Samantha's new dress

MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
edited March 17, 2008 in People
Sam got dressed up for our friend's Bat Mitzvah and graciously agreed to sit for me. I'm still trying to play around with formal portrait lighting. This was taken with two SB800s in an umbrella for the key and bounced off a reflector for fill.

Any comments or suggestions? I still do much better in my garage.:scratch

263788824_J3Q5a-XL.jpg
Mitch
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/

Comments

  • jeffreaux2jeffreaux2 Registered Users Posts: 4,762 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2008
    Very nice.

    I know zip about studio lighting set ups, so I will leave that to all the experts. I can say, with confidence, that this is every bit as good as your garage door shots. I like it.

    ..and of course she is such a cutey in any light!!


    I would wonder...judging by the shadows...if dropping the light to a lower height would have brightened her eyes up more. Of course the chin shadow may be caused by spill from a white ceiling?
    Thanks,
    Jeff
    -Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
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  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2008
    jeffreaux2 wrote:
    Very nice.

    I know zip about studio lighting set ups, so I will leave that to all the experts. I can say, with confidence, that this is every bit as good as your garage door shots. I like it.

    ..and of course she is such a cutey in any light!!

    Thanks, Jeff for the kind words.

    I'm just trying to get these portraits to look a little better than what I can get at Sears.rolleyes1.gif
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • SwartzySwartzy Registered Users Posts: 3,293 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2008
    Hey Mitch
    I like it!. I think the use of 2 AB 800's is a bit overkill, hence not providing you with enough differential in ratio. Simply put, 1 AB800 to camera left at a 45 degree angle (Up just a tad), then using the reflector on the other side (lower) will most likely give you a bit more natural lighting contrast. Sweet pose and how nice a smile thumb.gif
    Swartzy:
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    Weddings/Portraits and anything else that catches my eye.
    www.daveswartz.com
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  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2008
    Swartzy wrote:
    I like it!. I think the use of 2 AB 800's is a bit overkill, hence not providing you with enough differential in ratio. Simply put, 1 AB800 to camera left at a 45 degree angle (Up just a tad), then using the reflector on the other side (lower) will most likely give you a bit more natural lighting contrast. Sweet pose and how nice a smile thumb.gif

    Oops, I used off camera Nikon SB800 flashes (not AB800s). Sorry for the confusion. My fill was dialed down 2 stops below my key light. Perhaps I need more of a differential.

    Thanks.
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • WildWallyWildWally Registered Users Posts: 494 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2008
    I think you are doing just that !!!
    Great shot , very cute girl !!!
    Mitchell wrote:
    I'm just trying to get these portraits to look a little better than what I can get at Sears.rolleyes1.gif
    "Walt":stud
    http://wildwally.smugmug.com/
  • tonichelletonichelle Registered Users Posts: 144 Major grins
    edited March 11, 2008
    I am not a fan of the background with the dress... could just be me, but I don't think the blue goes very well with it...

    I worked for Sears from August to March 06/07... I liked playing in a Studio setting, but the people and the company politics basically killed my love of photography (I seriously refused to touch a camera outside of work for a long time... and didn't really pick it up again until that May... ne_nau.gif not sure why I shared, but I totally understand why you want your own set up!)
    "It's only an island if you look at it from the water."
  • urbanariesurbanaries Registered Users Posts: 2,690 Major grins
    edited March 11, 2008
    I would agree the background isn't doing the dress much justice...other than that I think the pose, lighting and the little girl are just adorable!
    Canon 5D MkI
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  • JimWJimW Registered Users Posts: 333 Major grins
    edited March 11, 2008
    Mitchell,

    I’m not sure what kind of a look you’re going for, but I will toss in a couple of suggestions.

    1. I agree with Jeff that the eyes look a little dark. Now so far I don’t shoot kids so please take this with a grain of salt. But for a darling little child like this, I’d want big bright beautiful eyes. That takes more light in them.

    2. If you could get her to point her head to camera left, you’d have short lighting instead of broad lighting (and also more light in her eyes). I think short lighting might be better for her face.

    3. The background’s not too bad for that color dress, I think. That’s a tough dress color to find a match for. If you google color matching, there are several free online programs to help find a match. In this case, you might add some yellow to the background and brighten it by a stop, but it’s a tough one.

    I think you’re doing great, and this is a nice photo as is.

