First time shooting with lights

[Am I there yet]

Greetings. Looking for feedback on the following pic.

D90
18 - 105 @ 35mm
f/5.6
1/60
ISO 200

SB600 @ 1/1 off camera to right behind white sheet bounced off wall and ceiling
table lamp without shade with 200w GE reveal behind chaise

Photoshop work by subject. Contrast and brightness increased. Vibrance and saturation decreased.

This is my first time shooting with artificial light in a 'studio'. I am looking for all around criticisms. Thanks in advance for your response.

 

[Irishwake]

I like it. It generally looks like this was the look you were going for and I think you pulled it off well. I'm sure some on here will gripe about the crop but I don't think it detracts from the photo at all. :thumbup:

 

[mwcfarms]

What sort of feedback are you looking for most. Critique on the lighting or critique on it overall? Personally I think you have a bit too much shadow on the left. I would have liked to have seen a bit more light on that side. Even just a bit to break up her shoulder neck area with a reflector. I don't mind the crop but I really dislike the chair showing. Red is such a powerful color that it keeps pulling my eye from your model who looks beautiful. I hope you post more from this set because I am intrigued.

 

[Am I there yet]

Thanks for the input. We will work on the others and post more soon. Got the itch!

 

[Studio7Four]

It's a matter of taste - I can see all of mwcfarms' points, but I disagree with most of them. I like the amount of shadow you have, on the side of her face, in the shoulder/neck area, and at the bottom of the image. It adds an air of mystery to the story being told. And that's the feeling I get here, that there's a story in there somewhere (as opposed to being just an interestingly posed picture of a very pretty woman, which I think it would be if it were more brightly lit). I think the lighting on her face and shoulder, and on the background over her shoulder, draw the eye exactly where it should be - again, to me the point her is more about the pose than the model's specific features. And I think the red in the chair is sublime. That particular shade of red, lit as it is, draws the eye enough that you see the additional element to the story but does not pull my eye from the model.

(And I second the motion to see more from this shoot! A very well done job by all involved.)

 

[Am I there yet]

Here is another shot from our first session using lights. I am finding more and more of my shots to be on the darker side/underexposed and I making due before we shoot again. More to follow. Please comment.

 

[Studio7Four]

I am finding more and more of my shots to be on the darker side/underexposed...

It may be a matter of taste (and I'm sure there are folks on this forum who will disagree with me), but don't automatically associate darker with underexposed. For the subject matter in these two pictures (I like the second also, by the way) I think the exposure is very appropriate. I might have liked to see some more lighting coverage on the chaise down by her leg, to give just a hint of what that leg is lying on (and to light her foot and shoe a bit more). But I like the amount of light you're getting off her face, arm, and shoulder, so I consider this a lighting position matter more than an exposure matter.

(Of course, if you had to use post processing to get them up to these levels, or if this just wasn't the look you were going for, then beat yourself up for it. But just judging these shots on their own merits, I'm fine with the exposure.)

 

[Am I there yet]

Thanks again for the remarks. I am basing my assessment on published photographs where more light falls on the entire composition. Don't get me wrong, I love the light in the second image and there is more usable information. I am trying to keep the noise down.

 

[Am I there yet]

Rob, is this what you were asking to see?

 

[Am I there yet]

Third installment from our first shoot. Please comment.

 

[darrenP]

I like the 'feel' of the first shot. Need more lighting on the left side though.

 

[Derrel]

The skin processing on the shot in Post #10 looks, well, very unappealing to me.

 

[MarkCSmith]

Third installment from our first shoot. Please comment.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/photos/data/500/NAS_portrait4_low.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Looks like somebody got careless with the Curves adjustment. The skin looks really bad.

 

[Am I there yet]

Gentlemen, thank you both for the critical remarks. We are both learning and this type of feedback is important. Hope to edit and post again soon.

Here is the shot before any skin corrections with adjustment made to exposure and RGB curves.

Here is the next image.