Home Studio Portrait C&C

HL45 · May 18, 2015

My granddaughter recently turned One!
Ordered a seamless background and set up with single strobe w/small soft box.
Any comments or critique is appreciated.
Canon 5D3
24-70 f 2.8
f/8
ISO 100

Aubree 1 year old-1 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

Aubree 1 year old-1-4 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

Aubree 1 year old-1-17 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

Aubree 1 year old-1-5 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

Thanks,

Mitch

Braineack · May 18, 2015

Yes. You're onto something. Great first go.

using tapatalk.

D-B-J · May 18, 2015

The things I notice is that the light seems a bit harsh, especially given the subject matter. Pick up a 33" or 46" umbrella instead of the small softbox. That'll help reduce the harshness and blown highlights/darkish shadow issue. Definitely a good start though. Placement (in terms of angle and such) seems pretty solid, and exposure is handled pretty well also. Good job on that.

Jake

tirediron · May 18, 2015

Well done!

Derrel · May 18, 2015

Solid, solid lighting. Amazing that this is not your first paying client. The expressions in 1,2,and 3 are absolutely amazing.

binga63 · May 19, 2015

great work....my only question on #2 is the colour of her foot, was she wearing socks?

HL45 · May 19, 2015

Thanks for the replies! #2 is just shadow, no socks, she was moving around and stopped with that pose. I've been looking at Octaboxes, didn't think about a large umbrella, might save me some money.
Question about lighting this, If a second light was used would it be better to light the background or use it accent/hair light?
Thanks for your time,

Mitch

Braineack · May 19, 2015

I dont see where a second light would improve these. A larger modifier would have helped a bit in #2, but that's easy enough to recover in post to even out the skin a bit...but it's also in shadow so her feet should be dark.

what size is the current softbox 16x16 24x24? seems decently sized based on the subject. Catchlights are quite large in the eyes.

HL45 · May 19, 2015

Braineack said:
I dont see where a second light would improve these. A larger modifier would have helped a bit in #2, but that's easy enough to recover in post to even out the skin a bit...but it's also in shadow so her feet should be dark.

what size is the current softbox 16x16 24x24? seems decently sized based on the subject. Catchlights are quite large in the eyes.

I believe it's 24x24, bought a used set of Impact brand strobes awhile back, never actually measured. I had a chance to work with a 5ft softbox in a friends studio some months ago, it seemed to light the background and the subject much better than my little box. My kit came with some umbrellas also but they are small.

Derrel · May 19, 2015

What makes these nice is the roundness to the subject, the three-dimensionality that she shows, dues to highlights and shadows. This is classic seamless paper + one light lighting. Using that light in that situation is what makes these photos look so good--it's the natural lighting effect, with actual shadows. It comes from using a more-classic size of light than the current fad of using a huge, 5-foot to 7-foot modifier.

Much lighting done today is coming out of oversized modifiers that belch out a big swath of soft,diffused, character-less light that wraps around the subject, bathing a huge area in soft, almost omnidirectional light. Lighting manufacturers love selling these products; these things are expensive! People easily succumb to the lure of the 5-, 6-, and 7-foot modifiers. I actually greatly prefer this older style of lighting for these particular shots. The shadows create a sense of realism, and the simple, light-from-one-source lighting actually is giving you hair highlights, and good hair separation from the light background, so I don't think a hairlight would have improved these. Adding another light would be another lighting pattern, different from this pattern, and the photos would look a bit more "lighted", a bit more contrived, perhaps.

Lighting styles are many, and varied, and they come in and out of fashion. This is a classic, simple, one-light style, with a lighting ratio that has a nice, moderately deep, yet well-defined shadow pattern. I LIKE this type of lighting. If you look at the lighting, by removing all the color, you will see what fine B&W images these will make...the washtub shot for example is a perfect example of using light to create realism, to create the illusion of a real,live person, a living little doll of a child. Moving to a modern, oversized modifier would make these look more current, and also a lot less interesting, a lot more shadowless, less three-dimensional and flatter. On #2, the one with her standing in the dress, maybe make the shadows deeper...I think the reason the foot was asked about is it looks a bit like it ought to have more shadow, be darker. #2 is a bit overly bright compared against the others, and darkening her forehead and face and all, by a little bit, would probably improve it.

Adding an accent light, like say a small metal reflector with a honeycomb grid and barn doors would add an air of artifice I think. A pure white background look would be another look as well, more "studio", and less "real". Of course, those are their own lighting patterns, and can be useful.

DGMPhotography · May 19, 2015

#3 looks a bit out of focus, but other than that, this is a great set. You are a wizard to be able to pose her like you did. Well done.

HL45 · May 19, 2015

Wow, thanks for taking the time to post Derrel. I'm going to look at B&W on a few of these to learn from what you've said here.
Shot #2 I liked the pose so much but she had moved very close to the light, just above her head angled down thus the bright face and deep shadow at her feet. B&W might be a better solution on that one. Here is a shot where she has moved nearer to where I wanted her to be for the light setup.

Aubree 1 year old-1-2 by Mitch Wessels, on Flickr

HL45 · May 19, 2015

DGMPhotography said:
#3 looks a bit out of focus, but other than that, this is a great set. You are a wizard to be able to pose her like you did. Well done.

Thanks, posing with help from her mother of coarse.