My first real model shoot

jasonstone

OK i wasn't really organised and he's not a pro model - but it was a strobist group meet in Bern (Switzerland) and he was modelling for us - so we had the chance.

Groups of people - so like 5 or 6 of us trying to shoot him - almost all at once so not really conducive to good balanced work.

However I think a couple turned out quite nice for my first real model shoot

Be interested in C&C to improve

1.


2.


3.


Take with D80, either 18-200 3.5-5.6 or 70-200 2.8 lenses and SB-800 gelled with 1/2 CTO (if i remember correctly)

#1 i had a friend hold a light stand out above the model so the gelled flash was shooting through an umbrella down on top of the model

Cheers
Jase

WolfOnDigital

Well done
Just open the face area where you still have some shadows and losing some detail.

But other then that a VERY good first shoot!




Jeff
From The Mind's Eye
www.JeffAlanWolf.smugmug.com



Be interested in C&C to improve

Hackbone

I really like #3. Good job. I'm not a big fan of looking up noses. Just my personal preference and watch out for the dark eye sockets in #1.

jasonstone

Thanks for the feedback
I'm going to have to try some more model shooting out i think - to practise but it sure was more fun than i thought it might be!

codiac2600

Very nice and it's good to see three different looks from the same subject. The only issue you have here is that with the three images you have three different skin tones... Great job regardless.

jasonstone

codiac2600 wrote:

Very nice and it's good to see three different looks from the same subject. The only issue you have here is that with the three images you have three different skin tones... Great job regardless.

Damn that is a REALLY good point and excellent feedback - that thought never crossed my mind

Is it acceptable when they're in different lighting conditions to show the skin tone differently?

e.g. in one they're in daylight, in the other dark shadows - with different warming gels on the flash is it acceptable then?

Also if you're going for a evening sun or warmer effect is it ok then?

Hadn't ever really thought about that one!

RBrogen

I think your subjects skin tone should reflect the lighting conditions but not to the extreme. In #2 I think the yellow jacket is also enhancing the yellow tones to the point of adversely affecting your subjects skin tone. I'd use a layer mask and reduce the yellow hue in the subjects skin. Great first run at it. Your subject has a hint of Don Johnson about him.

jasonstone

RBrogen wrote:

Your subject has a hint of Don Johnson about him.

Thanks Randy i'll give that a try
The lighting conditions were very very different so I think i'm going to go with some variation in skin tones as you say but will take a look at the yellows

He did have very warm skin - yellow/orange - naturally - so we didn't go full CTO on him otherwise he'd look like a bright carrot

As for the Don Johnson quote I never thought about it until you mentioned it and now I kinda see it

I'll have to tell him

Thanks for the feedback - and if anyone else can help me to improve I'm all ears

codiac2600

For a fashion shoot where the clothes are number one it's ok to push skin tones back and fourth as long as the outfit looks as realistic as possible to a certain extent and the person doesn't go well above or below the median (1/2 stop either way).

For model photos where the person is the subject more so than the clothes (selling the person and the look and less of the outfit) we need to stay within a small boundary of possible skin tones. This is in the best interest of a model looking for an an agency as it will give the agency a better idea of what the person looks like.

I usually try not push my top 3 or 4 images more than a 1/3 stop in either direction from a great facial exposure and also try to make sure the shadowing isn't too different between them.

In photo number 1 you're about 1/2 - full stop underexposed on the face which isn't bad, no rules about it, but the next photo you're spot on in the middle to 1/3 over exposed on the left cheek then the last photo is an even full stop underexposed on the face. A more pleasing result would be to expose no more than 1/3 stop in either direction between each image that way their is slight continuity in tonality. The same ideal applies to wedding images where we as photographers should be shooting for skin tones and not clothes. Brides don't notice white vs. white with detail in the dress in a 5X7 or 4X6.