    Hope this helps some. Jim

    I don't want the cheese, I just want to get out of the trap.


    http://www.jimwhitakerphotography.com/
  • ElaineElaine Registered Users Posts: 3,532 Major grins
    edited March 11, 2008
    That outfit is completely cute! On a completely cute kid who is sitting for you so nicely! clap.gif Like Jim, I'd like to see a bit more light in the eyes, but this is a keeper.
    Elaine

    Comments and constructive critique always welcome!

    Elaine Heasley Photography
  • Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited March 11, 2008
    Lovely
    Charming photo
    great light :D
    Thine is the beauty of light; mine is the song of fire. Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul. Allama Iqbal

    My Gallery
  • CarnalSighCarnalSigh Registered Users Posts: 152 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2008
    Mitchell...I would love to see your whole collection of yearly group shots with all your kids over the years. I've seen a few you've posted here and there, but I'd like to see all you have. Some of the posing ideas you've shown us are really kewl. Do you have them posted somewhere in a gallery? I have a family that's approached me to start doing a yearly series of portraits of their 3 kids, so I'm trying to come up with a game plan.
    I use only Canon cameras and glass
    www.portraitwhisperer.com
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2008
    JimW wrote:
    Mitchell,

    I’m not sure what kind of a look you’re going for, but I will toss in a couple of suggestions.

    1. I agree with Jeff that the eyes look a little dark. Now so far I don’t shoot kids so please take this with a grain of salt. But for a darling little child like this, I’d want big bright beautiful eyes. That takes more light in them.

    2. If you could get her to point her head to camera left, you’d have short lighting instead of broad lighting (and also more light in her eyes). I think short lighting might be better for her face.

    3. The background’s not too bad for that color dress, I think. That’s a tough dress color to find a match for. If you google color matching, there are several free online programs to help find a match. In this case, you might add some yellow to the background and brighten it by a stop, but it’s a tough one.

    I think you’re doing great, and this is a nice photo as is.

    Hope this helps some. Jim

    Jim,
    Thanks for the great suggestions!
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2008
    CarnalSigh wrote:
    Mitchell...I would love to see your whole collection of yearly group shots with all your kids over the years. I've seen a few you've posted here and there, but I'd like to see all you have. Some of the posing ideas you've shown us are really kewl. Do you have them posted somewhere in a gallery? I have a family that's approached me to start doing a yearly series of portraits of their 3 kids, so I'm trying to come up with a game plan.

    I've got my series of the three kids in this gallery.
    http://www.clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/696017_oKh8a#220176593

    I may not be much help to you, since I've chosen the same pose for this shot for the past 4 years. They make a great grouping on the wall in my home. You can really see how they grow with these photos next to each other.
    This year's.
    261710861_nD6aW-M.jpg
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • CarnalSighCarnalSigh Registered Users Posts: 152 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2008
    Great stuff. Thank you.
    I use only Canon cameras and glass
    www.portraitwhisperer.com
  • FlyingginaFlyinggina Registered Users Posts: 2,639 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2008
    Hi Mitch,

    It has been a great pleasure to watch your children grow over the years. Those wonderful eyes!! And each has his/her own personality that jumps right out of the photo.

    Your photos never fail to bring a big smile to my face. And I learn too.

    Thanks!!

    Virginia
    _______________________________________________
    "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus

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  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited March 17, 2008
    Flyinggina wrote:
    Hi Mitch,

    It has been a great pleasure to watch your children grow over the years. Those wonderful eyes!! And each has his/her own personality that jumps right out of the photo.

    Your photos never fail to bring a big smile to my face. And I learn too.

    Thanks!!

    Virginia

    WOW, Virginia! Thanks for the kind words and the compliments.
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • rpcrowerpcrowe Registered Users Posts: 733 Major grins
    edited March 17, 2008
    A beautiful little girl...
    This is a beautiful child. Please don't take offense regarding what are certainly only my opinions on an otherwise lovely little girl's picture

    I don't have any kids of that age so I don't have any images to post. My last of kids were done years ago in film and I don't really want to scan the slides (even if I could find them).

    I tend to like paramount or butterfly lighting when photographing kids. I am not keen on lighting being at all dramatic. One of the advantages of paramount lighting is that one light is near the camera lens which lights up the eyes.

    I would like to have seen the background with a stop or two less illumination. That can be done by placing the subject further from the background so there is light fall-off.

    I tend to keep looking at the little girls knees and legs. I don't really know why they ttract my attention; possibly because they are in view but not really in view or possibly because of the foreshortening that occurs when we are quite close to a subject. Anyhow, they do distract me away from this pretty girl's face.
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