C&C This photo for me please

[churchofgnar]

I took this using four flashes .
One flash for hair .
one left above models head
one right waist high
one behind for background . all bare .

What am I doing wrong ? What am I doing right ?

 

[tirediron]

Moving to the People Gallery.

 

[tirediron]

C&C per req:

I think there's huge potential here, and the image isn't bad, but the lighting is very flat and even without any discernable highlights or shadows.

I think if I were doing this, I would have been inclined to overshoot the ambient by at least a stop so that my strobes were having a real effect and the sky and background were darker and less distracting. I think perhaps a medium SB high and just right of camera as key, fill about 40 camera left 2/3 stop down, hair/rim light as required, and background down 1/2 - 2/3 stop.

It's a good image, but I think with a little more work, it could be a GREAT image. You might also want to consider having the model look toward teh camera and find a less awkward position for her right hand.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

 

[amolitor]

You're not getting close enough to the model, for starters.

Is the green crap behind her a gelled strobe, or actual green crap on the rocks? I can't tell, but it looks extremely weird the way you have it lit up. You've separated her from the background at the expense of making the background look rather bizarre (it's obviously lit, but we don't see a light source).

The black tights are not well separated at all, and are almost a uniform black region of jumbled legs. Either have her pose differently, or light them to separate and show us legs.

The light overhead is the only strobe I can really see in the picture (other than the bizarre background) and that's only because it's casting an extremely unattractive shadow under her chin.

On the up side, she's an interesting model and you've got a strong composition here -- the shapes and forms are arranged quite well. I am not in love with her styling, but by god she is styled, and it doesn't matter if I *like* it or not, the point is there's a statement made there.

 

[churchofgnar]

Hey ! Awesome , After staring at it for the last 4 days I felt it was bland myself with the lights and all . This is my first real shoot so Im trying to learn as much as possible . Thanks for the help !

 

[rexbobcat]

I do have to agree that the green light is just weird....

Are you wanting us to look at the model or the green alien rocks? lol The two elements together aren't cohesive.

I just....don't like the background at all. There is enough DoF that both her and the rocks are in focus, so there's very little seperation between them. Her skin tones are almost the EXACT color of the rocks.

It's not an awful photograph in my eyes. It's just not...incredible. I would say either find a different area or get closer, light her face more (in a flattering way, no on-camera flash), and under-expose the background maybe 1/2 a stop or so (maybe more)