High keyish portrait, what do you think?

[jowensphoto]

One speed light head-on and a window directly camera left. A bit bright for my liking, and perhaps a bit heavy on the vignette. C&c welcome, edits also appreciated

eta: this is from my first serious attempt at OCF. Would have preferred larger distance from BG, but the room was very small.

 

[frommrstomommy]

The big shadow that looks like its choking boy on the right is strange.. and something around left boy's ears? More shadow I'm guessing? And I'm with you.. a lil bright. Cute picture still!

 

[jowensphoto]

Woah! You are right about that shadow!

 

[SCraig]

I think you answered your own question.

 

[e.rose]

I think you answered your own question.

Agreed. Too bright... to much vignetting... and too contrasty, in my opinion.

 

[jowensphoto]

Thanks for confirming, everyone!

Regarding contrast, I don't recall messing with it in post directly. I made an action for web resizing/sharpening and it may need some tweaking.

 

[The_Traveler]

'ok, now. Big fake smiles, kids. I'm using a controlled atomic blast for my off camera light. Perhaps a bit bright but great tan '

 

[jowensphoto]

Yeah yeah yeah, I know Lew.

 

[TimothyPeacock]

As the others said, it's a little bright for me too!

Was it a bare flash? If you could have a modifier in front of it it would have softened up those shadows nicely, or a reflector angled up at them slightly maybe.

If you don't have a reflector I've taken to using a bit of white foamboard, or a tea tray covered in tin foil for a more contrasty look.

 

[PhillipM]

Really harsh looking. Not sure why all the PS work as well.

 

[jowensphoto]

All the PS work? Convert to BW (which does in fact look better than the color), vignette to reduce the brightness of the wall (didn't work, yeah I know) then resize/sharpen for web. It's no more than I'd do to any other photo... Thanks though. :cheers:

 

[runnah]

All the PS work? Convert to BW (which does in fact look better than the color), vignette to reduce the brightness of the wall (didn't work, yeah I know) then resize/sharpen for web. It's no more than I'd do to any other photo... Thanks though. :cheers:

You have to make more adjustment than just a desaturation. You have to adjust the levels to bring back some of the color contrast you lost.

 

[jowensphoto]

I must be really PMS'ing today. Anyway to ask for thread to be locked? I get the photo sucks, let's keep beating a dead horse, please.

 

[runnah]

I must be really PMS'ing today. Anyway to ask for thread to be locked? I get the photo sucks, let's keep beating a dead horse, please.

Want some chocolate and a back rub?

I didn't say it sucked I just said it could use a smidge of levels adjustment.

I'm sorry. Ok, I'll sleep on the couch.

 

[nycphotography]

It certainly doesn't suck. It can be better, but the path to better is probably different for different people.

The posing and expressions are good, and the clothes work well with b&w. But the knee is prominent (it caught the light) and the closer subjects hand is like a fist. not bad, but maybe not what you would want. Noticing things like the knee and the fist during the shoot lets you try again for a better shot.

Once you settle on this as the as the best from the session and you want to post it... maybe burn the knee a little... knock it down so it's not so bright and prominent.

For me, I don't see the overall shot as too contrasty. Rather, I see the faces as having a flat tonal range... and being stuck in the silver range.... almost what I'd expect if printing a b&w on silvered paper. To my taste, I'd try using levels to get some range and get out of the flat silver look. I might also try cropping closer and using a softer vignette (if any).

As others noted, the shadows are harsh... I'm guessing a bare flash. If you have a light modifier, softener, it would help with the shadows. If you don't, and you have white walls and/or are going to go to b&w, you can try facing the flash AWAY from the subject and let the light bounce all around the room so it comes from all angles. You can also bounce it off a wall or the ceiling. But if the walls aren't white, you can pick up weird color casts when bouncing. Imagine bouncing off a white wall.. but with red curtains and a tan couch. You can get varying color balance which is a pain to fix in post.

And most of this is taste and preference, so just take all the ideas you get and do something different next time.