Having fun with the girlfriend

[Cely]

I took my girlfriend out and took some pictures. Im still trying to get this flash photography thing down. The sun was on the horizon, and it was getting dark fast.

Tell me what you think, C&C is always welcome.
My lighting set up was a Nikon SB-800 on a stand with an umbrella.

PS: I didnt notice that she had her sunglasses on her head

ISO 200
F/8
Shutterspeed: 1st: 1/4 2nd: 1/250

1.

2.

 

[bigtwinky]

2 is definatly better than 1... she is off center, light is better and she appears less flat.

I find the first is a very flat image (could use some levels adjustment in pp)

 

[Cely]

Could you point me to some articles that tell me how to make a picture look less flat? Or does anyone have any advice?

 

[Derrel]

One way to make the photos a bit more snappy is to adjust the curves. Another simple method is to apply unsharp mask at something like a 30 percent level, and a 150 to 200 pixel radius, with a threshold of 0.

Yes, those numbers are correct..30- 150 to 200- and Zero.

You can then fade that until the contrast looks right to you.

Not sure if you have Photoshop or Photoshop Elements or what software you have to adjust you images with, so it's difficult to be very specific.

 

[Restomage]

2nd one is much better, the first photo is a very awkward pose.

 

[Cely]

Yeah I have photoshop CS3, and Lightroom 2.
Thanks for the help.

@Restomage- I very much agree with you, but that's how she wanted to pose. Haha

 

[gopal]

though i like the first one also but i am scared of her with a bigger eye in second one....here u used split lighting and in first close to rembrandt light. tfs.

 

[heip]

2 is definatly better than 1... she is off center, light is better and she appears less flat.

I find the first is a very flat image (could use some levels adjustment in pp)

You really don't know what flat lighting is do you? The first shot is far from flat. It needs the light to be a little higher and some more fill but flat it is not!

 

[Early]

IMHO, I don't think the first one is flat at all. If anything, I would have tried opening up the shadows a little.

There's also the matter of the two little hot spots on her pretty face.

 

[SanDiegoPhotographer]

the first one looks like there is an artificial background and for the second one I would recommend bringing out a little more color in the bricks

 

[Village Idiot]

Also, don't host with photobucket. Go to www.flickr.com and sign up if you haven't already. Photobucket does bad things to the quality of good images.