Head Shot for CC

[jswill]

This is a shot from a recent shoot. What can I do better to improve my photo skills?

 

[cwcaesar]

Really cute subject. It looks a little on the bright (overexposed) side to me, but it may be my monitor. Also, maybe a touch warm. But really nice overall, I think. I like the lighting.

 

[jswill]

I was looking for a High Key effect. I also used the Portrait Expo disc to set the white balance, which tends to warm up the photo. Thanks for the comments.

 

[cwcaesar]

I was looking for a High Key effect. I also used the Portrait Expo disc to set the white balance, which tends to warm up the photo. Thanks for the comments.

Well, in that case, you nailed it!! Good job.

If you don't mind my asking, what was your lighting setup for this shot?

 

[jswill]

I had a AB800 with a 22" Beauty Dish above the camera positin with the subject holding a 2'X3' piece of white foam board at chest level.

 

[tirediron]

Ehhh... it's getting toward high-key, but it's not quite there yet. First of all, your background is at least 2/3 of a stop off of pure white which is one of the main components of the high-key look. Additionally, your key light is about a half-stop over. A LITTLE bit of shadow is fine, but your overall goal is a bright, almost shadowless, evenly lit image.

Example (the apparent backdround darkness is a compression/FB issue):

 

[tirediron]

I had a AB800 with a 22" Beauty Dish above the camera positin with the subject holding a 2'X3' piece of white foam board at chest level.

Therein lies the issue. A BD is NOT an ideal modifier for high-key shooting. Ideally, two large-ish SBs equidistant from the subject and two more on the background.

 

[cgipson1]

Ehhh... it's getting toward high-key, but it's not quite there yet. First of all, your background is at least 2/3 of a stop off of pure white which is one of the main components of the high-key look. Additionally, your key light is about a half-stop over. A LITTLE bit of shadow is fine, but your overall goal is a bright, almost shadowless, evenly lit image.

I agree with John, your subject is overexposed a bit, enough to where you are losing detail in the highlights... and the background is too underexposed to be true high key.

High-key lighting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Mully]

When shooting basically on camera lighting it will leave your subject looking flat, now overexpose the image and it is washed out. Try lighting from the side to draw the features of the face, more interesting head shots are done this way as you can add drama to your subject.