Full Body Ella, Angel vs Devil - Tips?

[DGMPhotography]

Hello! So today I did a themed shoot of angel vs devil with Ella. We tried some different stuff, but the main change from our last shoot was that almost all of our shots were full body shots, not close-ups of the face. I was hoping I could get some advice and feedback about the results!

1. 2. 3.4.5.

1 I think turned out pretty nice. When I showed her though she didn't like it saying she was self conscious about her neck?
2 I really like.
3 I really like.
4 is going to be photoshopped so there's a glowing ball of light in her hands.
5 needs to be fixed since I accidentally got rid of the white dress version's shadow (just pretend it's there).

There's also this one:

The idea behind it was kinda "tango with the devil" but meh... there's a reason I'm the photographer and not the model.

In all of these I know I could have greatly benefited from a shallower dof. Trust me, if I could have I would have. I'm getting closer to that 50mm f/1.8 everyday! Please share some comments on these though, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!

 

[sarah_19_nz]

I really like image #2. # 3 is cute but it looks a little soft?. Image #4 would be better if the background wasn't so distracting...perhaps clone out that golf cart or whatever the thing with wheels is??... also would be better if the bottom half of her face was showing more? The others just aren't doing it for me personally.

 

[Vtec44]

Most of these were shot at a high angle, which shorten her legs and exaggerates her head. It looks like the sun was still out and strong, based on the shadows. I'd pick a better time to shoot next time. Some of these were shot at f11, f4 1/80... so random.

I'm not a pro but those are just my observations.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I really like image #2. # 3 is cute but it looks a little soft?. Image #4 would be better if the background wasn't so distracting...perhaps clone out that golf cart or whatever the thing with wheels is??... also would be better if the bottom half of her face was showing more? The others just aren't doing it for me personally.

Yeah, that's what I was saying about dof, especially with #4. Why don't you like #1?

Most of these were shot at a high angle, which shorten her legs and exaggerates her head. It looks like the sun was still out and strong, based on the shadows. I'd pick a better time to shoot next time. Some of these were shot at f11, f4 1/80... so random.

I'm not a pro but those are just my observations.

We shot 2 hours after sunset, right when the venue opened. And it wasn't random, the changing f numbers were for me to experiment and see the differences, and to compensate for flash since the max speed is 200 when using flash. You're right about the sun though, it was a hot day, and eventually we're going to find a place and time within the golden hour!

 

[tirediron]

ALL of these need fill light! For this sort of shot to work, you really need to be at LEAST 1/3 stop over ambient on the face, not 1/2 stop under. 3 & 4 need to be levelled, and watch the composition in #4; you've got her arms over her chin; dropping them down just a bit wouldn't have obscured her face.

 

[KmH]

Do you mean 2 hours after sunrise?

One of the features the D5100 doesn't have is Auto-FP flash sync which is pretty much needed to balance flash with sunlight for a good lighting ratio with the background darker than the subject.
(Auto-FP sync allows using shutter speeds faster than 1/200) dg28.com - photographer education

The backgrounds are pretty bright (ambient light) in all but #4, but the dappled sunlight light in #4 isn't helping.

The poses could use some adjustments, and it will take getting some more knowledge and practice to be able to make consistent exposures.
A DSLR camera meter can only measure reflected light, but it can't display the short duration of reflected light produced by a strobe. Getting outdoor portraiture exposure consistent gets a lot easier if you can also measure incident and strobe light.

 

[Mach0]

Try a ND filter.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Do you mean 2 hours after sunrise?

One of the features the D5100 doesn't have is Auto-FP flash sync which is pretty much needed to balance flash with sunlight for a good lighting ratio with the background darker than the subject.
(Auto-FP sync allows using shutter speeds faster than 1/200) dg28.com - photographer education

The backgrounds are pretty bright (ambient light) in all but #4, but the dappled sunlight light in #4 isn't helping.

The poses could use some adjustments, and it will take getting some more knowledge and practice to be able to make consistent exposures.
A DSLR camera meter can only measure reflected light, but it can't display the short duration of reflected light produced by a strobe. Getting outdoor portraiture exposure consistent gets a lot easier if you can also measure incident and strobe light.

So does that mean I simply can't balance flash with sunlight without this Auto-FP flash sync? I'm thinking of getting one of those 5-in-1 reflectors soon which may help with fill light. How would you say the poses should be changed?

Try a ND filter.

That would lower shutter speed right? Would that make the flash more effective?

 

[Mach0]

So does that mean I simply can't balance flash with sunlight without this Auto-FP flash sync? I'm thinking of getting one of those 5-in-1 reflectors soon which may help with fill light. How would you say the poses should be changed?

That would lower shutter speed right? Would that make the flash more effective?

It would cut down the light and let you use a slower shutter speed and still shoot at wider apertures.

You can balance ambient at 1/200 second but you will need to stop down your lens quite a bit resulting in needing a lot more flash power.

 

[gsgary]

So does that mean I simply can't balance flash with sunlight without this Auto-FP flash sync? I'm thinking of getting one of those 5-in-1 reflectors soon which may help with fill light. How would you say the poses should be changed?

That would lower shutter speed right? Would that make the flash more effective?

Shutter speed effects ambient light,F stop effects flash exposure

 

[Vtec44]

And it wasn't random, the changing f numbers were for me to experiment and see the differences, and to compensate for flash since the max speed is 200 when using flash.

The reason why it looks random is one of the pictures was shot at f4.5 1/80. Why 1/80 and f4.5? What were you looking to get at that shutter speed and aperture? In the middle of the day, I'd think the shutter speed would be higher.

 

[sarah_19_nz]

Why don't I like #1?....
her pose just seems forced/awkward and not natural or relaxed. She is holding her head up and at a funny angle.

 

[amolitor]

So does that mean I simply can't balance flash with sunlight without this Auto-FP flash sync? I'm thinking of getting one of those 5-in-1 reflectors soon which may help with fill light. How would you say the poses should be changed?

That would lower shutter speed right? Would that make the flash more effective?

Shutter speed effects ambient light,F stop effects flash exposure

Shutter speed affects ambient light. Aperture affects BOTH ambient light AND flash exposure. This is why balancing the two isn't quite trivial.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Interesting!

 

[Juga]

Why don't I like #1?....
her pose just seems forced/awkward and not natural or relaxed. She is holding her head up and at a funny angle.

I would like to add that the 'devil' shots have a bit too much lighting to cause the 'angel vs. devil' comparision. That is just my opinion though.