vivitar 285HV flash bounced off ceiling


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## LaFoto (Mar 16, 2005)

Oh my. Can't compete with any of these here, but the theme instantly reminded my of these photos of my son, who apparently likes "his" (?) sofa very much, and in all positions:





(Taken by this young man's little sister with her cheap point-and-shoot camera)





(Taken by same photographer as above, but with my [film] camera)





(... and draped over the sofa again watching telly - no! Sorry! Shortly interrupting this 'activity' by glancing over to what his mother's doing).

Are they too different from your original idea, Hertz?


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## Hertz van Rental (Mar 16, 2005)

ksmattfish said:
			
		

> Wow!   I thought he looked familiar when I first saw this post.  Did you meet him as a photographer, or some other way?


I went to photograph him, we got talking (as you do) and we found we had mutual friends.
If you want me to start name dropping...  :mrgreen:


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## Niki (Mar 17, 2005)

Those are really cool Hertz. I like the first photo a lot. The mood in it is so nice.


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## JohnMF (Apr 6, 2005)

maybe a new thread can be started in themes section "Famous people I've shot!!!" (with a camera that is!). Im afraid i wouldnt be able to contribute to it though  but it would be nice to see other peoples pics.


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## Hertz van Rental (Jun 12, 2005)

Time to resurect this thread - mainly because I just found another one.


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## JonMikal (Jun 12, 2005)

the guy in the first looked familar but i wasn't quite sure.  something to do with python?  i don't know the other. 

these images are new to me and are obviously wonderful!  with the elapse of each day it becomes more of an honour to know you Hertz!

so, what's the story here?


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## Hertz van Rental (Jun 13, 2005)

The lady is a singer called Melanie - she used to sing with the Country & Western gynaecologist, Hank Wangford (who no-one will have heard of unless they were around London in the 80's) and had a solo career too.
I turned up the morning after her birthday - hence the flowers and baloons. She wanted the photo to make a statement about her so I ended up constructing it like a still life. Never ever let the subject art direct...
She got me to do 20 odd prints for her - and never paid me for them. But she was so nice I didn't mind. And the clients paid in the end.


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## Armstror (Jun 13, 2005)

Here are a few pictures i've taken a long time ago with my point-and-shoot:

My friends and i are all squished together on my Futon (That counts, right?). I'm the girl to the far left inbetween the two guys.  You can hardly see the futon though. 





Here's another one where you can see the futon better. There's a baby squirrel in the box my one friend has.





These pictures are ok, right?


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## elsaspet (Jun 15, 2005)

I love the second photo!  What a pile of people.  That can't possibly be confortable, but they all look so happy.  Go figure.:mrgreen:


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## elsaspet (Jun 16, 2005)

Inspired by Hertz Van Rental's photographs, I took this picture of my son and his girlfriend at our house on his last night before going to Air Force boot camp.


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## danalec99 (Jul 19, 2005)

My bro-in-law. We were at a hotel lobby.. and hense cannot be considered _his_ sofa.


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## LittleMan (Jul 21, 2005)

Great theme Hertz!

My mom and my brother:


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## LizM (Jul 23, 2005)

Ok, I'll add one to the list.  This is my daughter and my brother a while back.


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## skunkboy (Jul 23, 2005)

Complete with heat absorber ... errr wait, the new 17" runs significantly cooler than the old 15"


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## Middlemarch (Aug 7, 2005)

My wife and her brothers on sepia setting w/digital point+click.




http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deniselarrynick3pe.jpg


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## Meysha (Sep 22, 2005)

Chris that's a gorgeous shot of your mum and brother. I love it!! It's just so loving and I love the fact that it's blurred too!

Here's my contributions to this theme. I specifically took it for this thread too. I've been meaning to take a photo for it ever since Hertz first brought it up and finally thanks to Digital Matt and his amazing PS skills, he's helped me fix it!! Thanks again matt.





My mum and our dog, sooty, watching late night tv.... oh and that's me on the very far right. ;-)


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## LittleMan (Sep 26, 2005)

Meysha said:
			
		

> Chris that's a gorgeous shot of your mum and brother. I love it!! It's just so loving and I love the fact that it's blurred too!


