Jill (my first studio portraits)

[Puscas]

I took a portraiture class and ended up working with studio lights for the first time. Loved it. Hope you like my small selection (I took some very bad ones too). The model's name is Jill. thanks for any c&c.

1.

2. (B/W)

3.

4.

thanks for looking


pascal

 

[Big Mike]

The first two (same shot?) is quite dramatic, I like it.

I really like the lighting you have used in the third one...but the crop seems weird...I'd like to see it with a tighter crop. The last one looks to be slightly out of focus compared to the others.

A small suggestion, have her tilt her head just slightly toward her closest shoulder. It would make it a more feminine post.

 

[Puscas]

The first two (same shot?) is quite dramatic, I like it.

thanks. yes, they are the same

I really like the lighting you have used in the third one...but the crop seems weird...I'd like to see it with a tighter crop.

all right, I'll give that a try.

The last one looks to be slightly out of focus compared to the others.

oh man, I think you're right...:meh:

A small suggestion, have her tilt her head just slightly toward her closest shoulder. It would make it a more feminine post.

I'll certainly remember that for a next shoot.
thanks a lot Mike.





pascal

 

[Garbz]

Hmmm not a fan at all. Not an error of technique or anything but I personally don't think the lighting suits that particular model. I'm mainly talking about the fast falloff from bright on her forehead to much darker further down. It does work very well with some people though.

Great lighting technique though especially in the last two. I like the mixture of colours.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

I like the first one in b/w - lovely.

 

[Puscas]

Hmmm not a fan at all. Not an error of technique or anything but I personally don't think the lighting suits that particular model. I'm mainly talking about the fast falloff from bright on her forehead to much darker further down. It does work very well with some people though.

Great lighting technique though especially in the last two. I like the mixture of colours.

thanks for pointing that out. Why doesn't it work on her; is it the shape of her head? Being new at this, any tips on how you would have done it?

I like the first one in b/w - lovely.

thank you JJM




pascal

 

[JubbaKing]

You lit her short. YOU'RE ALREADY AHEAD AT THE LIGHTING GAME BECAUSE OF THIS! Nice job. I think her hair and skin looks a little hot in some spots. Exposure issue or added contrast, I'm not sure.

#1 I like the dramatic one light effect. I wish you had closed the shadow to give a Rembrandt pattern but it shapers face nicely. Most women won't like this dramatic look though. It's dark and mysterious. Reserve this more for the guys but still, use sparingly (if you're selling these anyway--if you like it, keep doing it!).


#3 and #4 have a very specular/shiny feel in the darker parts of her face. I'm guessing you used a silver reflector. I only use a silver reflector if I need A LOT of light. For studio shots, I'd use a white reflector (this gives a softer reflected light that won't give off a specular sheen as much to the face as a silver one will), set up high to gently lift the shadows and not give the feel that a second light was used to give more light to a certain area of the face.

 

[Puscas]

You lit her short. YOU'RE ALREADY AHEAD AT THE LIGHTING GAME BECAUSE OF THIS! Nice job. I think her hair and skin looks a little hot in some spots. Exposure issue or added contrast, I'm not sure.

thanks. When you say 'lit short' you mean the lights are close to her face? I noticed the hot spots too, I'm afraid it happened while adding contrast. Stupid me.

#1 I like the dramatic one light effect. I wish you had closed the shadow to give a Rembrandt pattern but it shapers face nicely. Most women won't like this dramatic look though. It's dark and mysterious. Reserve this more for the guys but still, use sparingly (if you're selling these anyway--if you like it, keep doing it!)

Well, being from Holland, I hád to try the Rembrandt, right...? :mrgreen: I know I didn't get the perfect triangle, but I still like it. Although people also said it has a Vermeer-look to it (I can't escape my Dutch roots..) and I see that too (a little bit). Oh and I'm not selling these. But I do want to explore studio portraiture more, so any help is appreciated.

#3 and #4 have a very specular/shiny feel in the darker parts of her face. I'm guessing you used a silver reflector.

I used an umbrella.

I only use a silver reflector if I need A LOT of light. For studio shots, I'd use a white reflector (this gives a softer reflected light that won't give off a specular sheen as much to the face as a silver one will), set up high to gently lift the shadows and not give the feel that a second light was used to give more light to a certain area of the face.

