and I need some help with a set portrait

[Hair Bear]

I thought it would ba and idea to try a seat shot against the wall in my house.

Once I have this set up I will clear the clutter and move the sofa so it is just on the wall.

Any ideas for improvement help?

Its in a conservatory so lots of light coming in but in the winter no direct sun light so its quite a blue light.

I can drop something in the back to avoid the white but I thought the wall was quite nice.

This was shot with a flash on F801 Nikon the flash is a sb28 with a cloud ii on the top.

I was thinking of sitting people on one side or the other and shooting the whole sofa/person-s.

Any ideas or help please?

 

[Hair Bear]

50 views and nobody has anything to say?

 

[LaFoto]

Well, I don't quite understand what you are suggesting with your question. Do you mean to make a living out of portrait photography on this very sofa in this very surrounding? And do you want pointers in that very direction, i.e. how to start making ordered portraits for selling?

And are we to imagine there`d be just the sofa, the white wall, the person and nothing else? No lamp shade, no tea towels on the rack, no flower from above? No blankets and cushions? Just the sofa and the white wall?

And is your question this: "Will it work like this so I can make a living out of my portrait studio work?"

Well - I really don't know.
We can leave this hear in Photo Critique for yet another while and see if someone else has any ideas - maybe after you have explained your plans a little further or told us if I got it right? And if all fails, we might move it to Weddings and Portraits, more so since you seem to be planning to work with these surroundings and this sofa for a living, and then those who are in the business and frequent the "Business District" more may give you the answers you are waiting for.

OK?

 

[Hair Bear]

Well, I don't quite understand what you are suggesting with your question. Do you mean to make a living out of portrait photography on this very sofa in this very surrounding? And do you want pointers in that very direction, i.e. how to start making ordered portraits for selling?

And are we to imagine there`d be just the sofa, the white wall, the person and nothing else? No lamp shade, no tea towels on the rack, no flower from above? No blankets and cushions? Just the sofa and the white wall?

And is your question this: "Will it work like this so I can make a living out of my portrait studio work?"

Well - I really don't know.
We can leave this hear in Photo Critique for yet another while and see if someone else has any ideas - maybe after you have explained your plans a little further or told us if I got it right? And if all fails, we might move it to Weddings and Portraits, more so since you seem to be planning to work with these surroundings and this sofa for a living, and then those who are in the business and frequent the "Business District" more may give you the answers you are waiting for.

OK?

Wow, I know you shouldn't read between the lines on these things but what an arsey (sp) response to a simple question.

Does it say anywhere in my post I want to make a living from it and sell prints?

It does say, I will remove the clutter its just a test shot to see if it would work. It also says I could drop a screen into the background to knock back the wall.

I thought this was a forum for learning and sharing, I simply asked for some help to make the shot better.

The people in the shot are my family, but that really shouldn't make any difference to the question, and indeed if I wanted to sit people on the sofa and take pics of them and sell them that shouldn't make any difference either.

And where does it say I'm going into wedding photography.

I'm simply asking how to make this shot better find out if it could work ask and for help.

If I have this wrong and this is not the critique and help forum or indeed this is not a help forum in general but just for those of you who want to protect you little worlds then let me know and rename the forum 'for professionals only who do not want to share or help'

Hows that sound?

 

[BoblyBill]

This is the first time that I have seen this and just to let you know... I'm not much of a photographer, so this is coming more from someone who likes to look at pictures and not a the technical... I'm not a fan of the blown out (whiteness) of the wall, the clutter (it takes the focus of the two people), and even the two in the picuture seem to be a little overexposed... I like the compossion of the picture, the two in the picture are not centered (which is good). I would just back off the flash a little bit or use a faster shutter speed or smaller apterature. I'm more of a landscape photographer so when it comes to people I'm not very good... I know this kills my creditbility but oh well... I just didn't want you to think that this is for just profesionals (if that was the case I wouldn't post in the critique forum but stay mostly in the snapshot and blooper forum)...

 

[markc]

Hows that sound?

Rather snotty, actually. You just chewed out a long-standing and caring member of this community for misunderstanding you. She may have misunderstood your intent, but I don't see anything inflammatory in her post. Yours, on the other hand...

 

[Hair Bear]

How to win friends and influence people says, write stuff down put in a draw and then look at again later before sending.

I found it a little skew Markc and responded from the hip.

