Jayne

[jeytee]

Hey guys, went out today with my friend to try out some of the advice I've been getting and trying to put it into practice. I have some other ones that I may post after I edit them.
Any critique would be appreciated!
I already see the blown out highlight on the cheek, but I'll just have to watch out for that next time since I couldn't recover it. And maybe the background is too bright as well (distracts from the model)? Also I think I should have angled her hand sideways to the camera as well instead of palm forward.

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[URL='https://flic.kr/p/Uck4sA']

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[chuasam]

work on her expression..it seems kinda blah
fix the chromatic aberration

 

[jcdeboever]

I am no way near a professional but that white translucent material found in those 5 in 1 reflectors would have made these dynamite. I have been working on a project to gain a better understanding on the use of reflectors and that white translucent material would have calmed down those hot spots while adding a little depth to her face. You have a good eye, I would recommend investing in one of these, not expensive at all. Problem is, you have to makeshift something to hold it or bring someone along. HSS flash photography would be ideal in this situation as well but that takes a lot more money. I like these, you did well in horrible conditions but sometimes it is better to wait for better conditions if we are not able to overcome them.

 

[tirediron]

As jc suggested a diffuser would have made all the difference. 1/2" white, PVC sprinkler pipe makes a dandy frame that's easily assembled and struck down, and white, rip-stop nylon is cheap at your local fabric store. As long as you have or have access to a sewing-machine/seamstress, you can make a 3x6' panel for <$50.

 

[smoke665]

Like JC I'll preface my comments with the "I'm no professional", but a couple of comments on things I've learned along the way, as compliments to the above suggestions.

On both the WB seems slightly off. If you're using the auto WB on the camera then be aware that a combination of shade and sun, will confuse the camera. If you don't have calibration cards, then carry a piece of white Styrofoam. Shoot that as the first shot in every new light situation, then color balance post to that white target. Below I warmed it up, brought the exposure down, dropped clarity overall, used the shadow adjustment brush to bring some of the shadow lines back on the chest area, burned down the right side some.

Not sure why you picked the spot you did, but if you could have moved further back into the shade it would have helped. At the least it would have got her out from under the distraction of having part of a window on her head.
When working with directional natural light, in addition to the scrim they talked about above, you need to bring along one or more reflectors to bring that light back into the face, or a strobe with modifier. You have blown highlights on the right side of the face, and the chest area of the 2nd shot is almost devoid of detail. For pretty young ladies like this, a lighting ratio of 2:1 (one stop difference) to no more than 4:1, will give you subtle shadows and a softer look. She looks to have high cheek bones that would make for some fantastic shadow on the cheeks

 

[jeytee]

I am no way near a professional but that white translucent material found in those 5 in 1 reflectors would have made these dynamite. I have been working on a project to gain a better understanding on the use of reflectors and that white translucent material would have calmed down those hot spots while adding a little depth to her face. You have a good eye, I would recommend investing in one of these, not expensive at all. Problem is, you have to makeshift something to hold it or bring someone along. HSS flash photography would be ideal in this situation as well but that takes a lot more money. I like these, you did well in horrible conditions but sometimes it is better to wait for better conditions if we are not able to overcome them.

Thanks for the explanation! So the main problem is the harsh lighting right?
We took these around 5-6pm when sunset was around 8:30pm I think. What's your favorite time to do outside shoots?

Also I did notice how harsh the lighting was just before left that area and did another picture so maybe take a look at that one and tell me what you think.
I used her hair to block the sunlight from her cheek instead of letting it just blow out the area instead and also tried to use the wall to reflect some of the light (wall is blown out though).
(PS: I know the wall is blown out+ distraction, but just wondering if this is something closer to what I'm supposed to be achieving)

 

[jeytee]

As jc suggested a diffuser would have made all the difference. 1/2" white, PVC sprinkler pipe makes a dandy frame that's easily assembled and struck down, and white, rip-stop nylon is cheap at your local fabric store. As long as you have or have access to a sewing-machine/seamstress, you can make a 3x6' panel for <$50.

Ohhh thank you for explaining a DIY for me haha. That sounds really doable and I'll definitely try to make one (might not turn out that well tho haha).
Would I just use it and put it in between the direct light source (sun) and the model for diffusion?

 

[jcdeboever]

I don't really have a favorite time but golden hour seems to produce good results. There is a golden hour app that lets you know the two times per day it's available.

 

[jeytee]

Like JC I'll preface my comments with the "I'm no professional", but a couple of comments on things I've learned along the way, as compliments to the above suggestions.

On both the WB seems slightly off. If you're using the auto WB on the camera then be aware that a combination of shade and sun, will confuse the camera. If you don't have calibration cards, then carry a piece of white Styrofoam. Shoot that as the first shot in every new light situation, then color balance post to that white target. Below I warmed it up, brought the exposure down, dropped clarity overall, used the shadow adjustment brush to bring some of the shadow lines back on the chest area, burned down the right side some.

