Trying to like shadows...beware self portraits of middle aged chick..:)

WingsOfLovePhoto

Everybody seems to think I should like shadow more to get more drama in my portraits. So in my boredom today I tried my hand at self portraits (only because I couldn't find another subject...I am not photogenic at all...that's why I am the photographer!) I tried moving the lights and reflectors around a bit. The last photo was done for my real estate business card. What do you think? How'd I do??

Hackbone

Sandy, you are very photogenic. You have broad lite most of your photos and that is one way to make you face wider, ( not flattering at all). You light should come over the shoulder that is closest to the camera then turn you head toward it. (more femine, these are general rules)

Look at the first print then at the last and look how you are separated from the background. That is a good thing as they say. Try to get light on your bkg or light your subject slight from behind with a kicker to get more separation.

Swartzy

Hackbone wrote:

Sandy, you are very photogenic. You have broad lite most of your photos and that is one way to make you face wider, ( not flattering at all). You light should come over the shoulder that is closest to the camera then turn you head toward it. (more femine, these are general rules)

Look at the first print then at the last and look how you are separated from the background. That is a good thing as they say. Try to get light on your bkg or light your subject slight from behind with a kicker to get more separation.

Completely. Short lighting will help tremendously...and yes, Sandy, you are quite photogenic....You'd be a joy to photograph. I do like your poses, sharpness, and processing.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Thanks for the info. Don't know that it will help though cause I do have a round face! That's just me.... So where do I position the lights I have based on these kinds of poses? I have the big softbox to camera right , a rigid reflector to camera left and a strip light from the back corner as a hair light. I decided not to use the background light.

sweet caroline

You're beautiful! I would not have guessed "middle-aged", unless it begins younger than I think, in which case I may be in trouble.

Caroline

Hackbone

Turn your softbox horizontal and put it out in front of your subject so the light wraps around. The back edge might be about 6"behind your subject. Get it as close to the subject as you can. The bigger and closer the light the softer it gets. The reflector should be out in front and not next to and on the side of the subject. Stand at subject position and look at the reflector and see if you can see the main light, if not move it till you can. You may move it in and out to adjust the shadows as you like. Do the same with you rim light and try to keep in behind and on the same side as your main. (just a starting point)

Cygnus Studios

sweet caroline wrote:

I would not have guessed "middle-aged", unless it begins younger than I think, in which case I may be in trouble.

I believe that I am already in trouble

What I have found works best, is hanging the lightbox above and behind the subject giving more light to the background. A soft bounced light coming in from the right (subjects left) about 6 feet in front of the subject.
Have the subject turn their head towards the light and angle the face down just a tad.

Scott_Quier

sweet caroline wrote:

You're beautiful! I would not have guessed "middle-aged", unless it begins younger than I think, in which case I may be in trouble.

Caroline

At the risk of being banned for not talking about photography .... Caroline, you have nothing to fear and you know it.

OK, back OT - Take a look at the light in the first photo. See how it lights the side of your face further from the camera. This causes your face to look more oval rather than round. That's going to flatter 99% of the people in the world. And, that's one reason why that first photo works so very well. It doesn't hurt either that, IMO, it's the strongest photo of this set - just love it. The only nit I migh pick is that the focus is on the rose rather than on your face .... as Maxwell Smart would say, "You missed it by that much!":D Oooops, that might have been before your time! Sorry.

Hackbone

Cygnus Studios wrote:

I believe that I am already in trouble

What I have found works best, is hanging the lightbox above and behind the subject giving more light to the background. A soft bounced light coming in from the right (subjects left) about 6 feet in front of the subject.
Have the subject turn their head towards the light and angle the face down just a tad.

Steve, when the light box is more toward the rear of the subject the light becomes more harsh and the shadow edge gets stronger. Try taking three photos, one with the subject at the rear, then with the subject in the middle and then much more toward the front. The shadow lines becomes much more obvious.

Swartzy

Scott_Quier wrote:

At the risk of being banned for not talking about photography .... Caroline, you have nothing to fear and you know it.

OK, back OT - Take a look at the light in the first photo. See how it lights the side of your face further from the camera. This causes your face to look more oval rather than round. That's going to flatter 99% of the people in the world. And, that's one reason why that first photo works so very well. It doesn't hurt either that, IMO, it's the strongest photo of this set - just love it. The only nit I migh pick is that the focus is on the rose rather than on your face .... as Maxwell Smart would say, "You missed it by that much!":D Oooops, that might have been before your time! Sorry.

