My attempt at "studio" shot..

babowc

Recently bought an umbrella and a couple of stands, so I thought I'd try my go at a "studio" setting. :dunno

42" SB900 shoot through on camera right, 45*.
bare SB26 at full power on background.

ANY C&C welcome!

Model: My willing girlfriend



f5, 100 ISO, 1/30.
D800 + 70-200 VR2 on tripod.
Edited in LR4

System

That pink blob in the lower right corner needs to be removed. Also, her hands look odd. It could be the different skin tone or the fact that they are "disconnected" from the model.

babowc

I was also thinking the hands were a bit disconnected from the body..
Would a portrait shot have worked better, for composition?

Qarik

hmmm..I wanna see her eyes more.

babowc

I have a good bit of this set, so I'll post em up when I get the chance!

BrettDeutsch

Looks like you should have your model a little further from the background. There's a ton of spill from the flash on the background.

Hackbone

For a first attempt very nice. Especially with women try not to show the back of the hand as that is it's broadest angle. Also don't splay the fingers, they tend to look like sausages when you do that.

reyvee61

I echo a few of the comments made already but I agree, very nice first attempt.

babowc

BrettDeutsch wrote: »

Looks like you should have your model a little further from the background. There's a ton of spill from the flash on the background.

I'll try to find a suitable spot, I was a bit limited on space. The background was actually painted a very pale green color, and I had to direct-flash on it to blow it out.

Hackbone wrote: »

For a first attempt very nice. Especially with women try not to show the back of the hand as that is it's broadest angle. Also don't splay the fingers, they tend to look like sausages when you do that.

Thank you! I will keep that in mind, and now that you mention it... her stubby fingers do look like sausages!

reyvee61 wrote: »

I echo a few of the comments made already but I agree, very nice first attempt.

Thank you!

babowc

How's this one?


Edited in LR4, less softening on the skin..

anonymouscuban

I like these. Lots of potential in you and her. I do agree that you're getting a lot of spill of the BG but not a bad attempt. I don't mind the hands too much. Chuck is the hand Nazi around here but his point is important, pay close attention to hands since they are hugely expressive and can convey tension in an image. It's one the most overlooked parts of portraiture with most photogs. What I like about these shots is that her hands look very natural and relaxed, not posed.

babowc

anonymouscuban wrote: »

I like these. Lots of potential in you and her. I do agree that you're getting a lot of spill of the BG but not a bad attempt. I don't mind the hands too much. Chuck is the hand Nazi around here but his point is important, pay close attention to hands since they are hugely expressive and can convey tension in an image. It's one the most overlooked parts of portraiture with most photogs. What I like about these shots is that her hands look very natural and relaxed, not posed.

Thank you! I will try to find somewhere I can separate my subjects from the BG some more..
Does "spill" mean that the light that I used to blow out the BG lit her backside?

anonymouscuban

babowc wrote: »

Thank you! I will try to find somewhere I can separate my subjects from the BG some more..
Does "spill" mean that the light that I used to blow out the BG lit her backside?

Yes. It's "spilling" over her. You can use flags for that but you need some space. Some spill is not bad, and can be used creatively but you don't want so much that it blows out the subject.

babowc

Ah, that makes sense.

She was only <2ft from the BG!

Hackbone

The Hand Nazi Speakith.........lol....lol...lol

Much better. Please remember when I make a comment it is to help and not to be mean. There is alot of average or below average photos here who are trying to raise their level as well as more proficient folks on the way up also. We've all been there. Take what you can and drop the rest. I've entered many a print competition and have been shot down or as soon as my print came up I sunk in my chair thinking "what have I done".

Now to criticize.....I mean HELP. Sorry couldn't resist.

There is an old Texas rule of photography that says "if it will bend, bend it, if it won't, break it." Her left arm is awkward an makes her hand seem to claw her head. This would be eliminated by just pushing her wrist in. That line then would have been very feminine. Her right hand is much better but still a little stiff. Whenever I bring hands up to the face I tell them if you touch too hard it smushes the face so pretend and barely touch the skin.

For me her eyes are cut a little too far to her left. Maybe bring them back just a tad so they are not so extreme. Remember that your working with a very feminine form who probably wants to be feminine in this shot.

You do have spill over from the bkg. Try if you have room to get your subject about six feet from the bkg. Meter your main and then stand at your subject and meter the light bouncing off the bkg and match the main or a stop brighter.

Hope that makes sense and helps. You've got a great start and a great model.

anonymouscuban

Good point Chuck. We all mean what we say in a constructive way. I've said this many times before and I'll say it again. Dgrin, specifically the People forum, is one of the best, if not THE BEST photography forum on the interwebs. And it's because of the members, talented photographers, that are willing to take the time to give real feedback. I surf a lot of forums and 99% are total circle jerks of "nice shot" compliments with no real objective/subjective feedback. What's the point?

I've learned so much and have grown so much as a photographer over the past few years and I owe most of it to this forum and people like Chuck, Diva, Bilsen, Bryce and so many others. Wanna have some fun? Do a search of old posts that some of us have created and see the crap that we used to do. Not saying I don't still shoot crap but it's at least got some consistency, not the runny stuff that I used to output.

What I'm trying to say is what Chuck said, we all started where you are. Actually, these shots are light years better than some of our first tries at the stuff. Take what we say constructively. Use what you feel works for your style and the rest, just put it aside, but don't throw away because it may come in handy one day. That's my attitude at least.

None of us are meanies. Well, Diva can be mean sometimes and Daniel doesn't like anything except for my shirtless self-portraits but take everything like it's being told by a Jedi Master to a young Padawan.

babowc

Haha, I take ZERO offense to anything you guys have said!

I'm here to learn, not fret!

Thanks for the C&C, though. I'll work on my next set during the break, and post em up!

Hackbone

Mike, when your setting up a head shot they will turn out better if you have a good base. By that I mean the feet. Which way should they turn to set the body in the proper position. Which one should the weight be on, generally the back one. Then work your way up the body. Anything you have two of they should not be on the same plane. Knees, hips, hands, eyes, etc. The top is easier to pose with a good base. Sounds like alot of work but you will get fast at it and it will show in your work.

babowc

Hackbone wrote: »

Mike, when your setting up a head shot they will turn out better if you have a good base. By that I mean the feet. Which way should they turn to set the body in the proper position. Which one should the weight be on, generally the back one. Then work your way up the body. Anything you have two of they should not be on the same plane. Knees, hips, hands, eyes, etc. The top is easier to pose with a good base. Sounds like alot of work but you will get fast at it and it will show in your work.

I'll try that and post some up!
Thank you all for the C&C!!