Ambient Light Portrait

[smoke665]

Finishing up the last of a series for granddaughter. Been awhile since I've practiced outside so I'm a little rusty, and she wasn't being cooperative so it was pretty much one shot and done. Also been awhile since I shot wide. 70mm ltd., f/3.2, 1/125, ISO 100. One reflector on center line just below the camera. Any comments or critique for future shots or processing will be greatly appreciated.

no-image-available-grid.jpg by William Raber, on Flickr

 

[bulldurham]

Seems like everything is the sameo sameo tonally...I darkened the foreground trees a bit and lightened the girl and the background at differing levels to try to get some more detail as well as a bit more variation in the overall tone mix.

 

[smoke665]

Another edit. Any better
View attachment 161304

 

[smoke665]

I darkened the foreground trees a bit and lightened the girl and the background at differing levels to try to get some more detail as well as a bit more variation in the overall tone mix.

The background was a lot lighter in the original, but the face was in shadow, and it didn't seem quite right either. Course everything seems a lot lighter on my monitor before it's posted

 

[bulldurham]

I darkened the foreground trees a bit and lightened the girl and the background at differing levels to try to get some more detail as well as a bit more variation in the overall tone mix.

The background was a lot lighter in the original, but the face was in shadow, and it didn't seem quite right either. Course everything seems a lot lighter on my monitor before it's posted

Might want to calibrate your monitor.

 

[CherylL]

I would go a lighter, but then my daughter likes the light & airy stuff. I have a few tricks to get my grand daughters to pose. I tell the 5 & 8 yo they are in charge and I ask them what they want me to take photos of or how do they want to pose or stand. After a few minutes I then say why don't we try this and usually they will co-operate. Now the 2yo does not go along with any of that yet.

 

[smoke665]

I darkened the foreground trees a bit and lightened the girl and the background at differing levels to try to get some more detail as well as a bit more variation in the overall tone mix.

The background was a lot lighter in the original, but the face was in shadow, and it didn't seem quite right either. Course everything seems a lot lighter on my monitor before it's posted

Might want to calibrate your monitor.

Calibrated at least once a month, sometimes more. Not happy with the edit, it was one of those catch on the fly shots, that I've tried to make something of, not the best of scenarios.

@CherylL she wasn't in the mood, and her Mom was along trying to make her behave, which made things even worse. Usually when we shoot, it's just us with her, if she doesn't want to, we don't push her, we'll let her play for a bit and try again.

 

[Derrel]

My comments on the processing: Her hair under the brim of her hat is very dark, and lacking in visible detail in both your original and your edit; bulldurham's edit OTOH, has the hair lighter and with some visible differentiation between the hairs...her eyes are also very dark and detail-less...the tree bark on the right hand side of the frame is also very dark,and lacking in detail. I've been around photography for a while...the two shots you'e posted are far too high in contrast,and the blacks really lack detail; this is supposed to be daylight, right? As bulldurham wrote, "might want to calibrate your monitor"...with some other system than the one currently being used, because both images are very saturated and dark and lacking in detail that I think ought to be clearly visible.

 

[smoke665]

@Derrel In looking at the image on other devices I can't disagree with your comments. I've become frustrated to the point of chucking it in the corner and taking a break for awhile, as I've found myself guessing at to many things, over compensating and leaving me doubting everything. I'm hoping that most of that goes away after surgery this coming month.

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

[smoke665]

@Derrel and @bulldurham One last attempt. Here's the original after adjusting monitor brightness, letting LR adjust WB with eye dropper tool by sampling the white t-shirt on the front, adjusting exposure for a full histogram (original was underexposed), very slight slight s curve on the tone curve and letting LR's "auto" button adjust everything else. Better or worse.
View attachment 161346

 

[bulldurham]

I like the addition of more detail but not sure I wouldn't still darken all the areas around the little girl to make her stand out more from her surroundings and crop out all the unnecessary areas.

 

[smoke665]

I like the addition of more detail but not sure I wouldn't still darken all the areas around the little girl to make her stand out more from her surroundings and crop out all the unnecessary areas.

Actually it would be more correct to say "more detail was reveled", as it was there all along, just not showing up in posted image. No burning or dodging was done, and would agree that some would help, but overall on image brightness - any better?

Not sure I agree on the crop as the intent was to use the trees on each side to frame the subject.

 

[bulldurham]

I think the image brightness on her is pretty near perfect. I did do a very narrow curves adjustment to drop the white on her shirt a bit. I was just concerned with her blending too much into the surroundings. I'd still do a shorter crop, perhaps the 8x10 horizontally starting on the left.

 

[smoke665]

I think the image brightness on her is pretty near perfect. I did do a very narrow curves adjustment to drop the white on her shirt a bit.

Thanks that was what I was looking for!!! I adjusted monitor brightness down, and changed the background color back to white in LR. I remember changing the background color in LR back a few months ago to grey, thinking it would help me with judging colors, but then I had to adjust the monitor brightness up.

 

[Derrel]

I was at work earlier all day....now, at home, on the iMac...and bulldurham's edit looks,well, "like daylight"...earned the Winner badge from me for the edit...now the lighting feels "right", like daylight.

Smoke--good to read that you've now made a monitor and background tone change that ought to be for the better.