First time model on a first time TFP C&C please

[IronMaskDuval]

Mostly on camera. Nothing really special in post. Just global adjustments.

Veering off this model but on the same subject. I was just looking at your website, and those family portraits are great. I will be doing my first in studio for my in-laws this weekend, and we'll be outside as well. It seems like you have some hard light coming in on some of your portfolio photos. Did you use a diffuser to soften it up, or was that just you and one flash?

 

[mmaria]

Mostly on camera. Nothing really special in post. Just global adjustments.

I'm asking because of that particular tone of green

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I worked this one pretty hard and I think it shows. This was mostly a basic levels adjust, selective dodging, skin smoothing, blending and air brushing.

View attachment 69560

Oh wow. Was this all light room? Did you spot brush the shadows out? I'm a total failure. lol

 

[runnah]

I worked this one pretty hard and I think it shows. This was mostly a basic levels adjust, selective dodging, skin smoothing, blending and air brushing.

Oh wow. Was this all light room? Did you spot brush the shadows out? I'm a total failure. lol

Photoshop. One of these days I'll record myself.

 

[Gavjenks]

Poses and expressions and composition are great!
Lighting kinda sucks!

You need to carry a flash with you, especially if you want to shoot on sunny days in mottled lighting or at angles like this. It's really not hard to learn or get used to. I suggest:
1) TTL cord ($40ish)
2) Speedlight ($50-200)
3) A $5 bracket thing that has a cold shoe and a hole and spring for an umbrella
4) The smallest white shoot through umbrella you can buy (33" usually, $10)

Then hand hold the bracket, light and umbrella below or above or at arm's length to the side wherever fill light is needed, and dial in something like -2 compensation for your flash TTL, and you'll get a nice soft not-overwhelming-the-main-light fill that will help tremendously. And the camera does it automatically, which is fine/good for an outdoors shot where you're moving around and light is changing constantly.

 

[CdTSnap]

Only thing that stood out for me was the lighting on the face as above, I love 4 and 5!

 

[IronMaskDuval]

Poses and expressions and composition are great!
Lighting kinda sucks!

You need to carry a flash with you, especially if you want to shoot on sunny days in mottled lighting or at angles like this. It's really not hard to learn or get used to. I suggest:
1) TTL cord ($40ish)
2) Speedlight ($50-200)
3) A $5 bracket thing that has a cold shoe and a hole and spring for an umbrella
4) The smallest white shoot through umbrella you can buy (33" usually, $10)

Then hand hold the bracket, light and umbrella below or above or at arm's length to the side wherever fill light is needed, and dial in something like -2 compensation for your flash TTL, and you'll get a nice soft not-overwhelming-the-main-light fill that will help tremendously. And the camera does it automatically, which is fine/good for an outdoors shot where you're moving around and light is changing constantly.

I'm really green when it comes to flash. That was my first time using a manual flash. I went out and bought a Nikon SB-800 today and a set of reflectors. If things are sunny this weekend, I get to try again with different subjects- if not, next week.

 

[Gavjenks]

Well if you want to take a step in between and spend less money at first, you could also grab a reflector, and have the model hold it in each pose where fill light is needed. You can't have their hands in the photo then, though.

 

[runnah]

may sure you set your flash to the FP (Focal plane)mode. This will allow you flash to fire at much higher shutter speeds than normal.

Page 60 in your manual.

 

[Braineack]

Should be auto. Now you can expose for sky with shutter and then use flash to expose the subject. See the the recent thread about dogs in park project number 2

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Derrel]

I worked this one pretty hard and I think it shows. This was mostly a basic levels adjust, selective dodging, skin smoothing, blending and air brushing.

View attachment 69560

This is an excellent "rescue" runnah managed to create from an original file that had bad lighting. I looked at the .NEF for this...the lighting on the face was...less than optimal as far as shadow pattern, and the near eye and cheek were out of focus as well. This is a fine,fine job of salvaging something from the file as-shot.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I worked this one pretty hard and I think it shows. This was mostly a basic levels adjust, selective dodging, skin smoothing, blending and air brushing.

View attachment 69560

This is an excellent "rescue" runnah managed to create from an original file that had bad lighting. I looked at the .NEF for this...the lighting on the face was...less than optimal as far as shadow pattern, and the near eye and cheek were out of focus as well. This is a fine,fine job of salvaging something from the file as-shot.

Now, if I can only learn to salvage it like that...

 

[IronMaskDuval]

Is it any saving grace if I lighten up the shadows around her face, or does she still look like a racoon? Not even close to what runnah did, but it's an attempt.

 

[Gavjenks]

Do you feel you NEED to fix these for your reputation with that model or something? If so, I can give you lots of tips on photoshopping too and try some of them out. But if not, I don't think worrying about them too much is worthwhile if you don't have to versus focusing on addressing the issues for your next shoot.

 

[runnah]

Now, if I can only learn to salvage it like that...

I've learned that getting it right in camera is much easier than fixing things after the fact.

You have a good eye so learning from your mistakes will only make your work better. In these cases a fill light would have saved the day.

Like Gavjenks said, if these aren't for a client I'd just chalk them up as a learning experience and more on.