One more of Hannah
Jul 5, 2019 09:20:10 #
Having read and looked over all the comments about my last posting of Hannah, I am posting this one of her. I did very little editing,post processing of this image. Again I am looking for comments and suggestions. A side note I used my approximately 40 year old Pentax 135 mm lens to shoot this. I like the focal length on my FF K-1. The color is muted and the contrast is a little lower than my newer 85 mm but I enjoy the softness for portraits.
Jul 6, 2019 08:04:37 #
berchman
Loc: South Central PA
A10 wrote:
Having read and looked over all the comments about my last posting of Hannah, I am posting this one of her. I did very little editing,post processing of this image. Again I am looking for comments and suggestions. A side note I used my approximately 40 year old Pentax 135 mm lens to shoot this. I like the focal length on my FF K-1. The color is muted and the contrast is a little lower than my newer 85 mm but I enjoy the softness for portraits.
It's a nice shot. You chose to use broad rather than short lighting which fattens her face somewhat, but maybe you wanted that. I would clone out the red pimple in the middle of her forehead and the strand of hair interrupting the curve of her jaw on the lower right of her face.
Jul 6, 2019 14:14:30 #
berchman wrote:
It's a nice shot. You chose to use broad rather than short lighting which fattens her face somewhat, but maybe you wanted that. I would clone out the red pimple in the middle of her forehead and the strand of hair interrupting the curve of her jaw on the lower right of her face.
Thanks berchman, I wanted to show her natural beauty in a SOOC look. Normally I would address blemishes with a healing brush, clone, or skin softening with Portrait Pro or Elements. I have heard several UHH members disparage PP but I like it for its control from soft to heavy handed. I hope to do some studio work and have her hair professionally done.
Jul 6, 2019 17:34:18 #
First of all kudos to Hannah for helping her Grandpa out with his portrait photography. She looks like a lovely kid!
So let get started again! Folks here are too preoccupied with this "too much" retouch thing. Most teenagers will no miss their "zits". It's part of growing up that most kids do not want to remember in a portrait. Old softer lenses are indeed great for many styles of portraiture. Some of the classics, that are especially soft, go at a premium price. I have an old Nikor 105 that I was given to me for a paperweight by my dealer. Seems someone dropped it into salt water at a beach. I rinsed it off, brought it to the repair guy so that the diaphragm functions. The glass still looks like the inside of a poorly maintained fish tank but it's one of my favorite portrait tools! I use mostly Canon gear nowadays but I kept a Nikon body just so I can use that lens! There a place for softness and sharpness in portraiture- depends on your subject and your interpretation.
The shift in her eyes does not connect with the viewer, she seems distracted. On or off camera glances should be controlled by providing the subject with a "target to focus their eyes upon. In a 2/3 or profile of the face, I will often keep the camera on a tripod with a remote trigger and converse with the subject, off the camera or place a light stand with a small disk that is easy to spot against the lights.
BROAD AND SHORT LIGHTING? This pertains to the placement of the main light source in relation to the subject adn the camera/subject axis and usually is more applicable to a 2/3 profile view of the face.
SHORT lighting is where the light strikes the subject from the side of the face on the far side of the camera/subject axis. The highlight side of the face is furthest from the camera and the shaded side is nearest the camera. This usually works aesthetically well with round or "normal" shaped faces.
BROAD lighting is where the light strikes the subject's face from the side nearest the camera- from the near side of the camera/subject axis. This tends to widen a narrow face.
In a "studio' situation, you can place the lights accordingly. In natural lighting conditions, you need to move the subject into the appropriate lighting pattern and direction.
In a FULL FACE portrait, the lighting direction can be defined as a NEAR side or FAR side body lighting or simply described as LEFT or RIGHT side lighting. We are highlighting one side of the face, shading the other but the subject is facing the camera and is axial with the lens.
The reason for all this definition of lighting placements begins to make sense when we discuss facial analysis. This can get a bit complicated but there are some simple starting points to practice.
Very few folks have symmetrical faces. Oftentimes, folks who are chosen as cosmetics and cover models for fashion magazines have symmetrical faces. The rest of us usually have on side of the face kinda heavier or wider than the other. We all wanna look like an "egg' , well- a more oval facial structure in a portrait. So...we analyze the face under flat lighting and the light the side of the face that is thinner or less round or heavy. The wider side of the face is in the shaded area. This is easy to do in a 2/3 face portrait simply by opting for short lighting.
In a full-face pose, you do the same analysis and bring the main light in from the thinner or less heavy or less road side of the face. This does not need to be an extremely split light unless you want a dramatic effect.
If the subject has a very narrow face you can wide the appearance in a portrait by doing the opposite of the above lighting pattern and go with SHORT lighting. There are many specific light and shadow patterns, each having a name such as butterfly, modified butterfly or loop, Rembrandt and split. This comes later.
Now let's get back to Hannah! She is beautiful, no matter how you photograh here but let's idealize her lovely features. If you can enlist here cooperation again here's your HOMEWORK:
Shoot both full face and 2/3 portraits but this time make certain the lighting direction is such that it striking the RIGHT side of her face HER right side! Establish eye contact with the lens so her great eyes will contact the viewer. In the 2/3 views for starters, make sure here eyes are centered and focused on something off camera.
Place her so that her body is facing away from the camera and her head is turned gently into the light. Have her standing or seated so that her body weight is on her far hip and the shoulder line should naturally become more diagonal.
This is a great way to improve your portrait techniques by maximizing the results with the same subject.
