Ibytes's SUPER FUN HAPPY PICS Thread...C&C!!!

IByte · Sep 22, 2013

This is my thread, they are many like it but this one is mine!!

I finally made the leap and rented a local studio around my area, and invited a friend to be my gorgeous test subject. A few things I wanted to say before I start critiquing my own work here. I want to thanks to Charlie for the wonderful lighting suggestions, E.Rose for the studio pointers(still owe you a tin of tea btw), my mentor who will remain a secret, and TPF in general for allowing me to pick everyone's' brain and learn for free lol.

Regardless of the outcome we had a blast. I was amazed how two hours flew by, and in the end pints and warm food ended a really great Saturday afternoon. So without further delay enjoy. I left the main photo unprocessed(other than resizing it). I feel if I am going to get honest critique, I may as not try to hide the flaws with horrible PP.

No critiques needed here, I am just showing my playground lol

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1.

Few things after the shoot that I noted. I should have bumped my shutter to 1/160-200 or at least 1/125. I was still a little nervous and notice the camera shake. Also, I should have moved in closer since I was using 18-105mm by 3-5 feet. I was used to watching tutorials and reading books with photogs using 70-200mm, that I forgot that I do not own one(yet 8)).

Overall, I think the lighting and the other technical aspects went well out of a scale of 5 bunnies, I giving my self 3.5. Anyone else thought's, comments, critiques are always welcome. Please be honest, be brutal and be fair that's all I ask, thank you.

cgipson1 · Sep 22, 2013

Looks pretty good...

but there is something thats need some work. The shadows on her face.. she has deep dimples. These require either a reflector low / maybe a bit camera left, or lowering the light a bit, and getting the key a bit more frontal. Reflector / lowering key, getting it more frontal would have also killed those little bit too dark shadows under her chin, and on the side of her face / nose.

How about throwing us a quick diagram.. with distances of lights to subject? Creator / Home - Online Lighting Diagram Creator - Tools for photographers

Shadows are my only neg... or nag, if you prefer!

IByte · Sep 22, 2013

It's not nagging if you can learn from it, thanks Charles. I think there may be a part 2, she was interested in posing again.

oh speaking of the lighting diagram, here was the original idea:

cgipson1 · Sep 22, 2013

Very similar diagram to what I used in my Snake Jam shoot where I had very little room to set up. I suspect the the reflector placement needed to put more light on subjects left side. I would have brought the key slightly more toward center and a bit closer, and put the reflector at about a 30 degree angle and brought out more to get light on subject left.

IByte · Sep 22, 2013

Hmmm...then I need bring the set out more an add the reflector, and/or use a smaller umbrella and lower the flash power down a notch or two for separation.

Derrel · Sep 22, 2013

Overall, I really LIKE the rich, saturated color and crisp lighting, but as cgipson1 mentioned, her dimples and her chin have shadows that are very black...very black indeed. As to reflector, I think a large rectangular reflector would have helped. I'd use my normal, a 48x72 inch rectangular reflector in a shot like this; it's BIG, and it provides a lot of fill, especially on a half-body shot like this.I might have had her smooth out the wrinkles in her blouse a bit too.

The dark spot in the front of her hair; the dark dimples; the dark right-hand side of her sweater...all those dark shadowed areas show us the key light's position. The key light's position and its size and distance creates the crisp light, and the deep shadows, which creates the crisp, rich coloring and the very 3-dimensional effect; moving the key light more frontally would have changed the lighting pattern a lot...I actually think a bit more reflector fill with the same key light placement would have looked really good. Having her just turned a bit more into the light might also have been good too.

There are a LOT of variables one can adjust. For instance, if she had just lifted up her chin a bit and projected her head a bit, much of the deep shadowing in the dimple zone would have been eliminated...if she had turned her head a bit more toward the key light, a lot of the face shadowing would have gone away. and so on and so on. A different key light modifier, something that would give more "wraparound lighting" would also have worked to lessen the shadows. still, as-shown, it's got a pleasant look for the most part. This is just ONE, single pose; there might very well be some variations in pose where she looks absolutely smashingly good!

cgipson1 · Sep 22, 2013

IByte said:
Hmmm...then I need bring the set out more an add the reflector, and/or use a smaller umbrella and lower the flash power down a notch or two for separation.

Just remember that the larger the modifier (or the closer it is, which make is larger in relation to subject) will give the softest light. Using one light is fine.. but you have to cover all pertinent parts of the subject... either through Key position, or reflector use. Keep in mind the angles of reflection (just like shooting pool).

If your original diagram is accurate... look below (this may be what happened based on the shot. Softboxes are fairly directional, especially compared to umbrellas...)