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Does Flat Lighting Work Here?

Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
edited March 31, 2012 in People
This was outdoor with a single reflector held directly overhead and angled down. Subject was on concrete which provided up fill. Kind of an outdoor clamshell I guess. Shot with a 105mm prime on a full frame sensor. 2.8 and 125

I was ambivalent about this shot when I first looked at it, but on second look it has grown on me somewhat. It does do nice things to her complexion, but is it too uninteresting because of no sideways direction?

7024387933_8b853f0d43_o.jpg
Pretty Teen Girl - Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr

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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    The light here is not really that flat..just doesn't have much sideways to it..it does appears to be coming mostly from the top. Up your black point by a couple of ticks I would say.
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    Thanks Mr. Qarik. I went back and kicked up the black point a touch and it does add a nice subtle difference.

    Thank you sir!
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    novicesnappernovicesnapper Registered Users Posts: 445 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    Haha, pulling myself away from a captivating image lol. I like how you highlighted those cheeks and DOF. Man, those eyes are deep lol. You could get lost in there lol.
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    It's funny how your own body reflected in her eyes almost makes her pupils vertical.

    Lighting is fine, imho, although I agree there is a hit of blandness/flatness - but nothing that a slight curve shift cannot fix.

    I have more problems with the tad-off-center framing than with the lighting.

    HTH
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    Nikolai wrote: »
    It's funny how your own body reflected in her eyes almost makes her pupils vertical.

    Lighting is fine, imho, although I agree there is a hit of blandness/flatness - but nothing that a slight curve shift cannot fix.

    I have more problems with the tad-off-center framing than with the lighting.

    HTH

    Ha..Laughing.gif...

    And here I went to great lengths to frame this shot so her left eye was directly at the intersection of thirds! :D
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    Bryce Wilson wrote: »
    Ha..Laughing.gif...

    And here I went to great lengths to frame this shot so her left eye was directly at the intersection of thirds! :D

    Rule of thirds rarely work for the paired/grouped objects/items ne_nau.gif. Should this be the case, you'd have to take the center of the group (which is the point *between* her eyes) and place it at a 1/3 line. deal.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2012
    Nikolai wrote: »
    It's funny how your own body reflected in her eyes almost makes her pupils vertical.

    Lighting is fine, imho, although I agree there is a hit of blandness/flatness - but nothing that a slight curve shift cannot fix.

    I have more problems with the tad-off-center framing than with the lighting.

    HTH
    Nikolai wrote: »
    Rule of thirds rarely work for the paired/grouped objects/items ne_nau.gif. Should this be the case, you'd have to take the center of the group (which is the point *between* her eyes) and place it at a 1/3 line. deal.gif

    Gotcha!thumb.gif Thanks!
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    Here is a re-work for your perusal.

    Is the peach outline on her chin from the reflection off her blouse bothersome?

    7032644745_f7d8e6074e_o.jpg
    Head Shot Pretty Black Teen Female by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr
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    divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    Actually, I would have cropped from the other side, I think -t his feels a bit centered to me ne_nau.gif

    That said, I do love this shot - I actually LIKE flat lighting, so works for me!! Pretty girl indeed thumb.gif
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    divamum wrote: »
    Actually, I would have cropped from the other side, I think -t his feels a bit centered to me ne_nau.gif

    That said, I do love this shot - I actually LIKE flat lighting, so works for me!! Pretty girl indeed thumb.gif


    Ya know, I tried that! GMTA??

    It would have worked for me if the top of her head would have been tilting slightly to the center of the frame. With her head position as it is, that crop looked as if she was falling out of the frame to me.
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    divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    So....er.... tilt it a bit? :D
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    Really can't. Shooting full frame I tend to shoot WYSIWYG and the original isn't loose enough to do the tilt.

    I have a feeling you'll like the crop on this one better.

    6886829750_85c7941a98_o.jpg
    Pretty Teen Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr
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    divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    I like that one as a frame-filler but, with deference to Nik, I think I like the original crop best ne_nau.gif

    It's a great shot no matter what - these are definitely "photographer nits"!!
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2012
    Bryce Wilson wrote: »
    Really can't. Shooting full frame I tend to shoot WYSIWYG and the original isn't loose enough to do the tilt.

    I have a feeling you'll like the crop on this one better.


    Pretty Teen Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr
    And I do :-)
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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