My first outdoor portraits,I need some C&C please. :)

[FITBMX]

I took these the other day and just got a chance to edit them. I used a single flash off to camera left, I was working on shooting at a lower exposure and compensating fill light with the flash. I have never done this before, so any C&C would be great.
I had to use my remote trigger for the flash, and I was shooting with my 135mm, so that 10 second timer seemed really short! LOL That is also why the focus is a little soft, nobody to focus it and I wanted to shoot at f2.8.
I know the posing is very typical and not good, but I really just wanted to work on my outdoor lighting, and editing. So whatever C&C you have will be great! Thanks!!!


1

2

3

 

[Trever1t]

Self portraits? Damn man, not bad! What jumps at me is that you're almost blending into the background with your dark wardrobe and dim fill. Easily corrected in post or by adding more light to the subject. I didn't pixel peep but they look pretty good to me!

 

[Trever1t]

Oh, I'll add. You have a ton of negative space in these. I'd suggest using a "landscape" crop for the 1st and 3rd ones! Yes, I said landscape for a portrait but notice the subject position...Landscape when prone.

 

[FITBMX]

Self portraits? Damn man, not bad! What jumps at me is that you're almost blending into the background with your dark wardrobe and dim fill. Easily corrected in post or by adding more light to the subject. I didn't pixel peep but they look pretty good to me!

I will separate the subject from the background more. I like how you say "Wardrobe" instead of old dirty work clothes. LOL

Oh, I'll add. You have a ton of negative space in these. I'd suggest using a "landscape" crop for the 1st and 3rd ones! Yes, I said landscape for a portrait but notice the subject position...Landscape when prone.

I thought I should maybe crop those two into landscapes, but I thought I would post them and see.
Thanks for the cc and the kind words.

 

[tirediron]

Pretty much exactly what Trev said!

 

[FITBMX]

Pretty much exactly what Trev said!

Well that's better than a huge list of problems!

Thanks!

 

[manaheim]

Nope. Not bad at all. A few tweaks and it looks like you'll have it.

 

[astroNikon]

not bad except for the dirty old wor .... I mean wardrobe

And you should aim to shoot what Trevor shoots ...

 

[Designer]

I know the posing is very typical and not good, but I really just wanted to work on my outdoor lighting, and editing.

I think you might as well try to get as many components done well as you can. While it might seem more efficient to concentrate on only the lighting and editing, there's no fixing the pose and wardrobe in editing.

I think #3 is the better pose, but you've got giant wood in the background, which spoils an otherwise pretty good pose.

 

[FITBMX]

Nope. Not bad at all. A few tweaks and it looks like you'll have it.

Thanks!

not bad except for the dirty old wor .... I mean wardrobe

And you should aim to shoot what Trevor shoots ...

Considering I had spent all morning helping my brother move a old (non running) combine he bought, so I'm not as dirty as I thought i might be.
And yes, I already know I need some of Trevor's models. If you (or anyone else) has one hanging around, you can send them down to me.

I think you might as well try to get as many components done well as you can. While it might seem more efficient to concentrate on only the lighting and editing, there's no fixing the pose and wardrobe in editing.

I think #3 is the better pose, but you've got giant wood in the background, which spoils an otherwise pretty good pose.

Thanks.
You are completely right, I need to start paying more attention to posing and do more research into it. I have done some, but not enough, and even though I am never going to do any modeling, I guess if I know how to pose then it will be easier to direct others.
As for my wardrobe, I truthfully don't have much to ware that isn't oil stained, or have holes in it. I pretty much only have work clothes.
I didn't think the trees were that bad, this is my first outdoors work, so now I know to watch the large trees. I did make sure I had no sticks coming out of my head, so I thought I was doing good!

 

[Granddad]

I'll go with what's been said above. Not bad for a set of selfies! The lighting is basically good and that's what you were after so well done.

 

[FITBMX]

I'll go with what's been said above. Not bad for a set of selfies! The lighting is basically good and that's what you were after so well done.

Thanks, and since my lighting seems to be okay, I will start focusing on the other things.

 

[cherylynne1]

Nope. Not bad at all. A few tweaks and it looks like you'll have it.

Thanks!

not bad except for the dirty old wor .... I mean wardrobe

And you should aim to shoot what Trevor shoots ...

Considering I had spent all morning helping my brother move a old (non running) combine he bought, so I'm not as dirty as I thought i might be.
And yes, I already know I need some of Trevor's models. If you (or anyone else) has one hanging around, you can send them down to me.

I think you might as well try to get as many components done well as you can. While it might seem more efficient to concentrate on only the lighting and editing, there's no fixing the pose and wardrobe in editing.

I think #3 is the better pose, but you've got giant wood in the background, which spoils an otherwise pretty good pose.

Thanks.
You are completely right, I need to start paying more attention to posing and do more research into it. I have done some, but not enough, and even though I am never going to do any modeling, I guess if I know how to pose then it will be easier to direct others.
As for my wardrobe, I truthfully don't have much to ware that isn't oil stained, or have holes in it. I pretty much only have work clothes.
I didn't think the trees were that bad, this is my first outdoors work, so now I know to watch the large trees. I did make sure I had no sticks coming out of my head, so I thought I was doing good!

I just read Roberto Valenzuela's "Picture Perfect Posing" and found it incredibly helpful. It does focus more on posing women than men (he is a wedding photographer, after all) but there's enough in there that I feel much more confident posing either now. He focuses on the "why" of posing rather than just providing a list of poses to memorize.

 

[DarkShadow]

Yea not to shabby at all well done.

 

[FITBMX]

I just read Roberto Valenzuela's "Picture Perfect Posing" and found it incredibly helpful. It does focus more on posing women than men (he is a wedding photographer, after all) but there's enough in there that I feel much more confident posing either now. He focuses on the "why" of posing rather than just providing a list of poses to memorize.

I will look into it, thanks!

Yea not to shabby at all well done.

Thank you.