Thanks Bobby, I know what I am trying to achieve with what I have is about, if not impossible. But I do have a stubbornness that will try until I have exhausted all options. I can keep adding lights and spending money but without understanding the full limits with what I have, I have not succeeded in understanding what I can do and then what I really need to create the image that keeps rolling around in my head - thus I become a pain in everyone's side!

I am in essence creating my own Rube Goldberg Contraption when I do not need to....I'll play some more tonight and see what I can achieve.

I appreciate the time and effort you and all the others are spending with my feeble attempts at portraits.

Your last post was inspiring and oh so beautiful.

Thank you GPoyner

Thanks for encouragement; not bad is a starting point - but I want great! I'm going to try some more tonight with remote, as the only model I have will be me! I do favor the more dramatic shots right now - which I keep finding myself jumping into the middle of things versus the beginning.

GPoyner

Thanks PalePictures....I will try your methods, which I am sure will improve the outcome. I now look at these pictures and only see the nose shadows! I bet number 2 would be a good Photo (not great) if I didn't have that darn nose shadow.

So I did just also acquire a shoot through umbrella that is 33" and a 42" reflector (5 in 1) that can be transparent. would either of those work for your suggestion above?

I also was playing with having the small beauty dish on the flash with the umbrella - on my test shot it appeared good; but now after the feedback and looking at some old posts I saved; I am testing per say on the wrong thing - meaning the size of the modifiers are ok/good for a baby doll but not for an adult or anyone that is bigger then a baby doll?! Which is a bit funny.

Thanks again...GPoyner

Oh please no...no more crappy shots - ok well at least let the ones who want to learn post the crappy shots! I want to learn and am trying to get better, if it goes to that then I'm left in the dust along with the others who appreciate the time and effort you have all provided. Which I greatly appreciate and thank you for your feedback.

Gpoyner

Ok wait a minute....this by far getting ridiculous.

I appreciate the efforts that have been put into the People section recently - why? Because I am learning, that is why! I just learned today how to recognize nose shadows and blocked shadows! Are either of you who are attacking Bobby Deal and the others providing me a means to learn? Will you tell me how with my one speedlight and super small beauty dish to make it work and have a successful photo that they would say was good and I can be proud of?!

There is only one post (that was NOT done by Bobby Deal) that I questioned in being appropriate - what did I do? Well I looked read a bit and found it was not to my taste and clicked out.

The People Section and all others should be a learning experience and the ability to ask questions. I have not felt any of the top rated contributors (Bobby Deal, CaptainC, PalePictures and others) as being self promoting - they have provided me guidance, even when it was 'everything is wrong with this photo'. I can get 100s of looks, but only a few will provide me what I need to know if I'm doing the right thing, they let me know what I can do to improve - that is if I'm lucky that they saw my post among the many others. And I can even PM them and ask for help, which they are willing to do (now I've only done that once and was very much appreciative).

Not everyone wants to keep seeing snapshots, I want to learn and be inspired. I rarely visit the Photo Gallery now as it is just a place to pat someone on the back and the people section was the same right before the Professionals came in to help.

Stop throwing your stones at people, you are not the ones to throw those stones - you do not have a means or reason to justify your actions and personal attacks. You justify your personal attacks as what...because the world is an awful place and you are going to save it? You need to learn to focus on the situation and not the person, they have done nothing to you. Again, They have done NOTHING to YOU!

I can easily google pictures of dancers and get a wide variety of photos that I really did not want to see - I've now learned to be a bit specific on my goggling!

Know this, as we busy ourselves with protecting our children and the younger generation (and I have two teenagers of my own 15 and 17 - so I know what I am talking about), we as a society are forgetting to teach our children. We as a society are forgetting to tell and teach our children our morals and values. And then we blame everyone else for the faults of the our children and the world.

I have no issues with raising a concern of not feeling welcomed to post photos of your grandchildren or snapshots from a beach (or whatever it may be) - but to attack, make slurs and assumptions on the photographer, models and everyone who defends them, is not that of a person who respects the differences each and ever person has. It shows that you would turn your back on anyone who stepped on your toes. And that you would be the first to cast a stone to someone who is of different race, religion, income and what may have your fancy that day. So become the adults that your age is of telling and stop acting as if you are in middle school and starting a fight because someone stepped on your toes or looked at you wrong.

So tell me Mary Clark and others - where would I post my photos to get credible, honest and helpful critique should there be a separate section for the professionals? I would not get that feedback from you, would I?

Note - The critique section does nothing for me, I posted a few times and I received people altering my photos with no good feedback until I actually pm'd someone to help me out. So don't direct me to that section.

Thank you GPoyner

Thanks for the explanation Nightsky, I'll take a look at the orignal files and take a gander - now I will know what to look for, the explanation helped very much.

Thanks again, GPoyner

Nightsky - may you please describe what you mean by blocked shadow. With the Captain's description of the nose shadow I clearly see what everyone is talking about - now I would like to have a good understanding of the blocked shadow. This will help me get to thinking of how I would place the reflector and/or light. Thank you GPoyner

Thanks CaptainC - I knew that working with this small dish was going to produce some harsh lighting. But I want to see what I can actually do, post and get feedback.

With the feedback you and others have provided I can now see and understand the lighting a bit and know what to look for when I place the light and reflector.

Your description of the nose shadows really help in understanding what would be a distracting shadow.

Thank you GPoyner

Thanks for the feedback Nightsky, I did use a reflector - I am still working and playing with the placement of the light and reflector, and knowing how each placement affects the photo.

My son likes more of the harsh lighting, as we looked through the photos and discussed what I was trying to acheive. I do have an umbrella that I can use to shoot through to provide a softer light - I'm going to try and work on that next.

Good eye on the boards, I'll take a closer look at that tonight.

GPoyner

Thanks bkyser, good feedback. No wide angle lens used for any of them, I used my 70-200.

Yes I am using my speedlight SB600.

GPoyner

Thanks Waltchilds, I should also mention that I did have a good size silver reflector that I used to try and get more light bounced back to his face. Now to just convinence him to be my model some more so I can practice more. GPoyner

Well, I acquired an extremely small beauty dish (6 inches) - yes I know that I need a bigger one and such. But this is what I have - I did process these photos with Face Filter and then Nik silver Effects (I have a trial version right now). Any and all feedback is welcomed, yes I do have my big girl panties on.....so give it to me.
Just remember that I won't be running out and buying a bigger dish - I need to learn with what I have and then see if and when I can afford anything more. Thank you for everything....GPoyner

I Like this PP


My Son Likes this PP


My Daughter Likes this PP

I have discovered that, I will be posting some pictures that I convinced my son to help with; I can only do so much with an old baby doll that my daughter hasn't played with for the last 10 or so years.....Thanks GPoyner

Thank you Cliff for the explanation (and of course great work), how big of a beauty dish did you use? I just acquired one for my flash, but it is a bit small (well quite a bit small at 6 inches). It seems that to get good lighting you really need to buy the big items, but budget does not lend itself to that; especially when it is just a hobby! Thanks GPoyner

Totally agree with you wowbmw, this was fantastic feedback and direction that we can all use.

Thank you PalePictures

GPoyner