Boudoir CC please

[scorpion_tyr]

Step 1: The DOF is way too deep. Open up the aperature if possible. If not, shell out the $75 for a 50mm 1.8.

Step 2: Get closer. Don't be afraid to have your model take up most of the frame. Focus on the eyes or the natural curvature of the body. There's way too much background in all of these which makes it look only a few steps above someone with a point and shoot in a hotel room.

Step 3: Get creative, and not with the PP, with the lighting. Either zoom in really close and use a bounced flash, or use natural light with a wide aperature. Try turing off all the lights and open the curtians during the day. At night crack open a closet or bathroom door with the light on in there. Position your model creatively with that light.

Step 4. Press the shutter release.

 

[Photos de l'amour]

I used CS5 and the Elliptical Marquee Tool.

I duplicated the layer (Ctrl-J)

I dragged out an ellipse, positioned it, and then used Refine Edge to feather the ellipse's edge. Elements doesn't have Refine Edge, but it does have a feather option for the Marquee tool. I'm not sure how that works in Elements though.

I then opened an Exposure Adjustment Layer. In Elements you would open a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment layer, but I can't get the edge to be feathered when I increase the brightness.

I adjusted the Exposure slider up 1.5. In Elements it is scaled differently but just increase the Brightness to taste.

Elements cost so much less because there is just so much it can't do.

Ok, that makes sense. I have cs4 so I can do that. Would you leave that as the final photo or were you just showing what her face should be?

 

[Photos de l'amour]

Step 1: The DOF is way too deep. Open up the aperature if possible. If not, shell out the $75 for a 50mm 1.8.

Step 2: Get closer. Don't be afraid to have your model take up most of the frame. Focus on the eyes or the natural curvature of the body. There's way too much background in all of these which makes it look only a few steps above someone with a point and shoot in a hotel room.

Step 3: Get creative, and not with the PP, with the lighting. Either zoom in really close and use a bounced flash, or use natural light with a wide aperature. Try turing off all the lights and open the curtians during the day. At night crack open a closet or bathroom door with the light on in there. Position your model creatively with that light.

Step 4. Press the shutter release.

I was using my 35mm but sometimes I miss getting both eyes in focus so I bumped up the f/stop. I took them further back so I could crop to what I wanted, or leave it if it was good. I thought I read somewhere to leave plenty of room for cropping. Is that wrong?
We did a shoot with just natural light before this one and I didn't like how it looked. Really pale and like it was just white light. I wanted a warmer, glowing light for these. If I was to do this at night and use the bathroom light through the door, would I have to use the tripod or what settings would you use to not have to use a tripod?

 

[Derrel]

If those were shot with an umbrella, then it looks like maybe you're dragging the shutter speed very slow...it looks to me like the lighting is coming from ambient light more so than from a flash source. The background lighting seems to be equally as strong as the umbrella...something is not right with that. How are you determining and regulating the exposure??? I have a suspicion that, maybe, you're allowing the camera to determine the exposure at some level.

 

[Photos de l'amour]

If those were shot with an umbrella, then it looks like maybe you're dragging the shutter speed very slow...it looks to me like the lighting is coming from ambient light more so than from a flash source. The background lighting seems to be equally as strong as the umbrella...something is not right with that. How are you determining and regulating the exposure??? I have a suspicion that, maybe, you're allowing the camera to determine the exposure at some level.

I believe I need help with the lighting, lol. I want the background to be darker than the subject and I read that is with spot metering but I can't figure out how to do it.
For the flash, I believe I am letting the camera determine the exposure I guess. All I did was set the off camera flash to fire with the camera. I have been trying to read about it but haven't quite got it. Any help would be really appreciated!! :blushing:

 

[Photos de l'amour]

Love all the comments. I will def. work on everything I have been given to do better next time.

I took the photos down cuz I told her I would only leave them up to get feedback and then take them down but I didn't think about others editing and posting them. Is there any way to delete those or have the users delete them please?

Thanks

 

[Derrel]

If those were shot with an umbrella, then it looks like
I believe I need help with the lighting, lol. I want the background to be darker than the subject and I read that is with spot metering but I can't figure out how to do it.
For the flash, I believe I am letting the camera determine the exposure I guess. All I did was set the off camera flash to fire with the camera. I have been trying to read about it but haven't quite got it. Any help would be really appreciated!! :blushing:

Okay, well, I'll try and help. First thing is to set the shutter speed to regulate the brightness of the background areas and any light sources in the areas that will not be lighted by the flash from the umbrella. The flash itself should be set to, typically Full power level in Manual mode. With an SB 600 flash and most umbrellas, that will deliver an exposure of somewhere around f/4 to f/8, depending on how far the umbrella is from the subject, and how efficient the umbrella itself actually is. If the background areas look too bright, speed the shutter up, going from say 1/60 second to 1/125 second or to 1/200 second.

 

[KmH]

Love all the comments. I will def. work on everything I have been given to do better next time.

I took the photos down cuz I told her I would only leave them up to get feedback and then take them down but I didn't think about others editing and posting them. Is there any way to delete those or have the users delete them please?

Thanks

No. There is no way you can delete what others have posted.

I have deleted the edit I did, per your request. I have also deleted it from my computer and my private Photobucket account.

Did you know, about 5 times more people (most not members) view TPF, than are logged in at any one time.

I recommend you go into your OP and delete all references to the photo's, like I did, rather than just deleting them from your Photobucket account.

No doubt, the images you posted were copied numerous times. I hope you have a properly worded and executed model release on file, because it's possible your client, her family, friends, acquaintances, or employer will someday see one or more of those photos somewhere else on the Internet.

 

[Photos de l'amour]

Ok, I understand. I don't know what OP is though.

 

[Boomn4x4]

Ok, I understand. I don't know what OP is though.

"Original Post"... in fact.... if I were you, I'd copy / paste the text from this thread and delete the whole thing. No reason to give anyone anyone that already copied it any ammo to use those pictures maliciously.

 

[Photos de l'amour]

Ok, I understand. I don't know what OP is though.

"Original Post"... in fact.... if I were you, I'd copy / paste the text from this thread and delete the whole thing. No reason to give anyone anyone that already copied it any ammo to use those pictures maliciously.

Sorry, I don't know how to do that. Copy/paste what part of the thread? And where do I delete?

 

[ghache]

i cant see the pictures?

 

[vtf]

Why didnt you stay? You could've been one of the "Girls of TPF".