Staff Photos (Page 2): In regards to your second question - have you tried gels on the back light. I think since you have the white backdrop gels might be a good way to change the...

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

wayne-03 wrote:

Thar’s what I was trying to do with my drawing and... (show quote)

In regards to your second question - have you tried gels on the back light. I think since you have the white backdrop gels might be a good way to change the background color. Re; hair light a long rectangular softbox with grid and a bounce on the other side may work better than a snoot or other hair light. Black on black will always be an issue though. Last - Have dark complexion/hair subject wear lighter clothes for photographs. I find bright colors work best.

wayne-03 Loc: Minnesota

Custom white balance with a 24" gray card,

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

You did well Wayne. Thanks for the lighting diagram and explanation.

Don

wayne-03 Loc: Minnesota

DanielB wrote:

In regards to your second question - have you tried gels on the back light. I think since you have the white backdrop gels might be a good way to change the background color. Re; hair light a long rectangular softbox with grid and a bounce on the other side may work better than a snoot or other hair light. Black on black will always be an issue though. Last - Have dark complexion/hair subject wear lighter clothes for photographs. I find bright colors work best.

I have used colored gels, but using colored gels on this shot was not an option. I had no control over wardrobe in this case. I like to use colored gels on gray or black. Just a spot behind the subject that fades off to the gray or black.

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

This is lovely work and I hope everyone studies it. The setup is classic going back to the 30's. Regardless, it has withstood the test of time. Just out of curiosity, what post-processing might have you done?

wayne-03 Loc: Minnesota

Everything gets a slight color adjustment, open up the shadow areas and light sharping.

For men, I remove all non-permanent blemishes, stray hairs, things like that.

For women, all of the above and frequency separation to smooth the skin if they want it.

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

wayne-03 wrote:

Everything gets a slight color adjustment, open up the shadow areas and light sharping.

For men, I remove all non-permanent blemishes, stray hairs, things like that.

For women, all of the above and frequency separation to smooth the skin if they want it.

A world of difference. Very nice. Thanks for posting. How about a lesson on frequency separation.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

Fabulous wayne! One of the most informative post I've seen in this section...
You are a gentleman and a wonderful attribute to the People Photography Forum...
Please keep up the good work!

As for "using a black background and one of the staff members was a very dark complected young lady with long jet-black hair and a black blouse...How did you deal with such situations?"

With women of color I will go for "Lustrous Skin" or "Sheen" rather than shadows to induce depth and dimension... Albeit since I'm a makeup artist I use product which produces lustrous skin tones...

Best advice? Go to a MAC store and ask for a bottle of "Fix Plus" spray... It's like magic!
https://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13825/32212/products/skincare/primers/prep-prime-fix

Or better yet, collaborate with a Makeup Artist in your market...
Your work is stellar and you should have no issues finding MUA's to work with (for trade)

Below is an example... Hope this helps...

Stunning Senya Dorker (Miss Guinea USA)... Here lusterous sheen provides depth...

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Thomas902 wrote:

Fabulous wayne! One of the most informative post I... (show quote)

Wonderful picture. Thanks for posting. I would like to see her before and after spray. I used to work in the personal care products industry so could not resist reading the label ingredients statement.

Ingredients: Water\Aqua\Eau, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caffeine, Panthenol, Arginine, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol <ILN33369>

A lot of crap in there. Probably all you need is water and glycerin at about 10%. Caffeine! Give me a break. This is like misting flowers. A little bit of water goes a long way to making a better picture.

wayne-03 Loc: Minnesota

Thomas902 wrote:

Fabulous wayne! One of the most informative post I... (show quote)

Thank you, seems like I learn something new on every shoot. I was really talking fast while I was trying to come up with a solution.

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

wayne-03 wrote:

Thank you, seems like I learn something new on every shoot. I was really talking fast while I was trying to come up with a solution.

What do you mean by lighting adjustment? This is a good example of how to compare pictures.

wayne-03 Loc: Minnesota

abc1234 wrote:

What do you mean by lighting adjustment? This is a good example of how to compare pictures.

It’s like using a reflector, if you want to lighten the shadows you use a white or silver reflector, if you want to darken the shadows you use a black reflector. For portraits of people with dark completions you need more light. It’s like a hair light, for someone who has very light-colored hair or is bald you might not use a hair light at all, for some one with very dark hair you would use more power in your hair light than you would for someone with blond hair. I had no control over wardrobe here so when this young lady showed up, dark completion, black hair, black blouse, against my black back ground I kind of panicked. It tock me a couple of tries to adjust my hair and main light and I had to put more light on the background to separate her from the background.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"...Caffeine! Give me a break..." abc1234 Caffeine is actually an antagonist of the α-2 adrenergic receptor... Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519490/

Caffeine, when applied topically through masks and other skin care treatments, constricts the blood vessels and helps reduce inflammation and puffiness. It also tightens and brightens the skin, reducing wrinkles and visibly smoothing skin texture.

Oh, btw, I'm currently tutoring a nursing student who's studying for her CCRN Exam (Critical Care) She is just coming up on two years in her hospital's ICU ward... Covid was a horrific challenge for her...

Yep as a Chem Major at the U of MD I did course work in BIO Chemistry... finally getting to use it a lot in real time now...

btw, you are indeed correct abd1234 water and glycerin are a mainstay for Physique Models... i.e. body builders.and such... However they are using a much higher concentration of glycerin than in Fix Plus. I do a lot of runway shows and trust me, Fix Plus is a staple of the Catwalk... I hold a Cosmetology License from the State of Maryland in Makeup Artistry... And nearly half of the requirements were focused on issues of dermatology... we had to know all the major health care issues involving the skin... Cosmetologist work with the Epidermis well Dermatologist work on Dermis...

Below is a colleague who works the Catwalks of NYC Fashion Week... she's a breathtaking 6 foot tall Ethiopian Fashion Model and happens to be one of my neighbors... small world... Not only are Ethiopian long distance runners the most elite in the world... Ethiopian Fashion Models are considered by those in the fashion industry to have the most beautiful bone structures of all... Hands down!

Hope this helps to clarify... all the best on your epic journey abc1234!
Cheers... Thomas

Ethiopian Fashion Model... Large Softbox with Kickers for separation

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Thomas902 wrote:

"...Caffeine! Give me a break..." abc123... (show quote)

Another stunning picture. My only reservation is that the skin looks too good. However, the lighting is marvelous and makes her look like a knock out in more ways than one.

As for the chemistry, I stand my ground. If someone wants to claim that caffeine and some of those other ingredients work in this specific case, then let them prove it. Products like this are made as much on the desks of marketers as they are on the benches of laboratory chemists.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

wayne-03 wrote:

It’s like using a reflector, if you want to lighte... (show quote)

Thank you for your explanation and saving the portrait. This is why portrait photographers can produce such outstanding results.