Kristen
Mar 16, 2020 12:54:41 #
Finally got time to try another portrait shoot.
Gear used:
D500, Tamron 24-70mm, AD200/V860, umbrella, 8" beauty dish/med mesh grid.
Light sunset.
Settings vary due to changing light.
Be kind, my 2nd portrait shoot.
Gear used:
D500, Tamron 24-70mm, AD200/V860, umbrella, 8" beauty dish/med mesh grid.
Light sunset.
Settings vary due to changing light.
Be kind, my 2nd portrait shoot.
Mar 16, 2020 14:12:34 #
Mar 17, 2020 09:42:03 #
Mar 17, 2020 10:12:32 #
Some of the posing need adjustments like No. 4. I find in my calibrated monitor that the skin is too yellow although it seems OK with the last image.
Illumination is excellent.
Are those the colors of her eyes?
Illumination is excellent.
Are those the colors of her eyes?
Mar 17, 2020 10:42:15 #
Uaana wrote:
Finally got time to try another portrait shoot.
Gear used:
D500, Tamron 24-70mm, AD200/V860, umbrella, 8" beauty dish/med mesh grid.
Light sunset.
Settings vary due to changing light.
Be kind, my 2nd portrait shoot.
Gear used:
D500, Tamron 24-70mm, AD200/V860, umbrella, 8" beauty dish/med mesh grid.
Light sunset.
Settings vary due to changing light.
Be kind, my 2nd portrait shoot.
Just a couple of thoughts. Consider the horizontal lines of the background in relation to the head and face. The last example is more pleasing to the eye in that the overall effect seems to support rather than clash. Granted that it is somewhat subjective. However, I think that the object is in bringing out the model in portraiture. The other is separating the model fully from the background. There are areas of the hair blending with background colors. (An additional hair light in back and top?)
In all, the work is well done.
Mar 17, 2020 13:40:01 #
Thank you all!!
Regards to the notes.
1. She was shorter than expected. And I agree with the horizontal line behind her occasionally being a distraction.
There was a small hill behind us that probably might have worked better..
2 Eye color is contacts.
3. Skin tones, one of those I was manually adjusting in post, wanted to cancel out some of the white from the flash and better blend with the natural light.
4. I was using the beauty dish to illuminate her hair, worked better on some shots than others.
Regards to the notes.
1. She was shorter than expected. And I agree with the horizontal line behind her occasionally being a distraction.
There was a small hill behind us that probably might have worked better..
2 Eye color is contacts.
3. Skin tones, one of those I was manually adjusting in post, wanted to cancel out some of the white from the flash and better blend with the natural light.
4. I was using the beauty dish to illuminate her hair, worked better on some shots than others.
Mar 17, 2020 19:28:31 #
I like #3 the best, considering the discussion about background lines. I would spot out the 3 dark blemishes on her CR side (I doubt she'd even notice), and maybe lighten her hair a wee bit on CR side (but not so much as on CL because that is the direction of the natural light.
Not a fan of "up the nostril" shots although sometimes they convey haughtiness (if that is the goal). That said, my second fave is #5. Nice expression. I'd put some color in the blow-out in the upper left corner because the brightest part of the photo attracts the eye and that spot certainly is not the most important. (And I'd touch up those little spots on her cheek).
#1 is nice too, but I concur with the skin tone being too yellow--an easy fix. Also, there are two bright yellow lights in the left that are distracting. Maybe they were intended to be part of the "scene" but they are not identifiable and are brighter than your lovely model.
Again, be attentive to lines passing through the model's head.
BTW, despite my comments, I wish my second attempt had come out as nicely as yours.
Not a fan of "up the nostril" shots although sometimes they convey haughtiness (if that is the goal). That said, my second fave is #5. Nice expression. I'd put some color in the blow-out in the upper left corner because the brightest part of the photo attracts the eye and that spot certainly is not the most important. (And I'd touch up those little spots on her cheek).
#1 is nice too, but I concur with the skin tone being too yellow--an easy fix. Also, there are two bright yellow lights in the left that are distracting. Maybe they were intended to be part of the "scene" but they are not identifiable and are brighter than your lovely model.
Again, be attentive to lines passing through the model's head.
BTW, despite my comments, I wish my second attempt had come out as nicely as yours.
Mar 18, 2020 11:09:21 #
In some of the images, there is a nice use of natural lighting in that there are some studio-like lighting forms- there is modeling, good shadow detail ion the eyes and good well-placed catchlights. I the first image the natural sunlight is providing a nice "kicker" lighting. If all the portrait lig was provided by your flash gear, you could move the subject to a better position as to background relationship because you don't have to FIND natural light, You can, in the cases, use short lighting to better shape the face.
