Looking for Feedback <PLEASE CRITIQUE>

Photometric

Recently did a bunch of headshots for a High School play. Please provide candid feedback. I know the lighting is a little flat and uninteresting, but I was given direction on clear images so the actors/actresses are recognizable.

b08rsa

Would have been nice to get some hair highlight. Like you said lighting is a little flat, so I think you know what to work on.

Aspecto5

I think it could use i little bit more fill flash and then the background blown out. With a Bee, you should have no problem with that. I would still call that simple for what they're asking for.

Photometric

Thanks for the feedback.

I had to shoot these at the school in a hallway so I had to deal with some spillage from the fluorescent lighting of the school while setting up the backdrop, bee and a reflector.
If I may ask a couple of questions:

Hairlight, what is an acceptable means of generating that? What type of modifier is best used for that, is it a softbox of maybe a honeycomb?

Also, the one issue I had was that the client wanted things kept very simple in terms of the shot as the previous photographer wasn't asked back because they got too "Creative".

reyvee61

Well that's a change then eh.....
Keeping it simple...maybe his or her rates where too high as well?

Hairlights can be harsh direct lighting or even a snoot with a grid....

Mitchell

I think this shot is a bit underexposed and needs some more contrast.

divamum

You say it was in a hallway.... but sometimes hallways can produce gorrrgeous lighting, eg:



This is a college hallway. Granted, it has HUGE windows and thus gorgeous natural light... on one side (on the other side of the courtyard it's just a normal college hallway with fluorescents and white walls). That's the doorway behind her - the difference in light temps between the light through the windows and the shade outside the door makes for the blue colour in the background. So, scout around - there may be hidden gems!

Were these for lobby cards, or to give the kids useable headshots? For lobbycards, the plain bg look you have is a very typical style. But if these were for headshots the actors could use for submissions etc, you can be a little more adventourous with backgrounds etc - check out www.reproductions.com (enter an east coast zipcode to link to NYC photographers, a west coast zipcode to get to the LA gallery) and they have a directory of linkouts to dozens of headshot photographers' galleries; it's great to peruse to get a feel for current trends.

I agree with Mitchell that it could use brightening and a bit more contrast; did you use on-board flash? The small, central catclight suggests perhaps. Even if you only have onboard flash, you can bounce it off a neutral-coloured wall - or even onto a reflector - to make the light a little more directional. Balance it with a reflector on the other side of the subject to fill in any shadows and keep it within the bounds of what one expects for headshots (which usually do avoid "dramatic" lighting, but don't have to be prairie flat - again, look through the reproductions linkouts for lots of examples).

HTH!

FotobyMoMo

Did SOMEBODY say hallway??? :ivar

I saw a girl standing by the hallway once (Sorry to put dual pictures, this was the only one saved in my flickr it was just before and after skin smoothing)

OK as for your your pic, I just think her face is a little underexposed, very little. But the thing that bugs me more is that the light is a bit flat too. I think if u threw in some more light from your left about 2ft above her face it'd be nice. Good job, pretty model.

Photometric

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Diva, you are correct, it is a lobbycard.

Reyv, the prior photographer was a volunteer, but insisted on doing some effects on the shots that are not appropriate for the standard lobbycard.

I was showing the image as it came out of the camera.

Final is here:

zoomer

Bring up the exposure and it should be fine.

Hackbone

Not a bad shot just bring up the exposure as Zoomer stated and try raising the black point. Also try not to shoot into the shoulder. A rim light would add a more dramatic lighting.

Sam

Mitchell wrote: »

I think this shot is a bit underexposed and needs some more contrast.

I agree, and (could just be me but) the watermark right in the middle of the image really turns me off and disrupts my ability to take in the image as a whole and evaluate it without bias.

Sam

Hackbone

Sam, good point there on the watermark but some of the public does not believe in copyright. They will reproduce your image at the drop of a hat and some even enlarge the print with the logo on it and are happy with that.

divamum

Final version soooo much better Other than previously-mentioned brightness/exposure comments, only difference I might have made would have been to close in the crop a bit (esp at the top), but that's just personal taste. It looks good for its intended purpose, ie lobbycard.

Photometric

I tried a watermark on the edge, but found out people just take the image and crop it out. I know the really advanced PS people can just clone it out, but it still stops the 90% who don't know PS.

I'll work on getting better exposure during shoot and deal with contrast in pp.

Been doing my 'homework' test shoots at home as well, it's most definitely an art and like art, requires practice.