Critiques welcome about my portrait photos...

[julianliu]

hi, first, thanks for coming in and spending time on looking at my photos and giving your opinions, about the good, bad and how to improve these photos. They are shoot with Nikon 7000, 70-200mm F4 except one close picture with 17-55mm F2.8, The lighting are strobe with 7 feet silver umbrella at the front left, a flash gun with white umbrella at the back right, and a silver reflector at the front right. Trying to improve my lighting but not satisfied. Any brutal critique welcome! Thanks!

 

[cgipson1]

Faces are way too bright, IMO! Do you calibrate your monitor? Or do you just prefer that "look". If looks like the light is soft enough.. just too much of it.

The strong side lighting is bit overdone.. to the point where you basically have almost blown highlights on the sides of the faces... this is causing more contrast then it should. If you are going for dramatic lighting, fine.. but back it off a notch or three.

 

[cgipson1]

Examples... using the color sampler tool in Photoshop:





As you may know, 255 255 255 is total white.. as in totally blown out white with no detail what so ever. Having any channel over 235 to 240 is pushing it....

Notice how bright the edges / sides are... then look at the shadows alongside the nose & eye sockets and under the chins... very dark in comparison. Too much contrast!

 

[julianliu]

Examples... using the color sampler tool in Photoshop: <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=56880"/> <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=56881"/> As you may know, 255 255 255 is total white.. as in totally blown out white with no detail what so ever. Having any channel over 235 to 240 is pushing it.... Notice how bright the edges / sides are... then look at the shadows alongside the nose & eye sockets and under the chins... very dark in comparison. Too much contrast!

Hi, thanks so much for comments.... I like little over exposed picture, but you are absolutely right, they are overexposed too much.... I increased to exposure in photoshop to whiten the background just made it worse ...
I need to pay attention to that since I tend to overexposed portraits....
Thanks again !

-Julian

 

[limr]

Seeing those two trying to flash gang signs made me throw up in my mouth just a little bit.

 

[julianliu]

Seeing those two trying to flash gang signs made me throw up in my mouth just a little bit.

what happened to you ? Cannot stand people use flash ?

 

[Braineack]

I think you have the lights too hot. All the shots with legs in them seem to have perfect lighting down there.

Take the "gang sign" shot for exmaple: I like the lighting on the lighting from the waist down.

Same with the group shot on the stool: The mom's[?] legs have some skin tone and color to them; not almost pure white like the faces and arms.

 

[runnah]

Seeing those two trying to flash gang signs made me throw up in my mouth just a little bit.

Those gated communities have some pretty tough gangs.

 

[Braineack]

They are actually doing the shocker, minus the shock.

 

[astroNikon]

(newbie here) one question I have for the OP is does he know how to control the output on his flash(es) ?
After I started fiddling with the output (such as 1/128, 1/64th etc) I tended to want to slightly underexpose everything just a little. I was able to control lighting alot better, eliminate shadows (mostly), get better colors and more details. Of course, it could also be my overall technique getting better too

 

[runnah]

They are actually doing the shocker, minus the shock.

I always flash "the minivan".

 

[astroNikon]

Examples... using the color sampler tool in Photoshop:

View attachment 56881

As you may know, 255 255 255 is total white.. as in totally blown out white with no detail what so ever. Having any channel over 235 to 240 is pushing it....

Notice how bright the edges / sides are... then look at the shadows alongside the nose & eye sockets and under the chins... very dark in comparison. Too much contrast!

I guess I'll put photoshop on my list of things that would be good to have.

 

[ronlane]

Examples... using the color sampler tool in Photoshop:

View attachment 56881

As you may know, 255 255 255 is total white.. as in totally blown out white with no detail what so ever. Having any channel over 235 to 240 is pushing it....

Notice how bright the edges / sides are... then look at the shadows alongside the nose & eye sockets and under the chins... very dark in comparison. Too much contrast!

I guess I'll put photoshop on my list of things that would be good to have.

Or at least Lightroom.

 

[astroNikon]

I guess I'll put photoshop on my list of things that would be good to have.

Or at least Lightroom.

okay, I guess I need to learn how to use Lightroom more as I already have it

 

[julianliu]

hi, guys thanks so much for your input. This is my first post here and I already got lots of advice of the problem of my pictures.
I tend to overexpose portraits because I like the lights to cover the skin imperfection , but from what you all said , the lights are too hot. And I even made it hotter in photoshop ! But anywho, you guys think a light meter would help? Or do you use a light meter ? I know Joel grimes does not use light meter... And frank doorhof recommend using it. I planned to get one, but I am afraid I will lose creativity with lighting by using it ...