scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

I haven't seen any posts from others here in a while. I know that I'm not so good that I'm intimidating some of you! So, let's see more of your work, I need to learn from you.

This image is another resulting from a photography class assignment. At one point my instructor said that I have an interesting face and that's why she likes to use me as a model in class from time to time. Well, people use to say that I was good looking, now, in my elderly years I'm called interesting! Yikes! In any event over time, I've decided to embrace my face and use it as an example of light, shadow and texture.

I used two light sources for this image, an octobox high on camera left and a lower powered soft box at camera right. I converted the original color file to monochrome using Silver Efex.

(Download)

chuckrem Loc: Katy, Tx

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Thanks for posting. I would have not used the vignette and printed it a bit darker to avoid the blowout on the face.

Hip Coyote

I like this photo a lot...good pose. And you do have an interesting face! Like abc1234 wrote, I am not a fan of the vignette on this. I simply don't like white vignette on anything. My taste (of course personal preference) would be a dark vignette to really force the focus on you. Maybe brush the almost blown out highlights on your face a bit? Overall, I love the lighting and nearly everything about this shot.

I downloaded your shot, removed the vignette, lowered the highlights on the shiny parts of the face. I think it is more dramatic. IMO, it improves the shot. If you want me to upload, please advise.

Hip

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

I use a very slight dark vignette to draw the viewer's eyes to the subject. I use -10 to -25 in Lightroom. If you can see the vignette, then I used too much. This is different from historic photos where the poor coverage of the lens caused the vignetting or was the fashion of the day. I would like to see Hip's interpretation.

Hip Coyote

exactly.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Try SHORT lighting instead of broad lighting- see attached illustrations.

Yes. yo do have an interesting face and will make for a good porter subject but in this image, you have a porter of your EAR- that is where the emphasis is as per your lighting.

A 2/3 view of the mask of your face would be more effective.

You can do this kind of lighting with flash, continuous light, or natural (window light) With window light, sine g yo can usu move the wind you pace the subject into the existing lighting pattern. A window with a northern exposure skylight is best.

Vignette is best done by a natural fall of light toward the bottom of the composition. or the use of a camer-lens mount vignette. Such vignetters are commercially availed as bellows lens shades with vignetting inserts. You can also improve a simple vignetter- if you tell me which lens and focal length you are using, I can explain how to do that. Vignetting, after the fact in post-processing, can be applied but it has to be subtly and properly done.

I am an old guy and I specialize in photographing old guys. We mature males deserve great portraits- the more lines and wrinkles, the better. The od solder in the attached image told me that his face looks like a relief map of the Himalayas and he does not want any retouching - and no smiley pictures! Well, you don't argue with a WWII Tank Commander!

Keep up the good work, stay safe and healthy, and carry on!

PaulG Loc: Western Australia

Never been a fan of pale-edged vignettes but I really like this shot. And the cropping, to me, really makes this image. Good portraits can be notoriously tricky: I'm talking about ones that go beyond CEO publicity images. Your shot has so much mood and character, the angle, lighting, downward glance. It evokes rather than states; and that's its appeal. And the monochrome rendition is perfect.

scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

Thanks Ed, as usual you have posted a lot of solid advice, My photography instructor says I have an interesting face also (they use to say I had a good-looking face, now it's interesting)! I was trying for a dramatic B&W, emphasizing shadow and texture. But I see what you mean, I could have moved the light so that more of it was on my face and less of it my well illuminated ear! At that time I was experimenting with various vignetting styles both black and white. I guess I over did it for some of our contributors. But thanks for your comments and suggestions.