More headshots = more practice

Mike J

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in and given me pointers on my first headshot thread (http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=163170)
I was forced to simplify for these because I could not trigger my Vivitar 283 with the Cactus. So...I practiced with a one-light and a reflector set-up

Here's the setup:

• SB-800 camera right shot-through a 43" umbrella. In manual mode and triggered with the Cactus. It amazes me how much I have to dial down the flash. Plenty of power.

• All with the 85 f/1.4

• Reflector at camera left at her waist to fill the shadows.

Main goal was to eliminate the shadows under the eyes I had on my first round of practice.

I burned out the younger two practicing the day before so big sister had to be recruited (Proud papa moment - she is going to do her Jr year of high school as a Rotary exchange student in Ecuador!).

Any comments/critiques would be most welcome. As I mentioned before, I've spent most of my time outside shooting sports.

#1


#2


#3


#4

Swartzy

The lighting is all pretty good and even...if that's what you're after. They look just a tad underexposed and lack a bit of pop...but again, if that is the look you were going for then mission accomplished. A suggestion: stop that lens down. The idea of a head shot with one eye out of focus due to no DOF has never made sense to me. Don't be concerned with blurring the bg.....a headshot with both eyes in focus makes a better impact IMHO. BG blur is easy to do...just pull your subject out away from it by 6 feet, zoom in, stop down to f/8 and shoot. They'll be perfectly sharp and the bg will blend OOF.

adbsgicom

Kudo's on some very nice shots. #2 is really lovely!!
Congratulations to her on the trip to Ecuador, I'm sure it will be a memorable experience.

Mike J

Swartzy wrote:

The lighting is all pretty good and even...if that's what you're after. They look just a tad underexposed and lack a bit of pop...but again, if that is the look you were going for then mission accomplished. A suggestion: stop that lens down. The idea of a head shot with one eye out of focus due to no DOF has never made sense to me. Don't be concerned with blurring the bg.....a headshot with both eyes in focus makes a better impact IMHO. BG blur is easy to do...just pull your subject out away from it by 6 feet, zoom in, stop down to f/8 and shoot. They'll be perfectly sharp and the bg will blend OOF.

Hey Swartzy - thanks for taking a look and your advice. My only real goal of this lighting exercise was to play with the positions of the light/reflector to get rid of under-eye shadows and eliminate the raccoon eyes. Lighting ratios will wait for another day...It is so easier to understand this stuff conceptually but much harder to actually put it all in place.

Good call on the exposures. Looks like most were at 1/3 stop underexposed. Trying to learn to use the lightmeter and trust it.

On the DOF, the last shot was at f/2.0. The others were at f/4.0. I'll try stopping it down some more to see what I like.

Here is the 1st one reworked with a little more PP on it. Right direction or no?

Mike J

adbsgicom wrote:

Kudo's on some very nice shots. #2 is really lovely!!
Congratulations to her on the trip to Ecuador, I'm sure it will be a memorable experience.

Thanks Andrew. I really like the 2nd one too. Now if I can only add in a hair light...

She is so excited about Ecuador. She'll leave in Aug and be gone for 10 months.

D'Buggs

Vast improvement over your 1st spread; don't ya agree?


I really like #2 and if it were mine, I'd try a tighter crop by pulling down on the top left corner, letting the hair become the frame (maybe). Then I'd 'play' with it some more. I also like the path that #1 is on.

The two light source did you pretty well in these whereas in the *other* set, the 3rd pretty much killed it.


You're right; you don't need a ton of power for simple portraiture to become, *nice* portraiture. Posing and light placement are the key's.

D'Buggs

Oh, 1 thing......... These do look a tad under expo'd. They all also look a smidge soft and I know that the lens you used, should be tack sharp.

Mike J

D'Buggs wrote:

Vast improvement over your 1st spread; don't ya agree?


I really like #2 and if it were mine, I'd try a tighter crop by pulling down on the top left corner, letting the hair become the frame (maybe). Then I'd 'play' with it some more. I also like the path that #1 is on.

The two light source did you pretty well in these whereas in the *other* set, the 3rd pretty much killed it.


You're right; you don't need a ton of power for simple portraiture to become, *nice* portraiture. Posing and light placement are the key's.

I do agree. Keeping things simple helped out and allowed me to play more easily with the fill.
My wife really likes #2 as well so I'm obligated to play with it some more

D'Buggs

d'lete.