Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic...

[Derrel]

For a selfie, simply amazing work. When you can not literally SEE where the light strikes in such a high-ratio setup, this is quite good! Selfie shooting is much more difficult than using a model!

I'm not in agreement that the inner part of ear needs detail; this is light that is supposed to be raking in thru blinds, right? The bit of rim-lighting on the ear is great!

I think the lighting works.

My only suggestion would be to soften/tone down the skin on the back of the hand holding the drink; that area, not any others, not the brow or eyes, that's what I dislike. All the rest? Good as-is, IMHO.

 

[smoke665]

@Derrel, Thank you for the kind words. Yes the light was representative of a street light from down below.

By soften the back of the hand do you mean darken??? Or actually soften the detail? One thing I found was that I was shooting at f/8 to give me enough DOF so a little movement on my part wouldn't show up. I'm wondering if I open up a little to decrease the DOF it would give the effect on the hand you mention?

 

[Gary A.]

With a single source directional light and this environmental type of portrait, often, more contrast, less zones will result in increase drama.

 

[Gary A.]

To my eye the drink is superfluous. You can crop it squareish, eliminate the hand and drink, and it loses nothing. (You will have to change your title ...)

 

[smoke665]

With a single source directional light

Actually 2 light setup, and the reflector was unfortunately missing on this one.

To my eye the drink is superfluous.

When I get into these types of staged setups my goal is to tell a story. The title is a line from Raymond Chandler's detective novel "The Long Goodnight". Chandler wrote this at a bad time in his life, his wife was terminally ill, and he, by that point, was an alcoholic in real life. The mood, the dress, the window, the drink were all parts of the scene. The man in the darkness of his life, the window representing the opening to the afterlife. The light a glimpse of the beyond, as he passes the "Long Goodnight".

To much???

 

[Gary A.]

Not too much ... just right.

 

[Derrel]

@Derrel, Thank you for the kind words. Yes the light was representative of a street light from down below.

By soften the back of the hand do you mean darken??? Or actually soften the detail? One thing I found was that I was shooting at f/8 to give me enough DOF so a little movement on my part wouldn't show up. I'm wondering if I open up a little to decrease the DOF it would give the effect on the hand you mention?

I think the hand just looks too King Kong-ish...needs to be toned down, in some way, however that would be done would be up to you. Too much detail, skin looks too distracting on the back of the hand, the fingrs look okay though...

 

[bundleofjoy]

Thats nice images proper focus on alcohol mug

 

[smoke665]

I think the hand just looks too King Kong-ish...needs to be toned down, in some way, however that would be done would be up to you. Too much detail, skin looks too distracting on the back of the hand, the fingrs look okay though...

It's hard to remember everything from in front of the camera, but if I understand your comment and as I look at the image I suspect that the hand being forward was like holding a small fish out in front of you to make it look bigger. When I reshoot I need to bring the hand back and down more into the shadows.