Expert help please portrait photography
Nov 23, 2011 23:22:32 #
Val wrote:
quote=skidooman They all look really nice. I agre... (show quote)
What he said she said!
You do have beautiful subjects Lucky you. We all are wishing we were there!!!
Nov 24, 2011 00:06:41 #
Very pretty models but poor backgrounds. Inside shots
mostly have plain black or white backing. Outdoor shots
have blurred backgrounds.
mostly have plain black or white backing. Outdoor shots
have blurred backgrounds.
Nov 24, 2011 00:26:06 #
Nov 24, 2011 20:37:16 #
ianhargraves1066 wrote:
quote=Dunatic Hi: I'm trying to improve my portr... (show quote)
Thank you Ian. I will try your suggestion. I've always wondered what F-stop is best for portraits. I'd try f5.6 or f4, depending upon the lens I used. I use my 70-200, I think that is the right lens a tele/zoom type lens? Is that better to use then the standard 50mm lens? Cheryl
Nov 24, 2011 20:45:42 #
skidooman wrote:
They all look really nice. I agree with the croppi... (show quote)
Thank you Ian and skidooman, now that it has been pointed out to me I do realize that the background is a bit busy. It's hard to know outdoors where to shoot. But you think if I blurred the background more say f4 or larger, it would be okay to shoot in the woods? Or is that a big "no no"? Sorry for all the questions. Cheryl
Nov 24, 2011 20:57:13 #
PalePictures wrote:
quote=Val quote=skidooman They all look really n... (show quote)
Palepictures, sorry don't know your name, I thank you for your feedback. I have seen the photos you did of your beautiful daughter. Nice to have good looking models to photograph and practice on. Cheryl
:wink:
Nov 24, 2011 21:28:15 #
very pretty girl , the shots are good as well.i agree here. a couple of the backgrounds r to relevent, shallow depth of field maybe? of course , if u need to use f/16, f/22 thats ur perogative
John Kenyon wrote:
She's a very pretty girl that you capture well, but I find all your backgrounds distract from what you want to achieve.
Nov 24, 2011 22:14:00 #
Yep. The more you can put the focus on your subject (because that is your goal here) and not the background the better. Using that 70-200 at f2.8 would look great.
Dunatic wrote:
quote=skidooman They all look really nice. I agre... (show quote)
Nov 24, 2011 23:33:13 #
Okay, here's my take. Flat lighting is very good with females, according to two of my instructors from PPSOP (Bobbi Lane and Kevin Focht, Google them). If you are going to use on-camera flash, get a good flash and a Gary Fong diffuser or perhaps a ring flash. They are awesome and not cumbersome. In that last picture with the trees in the background, why don't you try desaturating that green...
Nov 25, 2011 00:08:52 #
The middle two are the best. Two quick tips for portraits. 1. If it bends - bend it. Your first and last image have her head to straight, the other two are better because there are more bends, eg neck, hips, arms. 2. Your lighting is Flat. You should be lighting the mask of the face. The first two are very flat, the 3rd and 4th are a little better. The sides of the face should be shadowed more to give a roundness to the face.
If you are photographing outside, you can shoot without a flash by finding the direction of the light and having your subject face into it, while she is standing in open shade. If you use a flash, it should be used as fill light, not the main.
You have a good model that seems to have good self posing, let her have some fun and move a little.
If you are photographing outside, you can shoot without a flash by finding the direction of the light and having your subject face into it, while she is standing in open shade. If you use a flash, it should be used as fill light, not the main.
You have a good model that seems to have good self posing, let her have some fun and move a little.
Nov 25, 2011 01:33:16 #
JayT wrote:
The middle two are the best. Two quick tips for po... (show quote)
Jay, Mary and Frank: Thank you for your comments. I truly appreciate this information. I have a lot to comprehend here. I wish I could print these pages to reference to them. But, I do need to purchase a flash unit for my T3i because I only have the pop up flash on it. Need to be more aware of the background or when doing portraits make sure the background is more blurred out. Does this apply for full length photos as well or do you want like f16 on them, random question. Also, you do want to see a bit of a shadow to give depth to the subject. You all have been wonderful. I am attaching another photo I look this past summer while we were on vacation. Lorna has professional photographers for her model comp cards, but she practices poses with me. While I practice with her (lol). It's a good fit and nice to be able to spend time with my daughter. I hope to improve and post new photos. Cheryl
Lorna Side Shot - Minolta x700 SLR w on camera flash
Nov 25, 2011 08:53:27 #
How pretty. I've heard this lighting referred to as a Hollywood shot because you can see the shadow of her eyelashes on her cheek. Way back when Hollywood was glamorous, they did shots like that. It's really cool!
Nov 25, 2011 09:13:06 #
True, you can get away with flat lighting females. I too am a subscriber to PPSOP. Is it the preferred method above all else, not in my opinion. I stick to my guns with moving your flash off camera, diffuser or not.
Mary P wrote:
Okay, here's my take. Flat lighting is very good with females, according to two of my instructors from PPSOP (Bobbi Lane and Kevin Focht, Google them). If you are going to use on-camera flash, get a good flash and a Gary Fong diffuser or perhaps a ring flash. They are awesome and not cumbersome. In that last picture with the trees in the background, why don't you try desaturating that green...
Nov 25, 2011 11:18:46 #
Mary P wrote:
How pretty. I've heard this lighting referred to as a Hollywood shot because you can see the shadow of her eyelashes on her cheek. Way back when Hollywood was glamorous, they did shots like that. It's really cool!
Thank you. I did look through some magazines and she always looks and practices poses. She actually has a book of poses and clothing she likes. This one was her idea and I have several others like that. Until I get a flash unit for my Canon, I'm limited to that pop up flash and the reflector that I purchased. However, for this shot I used my Minolta with detachable flash (but it was on camera). I'm learning, but it gets confusing at times. Good thing she is available whenever I want to practice. I did this image in black and white too, just changed a setting on my computer, printed it and it won first place at our county fair. I'll post that photo. Cheryl
Lorna side shot in black and white
Nov 25, 2011 11:19:56 #
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