Casual Portrait, yet again! CC

[PropilotBW]

I had another shoot, this time I was challenged by poor morning light. I used an external flash with a splash umbrella.
The client wanted outdoor shots, so I tried my best to use earlier thread comments about background blurring with the M4/3 format. (I also used spot-removal tool in LR to blend the background a little more. I hope this isn't noticeable).

First shot I am concerned about because I got the flash too hot. I have been working hard in LR to try to adjust this to an acceptable level. I should have spent more time during the shoot to get it right, but he was the first person of the morning. Trial and Error got to the best of me.
1)

2)

3)

 

[PropilotBW]

Hmm.... I agree, they're not my best. Are they That bad?

 

[Derrel]

I looked at these the other day, before Christmas. Overall, these are a bit too hot on exposure. Honestly, while they are not "bad", these have a subtle feeling of being too close to the people. I think the mask of the face/neck/ears/nose relationship makes these feel like too short of a lens, from too close a distance. Maybe the base of the portraits is a bit too prominent too...the chest goes all the way across the frame on the woman, which gives a feeling of power, but the overall aspect ratio of the photos shows a bit too-wide of a chest/shoulder area.

It is very subtle, but I think these faces would have looked better shot much more compressed or flattened, with a lens focal length easily 2x to 3x longer than what was used.

Christmas and pre-Chrtistmas season has also hurt activity on TPF.

 

[Destin]

For my taste there is a touch too much ambient. I would have liked to see the light a little more controlled on their faces... the easiest way too do that is to cut down the ambient.

I like using the sun as a rim/hair light and my lighting as the primary light on the face.

 

[PropilotBW]

I looked at these the other day, before Christmas. Overall, these are a bit too hot on exposure. Honestly, while they are not "bad", these have a subtle feeling of being too close to the people. I think the mask of the face/neck/ears/nose relationship makes these feel like too short of a lens, from too close a distance. Maybe the base of the portraits is a bit too prominent too...the chest goes all the way across the frame on the woman, which gives a feeling of power, but the overall aspect ratio of the photos shows a bit too-wide of a chest/shoulder area.

It is very subtle, but I think these faces would have looked better shot much more compressed or flattened, with a lens focal length easily 2x to 3x longer than what was used.

Christmas and pre-Chrtistmas season has also hurt activity on TPF.

Yea, I agree with what you're saying. I try... Thanks for the comment.

I think 2 and 3 would be acceptable (with a few tweaks) for what they're being used for. Is there a way to help #1 recover from the hot flash?
I do have an exposure with no flash, but the shadows are really not the greatest. I just effed the flash!

 

[Derrel]

Maybe better?

 

[Destin]

What was the position of the flash?

At least in #1, the eyes are in shadow indicating the key light came from well above him

 

[Rick50]

I like #2 the best but agree with Derrel on focal length.

 

[PropilotBW]

Maybe better?View attachment 132128

I like this, thanks. I was trying to pull down highlights and exposures, but it just kept leaving the image too flat. What technique did you use to bring down the highlights?

 

[Derrel]

I just imported the original large jpeg into Lightroom and I took the Highlight recovery tool and just pulled the highlights down and then I took the clarity slider and just bumped it up a little bit to try and get a sunny, outdoors look. I also added a very slight vignette which doesn't darken much but it does help contain the image a little bit.