To be honest I didn't vary much in heigth with the fill light, so yes, that might have been a good idea.
thanks for this!



pascal

 

[Mike Jordan]

To me, your light is a bit to harsh for her. Besides the highlights, you are also skimming light across her face, which brings out the texture of her skin more than it should. Although she has good skin, she doesn't have the silky smooth type skin that some women have, so side lighting brings this out more than a little more frontal lighting would do.

I feel that the main light should be a bit higher as well. You are getting almost no nose shadow that falls below her nose. The shadow on the side of her nose on the first 2 makes her nose look fatter than it really is.

These are just details and you aren't far off in having pretty good lighting. You did good on the pose and color balance. I think the black and white works real well for her the way you do have the lighting in the first one. It gives more of a dramatic appearance which seems to work with her.

Mike

 

[JubbaKing]

By short lighting, I mean that the side of the face that's farthest from the camera is lit more than the broad (closer) side of the face.

 

[Puscas]

To me, your light is a bit to harsh for her. Besides the highlights, you are also skimming light across her face, which brings out the texture of her skin more than it should. Although she has good skin, she doesn't have the silky smooth type skin that some women have, so side lighting brings this out more than a little more frontal lighting would do.

Thanks. Would make up have been the answer? Changing the light more sideways (you're talking about the keylight, right?) would have changed the shadows too much imho.

I feel that the main light should be a bit higher as well. You are getting almost no nose shadow that falls below her nose. The shadow on the side of her nose on the first 2 makes her nose look fatter than it really is.

yeah, like I said, I was going for a Rembrandt, so the nose-shadow should have been even longer. It started out ok, and then I let her change position and I wasn't paying enough attention...so this was the end result. A lesson learned...:meh:

These are just details and you aren't far off in having pretty good lighting. You did good on the pose and color balance. I think the black and white works real well for her the way you do have the lighting in the first one. It gives more of a dramatic appearance which seems to work with her.

thanks for the input mike! As far as posing goes (facial expressions): Jill was great and I was too busy with the lights and metering to really work on my directing skills.

By short lighting, I mean that the side of the face that's farthest from the camera is lit more than the broad (closer) side of the face.

I understand. We off course, talked about broad and short lighting in class, but reading 'lit short'...I get confused easily...:mrgreen:





pascal

 

[Mesoam]

she has stunning lips

 

[Puscas]

she has stunning lips

I'll let her know!






pascal

 

[Mike Jordan]

Thanks. Would make up have been the answer? Changing the light more sideways (you're talking about the keylight, right?) would have changed the shadows too much imho.

I don't know if makeup would have helped or if it would have just looked like she had makeup on. Of course a makeup artist or someone that knew how to apply and what kind of makeup to apply would be able to do a lot of things. Yes, I'm talking about the main light, which you have coming from her right side. This is one thing about short lighting (main light on the side away from the camera), the light can skim across the skin. This is good in dark skinned people but not always so good in light complected skin people. While moving it would have changed the shadows, you might have gained from doing so.

When you consider how you set up your lighting, you have to consider how that lighting works with your subject. If you are going for just a lighting demonstration or just practicing to get familiar with how the different lighting setups look, then it doesn't matter so much. If you are trying to show your subject in the best light (no pun intended) so that she (or he) looks their best, then lighting placement needs to be considered. For someone with really smooth skin, skim lighting would not show as much of the skin texture as someone with not so smooth skin. So in cases like that, maybe broad lighting (main light shinning on the side of the face facing the camera) would be a better choice. This will help eleminate the little skin shadows that make the texture stand out.

yeah, like I said, I was going for a Rembrandt, so the nose-shadow should have been even longer. It started out ok, and then I let her change position and I wasn't paying enough attention...so this was the end result. A lesson learned...:meh:

I know what you mean about losing track of the details. Many times I get focused on something and will forget that that changed something else... until I see the picture on my computer. The details will get you every time.

thanks for the input mike! As far as posing goes (facial expressions): Jill was great and I was too busy with the lights and metering to really work on my directing skills.

pascal

You are welcome, Pascal. I hope you know that when I say harsh lighting and how it makes her skin look rough that I'm only talking in photographic terms.

Mike

 

[Puscas]

Thanks Mike, good info there...:thumbup:




pascal