HA! And here I thought I was old rofl (unfortunately, I used to watch the series from it's inception)

WingsOfLovePhoto

sweet caroline wrote:

You're beautiful! I would not have guessed "middle-aged", unless it begins younger than I think, in which case I may be in trouble.

Caroline

Thanks for the flattery Caroline but if your profile age is true then you have nothing to worry about! My oldest son is 28 so I could be your mother??

WingsOfLovePhoto

Scott_Quier wrote:

At the risk of being banned for not talking about photography .... Caroline, you have nothing to fear and you know it.

OK, back OT - Take a look at the light in the first photo. See how it lights the side of your face further from the camera. This causes your face to look more oval rather than round. That's going to flatter 99% of the people in the world. And, that's one reason why that first photo works so very well. It doesn't hurt either that, IMO, it's the strongest photo of this set - just love it. The only nit I migh pick is that the focus is on the rose rather than on your face .... as Maxwell Smart would say, "You missed it by that much!":D Oooops, that might have been before your time! Sorry.

I just did another set trying out all these ideas, going to post in a bit. I even redid the rose picture with a real rose and tried to focus better but I am using the self timer and having to focus on a stuffed cow's horns so it's a little hit or miss. And... I loved Maxwell Smart. Watched it all the time. Loved the phone in the shoe. Do you think that that was what made somebody discover a portable phone? Oh the joys of aging...... remembering when there were no cell phones and my favorite form of communicating was on a CB radio. 10-4 ...

Scott_Quier

Swartzy wrote:

HA! And here I thought I was old (unfortunately, I used to watch the series from it's inception)

You might be. But, you're not alone!

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Loved the phone in the shoe. Do you think that that was what made somebody discover a portable phone?

Nope. I think you really need to energize the gray cells and recall the old "Dick Tracy" comic strips. Remember he had the video phone on the wrist?

sweet caroline

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Thanks for the flattery Caroline but if your profile age is true then you have nothing to worry about! My oldest son is 28 so I could be your mother??

That's ridiculous! You do not look old enough to have a son close to my age!

Sorry I'm not so much giving critique on these photos. You're getting such good advice from others. Self portraits are very difficult, and this is a nice set.

Caroline

Scott_Quier

sweet caroline wrote:

That's ridiculous! You do not look old enough to have a son close to my age!

Sorry I'm not so much giving critique on these photos. You're getting such good advice from others. Self portraits are very difficult, and this is a nice set.

Caroline

- but she lists her age as 45 in her profile. I'm a touch older than that and have 28 year old son (in Iraq at the moment).

sweet caroline

Scott_Quier wrote:

- but she lists her age as 45 in her profile. I'm a touch older than that and have 28 year old son (in Iraq at the moment).

Well, I guess I'll have a 27 year old when I'm 45. I'm not trying to flatter, I just think she looks younger:) Maybe having kids young keeps us looking young! I'm actually pretty excited that mine will be out of the house by the time I'm 41. I know I'll miss them, but I look forward to time with my husband.

Any idea when your son will get to head home? I can't imagine having a child so far away, and under those circumstances.

Caroline

marikris

I think this set is fantastic! I always find self portraits very vexing myself, but these are great.

(PS. You guys are so young!!! My dad's turning 68 this year and I'm a month shy of 27. I always wondered how it'd been different had he had us at a younger age -_- When I got into trouble growing up, he'd tell me how hard they had it during WW2. He was the youngest of his siblings lol.)

WingsOfLovePhoto

Scott_Quier wrote:

- but she lists her age as 45 in her profile. I'm a touch older than that and have 28 year old son (in Iraq at the moment).

46 in 2 weeks (middle aged right?) and the son will be 28 right after that That must be tough to have your son in Iraq but you must be sooo proud of him for doing so. I just married my son off recently....... but he only lives down the road....

sweetcaroline wrote:

Well, I guess I'll have a 27 year old when I'm 45. I'm not trying to flatter, I just think she looks younger:) Maybe having kids young keeps us looking young! I'm actually pretty excited that mine will be out of the house by the time I'm 41. I know I'll miss them, but I look forward to time with my husband.

It is good to have the kids young. I couldn't imagine having toddlers right now like some of my friends do. But don't kid yourself about them moving out! my 2 others moved out then came right back! I was looking forward to an empty nest :cry

Here are a few more I did after I started the thread and looking at short lighting pictures. Are they any better? Oh and I decided that hair lights are not a good thing when you have gray roots! and please ignore the cow. I needed him a guide for focus and didn't have time to get him out of the way

divamum

sweet caroline wrote:

You're beautiful! I would not have guessed "middle-aged"

What she said!!!!!

divamum

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

LOVE this one! You might want to soften the skin just a tad in the v neck, but other than that I think this one is a real keeper. And any more from you, young lady, about "not photogenic" and it's going to be lashings with one of the wet noodle icons!!!

