Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Here's an interesting experiment to try. With all three shots scroll your browser screen down to where the bottom is just below the chin, cutting off everything lower in the pictures. Looking at only the face, on each shot analyze the eyes. Which eye is larger, which is brighter, and how the lighting affected the way they look. Notice the Rembrandt lighting. Look at the textures on the face below the eyes down to the chin. Look at the shadow directions, estimate the fill ratios.

Then scroll down farther to show the full image and try the same thing. Can you even hold a steady gaze on the eyes?

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

I am not a portrait photographer, so I certainly could not argue with your reasoning....but if someone presented these to me to buy, #2 would still be acceptable to me, just seems to show the innocence of a little girl! Technically I know you are exactly right, but to me it's like the rule of thirds, sometimes a subject smack in the middle works!
That said, you are exactly right with skin, less is better!

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

Thank you. It is so hard to judge how well I did with a shot like this when I am so biased about the child.

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

Would you suggest that I crop them? Or try again.

superpijak Loc: Middle TN

That's some pretty darned good results. For future shots a light from on top would highlight the hair and provide another option that may be appealing also. Personally I've had 50% luck with that but I keep trying. What was the background? The (black?) background works great in my opinion for these shots. :thumbup:

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

Thanks for the comments. I don't own any lighting except a flash. My son set up the room with lights and I did use an off-camera flash. I did have a background and yes, it was black as that is all I have.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Along the same lines as skin, there is another similar Rule of Thumb, and it is what makes #2 less distractive than the others.

The brightest area is the most attractive area. Hence maybe that should be the subject.

In #2 most of the distractive skin is in shadows, making it less distractive. In the other images it is about as bright as anything else in the picture and therefore very distractive.

In any of these three images it would help, with the original framing, to selectively darken everything except the face.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Also in #2 the model has more of a side pose showing a lot less skin, so you are exactly right with your assessment!

Jackel Loc: California

The pictures are excellent examples of portrait photography! Just as Irving Berlin (great Russian immigrant songwriter, pianist and composer) never took a piano lesson in his life, and could not read music, and was encouraged to NEVER take piano lessons for fear of warping his innate skills, you should think carefully about taking any portrait photography lessons for fear of ruining your inherent portrait photo skills.

And, I am gonna be a bit more careful about avoiding what're called run-on sentences, like the one above. :D :D :D :D

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Life goes on... why not do both!

See what you can do to get the most out of those shots. Then shoot another batch. And then another...

The lighting is interesting on those three. The first one is somewhat flat lighting, but it works very well with a woman that age with such nice skin. It is what it is probably due to an accident!

For Rembrandt Lighting you want the main light 45 degrees off to the side and 45 degrees above. Roughly, of course. Then you can use a reflector, or other lights to add variations. A fill light on the opposite side of the face usually is a good thing. A hair light or something else on the background to make the outline of the subject stand out is another common addition.

In all of your images the amount of fill suggest either another light or something that is reflecting light. It's pretty nice. Except the first one is significantly different. It appears that because the off camera flash is lower than 45 degrees it is illuminating the bottom of the brim on that straw hat, and reflecting light down onto her face. It all but eliminated any textures. Perhaps just an accident, but it turned out really nice too!

So you might find a way to easily mount that off camera flash in different places. Go to a few "thrift" stores and look for old cheap tripods. $5 each, probably. Great light stands too! If you don't have one, get some kind of a remote trigger device. An optical trigger will do, but a radio trigger might be better.

If you use an optical trigger in conjunction with an on camera built in flash, you can tape a piece of paper or foil in front of the flash to direct light towards the off camera flash and shade the subject. Or use it in manual mode at greatly reduced power to provide fill. Lots of possibilities.

creativ simon Loc: Coulsdon, South London

Lighting looks good

Job well done

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

Thanks for your wonderful comments! Can I buy some lighting?

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

You have been a huge help!! Thank you so much. All the girls, except the older one, had a very small period of interest in this, so I'll have to wait a while to do it again. Maybe get some of the equipment you suggested. I did have a reflector, but no assistance. Every once in a while I could get one of the girls to hold it up. Not sure if it was used on the first shot.

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

Thanks you Simon.

ronwande Loc: Hendersonville NC

I like the lighting of your images. The skin doesn't bother me, but the color balance of #1 does. I just calibrated my monitor and hopefully my ColorMunki calibrator is still working properly. #1 to me shows very blue/violet skin color. A little move away from blue and a very little toward green would make a much more pleasing color balance.