B&W Portrait of Daughter

[UncleRico]

Hello, everyone.

It's been a little while since I posted, but I'm hoping I can get some comments on the photo below. I had to add the catchlights in Elements, but I liked the photo overall. Any tips for making the catchlights look better? I played with it for a while to no avail.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[beni_hung]

Idk, I think I would like to see how the picture would look if the shadow went straight up her head rather than to her right. Other than that, it looks good.

 

[Samanax]

What kind of light source did you use?

Best to use your light source to put natural catchlights in the eyes. If possible, position the source or the subject so that the eye will catch some of the light.

I don't know how to make catchlights in PP. Someone else will have to help you with that.

I like your avatar...very funny movie.

 

[rufus5150]

Catchlights in pp -- I've had mixed results. Those are too harsh and sharp and out of place (they should be more toward the direction of the light).

You need to add them on a separate layer and blend them in. They'll take on, not conceal, the texture of the eye. In general, i've found adding a slight gauss blur (1-2 pixels) then using a 'color' blend mode or an overlay to work best.

What has worked fairly reliably is to add the catchlights in a normal blend on its own layer, then reduce the opacity to about 30-45%. Then you can go back over with a soft-light blended layer and a white, feathered brush with the brush at 30% opacity and dodge in the catchlight.

It's tricky. My success rate has been around 40-50% at best. This is one of those things that's SO much easier to simply get right in camera.

 

[UncleRico]

What kind of light source did you use?

Best to use your light source to put natural catchlights in the eyes. If possible, position the source or the subject so that the eye will catch some of the light.

I don't know how to make catchlights in PP. Someone else will have to help you with that.

I like your avatar...very funny movie.

Thanks, Samanax. You always provide good comments. I agree, and wish I would have "gotten it right in the camera."

RE: my avatar, I'm not sure how many people would get it, but I love that movie. Gosh!

Catchlights in pp -- I've had mixed results. Those are too harsh and sharp and out of place (they should be more toward the direction of the light).

You need to add them on a separate layer and blend them in. They'll take on, not conceal, the texture of the eye. In general, i've found adding a slight gauss blur (1-2 pixels) then using a 'color' blend mode or an overlay to work best.

What has worked fairly reliably is to add the catchlights in a normal blend on its own layer, then reduce the opacity to about 30-45%. Then you can go back over with a soft-light blended layer and a white, feathered brush with the brush at 30% opacity and dodge in the catchlight.

It's tricky. My success rate has been around 40-50% at best. This is one of those things that's SO much easier to simply get right in camera.

I totally agree, Rufus; they are too sharp. We were just playing around and I liked how this one looked. In hindsight, I would rotate the light source around a bit more in front of her.

The source was a large softbox coming in directly from her side.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[Jeffrey Byrnes]

If you had a reflector on the right side of her face to bounce some light on to her right, then you would have a great portrait. Even if you had a white board to bounce the light back you would still get a nice glow to the dark side. Try setting the soft box at an angle instead of directly on the side of your subject.

The black and white conversion looks good though.

 

[UncleRico]

If you had a reflector on the right side of her face to bounce some light on to her right, then you would have a great portrait. Even if you had a white board to bounce the light back you would still get a nice glow to the dark side. Try setting the soft box at an angle instead of directly on the side of your subject.

The black and white conversion looks good though.

Thanks, Jeffery. I had a piece of foamcore just across the room. I should have grabbed it. I think I'm going to try again this week using the reflector and moving the softbox to more of an angle.

Ryan

 

[Mgw189]

Just a little bit dark but other than that I really like it.

 

[artcodesign]

Her right side is a little too dark, but looks great.

 

[UncleRico]

Just a little bit dark but other than that I really like it.

Her right side is a little too dark, but looks great.

Thank you for the comments. I'm going to try again. This time I'll rotate the light to be more in front of her. I'll also use a reflector to lighten her right side.

Ryan