Ann - Headshot

[Rick50]

Round 2 of my head shot attempts. This is simple clamshell lighting using a B800 with a 2'x3' soft box for the main (upper light) and a speed light with a small soft box for the fill (lower light). Used the 2nd B800 on the background.
I think this is an improvement over the last image as I now have added some soft shadows.
In the 2nd shot I moved the main to the camera right to get a broad side light. In my next session with her I will work more on broad side and short side lighting. I will also have to cut her hair.

 

[tirediron]

You're definitely on the right track, but... you need to fine-tune your light placement slightly. The lower light is predominant, resulting in a slight 'horror light' (the old Hollywood trick of making characters appear sinister by lighting from below). The only catchlights we see are the lower ones, and she's square on to teh camera. That said, this is a flattering light for a mature woman. In the second you've done a nice job of lighting under the brim of her cap.

 

[Rick50]

You're definitely on the right track, but... you need to fine-tune your light placement slightly. The lower light is predominant, resulting in a slight 'horror light' (the old Hollywood trick of making characters appear sinister by lighting from below). The only catchlights we see are the lower ones, and she's square on to teh camera. That said, this is a flattering light for a mature woman. In the second you've done a nice job of lighting under the brim of her cap.

Thanks John.
I think it was the angle of the lower light and placement as you suggest. I'll check that closer next time. But I did think the power was lower as there is a slight shadow under the nose and chin. I even pondered about lowering it's power even more. I also noticed after that the smile produced the wrinkles on the jawline in the 1st photo.

 

[jcdeboever]

Really nice Rick, beautiful model.

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[Granddad]

.... I will also have to cut her hair.

Nice work - lovely smile. Unless you're a hairdresser in "real life" treat her to a salon cut, she deserves it!

 

[Donde]

I like the head tilt in the first. I think the asymmetrical placement in the second image helps it. Could be more.

 

[Rick50]

Really nice Rick, beautiful model.

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Thank you..

.... I will also have to cut her hair.

Nice work - lovely smile. Unless you're a hairdresser in "real life" treat her to a salon cut, she deserves it!

Thanks, I know her very well as she is my ex , she was a professional hairdresser and then gets her friend to cut her hair. We had a good laugh about this.

I like the head tilt in the first. I think the asymmetrical placement in the second image helps it. Could be more.

Thank you.

 

[Derrel]

I don't view these as being horror lighting, no matter where the main catchlights are positioned. Overall pleasant lighting in both shots, with a good amount of soft light on the skin. Not too much sheen on the skin, but a little bit of a glow. But the wrinkles are minimized, not accentuated, and overall a friendly look in both shots..

 

[Rick50]

I don't view these as being horror lighting, no matter where the main catchlights are positioned. Overall pleasant lighting in both shots, with a good amount of soft light on the skin. Not too much sheen on the skin, but a little bit of a glow. But the wrinkles are minimized, not accentuated, and overall a friendly look in both shots..

Thanks Derrel. I'm finding the lighting is actually the easy part. The expression and how to get it is much more challenging.

 

[Derrel]

Agreed, the people skills part of shooting studio portraits is not talked or written about very much. How to act, how to interact, how to direct, how to coax, how to cajole, how to disarm, and so on: not addressed well by many people. There is no one,single, guaranteed way to act behind the camera.

Two recent good ones: Kirk Tuck blogged about how portrait sessions "go", how pretense starts off the session, and then around an hour in, MAGIC strikes, and soon after the session is done for.

A video is Peter Hurley, discussing his book, The Headshot. Has a few critical points in it.

Keep in mind, if the camera is on a tripod, you can interact directly, with face and eye contact: that is very different from peeping thru a viewfinder. On some people, that will be a difference-maker.

 

[tirediron]

I don't view these as being horror lighting, no matter where the main catchlights are positioned. Overall pleasant lighting in both shots, with a good amount of soft light on the skin. Not too much sheen on the skin, but a little bit of a glow. But the wrinkles are minimized, not accentuated, and overall a friendly look in both shots..

Didn't mean that the lighting was bad, or unattractive, just that the highlights coming from below makes the image seem just a tad "off" to me. I'm guessing most people wouldn't even notice.

 

[tirediron]

...Keep in mind, if the camera is on a tripod, you can interact directly, with face and eye contact: that is very different from peeping thru a viewfinder. On some people, that will be a difference-maker.

True, 'though I find that for studio work, a tripod is very limiting. Once I get the model the way I want, I like to be able to move my shooting position just a bit this way or that which has always seemed a bit clumsy with a tripod. What I recommend is keep the camera away from your face except when you're actually shooting and other than minor posing tweaks or words of encouragement, "Great!" "Very nice!" etc, etc... if you're talking, the camera should be away from your face.

 

[Derrel]

You've got the wrong tripod. Check out the Manfroto "automatic" tripod. Instant adjustments. Squeeze, move,let go.Locks.From eye level to kneeling level in one second. One,two,or all three legs, as needed,by triggers. Nothing else is like it. Steel lower legs, aluminum upper tubes speed up raising it,via gravity. World's most rapid tripod for people work. Mine is an old Bogen 3050: new are Manfroto. Nothing works like this does.

 

[Derrel]

Check out the Manfroto 058B video here:

 

[Granddad]

It's digital, not film. Click, click, click, click, click as you banter with and flatter your model and tell him/her how well they're doing. The full laugh is usually too much but catch them half way to (or down from) the laugh and you might have a stunning shot... or work out how to get the expression you want. I agree with Derrel, I find that the best shots usually come towards the latter part of the session when the model has had a chance to get used to the camera and is feeling more relaxed. THEN comes the work ... dump, dump, dump, dump, dump! Someone here told me several years ago that the difference between a good photographer and a bad photographer is the size of their wastebasket.