Got my Strobing equipment :) Some pics of the Girlfriend - C&C please

[shortpballer]

Here is another one... I liked the lighting just the background is REALLY REALLY BAD.

 

[beala]

I'm going to be honest. The first picture looks like it's for a porno series. Maybe it's the pose/how she's dressed. Or the fact that it's in some living room with a couch nearby...

Or maybe my head is just in the gutter.

Yeah, ignore me.

 

[shortpballer]

I'm going to be honest. The first picture looks like it's for a porno series. Maybe it's the pose/how she's dressed. Or the fact that it's in some living room with a couch nearby...

Or maybe my head is just in the gutter.

Yeah, ignore me.

...not helpful...

 

[beala]

Sorry, but if someone was getting that feeling from my pictures I'd want to be told.

 

[Misfitlimp]

Yea i dont know where that porno comment came from? The dress is nice and classy not trashy or pornlike. I can see what he means about the background but the girl not so much.

 

[beala]

Ok, sorry, if no one else sees that then I'm wrong.

My apologies.

 

[Derrel]

I see you have a 70-200 /2.8; that lens produces some really nice out of focus backgrounds. Why not try and shoot some shots of her in the evening, with a nice cityscape background where the out of focus highlights will make nice,large,rounded (well, kinda' football-shaped ones actually) Out of Focus highlights, wherever there are bright point light sources in the distance.

Set the 20D to ISO 400 and leave the white balance at either Daylight or Flash, and then illuminate her with a single flash aimed at her from about 25-30 degrees to the left or right of where the camera is at--not too much from the side, or it'll create a a big shadow on the side opposite of the flash.

Keep the camera braced well-use a tripod if you can, or use support from a beam or wall or whatever. With the ISO at 400 and the flash at maybe 12-15 feet from her, use a slow-ish shutter speed to pick up some of the light from the background. Use the lens set to a long focal length, like 135 to 200mm, and shoot from 30 to 40 feet away, 15 feet away for close-ups. With city lights 200-1,000 feet behind her, at wide apertures like f/3.5, you will get large,beautiful OOF highlights,and nice flash exposures of her as long as you get the flash exposure correct, by either dialing the flash to an AUTO mode to get the exposure right, or by moving the flash closer or farther away from her. You can also have a human assistant aim the flash for you,and chimp the LCD to get the right flash exposure by "feathering" it and aiming it a bit in front of or behind her. Using a long FL lens setting blows the background focus out,and keeps the attention on her: shoot talls,mostly, unless you can get her in a seated position where a horizontal framing makes logical sense, like if she were seated on a cement wall or park bench with legs in the shot.

This approach will look excellent during the evening hours,as the light level drops. Look for a nice commercial/business district background that has ample lights as your distant backdrop.

 

[thenikonguy]

I'm going to be honest. The first picture looks like it's for a porno series. Maybe it's the pose/how she's dressed. Or the fact that it's in some living room with a couch nearby...

Or maybe my head is just in the gutter.

Yeah, ignore me.

really?? i can have a pretty dirty mind but there is NOTHING about that photo that says porn to me, the dress is very nice.. yea, the background sucks, but it doesnt say porn to me..

 

[Onemarshboy]

i think the lighting setup looks good man. i think we all agree that the backgrounds kill the shot....but i think you know that and thats not what you're testing here is it.
i personally think the lens flare looks pretty cool......sometimes its the stuff that isn't 'perfect' which makes the shot imo.
Well done for trying it out and having a game GF willing to help.

 

[KmH]

Ok, sorry, if no one else sees that then I'm wrong.

My apologies.

You're not wrong and you're not right. It's just your interpretation of the scene and you have every right to express your opinion since the images are posted in a public forum.

Four times as many people view these forums than there are members. So, their comments don't get posted.

 

[fiveoboy01]

Also Joe McNally has a nice video series on KelbyTraining.com which is centered around portraits with one light.

 

[shortpballer]

here are some real pictures taken with non-distracting backgrounds. Thanks for all the help guys.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...lfriend-balboa-park-w-strobes-c-c-please.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-photoshoot-girlfriend-my-car-c-c-please.html

 

[spaz2145]

On the last ones I took off the umbrellas because I actually kind of like the look it provides. Maybe I'm weird. lol

I like the look too...except for the last one i think it blurs the last one too much.

P.S didnt you post hawii pics with another,blonde, girlfriend? haha i hope im thinkin of the right person

 

[SherryJ23]

Photo #2 is the best in terms of composition, pose, lighting.

You're probably focusing on lighting rather than background, but #3 and #4 are kind of interesting. The lighting makes you think the photo is taken outside but the background reminds you that its inside. The juxtaposition is a bit interesting, but I think the shot overall would work much better outdoors.

Your g/f is really pretty and photogenic! Good work