However, I will bow to your judgement on both posts and I apologies to LaFoto.

And therefor that still leaves me with how can I improve the shot, can I turn it into something with a little work?

For no other reason than I want to take a better picture and given the surroundings.

 

[Hair Bear]

This is the first time that I have seen this and just to let you know... I'm not much of a photographer, so this is coming more from someone who likes to look at pictures and not a the technical... I'm not a fan of the blown out (whiteness) of the wall, the clutter (it takes the focus of the two people), and even the two in the picuture seem to be a little overexposed... I like the compossion of the picture, the two in the picture are not centered (which is good). I would just back off the flash a little bit or use a faster shutter speed or smaller apterature. I'm more of a landscape photographer so when it comes to people I'm not very good... I know this kills my creditbility but oh well... I just didn't want you to think that this is for just profesionals (if that was the case I wouldn't post in the critique forum but stay mostly in the snapshot and blooper forum)...

Thank you, I agree with all your comments. I think the SB28 flash I have has been set on high and I'm trying figure out how to back it off a little.

Agree on the blown highlights and thats why I wondered if I could drop a back ground sheet in, maybe even with a light behind the sofa to break it up?

I don't know, I really am looking for some help and suggestions.

 

[LaFoto]

I was thinking of sitting people on one side or the other and shooting the whole sofa/person-s.

This is the sentence that made me think you might be planning for more than just putting family members onto the sofa for their photos to be taken...
Sorry if I got it wrong. I never ever mean to be arsey to ANYBODY on this forum.
You were upset you had 50 views and no reply and I wanted to give you one.
One that would express my thoughts, most of which were genuine questions.
But your apology's accepted, how could I not?

We once had a (much missed by many, including me) member on here called Hertz van Rental who started a series of "People and their Sofas" (it should still be in the Photo Themes somewhere) --- back when he still did professional photography and teaching, he took very many photos of the kind, of celebrities and all.

So yes, a sofa as co-subject to the people shots you plan to take is a good idea. The white wall could even be of help to keep your photos as simple as possible, with as much focus on the people as can be.

Right now, in THIS one, the flash is too strong, yes.
All the whites almost glare.
You'd have to work on that.

And are you asking for help on THIS very photo or for help on the set-up and photos that you plan to take in the future, then? (Not necessarily to sell... as I now understand, too).

 

[Hair Bear]

Thank you LaFoto

I'm reading my flash manual as we speak whilst drinking a coffee to help gulp down the 'humble pie'

 

[Hair Bear]

And are you asking for help on THIS very photo or for help on the set-up and photos that you plan to take in the future, then? (Not necessarily to sell... as I now understand, too).

Both really as if I can get this photo to work there is a good chance i could do all the family in a similar way. Fun me and them I hope.

I like the sofa and the dark tones in it and I have the space to use it.

 

[RMThompson]

I would get rid of the couch altogether, and just use the stark white background, and use subject with dark clothing. Then, assuming the ceiling is also white, maybe bounce the flash to reduce some of the over-exposure, although I am quite the fan. I like a blown out background because it really emphasises the subject, even harshly.

Here is one of my examples. Everyone tells me this is overblown, but I love it.

 

[Digital Matt]

To me, the two biggest glaring negative aspects of this shot are the color balance (very yellow), and the composition. I want to see all of the feet and legs, or if not, then everyone must be sitting with legs down. As it is, the girls foot is almost touching the edge of the frame which looks weird to me.

If you say there is lots of light in the room, then I would just use that. Forget using a flash. You are just casting a shadow behind your subjects, and the contrast seems to be boosted to try and get rid of it.

 

[Hair Bear]

RMthopson, love the shot but must agree the highlight is a blown to much

DigitalMatt, its a frosted celling open to the sky, but the sun is low and down to the left of shot so the room is effectively in shadow. I'm also interested in your colour cast comment, I cant see it on my monitor.

I'm going to try it again and set it up with a little more care this time!

 

[Digital Matt]

DigitalMatt, its a frosted celling open to the sky, but the sun is low and down to the left of shot so the room is effectively in shadow. I'm also interested in your colour cast comment, I cant see it on my monitor.

I'm going to try it again and set it up with a little more care this time!

You'll have to shoot when the sun is overhead then, to take full advantage of it.

The skin tone looks yellow to me, and also you can see that the wall is not white.