So let get started again! Folks here are too preoccupied with this "too much" retouch thing. Most teenagers will no miss their "zits". It's part of growing up that most kids do not want to remember in a portrait. Old softer lenses are indeed great for many styles of portraiture. Some of the classics, that are especially soft, go at a premium price. I have an old Nikor 105 that I was given to me for a paperweight by my dealer. Seems someone dropped it into salt water at a beach. I rinsed it off, brought it to the repair guy so that the diaphragm functions. The glass still looks like the inside of a poorly maintained fish tank but it's one of my favorite portrait tools! I use mostly Canon gear nowadays but I kept a Nikon body just so I can use that lens! There a place for softness and sharpness in portraiture- depends on your subject and your interpretation.
The shift in her eyes does not connect with the viewer, she seems distracted. On or off camera glances should be controlled by providing the subject with a "target to focus their eyes upon. In a 2/3 or profile of the face, I will often keep the camera on a tripod with a remote trigger and converse with the subject, off the camera or place a light stand with a small disk that is easy to spot against the lights.
BROAD AND SHORT LIGHTING? This pertains to the placement of the main light source in relation to the subject adn the camera/subject axis and usually is more applicable to a 2/3 profile view of the face.
SHORT lighting is where the light strikes the subject from the side of the face on the far side of the camera/subject axis. The highlight side of the face is furthest from the camera and the shaded side is nearest the camera. This usually works aesthetically well with round or "normal" shaped faces.
BROAD lighting is where the light strikes the subject's face from the side nearest the camera- from the near side of the camera/subject axis. This tends to widen a narrow face.
In a "studio' situation, you can place the lights accordingly. In natural lighting conditions, you need to move the subject into the appropriate lighting pattern and direction.
In a FULL FACE portrait, the lighting direction can be defined as a NEAR side or FAR side body lighting or simply described as LEFT or RIGHT side lighting. We are highlighting one side of the face, shading the other but the subject is facing the camera and is axial with the lens.
The reason for all this definition of lighting placements begins to make sense when we discuss facial analysis. This can get a bit complicated but there are some simple starting points to practice.
Very few folks have symmetrical faces. Oftentimes, folks who are chosen as cosmetics and cover models for fashion magazines have symmetrical faces. The rest of us usually have on side of the face kinda heavier or wider than the other. We all wanna look like an "egg' , well- a more oval facial structure in a portrait. So...we analyze the face under flat lighting and the light the side of the face that is thinner or less round or heavy. The wider side of the face is in the shaded area. This is easy to do in a 2/3 face portrait simply by opting for short lighting.
In a full-face pose, you do the same analysis and bring the main light in from the thinner or less heavy or less road side of the face. This does not need to be an extremely split light unless you want a dramatic effect.
If the subject has a very narrow face you can wide the appearance in a portrait by doing the opposite of the above lighting pattern and go with SHORT lighting. There are many specific light and shadow patterns, each having a name such as butterfly, modified butterfly or loop, Rembrandt and split. This comes later.
Now let's get back to Hannah! She is beautiful, no matter how you photograh here but let's idealize her lovely features. If you can enlist here cooperation again here's your HOMEWORK:
Shoot both full face and 2/3 portraits but this time make certain the lighting direction is such that it striking the RIGHT side of her face HER right side! Establish eye contact with the lens so her great eyes will contact the viewer. In the 2/3 views for starters, make sure here eyes are centered and focused on something off camera.
Place her so that her body is facing away from the camera and her head is turned gently into the light. Have her standing or seated so that her body weight is on her far hip and the shoulder line should naturally become more diagonal.
This is a great way to improve your portrait techniques by maximizing the results with the same subject.
Jul 6, 2019 19:44:42 #
Ed, as soon as I can arrange for studio time with her I will try your suggestions. Thanks again.
Jul 7, 2019 17:43:36 #
Lovely photo A10 (sounds SO much better than "Warthog")
I agree with E.L., but if you only have this image, her eyes are a bit soft. You can sharpen and brighten them a bit in post, and spot remove a few of her pimples (I'm sure she won't mind losing them) without compromising the "natural" look you like. Her sweetness will still come through.
I agree with E.L., but if you only have this image, her eyes are a bit soft. You can sharpen and brighten them a bit in post, and spot remove a few of her pimples (I'm sure she won't mind losing them) without compromising the "natural" look you like. Her sweetness will still come through.
Jul 7, 2019 20:28:44 #
dat2ra wrote:
Lovely photo A10 (sounds SO much better than "Warthog")
I agree with E.L., but if you only have this image, her eyes are a bit soft. You can sharpen and brighten them a bit in post, and spot remove a few of her pimples (I'm sure she won't mind losing them) without compromising the "natural" look you like. Her sweetness will still come through.
I agree with E.L., but if you only have this image, her eyes are a bit soft. You can sharpen and brighten them a bit in post, and spot remove a few of her pimples (I'm sure she won't mind losing them) without compromising the "natural" look you like. Her sweetness will still come through.
Thanks dat2ra, I will post another photo of her with some slight post processing. As for my moniker A10, those that know old English motorcycles will know the BSA A10.
Here is the slightly retouched version.
Jul 8, 2019 14:46:35 #
I like that version. Aaaah, that A10. Indeed. I have ridden Brits my whole life beginning with a BSA 250 "thumper", then a Tiger 500, and so on. Recently sold my flawless 850 Commando and finally my beloved Bonne. I'll miss them all but just don't ride enough to justify keeping them. Anyway, thanks for your reply.
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