Scott_Quier

Sandy - it makes it easier for us to talk about photos if they are numbered

About my son - He's a 1LT, will probably make CAPT before the end of the year. And, yes .... it's a little tough with him over there. Communications are a problem so we hear from him about once a month. Part of that is his reluctance (or his propensity to be distracted) to sit down and write an e-mail. But he's safe right now - the company is "grasping at straws trying to look busy". Rumor has it that he'll be coming homw anytime between the end of June or as late as August. But, he's not home until he plants his boots on the tarmac at the airport.

OK, back OT

Of the last group, the one with the rose is the clear winner for me. But, that may be because I love intimate photos and that on certainly qualifies. And, the focus appears to be spot on!!. I think I would burn down the brightness (but just a little bit) of both the rose and the skin of your upper chest - they slightly distract from your beautiful face and wonderful eyes!

WingsOfLovePhoto

divamum wrote:

LOVE this one! You might want to soften the skin just a tad in the v neck, but other than that I think this one is a real keeper. And any more from you, young lady, about "not photogenic" and it's going to be lashings with one of the wet noodle icons!!!

Thanks very much Diva, I hadn't noticed the cleavage thing! I will have to fix that definately.... I actually am trying to become photogenic as I work through this lighting process. I realized recently that if I died tomorrow that there wouldn't be a single recent picture of me to put with my obituary as I am always behind the camera. Now at least I have a few....

WingsOfLovePhoto

Scott_Quier wrote:

Sandy - it makes it easier for us to talk about photos if they are numbered

About my son - He's a 1LT, will probably make CAPT before the end of the year. And, yes .... it's a little tough with him over there. Communications are a problem so we hear from him about once a month. Part of that is his reluctance (or his propensity to be distracted) to sit down and write an e-mail. But he's safe right now - the company is "grasping at straws trying to look busy". Rumor has it that he'll be coming homw anytime between the end of June or as late as August. But, he's not home until he plants his boots on the tarmac at the airport.

OK, back OT

Of the last group, the one with the rose is the clear winner for me. But, that may be because I love intimate photos and that on certainly qualifies. And, the focus appears to be spot on!!. I think I would burn down the brightness (but just a little bit) of both the rose and the skin of your upper chest - they slightly distract from your beautiful face and wonderful eyes!

I hope your Son does get to come home in the summer.... I know some others overthere. Some even communicate on facebook everyday! Not so busy these days.....

Thanks for the suggestions on the last group. Just curious though... with the first one(in the black)...would that be more defined as short lighting? In comparison to the pictures I did in the red? Because I didn't change the lights too much in that...just my position to them.....

Scott_Quier

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

I hope your Son does get to come home in the summer.... I know some others overthere. Some even communicate on facebook everyday! Not so busy these days.....

Thanks for the suggestions on the last group. Just curious though... with the first one(in the black)...would that be more defined as short lighting? In comparison to the pictures I did in the red? Because I didn't change the lights too much in that...just my position to them.....

Thanks...

And, no, that's loop lighting. Try google(ing) the following to give you a leg up on all this.

• Loop Lighting
• Rembrandt Lighting
• Butterfly Lighting
• Cross Lighting

Hackbone

Hope you don't mind that I played with this abit. A little eye, hair and slight reworking.

Hackbone

Sorry, wrong one.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Hackbone wrote:

Sorry, wrong one.

I never mind! Thank you!... What were your processes if I might ask??

Hackbone

A levels adjustment, always raise the black point some, dodge and burn or hair then reinforced highlights in eyes with the dodge tool set to hightlight and then set dodge tool to midtones and swipe iris and whites.l

Ed911

Hackbone wrote:

A levels adjustment, always raise the black point some, dodge and burn or hair then reinforced highlights in eyes with the dodge tool set to hightlight and then set dodge tool to midtones and swipe iris and whites.l

Nice job on the eyes...you don't realize how much they are hidden until you processed them. That is the same basic work flow that I use.

Ed911

Sorry that it took me a while to get back to this...been busy. I too pulled your original image and retouched it. Here's my take. I removed any of what I thought were distractions so that the focus is on your face. I also cropped the original image just to see how it would look. Hope you don't mind the retouch.

Trevlan

The apple didn't fall far from the tree. You look great in all of these shots. Great job!