Many of the issued that need improvement has to do with CAMERA POSITION. In most of theses images, the camera position is too low thereby exacerbating an asymmetry in the subject's chin/jawline. As a starting point in most traditional portraits, it's best to place the camera (lens) at the subject's eye level or slightly higher. As the subject's head position changes for different poses, the camera position has to be maintained and moved accordingly.
In a 2/3 view of the face, it is important to control the position of the subject's eyes or gaze. A good starting poi is entering the eye by providing a target for the subject to look at.
In out-of-doors environmental portraits, background management must be considered. Buildings, straight lines, and any graphic shapes in the background can cause distractions even if they are well out of focus. This too has to do with camera position as well as the selection of a background that is less distracting, darker and may provide better "bokeh" when sufficiently out of focus.
As for white balance and skin tone. The late afternoon light is warm and more controllable as to direction It, however, can be too warm for good skin tone rendition. It's best to establish a custom white balance to accommodate the existing color temperature and make fina adjustment in post-processing. Sint tone does not HAVE to be "pink" or caucasian, obviously, there are many skin tones, pigmentation, and colors- Asian,
Brown, so-called Black, Olive, Plaw, Rosey, Freckled- there are thousands of hues and variations. What should be avoided is extremely oversaturated color, bright red, yellow, etc. Most folk will prefer a slight warmer than colder tone but that is up to the subject and the photographer.
Composition: In some of the theses images there is insufficient space around of in front of the subject and not enough balance and support for the head.
Retouching blemished is mostly a post-processing application which can be done at any time after the images are selected by the subject.
Attached is a rough edit to illustrate some of my points.
Many of the issued that need improvement has to do with CAMERA POSITION. In most of theses images, the camera position is too low thereby exacerbating an asymmetry in the subject's chin/jawline. As a starting point in most traditional portraits, it's best to place the camera (lens) at the subject's eye level or slightly higher. As the subject's head position changes for different poses, the camera position has to be maintained and moved accordingly.
In a 2/3 view of the face, it is important to control the position of the subject's eyes or gaze. A good starting poi is entering the eye by providing a target for the subject to look at.
In out-of-doors environmental portraits, background management must be considered. Buildings, straight lines, and any graphic shapes in the background can cause distractions even if they are well out of focus. This too has to do with camera position as well as the selection of a background that is less distracting, darker and may provide better "bokeh" when sufficiently out of focus.
As for white balance and skin tone. The late afternoon light is warm and more controllable as to direction It, however, can be too warm for good skin tone rendition. It's best to establish a custom white balance to accommodate the existing color temperature and make fina adjustment in post-processing. Sint tone does not HAVE to be "pink" or caucasian, obviously, there are many skin tones, pigmentation, and colors- Asian,
Brown, so-called Black, Olive, Plaw, Rosey, Freckled- there are thousands of hues and variations. What should be avoided is extremely oversaturated color, bright red, yellow, etc. Most folk will prefer a slight warmer than colder tone but that is up to the subject and the photographer.
Composition: In some of the theses images there is insufficient space around of in front of the subject and not enough balance and support for the head.
Retouching blemished is mostly a post-processing application which can be done at any time after the images are selected by the subject.
Attached is a rough edit to illustrate some of my points.
Mar 18, 2020 12:34:19 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
In some of the images, there is a nice use of natu... (show quote)
Thank you E.L. your critique was one I was looking/hoping for.
Thank you for not advising me to sell my camera and take up finger painting. :)
The yellow. Obviously I need a better monitor for post work, its negligible on my laptop
Custom WB, I had two volunteer models one in white, one in dark navy, and a setting sun.
I just didnt think I was up to chasing that as well as chasing lights
Many of the critique is camera position. The same things I noticed post shoot.
*Remember 2nd attempt at portrait lighting.
Experience and practice...
I like your example, its actually 3 light sources. CR natural sun, CL/hair kick, and CF fill.
My original intent when I set this shoot up was just to experiment with adding a second light to this type of shoot. There are dozens of vids showing the front fill light on night landscape.
I thought I could do it better..
What started as a simple 2-3 person TFP experiment shoot turned into a 12 person 2 model workshop.
Thank you again.
One of these days I'll get a
"Damn fine job! I wouldn't change a thing" from you.
Mar 18, 2020 14:06:44 #
Uaana wrote:
Thank you E.L. your critique was one I was looking... (show quote)
PLEASE do not sell your camera unless you are gonna buy a better one! Last time I tried my hand at fingerpainting it was in collaboration with one of my grandchildren and we messed up the house something awful- my lovely wife told me to teach the kids photography instead!
You already did a damn good job, after all, you dragged all that gear our on location and put in a good effort.
Mastering portraiture takes time, patience and practice and time moves quickly when you are having fun.
Please keep shooting and posting your work here! If nobody makes mistakes, I won't have anything to crab about!
Cranky old photographer, Ed
Mar 19, 2020 11:01:47 #
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