Lost in the Fog

[crimbfighter]

I think I understand your concept, but where this image falls short for me is that my eye expects the light on her face to he coming from the lantern, not another source. By having the lighting coming from a direction that is flattering for a portrait, it causes a disconnect between the girl and the lantern. I also think that she is too well lit. Again, I would expect the lantern to be the brightest point of light, or at least equally to her face, and that the lantern would be casting the light onto her face. Perhaps if you chose to reshoot the image, either find a way to only supplement the light from the lantern, or maybe a composite where you use a light source from the same direction of where the lantern will be?

I do think the fog looked quite well done! Maybe bringing a little bit of it over her face to add some realism?

The whole three fingers thing didn't bother me at all, nor did it look like a composite to me.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I think I understand your concept, but where this image falls short for me is that my eye expects the light on her face to he coming from the lantern, not another source. By having the lighting coming from a direction that is flattering for a portrait, it causes a disconnect between the girl and the lantern. I also think that she is too well lit. Again, I would expect the lantern to be the brightest point of light, or at least equally to her face, and that the lantern would be casting the light onto her face. Perhaps if you chose to reshoot the image, either find a way to only supplement the light from the lantern, or maybe a composite where you use a light source from the same direction of where the lantern will be?

I do think the fog looked quite well done! Maybe bringing a little bit of it over her face to add some realism?

The whole three fingers thing didn't bother me at all, nor did it look like a composite to me.

You're right. I wish I could have lit it with just the lantern, but it wasn't nearly bright enough.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I think I'm getting to the point where I need to start having an assistant for my shoots.

Between having to fix her hair, hold the light, compose the shot, and everything else, I have less energy to focus on the creative realism of the image, and its finer details.

This isn't an excuse for my lighting, but something this conversation has made me realize.

 

[crimbfighter]

An assistant may certainly be helpful! I really think a few tweaks would really help this image. Perhaps try an edit with bringing the exposure down on her a bit and warm the light so it feels more like the light is coming from the lantern?

 

[limr]

I think I'm getting to the point where I need to start having an assistant for my shoots.

Between having to fix her hair, hold the light, compose the shot, and everything else, I have less energy to focus on the creative realism of the image, and its finer details.

This isn't an excuse for my lighting, but something this conversation has made me realize.

The devil is in the details. Seems like a good idea to have someone with an eye for such details to assist and who could complement your vision.

 

[crimbfighter]

I think I'm getting to the point where I need to start having an assistant for my shoots.

Between having to fix her hair, hold the light, compose the shot, and everything else, I have less energy to focus on the creative realism of the image, and its finer details.

This isn't an excuse for my lighting, but something this conversation has made me realize.

The devil is in the details. Seems like a good idea to have someone with an eye for such details to assist and who could complement your vision.

That's a good point. Much like how we all come here, and other places, for C&C, it would be so helpful to have someone in the field with me who could point out some of those things in advance that I just don't see.

 

[Gary A.]

The fog looks fake to me. Too many holes and a perfect one right where you need it. I don’t buy it.

 

[DanOstergren]

Maybe she's just too young to have held a lantern. A girl her age would just light her way with her cel phone. But seriously I realize you're trying to be creative and that's a worthy goal however I think this and the apple come off as gimmicks rather than genuinely artistically creative. I don't do any inventive photography myself, just documentary so perhaps the wrong one to speak but I would dig a little deeper for impactful ideas.

What is your issue?

First off, she's a grown woman of 23 years. Not a girl.

As for it being a "gimmick," the entire shoot was based on the lantern. It wasn't a random add-on like the apple, and nor do I think it's portrayed that way. I think this image tells a story.

You should really stop saying you appreciate C&C when you don't.

If you truly think this image tells a story, then what story is it telling? To me it's a bit contrived, and I'm not a fan of the color pallette from your edit; the lighting from this lamp would be orange, so why does her skin have a cold, almost purple tone to it? I would adjust the color a bit more with that in order to get better accuracy to make the light source believable. As well, the skin looks too smooth and perfected to me, to the point of looking like it was done with an automated action that wiped away any skin detail.