Thanks Meysha!
I thought the same thing.
It's one of my favorite, one of those that will last forever in my mind.


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## Eric. (Oct 9, 2005)

This is my impromptue portrait of my friend I took while in an abandoned building.


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## Luminosity (Oct 10, 2005)

My better half....I took this shot about 2 mths after moving here to Toronto..


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## anua (Apr 9, 2006)




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## MommyOf4Boys (Apr 9, 2006)

I cannot get past the thought of a Country and Western Gynocologist.


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## Meysha (Apr 9, 2006)

Anua that is divine!


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## Hertz van Rental (Mar 14, 2007)

Time to resurect a thread that is a firm favourite - well, it is with me :mrgreen: 
A couple more that I did for money way back when.


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## Antarctican (Mar 14, 2007)

Yayyyyy! New sofa pics from Hertz!! It is _so _interesting to see these little slices of the subjects' personal lives...their sofas, pets, surroundings, choice of clothing/footwear for the shoot, posture, level of clutter etc.  The photos are so incredibly personal. It's wonderful.

(Two of the guys look vaguely familiar ... are they anyone I should recognize?)


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## Hertz van Rental (Mar 14, 2007)

The top two are (or were) actors.
Next came a musician (did BBC TV's _Rock School_)
Then two photographers.

And now for a more recent one.
You should recognise this, Anti.
And the first other person to name the sof-ee wins a prize. Naturally you're disqualified, Jocose.........       Bugger!


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## Antarctican (Mar 14, 2007)

Love that shot for his casual attitude, his facial expression, the colours and shadows.


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## LaFoto (Mar 14, 2007)

Too easy for who knows this person a) in person (as I do, too!) and b) recognises you having put down his name in your post, Hertzilein. Too easy. So I disqualify myself from this guessing game, too. 

Others: guess!


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## Hertz van Rental (Mar 14, 2007)

I think you must win the prize LF. Have to think of something good to give you


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## jocose (Mar 17, 2007)

so who is he?  He's one hot dude, that's for sure!


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## LaFoto (Mar 17, 2007)

Well, he's "Uncle Jo", isn't he?   
Doesn't look _quite_ as good in his avatar, though, so it must have been Hertzilein's photographic skill to bring him out this "hot", don't you think so!?!?!?


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## Hertz van Rental (Mar 17, 2007)

I do remember giving him a shave. Took over an hour.


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## Chiller (Mar 17, 2007)

jocose said:


> so who is he? He's one hot dude, that's for sure!


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## battlestation (Mar 17, 2007)

This is what i look like pretty much every day after work


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## tempra (Apr 1, 2007)

Inspired by Hertz, did a few portraits for some friends today - and got them (and their dog) on the sofa.


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## Antarctican (Apr 1, 2007)

^^^ wow, good one Tempra!


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## Hertz van Rental (Apr 2, 2007)

Sofa shots are always winners. Good one!


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## SteadyCruise (Apr 24, 2007)

Good shots.


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## Sw1tchFX (May 18, 2007)

I don't have a sofa anymore, My roommate took it. nonetheless, this is the only picture I have with a sofa in it. It's a semi-old picture from when I was first experimenting with HDR's:


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## seesaw (Jun 6, 2007)

Hmm... I'm going to have to try getting a whole couch shot.  I like those a lot!  Here's one I got on the couch though:


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## Chris of Arabia (Jun 11, 2007)

It was suggested to me that I post this here as well as in the artsy-fartsy self portrait thread - so apologies to anyone who feels I've broken forum ettiquete in advance...


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## Stretch Armstrong (Jun 11, 2007)

This is a really great thread. Thanks for keeping it going Hertz. Thanks, too, to all who have posted on this one. 

:thumbup:


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## Hair Bear (Jun 16, 2007)

Taken to put on a thank you card

It read 'thanks, we are all so happy to be invited....'

even the dog turned away!


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## danalec99 (Jun 16, 2007)

Classic!


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## Chris of Arabia (Jun 19, 2007)

Agreed. Must keep taking those happy pills Hair Bear, wouldn't want to see what happens if you should ever get down about anything


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