More garage portraits

Mitchell

Please indulge me while I keep fine tuning my garage lighting technique. I've made some strides here with everyone's great advice.

I stopped the lens down quite a bit. These were taken at f3.5. I also used a tripod (should have been a no brainer). I also took these with a white foam core reflector underneath. I think this really helped to add some of the texture to the skin which was lost in my last attempt.

Any comments?

First two of my son




My son took one of me. He's getting quite good at this.


My daughter stepped in for the last two



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Giselle

Great job with the lighting!

Shane422

Those are really nice. What lens are you using?

Seneca

I think it's time to convert that garage into a studio. Great pictures.

anwmn1

Awe man- and I was going to post shots from my most recent shoot. Thanks for shooting holes in my excitement.

These are fantastic. I can't wait until I have a garage again.

Question about the foam core: Did you bounce a flash off it or just use it to reflect the available light? How far back in the garage are you placing the subject?

Mitchell

Shane422 wrote:

Those are really nice. What lens are you using?

Shane, these were all shot with the Nikkor 85mm, f1.4D

Mitchell

anwmn1 wrote:

Awe man- and I was going to post shots from my most recent shoot. Thanks for shooting holes in my excitement.

These are fantastic. I can't wait until I have a garage again.

Question about the foam core: Did you bounce a flash off it or just use it to reflect the available light? How far back in the garage are you placing the subject?

Aaron, the foam core was just placed on a bucket under the subjects. I didn't use any flash on these.

They are about 6 feet inside of my garage which is about 22 feet long.

Hope this helps, and post your pics!!

dangin

your son screams GQ in the first one.

Andy

Time flies, eh Mitch? Lovely kids you've got



This from Jan 05





This from Feb 05

Mitchell

Andy wrote:

Time flies, eh Mitch? Lovely kids you've got

Thanks, Andy.

I don't know how that happened!! They just clean up well for the holidays.

I can't believe I've been around here that long.:D

Where are some pictures of your brood?

Cuties02q

Great shots...the lighting looks excellent

Elaine

These are all very nice, but I'm partial to the compositions of the ones of your son! Looks like you're nailing that garage lighting!

urbanaries

OMG mitch, these are phenomenal! As others have stated, the ones of your son are :jawdrop

Although, your daughter is getting really comfortable and serious in front of the camera. There's not a shot in here I don't love. The lighting is impeccable.

good onya, mate!!! bow

Mitchell

urbanaries wrote:

OMG mitch, these are phenomenal! As others have stated, the ones of your son are :jawdrop

Although, your daughter is getting really comfortable and serious in front of the camera. There's not a shot in here I don't love. The lighting is impeccable.

good onya, mate!!! bow

Thanks, Lynne.

My son is a real ham and is willing to take direction.

I remember why you like seeing photos of my daughter!

Travis

Excellent!
Mitchell, those are beautiful! I have so much to learn in the portrait realm but these definitely give me more incentive to venture out.

Mitchell

Travis wrote:

Mitchell, those are beautiful! I have so much to learn in the portrait realm but these definitely give me more incentive to venture out.

Travis, thanks for looking at these. When I saw garage shots like these 2 months ago, I was inspired to give it a try. After some reading and experimenting, I've learned a lot about this easy technique.

Give it a try, post some photos and get to work. I learned the most by posting shots and listening to suggestions and critiques.

mercphoto

I'm really liking the compositions and the poses (especially the first and last). I think I'd like to see more directional lighting. Get lights further to the side. I'd like to see a bit more pronounced shadows on one side of the face. That should add more of a depth to the faces.

Mitchell

mercphoto wrote:

I'm really liking the compositions and the poses (especially the first and last). I think I'd like to see more directional lighting. Get lights further to the side. I'd like to see a bit more pronounced shadows on one side of the face. That should add more of a depth to the faces.

Bill, thanks for looking and commenting.

Garage lighting is not really directional lighting. The open garage door produces the effect of a giant softbox. Unfortunately, this does not provide any facial shadow. It's just the nature of the beast.

I've done a little work in PS to try and give a little more facial detail on a few of these.

Shay Stephens

Wow!!! These look fantastic! I love your use of the garage as a lighting tool. Very effective, well done!

mercphoto

Mitchell wrote:

Bill, thanks for looking and commenting.

Garage lighting is not really directional lighting. The open garage door produces the effect of a giant softbox. Unfortunately, this does not provide any facial shadow. It's just the nature of the beast.

Turn them slightly away from the garage door maybe?

I've done a little work in PS to try and give a little more facial detail on a few of these.

Nicer!

Mrs F

Wow, you did a great job with these shots. I think the post processing you did later added some depth to the images and looks really nice. The image of your son is particularly stunning.

Kari

PaulThomasMcKee

These are simply stunning photos - both the subjects and your mastery of the technique. Wonderful. Your entry in LPS is also great.

I'd really like to try this. Alas, if I were to open my garage door it might trigger an avalanche!

Mitchell

PaulThomasMcKee wrote:

These are simply stunning photos - both the subjects and your mastery of the technique. Wonderful. Your entry in LPS is also great.

I'd really like to try this. Alas, if I were to open my garage door it might trigger an avalanche!

Paul, thanks for the nice comments.

This is a good excuse to clean out all the junk in your garage. Your garage lighting portraits await!!

DavidS

Those are terrific! The lighting, the color and the composition are all great.

njjuliano

Bit late in the game here, but wanted to add that your son has the Harry Connick look on him, down to the sideways (d)grin.

Mitchell

njjuliano wrote:

Bit late in the game here, but wanted to add that your son has the Harry Connick look on him, down to the sideways (d)grin.

That's just too funny!!!

Awais Yaqub

These are wonderful !
beautiful kids

ShannonHeat

Your oldest son is very handsome! Is he a model? All great looking kids, and wonderful shots .

Mitchell

ShannonHeat wrote:

Your oldest son is very handsome! Is he a model? All great looking kids, and wonderful shots .

Thanks!

My son's not a model. He's just a ham when he gets in front of the camera!

gluwater

Andy wrote:

Time flies, eh Mitch? Lovely kids you've got

I was thinking the exact same thing. Any parent would be ecstatic to have shot like these of their kids and most photographers hope to be able to take portraits like these. Your skills have grown as fast as your kids Mitch. That's a nice self portrait also. The only thing I think doesn't fit is that your picture is darker than that of your kids. Alone I wouldn't notice but with the shots of your kids I think it sticks out. Did you change the lighting for your shot?

urbanaries

I stumbled upon this thread again Mitch and just have to reiterate, when that first pic loads, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. bowlustlust