View attachment 141076
Not sure why you picked the spot you did, but if you could have moved further back into the shade it would have helped. At the least it would have got her out from under the distraction of having part of a window on her head.
When working with directional natural light, in addition to the scrim they talked about above, you need to bring along one or more reflectors to bring that light back into the face, or a strobe with modifier. You have blown highlights on the right side of the face, and the chest area of the 2nd shot is almost devoid of detail. For pretty young ladies like this, a lighting ratio of 2:1 (one stop difference) to no more than 4:1, will give you subtle shadows and a softer look. She looks to have high cheek bones that would make for some fantastic shadow on the cheeks

Thank you for the really in depth review. I really appreciate it!
Could you explain the sentence "then color balance post to that white target". Sorry I didn't really understand that part.
And yeah I see what I should fix in the edit now.

I did kinda notice in the end the lighting and the window at the end before we left so I did try a couple more pictures (also the sun was not as harsh). I used the wall to reflect some of the light (wall is blown out now though) and used her hair to prevent the blown out area on her cheek and get a sunlit highlight in the hair. Just wondering if its closer to what I should be aiming for?
The picture is posted above^

Also if its not too much to ask, could you take my picture and add arrows to where you would place/face the diffuser, reflector, etc? I learn best from examples. Thanks!

 

[jeytee]

I don't really have a favorite time but golden hour seems to produce good results. There is a golden hour app that lets you know the two times per day it's available.

Thanks I'll look it up. Hopefully it works in Canada and is for Android haha
Did you take a look at that other picture I posted? Just wondering if its closer to what I need to do

 

[jcdeboever]

I don't really have a favorite time but golden hour seems to produce good results. There is a golden hour app that lets you know the two times per day it's available.

Thanks I'll look it up. Hopefully it works in Canada and is for Android haha
Did you take a look at that other picture I posted? Just wondering if its closer to what I need to do

Yes, that works but could use a white reflector on the face to add dimension. You can use white foam board too. You have a real good feel for this .

 

[jeytee]

I don't really have a favorite time but golden hour seems to produce good results. There is a golden hour app that lets you know the two times per day it's available.

Thanks I'll look it up. Hopefully it works in Canada and is for Android haha
Did you take a look at that other picture I posted? Just wondering if its closer to what I need to do

Yes, that works but could use a white reflector on the face to add dimension. You can use white foam board too. You have a real good feel for this .

Thanks for all the advice by the way. Do you mind drawing some arrows on the picture to where you would place the reflector and maybe a diffuser?

 

[jcdeboever]

I don't really have a favorite time but golden hour seems to produce good results. There is a golden hour app that lets you know the two times per day it's available.

Thanks I'll look it up. Hopefully it works in Canada and is for Android haha
Did you take a look at that other picture I posted? Just wondering if its closer to what I need to do

Yes, that works but could use a white reflector on the face to add dimension. You can use white foam board too. You have a real good feel for this .

Thanks for all the advice by the way. Do you mind drawing some arrows on the picture to where you would place the reflector and maybe a diffuser?

You need to practice placing them on your subject to illuminate the fill you want. It's not a concrete thing, it's more a visual one. Foam board is like a 1.50 a sheet. Anything, white will do. Google some videos on using a reflector.

 

[smoke665]

Thank you for the really in depth review. I really appreciate it!
Could you explain the sentence "then color balance post to that white target". Sorry I didn't really understand that part

First of all here's a link explaining White Balance. Understanding White Balance

Second are you saving your images to your SD card as JPEG or RAW? If you're saving as Raw and using LR, your first shot in a series should be of a neutral gray card, lacking that a piece of white Styrofoam will work. When you process your images in LR, after importing all your files, select all of your images, then click on that first test shot, in the develop module use the eye dropper tool to click on your white or gray target. WB will automatically be set for that test shot. Now click on the "Sync" button, uncheck all boxes except the WB and hit OK. All your images will now have the same WB.

http://lightroomkillertips.com/using-gray-card-setting-white-balance-lightroom/

 

[smoke665]

@jeytee I can understand your confusion, as I'm struggling to perfect natural lighting as well. In practice I've found it much easier to control in studio, where everything remains constant. On this snip I've circled the shadow area created by the young ladies cheekbone.

As JC pointed out the placement of reflectors or strobes is dependent on the light you're working with, there is no one size fits all. In general though the height of the reflector light in relation to the subject is going to lengthen or shorten that shadow. We have several excellent photographers on TPF that work wonders with natural light. One that comes to mind is Dan Ostergren suggest you read this thread as well as his others.

Portrait Contouring Light Challenge

One thing to remember is that you can recover a lot of shadow detail, but blown highlights have nothing to recover. Without a meter, it's difficult to learn the exact lighting without a lot of trial and error, but using the camera meter, you can get an approximate. On this young lady, I'd shoot for a 2:1 to start, maybe increasing to as much a 4:1. That means that for a 2:1 there should be f-stop difference in light between the right cheek and the left cheek.
Adorama has good discussion on lighting ratios as well as other subjects in their learning center. Understanding and Using Lighting Ratios in Studio Portraiture - ALC Understanding and using ratios will help you get to a properly exposed shot without seriously blowing your highlights or underexposing the shadow.