indoor portrait

[wet]

I recently setup a home studio, hopefully someday I will be good at taking portrait pictures.
I am still suck at placing the key & fill lights & also controlling the intensity. Can someone please C&C if the lighting & composition is OK? How can I make it better?
Also, I redyed (2x) this backdrop, is this a neutral color or should I dye it even darker to get rid of the uneven spots?
Thanks for all the advise.

 

[MikeBookPro]

I think the lighting is good! I don't like portraits where the subject is totally centered. Interestingly, a quick crop and auto-tone in PS CS4 produced this. I like the more vibrant colors.

 

[ambrose portraits]

Hi Wet. Cute little girl. The cookie is a great idea to keep her interested in the portraits. This picture is good, but I would make three recommendations:
1. Move the lights back. They seem to be a little harsh and a little more distance would probably soften the hotspots.
2. Turn the girl's chair at an angle to your camera. I'm never happy with my own photos when the subject's shoulders and face are squared up with the camera. Even a fifteen degree angle to either side adds a little interest.
3. Move in closer with the camera. You could create a more intimate feeling if you bring us physically closer to the subject. (This goes along with Mike's cropping comment above.)
Personally I disagree with the autotone suggestion. I think the original colors are more natural, and the tweaked colors look a little cold. (Others may say that I go overboard with warming, though.)

 

[K8-90]

I agree with ambrose, except that rather than a closer crop, I would include her elbows. However, I do like close-cropped photos as well, but you would either need to remove the hands from the frame or maybe shoot upwards rather than straight on.

 

[SrBiscuit]

i like the original.
i dont think having this subject off-center does anything to the image.
centered subjects are not illegal.

 

[choudhrysaab]

i prefer the original as well and she's a cute cookie monster =)

 

[SrBiscuit]

you could still crop it so that it's portrait orientation, but keep her centered.
nice shot btw :thumbup:

 

[wet]

Thanks for the feedbacks, I was so focus on the shadow, forget about the composition, the elbow etc. Also, I guess I should try to bring the lights back a bit so that she is not too washout.
I took many at an angle but not for this one. I saw some commercial shots where they have their models holding the 'product' & looking square & straight into the camera to bring out the effect...adding elbow will be a good start, duh...
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Hardrock]

Very cute picture. If you dont mind what home studio setup did you go with?

 

[KmH]

I recently setup a home studio, hopefully someday I will be good at taking portrait pictures.
I am still suck at placing the key & fill lights & also controlling the intensity. Can someone please C&C if the lighting & composition is OK? How can I make it better?
Also, I redyed (2x) this backdrop, is this a neutral color or should I dye it even darker to get rid of the uneven spots?
Thanks for all the advise.

Your image's EXIF data has been stripped.

It looks that you had 2 lights, one on each side of the camera at about 30 degrees off the lens axis and both delivering the same amount of light.
That's a 2 light set-up with no key/fill light.

The lighting would work better if the 2nd light was on or very near the lens axis (the key or fill position) and about 2 stops dimmmer than the main light. This would add some shadow modeling to the models face and look much more pleasing.

Are you using umbrellas? Strobes or continuous light?

Have you seen the book Light: Science and Magic by Fil Hunter?

Leave the background as it is.

 

[wet]

Very cute picture. If you dont mind what home studio setup did you go with?

I use Alien Bee since is highly recommended by my friends.

B800 & B400 studio lights (B800 for for future needs)
CyberSync Powered Trigger Receiver & Transmitter
2 umbrellas with stands

 

[wet]

I recently setup a home studio, hopefully someday I will be good at taking portrait pictures.
I am still suck at placing the key & fill lights & also controlling the intensity. Can someone please C&C if the lighting & composition is OK? How can I make it better?
Also, I redyed (2x) this backdrop, is this a neutral color or should I dye it even darker to get rid of the uneven spots?
Thanks for all the advise.

Your image's EXIF data has been stripped.

It looks that you had 2 lights, one on each side of the camera at about 30 degrees off the lens axis and both delivering the same amount of light.
That's a 2 light set-up with no key/fill light.

The lighting would work better if the 2nd light was on or very near the lens axis (the key or fill position) and about 2 stops dimmmer than the main light. This would add some shadow modeling to the models face and look much more pleasing.

Are you using umbrellas? Strobes or continuous light?

Have you seen the book Light: Science and Magic by Fil Hunter?

Leave the background as it is.

Thanks God, I hate have to dye it again. Took me one afternoon per dye.

You sounded like CSI , the angle of the bullet etc

Seriously, from my reserach, I was under the impression I need to get rid of all the shadows. That being said, I ended up with very 'flat' expression & wasn't able to figure out what's wrong.

I actually have the lights setup this way...

light

light (me?)

model

Well I wasn't suppose to take this picture, I was talking to the mom when is she was taking her cookies break. I saw the golden opportunity so I snapped it, however I can't really remember my position at that time. I vaguely remember I was sitting very close to her & her mom since we were chatting. I think now that I know better, I will move the light & myself slightly behind. Thanks, man for the great feedback.