Portrait redemption.

[JustJazzie]

After falling flat on my "more with less" challenge, I still had the itch to get it right.

This is a much brighter lighting scheme than I generally lean towards. I think Ive only used back lighting with studio strobes once or maybe twice in the past, so that made it interesting.

I bounced the light against a white wall, through the white fabric background, then placed a huge reflector camera left, and a large reflector camera right.

 

[tirediron]

Honestly? A little too hot for my tastes. I think the idea is great, and the poses in the first two are great, but the overexposure flare/haze doesn't really do it for me. What I think would be neat is to get yourself dressed in white, and reset and shoot a high key look.

 

[JustJazzie]

Honestly? A little too hot for my tastes. I think the idea is great, and the poses in the first two are great, but the overexposure flare/haze doesn't really do it for me. What I think would be neat is to get yourself dressed in white, and reset and shoot a high key look.

I would, if I owned anything white......I wore black to my wedding. (Not joking!)
Which is why 95% of my self portraits are shot on a black background.

Maybe I’ll try it again on someone else in white.

 

[SquarePeg]

I think these came out great! The 2nd one is my favorite. Self portraits are so hard to do. I love that you’re trying different lighting schemes. Love the white clothes high key idea also.

 

[Derrel]

Very flattering photos. When Tirediron wrote, " A little too hot for my tastes, "I thought, yeah, smokin! Too revealing for TPF.," but I guess he meant the _exposures_.

I dunno...I like the flare (blowback, whatever you wanna' call it).

I think #1 would make a fantastic vertical! This is indeed a redemption. A fine,fine set of three nice selfies. Very well-done, and each one its very own 'thing'. The expression and hair in the last one? OMG! The lighting on the chin! The under-arm lighting! Fantastic.

 

[tirediron]

...I would, if I owned anything white......I

Own thee a t-shirt and table-cloth?

 

[tirediron]

...I dunno...I like the flare (blowback, whatever you wanna' call it)..

Just to clarify.... This is absolutely a personal taste thing; nothing wrong with the work at all!

 

[Derrel]

...I dunno...I like the flare (blowback, whatever you wanna' call it)..

Just to clarify.... This is absolutely a personal taste thing; nothing wrong with the work at all!

I think a pretty high degree of post-processing manipulation could likely be done on the raw files, with the clarity slider especially being a prime control to experiment with.

 

[jake337]

I can't find whether or not you mind if one edits your image.

I felt it needed more contrast so I added an S curve and messed with the tone and cropped.

This was edited in photo editor on my S7.

 

[Granddad]

If I was single and 30 years younger I'd be heading for Somewhere in the Mountains, USA with a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates....

 

[JustJazzie]

@SquarePeg Thank you! I completely agree self portraits are super challenging. I suppose though, if one can master the self portrait, one can do anything?!....But most of the time I look at my self portrait "negatives" straight off the card and think "wow. I really have NO talent, I really should just sell my camera now"

Thank you, @Derrel! I didn't originally crop number one vertical because I already cropped off a significant amount. But I agree, it is a smarter choice.

@tirediron, I dont even own white socks! I think I have a white fluffy piece of faux fur fabric I was recently gifted. :giggle: I am actually with you though, the lighting won't be my "go to" by any means.... But what good is a hobby if you don't play around a bit and experiment? Meanwhile, Ill be awaiting the perfect something-white to enter my life so I can give the high key shot a go!

@jake337 Thank you for showing me your vision! I see where you are going with that, but its a bit too far for my taste, especially on the skin. I feel like if it was supposed to be a super contrasty shot, then It should have been lit that way in camera, instead of trying to save it in post. Reshooting is free after all! I think perhaps the sweet spot in somewhere in the middle of our renditions though.

I went ahead and slightly increased the contrast, and then brushed the clarity over the hair, eyebrows/eyes, and lips.

@Granddad, You are too sweet! Although- no offense to chocolate, but you might have better luck with bacon! :giggle:

 

[Granddad]

[USER=97201]@Granddad, You are too sweet! Although- no offense to chocolate, but you might have better luck with bacon! :giggle:[/USER]

BACON before chocolate??? Holy Moly!! I think I'm in love with you already!

 

[smoke665]

Wow, just wow! The first two of the set are fantastic. I think if you take the steps you did in the last edit and apply to to the second one, you'd have a slam dunk.

 

[snowbear]

I recall you shooting selfies using a shower curtain or sheet? That might be worth revisiting with this lighting to get the high key. Otherwise, though this lighting style is not my favorite, I have started to appreciate it. Nicely done.

BACON before chocolate??? Holy Moly!! I think I'm in love with you already!

End of the line, pops!

 

[JustJazzie]

Wow, just wow! The first two of the set are fantastic. I think if you take the steps you did in the last edit and apply to to the second one, you'd have a slam dunk.

Thank you! I did apply the same processing to the entire series, I just didn't want to flood the thread with all of them. ;-)

I recall you shooting selfies using a shower curtain or sheet? That might be worth revisiting with this lighting to get the high key. Otherwise, though this lighting style is not my favorite, I have started to appreciate it. Nicely done.

You have quite a good visual memory, my friend! My records indicate that was 4 years ago, and it was a window scarf. Its location and condition is questionable at the moment. In any case, I'm sure just the right article will come along soon!