Dress up session

Shelby B

TPF Noob!
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Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
So I am new here and a beginner hobbyist photographer. I had a fun dress up/ practice session this afternoon. I would like some feed back. Thank for your help.

Nikon d3000 / Nikon 50mm f/1.8g

Aperture mode f/1.8 iso 100

Edited in Lightroom
untitled-5.jpg
untitled-4.jpg
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Nice costume! You need to get with justjazzie here.
 
Welcome to the forum! :D
Pretty young lady. The colours look good and they seem sharp enough to my eyes and you made good use of the depth of field. You need to work on posing. The poses look awkward and that's made worse by having your model looking towards the bright sunlight causing her to squint. Bright sunlight also causes harsh shadows that do your model no favours. Cloud cover is much easier to shoot in because the light is diffused. #2 would have been better if you'd got down to shoot at her level, at her level without the harsh light and the squint that wooden bridge and the depth of field might have made a very interesting shot. Also bare in mind that you can turn your camera on it's side and shoot in portrait orientation (it took me a while to figure that one out ;) ) and that, since you use Lightroom, trying different crops to get the best advantage is a snap!
As an admitted beginner you didn't do too badly; if you stick around here show your work and take (sometimes harsh) C&C on the chin you'll learn loads and improve rapidly. I learned just about everything I know about shooting people right here. :D
 
Granddad, did a good job covering the C&C, but #3 to me is soft and not that sharp.

One other piece of advice is that just because you have a f/1.8, you don't have to use it at 1.8. This is such a small depth of field that it is hard to get the entire face in focus. You could use 2.8 or 3.6 and still get that out of focus background and give yourself a little more room on the face.
 
Thanks. This is exactly what I am looking for. Yes my "model" is very awkward. I was trying to practice with posing and stuff but It didn't work out well. Any suggestions on finding good models? Lol.

I was concerned about the sharpness of #3 too. Thank you for the advice. I tend to get caught up in taking pics and forget to change exposure techniques.
 
Not sure where you are located but try modelmayhem.com for models. It is hit or miss from what I've been told, I haven't tried to set up a shoot from there yet.

With ISO at 100, you have plenty of room to stop down to f/4 or f/5.6 and still keep the shutter speed up there, even if you have to raise the ISO some.
 
My eyes aren't what they used to be!

I learned just about everything I know about shooting people right here. :D

Did you get out for good behavior yet? lol

No, I sew mail bags to earn computer time. ;)

Thanks. This is exactly what I am looking for. Yes my "model" is very awkward. I was trying to practice with posing and stuff but It didn't work out well. Any suggestions on finding good models? Lol.
When you use a non professional model don't blame her for her poses... the same for pro models. YOU are in charge of the shoot; part of the job is to direct the model. That's one of the mistakes I made (and still do). When you study posing you'll get ideas about what should look good and what is doomed to fail. Another thing I learned is to keep up a "patter" while I'm shooting - sort of... "Move your left elbow up a shade - eyes to the lens - yes, yes, that's starting to look good - head back an inch - lovely! - now, lift your right leg ... YES!! Hold that position for a few seconds - that's looking great! wow! Oh YES!!" Doing this not only gives direction but also builds the model's confidence ... even if sometimes she doesn't really look that good, YET!
Some subjects take time to relax into the camera. I find that often the first 10 or 15 minutes of a shoot are just for building a rapport and the good shots start to come after that time. Don't forget that it's digital, you don't have to pay for every shot. I usually take 2 or 3 hundred shots over the course of an hour and I'm happy if I get ONE really good one.

As for using professional models, that can get expensive. I've used Model Mayhem twice - both turned out to be inexperienced and we swapped time for digital prints. Both were pretty useless and neither even bothered to say "thank you" after I sent them the shots (which were all better than anything they had in their portfolios).
 
Thank you for the advice. How would one study posing ? I know this is something i need to work on. I was trying to give some direction but again I am unfamiliar in what poses I do want.
 
Thank you for the advice. How would one study posing ? I know this is something i need to work on. I was trying to give some direction but again I am unfamiliar in what poses I do want.

Ask Mr Google and Mr Youtube to start with. There's some rubbish on both so use discretion on what you take for gospel. Look at the results they get and see if they look good to you. Do a couple of shoots with volunteers based on what you've picked up. Get an idea in your head of what you want to achieve and work out how you are going to do that in advance. Go through your results with a self critical eye and submit the ones you think are the best (no more than 5, 3 is better) for C&C. The "patter" is something that will come with practice. Keep trying and as you develop your skill you'll see your subjects start to relax.

Remember that harsh, direct sunlight is NOT your friend and in most cases you should be at or about eye level with your subject.
That's enough to work on for now. :)
Note my signature line: It's not brain surgery, it's photography; if you make a mistake nobody dies. Try again! - :D Enjoy yourself!
 
Thank you for all of your help! I really appreciate it. I will work on these things and get back with you all! :) have a great week!

And I do love your signature line! I need to keep that in mind ;)
 

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