Happy Passover Mitchel-
We celebrated this year (our second time) and hosted a huge gathering at our house.... (even though we are gentiles...lol) Gotta love that matso caramel crunch and coconut macaroons! That stuff is too good and dangerous to have nearby....
Your photo is gorgeous.... and your kids are just as darling as can be. I love that light.
This is a really nice family group shot. You'll always be happy to have it.
You can improve it quite a bit in post. You'd like the flesh to be less magenta and more yellow. Easy enough to fix. See this old thread. You'd like to bring out more facial detail and compensate for the slight OE. See this old thread. I know that at first both may seem daunting, but with a little practice, it will become natural. This took me about a minute.
Can you remind me, which direction does your garage open, and what time of day do you usually shoot there?
Thanks, Elaine.
My garage faces south. The ideal would be a north facing garage. Here in Florida, the sun is quite bright. I prefer to shoot in the morning hours, though I have taken some shots in late afternoon. This shot was taken at 6pm. I wind up with squinty faces in the middle of the day.
My wife gives me a strange look when I ask to move to a house with a North facing garage.
Happy Passover Mitchel-
We celebrated this year (our second time) and hosted a huge gathering at our house.... (even though we are gentiles...lol) Gotta love that matso caramel crunch and coconut macaroons! That stuff is too good and dangerous to have nearby....
Your photo is gorgeous.... and your kids are just as darling as can be. I love that light.
Thanks, Heather. I also enjoy those passover treats, but by the end of 8 days I'm craving a piece of bread!:D
This is a really nice family group shot. You'll always be happy to have it.
You can improve it quite a bit in post. You'd like the flesh to be less magenta and more yellow. Easy enough to fix. See this old thread. You'd like to bring out more facial detail and compensate for the slight OE. See this old thread. I know that at first both may seem daunting, but with a little practice, it will become natural. This took me about a minute.
Thanks for taking the time to do this.
I wrestle with the PP on these garage shots. The light gives the effect of a giant softbox. This can leave the facial features very soft and without much detail. On the one had, I like the effect of this broad soft light. Yet at other times, I agree, I could be adding some facial detail back in pp.
I wrestle with the PP on these garage shots. The light gives the effect of a giant softbox. This can leave the facial features very soft and without much detail. On the one had, I like the effect of this broad soft light. Yet at other times, I agree, I could be adding some facial detail back in pp.
To each his own!
You don't have to take it as far as I did. It's not one or the other, but it's good to get the steps under control so you can pick or choose.
The yellow vs magenta flesh tone issue is sort of a no-brainer. Even if you don't see it on a computer monitor (even a calibrated one), you will see it in prints and it won't be good. Once you see the corrected version you will prefer it even on a monitor. So learn to check for it and correct it in almost every portrait. When you decide not to correct, know why. Trust me on this.
Use the green channel for luminosity. Brings out detail in flat or OE faces.
Heighten color and contrast.
High radius low amount USM to bring out large facial detail and enhance an overall sense of sharpness.
Off hand, I'd say it's worth learning each step and deciding how much of it to use. Once you learn to do it properly (which usually means lower amount than you might have thought), 3 is almost always a win. 1 is also almost always winning when faces are flat or OE. 2 is more a matter of taste.
You can try stacking mine on top of yours and playing with the opacity. Try changing to luminosity or color blends to see what each one adds/subtracts. Try asking the subjects and their mother what they think.
I do think that your header may be one of the best subect lines I've read in a while (even funnier since I had a good idea exactly what the shot would be before I even opened it!)
It's another of your lovely shots, but what I find particularly moving about this one is the easy way that your littlest is sitting on big sis's lap, and how entirely natural and relaxed Steph looks to be holding her - no (visible!) sibling tension there, just a good shot of a really nice group of kids. It's adorable!
I NEED a garage!!! Love the family shot Mitchell and the bright Florida colors. Your kids all have great smiles! As far as the big softbox thing...I like that... I did recently learn though that if you just duplicate the layer and change that layer to soft light then lower the opacity that it makes a huge difference in adding some shadow detail and making the photo's pop when you want them to. Really easy fix. Thank Ladytx for that info! Happy Passover. Hope you enjoyed your Seder. I love matzoh balls! though I could do without the gefilte fish
Snady :thumb
my money well spent
Nikon D4, D3s, D3, D700, Nikkor 24-70, 70-200 2.8 vrII, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 105mm macro, sigma fisheye, SB 800's and lots of other goodies!
Comments
Can you remind me, which direction does your garage open, and what time of day do you usually shoot there?
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
My Images | My Lessons Learned and Other Adventures
Jeff
-Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
-My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
Thanks for sharing your beautiful light ....and the smiles
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
Man, I've got to finish cleaning out my garage!
We celebrated this year (our second time) and hosted a huge gathering at our house.... (even though we are gentiles...lol) Gotta love that matso caramel crunch and coconut macaroons! That stuff is too good and dangerous to have nearby....
Your photo is gorgeous.... and your kids are just as darling as can be. I love that light.
You can improve it quite a bit in post. You'd like the flesh to be less magenta and more yellow. Easy enough to fix. See this old thread. You'd like to bring out more facial detail and compensate for the slight OE. See this old thread. I know that at first both may seem daunting, but with a little practice, it will become natural. This took me about a minute.
Thanks, Elaine.
My garage faces south. The ideal would be a north facing garage. Here in Florida, the sun is quite bright. I prefer to shoot in the morning hours, though I have taken some shots in late afternoon. This shot was taken at 6pm. I wind up with squinty faces in the middle of the day.
My wife gives me a strange look when I ask to move to a house with a North facing garage.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Thanks, Heather. I also enjoy those passover treats, but by the end of 8 days I'm craving a piece of bread!:D
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Thanks for taking the time to do this.
I wrestle with the PP on these garage shots. The light gives the effect of a giant softbox. This can leave the facial features very soft and without much detail. On the one had, I like the effect of this broad soft light. Yet at other times, I agree, I could be adding some facial detail back in pp.
To each his own!
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
You don't have to take it as far as I did. It's not one or the other, but it's good to get the steps under control so you can pick or choose.
The yellow vs magenta flesh tone issue is sort of a no-brainer. Even if you don't see it on a computer monitor (even a calibrated one), you will see it in prints and it won't be good. Once you see the corrected version you will prefer it even on a monitor. So learn to check for it and correct it in almost every portrait. When you decide not to correct, know why. Trust me on this.
The second bunch of steps comprise the Dan Margulis Portrait Technique. Roughly:
Off hand, I'd say it's worth learning each step and deciding how much of it to use. Once you learn to do it properly (which usually means lower amount than you might have thought), 3 is almost always a win. 1 is also almost always winning when faces are flat or OE. 2 is more a matter of taste.
You can try stacking mine on top of yours and playing with the opacity. Try changing to luminosity or color blends to see what each one adds/subtracts. Try asking the subjects and their mother what they think.
It's another of your lovely shots, but what I find particularly moving about this one is the easy way that your littlest is sitting on big sis's lap, and how entirely natural and relaxed Steph looks to be holding her - no (visible!) sibling tension there, just a good shot of a really nice group of kids. It's adorable!
Happy Passover to you and your beautiful family!