 

[pixmedic]

from a portrait perspective, I like how she is lit.
from a themed perspective, i think the lighting is over the top.
I think the issue is that its too well lit to be realistic. maybe something closer to low key?
maybe the "fog" is just throwing me off...

perhaps this would work better with heavier shadowing and less fog? i realize the fog might be part of the vision here, but you could do something similar to my shadow shot, but with the lantern instead of the coke can and a little less main light. I think a low power flash angled from the lantern area would give a nice shadowed shot with the lantern appearing to cut through the darkness. you could add in a little fog if you want. i honestly dont mind how you did the fog in this shot, its just the lighting thats throwing me off.

DSCF5228 by pixmedic, on Flickr

 

[Designer]

I think I understand your concept, but where this image falls short for me is that my eye expects the light on her face to he coming from the lantern, not another source. By having the lighting coming from a direction that is flattering for a portrait, it causes a disconnect between the girl and the lantern. I also think that she is too well lit. Again, I would expect the lantern to be the brightest point of light, or at least equally to her face, and that the lantern would be casting the light onto her face. Perhaps if you chose to reshoot the image, either find a way to only supplement the light from the lantern, or maybe a composite where you use a light source from the same direction of where the lantern will be?

I do think the fog looked quite well done! Maybe bringing a little bit of it over her face to add some realism?

The whole three fingers thing didn't bother me at all, nor did it look like a composite to me.

You're right. I wish I could have lit it with just the lantern, but it wasn't nearly bright enough.

Obviously (to some of us, at least) a kerosene lantern is not going to be as bright as a modern electronic flash, or even as bright as a common 60-watt light bulb for that matter. This is where you have to use your noodle to devise a lighting scheme that lends credulity to the assumed lighting source.

I wish you hadn't tried to fix the finger.

 

[gk fotografie]

When, as you say, the entire image is based on the lantern, IMO the next edit gives a much more realistic vision when you know this: candle-light is about 1200°Kelvin and daylight/flashlight about 5000 - 5500°Kelvin!

 

[DGMPhotography]

You should really stop saying you appreciate C&C when you don't.

Who are you to tell me what I do and don't appreciate? I obviously do, which is evidenced by the fact that I've already made several changes. I edited the lighting, and I adjusted the finger, and I am still working on other versions. Hop off your high horse.

I wish you hadn't tried to fix the finger.

Lol, screwed if you do, screwed if you don't.


I do agree my lighting should have been more harsh.

 

[Designer]

I do agree my lighting should have been more harsh.

More harsh? I don't remember anyone making that suggestion.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Here is a version with the lighting temperature a little warmer, and with some fog in front of the face.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Now it's been a long time since I walked around with a Coleman lantern, or went camping... but holding it up that high in front besides maybe making it harder to hold/carry I don't think you could see anything, you'd be squinting or trying to see around it - it isn't believable. I don't get the facial expression or what she's looking at.

Maybe go out and try these things before you get out there with someone else, so you know something's not going to work and can come up with another plan to try. She was from what you described struggling to hold it in that position so then you got rushed and ended up with an awkward looking hand position with or without the finger photoshopped in (which didn't seem to be an improvement).

The fog still looks odd although it's better because it's not a line cutting across her, it's just around the lantern and in front of her which doesn't seem believable that she's really in fog. It's not so noticeable now but at first I wondered why is she carrying a purse if she's out in the woods looking at something eerie? that just takes away the fantasy and brings it back to reality, that's she's posing and it loses the imaginative aspect. The fog does now almost obscure that (but it also may not have helped her in carrying the lantern and keeping her purse on her shoulder).

Maybe plan these out and write down step by step or in more detail/specifics what you want to do, think thru the process more to help you achieve what you're imagining.