advice and critique wanted
Apr 17, 2020 15:40:58 #
My wife made a jacket for an Art Deco themed party. The party was cancelled due to the covid-19 shelter-in-place rules. The focus of these photos was to be the jacket. Taken outside, under cloudy skies on D750.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
Apr 17, 2020 15:43:57 #
Apr 17, 2020 15:44:36 #
captivecookie
Loc: Washington state
Congrats to your wife for a well made jacket. Since it's the subject, a less busy background would distract less. Maybe in an art deco room of light color.
Apr 17, 2020 15:46:06 #
Apr 17, 2020 15:50:40 #
jscorbin
Loc: Woodinville, WA
photog11 wrote:
...
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
I think #2 looks great. Maybe redo that with horizontal format, but showing all of her hands. The highlights in her eyes are good. In #1, the jacket is partly out of focus, and in #3 the out-of-focus flower is distracting.
Apr 17, 2020 15:50:41 #
photog11 wrote:
My wife made a jacket for an Art Deco themed party. The party was cancelled due to the covid-19 shelter-in-place rules. The focus of these photos was to be the jacket. Taken outside, under cloudy skies on D750.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
Your wife is talented for making that good looking jacket. The images are nice and I would agree perhaps a less busy background would help. Maybe a solid color background might be in order.
Apr 17, 2020 15:53:44 #
nascar27 wrote:
Your wife is talented for making that good looking jacket. The images are nice and I would agree perhaps a less busy background would help. Maybe a solid color background might be in order.
If you can go to Photoshop and put her on a solid background it will show off that beautiful jacket better.
Apr 17, 2020 16:01:35 #
UHH has several specialty sections that can help with details and lighting. Here are two:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-127-1.html
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-126-1.html
.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-127-1.html
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-126-1.html
.
Apr 17, 2020 18:47:21 #
Apr 17, 2020 19:25:56 #
There are my "spies and operatives" that tip me off to interesting posts so I ascend from my subterranean crevis beneath the forum (the Commercial and industrial Section) to offer my sage* (the spice used in turkey stuffing) advice 
So...a fashion shot. The soft sky lighting is fine and the catch-lights in the eye is a good strategy. The garden and flowers are a nice environmental setting- you don't necessarily need a solid background to bring out the jacket.
There is- a lot of overlap between portraiture and fashion photography. Think of it this way; every photograph makes a statement- the simple the better. In a portrait, the statement might be " a lovely lady in a fashionable jacket". In a fashion shot, the statement should be "a fashionable jacket with a lovely lady in it. In the latter statement, the emphasis needs to be on the garment. The light is good, the model's expression is excellent BUT I don't really see the LINES and CUT of the jacket. The frontal view showing the style, the cut, the collar or the way the opening flares at the bottom- those are the "selling points"! In an ad online, etc, you can feature that basic frontal view, as if the model is walking toward the camera. and add the back and side views if you wish in a montage or slide show kinda presentation.
Background management: If you move the model somewhat further from the background, use a wider aperture and create a more shallow depth of field the will be more emphasis on the pattern if the fabric. the yell flow picks up nices in the golden color of the fabric. When photographing a print, striped, or boldly patterned fabric, it better to subdue sharp detail in the background but it does not have to be totally obliterated of so-called bokeh.
Tru many "poses" and get the model to SHOW-OFF the garment- try different hand positions- may be holding one of the flowers but don't obscure or cut into the lines of the jacket.
Your model's smile is wonderful. There is a trend in some circles of fashion photography where the modes don't smile, seem aloof, or even somewhat P/Od. My question always was "the person is wearing a beautiful and oftentimes expensive garment- why is he or she so unhappy"?
If you have an opportunity to re-shoot, try some of these suggestions. I did a rough edit yo illustrate how a softer and darker background would work. You can either shoot in an area where the background is in more shade or darken it in post-processing.
I am not a fashionista BUT I have been hanging around with fashion coordinators, art directors, couturiers, and most of all my lovely wife for a long time and I have become very well trained. In the wise words of my wife "you are gonna wear THAT....to work today...! We all learn from our mistakes!
I hope this helps!
So...a fashion shot. The soft sky lighting is fine and the catch-lights in the eye is a good strategy. The garden and flowers are a nice environmental setting- you don't necessarily need a solid background to bring out the jacket.
There is- a lot of overlap between portraiture and fashion photography. Think of it this way; every photograph makes a statement- the simple the better. In a portrait, the statement might be " a lovely lady in a fashionable jacket". In a fashion shot, the statement should be "a fashionable jacket with a lovely lady in it. In the latter statement, the emphasis needs to be on the garment. The light is good, the model's expression is excellent BUT I don't really see the LINES and CUT of the jacket. The frontal view showing the style, the cut, the collar or the way the opening flares at the bottom- those are the "selling points"! In an ad online, etc, you can feature that basic frontal view, as if the model is walking toward the camera. and add the back and side views if you wish in a montage or slide show kinda presentation.
Background management: If you move the model somewhat further from the background, use a wider aperture and create a more shallow depth of field the will be more emphasis on the pattern if the fabric. the yell flow picks up nices in the golden color of the fabric. When photographing a print, striped, or boldly patterned fabric, it better to subdue sharp detail in the background but it does not have to be totally obliterated of so-called bokeh.
Tru many "poses" and get the model to SHOW-OFF the garment- try different hand positions- may be holding one of the flowers but don't obscure or cut into the lines of the jacket.
Your model's smile is wonderful. There is a trend in some circles of fashion photography where the modes don't smile, seem aloof, or even somewhat P/Od. My question always was "the person is wearing a beautiful and oftentimes expensive garment- why is he or she so unhappy"?
If you have an opportunity to re-shoot, try some of these suggestions. I did a rough edit yo illustrate how a softer and darker background would work. You can either shoot in an area where the background is in more shade or darken it in post-processing.
I am not a fashionista BUT I have been hanging around with fashion coordinators, art directors, couturiers, and most of all my lovely wife for a long time and I have become very well trained. In the wise words of my wife "you are gonna wear THAT....to work today...! We all learn from our mistakes!
I hope this helps!
Apr 18, 2020 09:02:25 #
photog11 wrote:
My wife made a jacket for an Art Deco themed party. The party was cancelled due to the covid-19 shelter-in-place rules. The focus of these photos was to be the jacket. Taken outside, under cloudy skies on D750.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
Beautiful... Both model & Jacket. Bravo!!.............RJM
Apr 18, 2020 10:28:26 #
Apr 18, 2020 11:00:41 #
E.L.Shapiro. What a fine critique... and how nicely you phrased it. Your points are valid. Thank you (and thank your spies for bringing this to your attention).
Apr 18, 2020 11:02:18 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
UHH has several specialty sections that can help with details and lighting. Here are two:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-127-1.html
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-126-1.html
.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-127-1.html
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-126-1.html
.
Thank you for the references, Linda. He already gave me what I need.
Apr 18, 2020 12:48:23 #
photog11 wrote:
My wife made a jacket for an Art Deco themed party. The party was cancelled due to the covid-19 shelter-in-place rules. The focus of these photos was to be the jacket. Taken outside, under cloudy skies on D750.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
How better to show off the jacket? I used on camera flash for fill, and it left sharp highlights in her eyes.
Very nice work. She's got real skill. Thanks for sharing your gifts.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.