Most common PP for portraits?

[tsaraleksi]

That's a good point, but I was just wondering if that black area would be considered an oversight, inadequate lighting, or perfectly acceptable. Again, I'm not criticizing, but asking in order to learn.

I think I'll try some portraits tonight if my two little models are in the mood... With a 1 year old baby, it's so hit or miss...

As far as I'm concerned it's not considered a problem at all.

 

[Early]

Well, I look at the portraits that are on my walls, and they just look so good. I thought they were just taking the picture, but reading in here, it seems post work is almost always done with people shots-weddings, portraits, etc.. I thought taking a good picture was just a matter of knowing what settings to set on your camera, but post work is turning out to be much more prevalent than I expected. I just wondered if there are certain filters or actions that everyone knows can take a portrait from okay to wow.. I guess I really don't know how to ask the question, so I hope someone can translate my thoughts..

Looking at my portrait shots, I think I had a white balance issue, as well in my latest bunch, but the color just looks so blah..

In this picture, the flashes hadn't charged up yet when I shot, resulting a more underexposed picture where the colors weren't so washed out:

I'm admittedly very new to Manual, and I know these pictures are terrible, but I usually shoot in one of the program modes-either Shutter or Aperture priority, but usually AUTO. Manual is the only way I can get my remote flash to fire at the right time, but the rest of the settings are not cooperating.

Thanks for the help.

Whatever you did wrong in the second shot, do it again because, other than some of the highlights being washed out (very easily done with digital), it was somewhat correctable in PS, while I couldn't much of anything with the first. I couldn't tone down the lost highs in the second, but did manage to color correct it, at least to my satisfaction.:mrgreen:

Anyway, one problem at a time.
1. Can you turn your WB off and go from there till you learn what's what?
2. I am not sure what flash set up you are using, but if you have to use manual, I assume you will need a flash meter and set your aperture accordingly. Without a flash meter, you will have to work with guide numbers, and then measure the distance between the strobes and your subjects. I'm also pretty sure they make a thingie that sits atop your hot shoe that would connect with your strobes via a PC contact.

 

[kundalini]

Thanks, but the D50 doesn't have capability for off-camera flash...

There are solutions to go off camera.... like Cactus triggers, Radio Poppers, PWs & PC Synch cords. Use the Search function or Google. It has been discussed quite extensively on TPF. If your umbrella does not have a backing, then it's likely a shoot through.

 

[andrew99]

Lighting is the most important thing .. if you can't adjust your flashes, your only options is to move the lights further away, and stop down your aperture. You could even try rotating your umbrellas around and try them as reflecting umbrellas instead of shoot-throughs.

Regarding post processing, your photos lack a bit of contrast.. I increased the contrast using the curves command in photoshop, and cropped the picture a bit and adjusted the white balance. Increasing the contrast also brings out the colours more. The only other change I did was a quick butcher job to cover up that while door way! Cute kids, btw!

 

[stsinner]

Thank you so much for the cute kids comment.. I'm in love with them, although that picture you posted has my youngest looking like a down syndrome baby, which she's not.. Just caught her at a bad moment....

I have only used my umbrellas as reflectors, just fyi.. I never thought of shooting through them until someone in here mentioned it, because I can remember years ago going to an Olan Mills studio and having huge umbrellas with lights shining up into them (as reflectors) and when they snapped the shot the umbrella lights flashed.. What the heck-a flash with two levels.. Still haven't pursued what that migh be... Probably something common that I just don't know about, but I've always had my umbrellas acting as reflectors. Now I'm going to try shooting through them..

Now I have a real question that I'm going to address in the next post...

 

[stsinner]

I thought my shots suffered from white balance problems, but I was playing around tonight and seeing if my Quantarays are powerful enough to shoot throug the umbrellas and all I adjusted was the shutter speed, and it turned into what looked like a white balance problem, leading me to believe that what I had might have been a shutter speed problem..... breath.....

Examine the exif data, and you'll see that all I adjusted was the shutter speed...

Here is the flash through the umbrella-as I indicated, there's only one power, and that's full:

Three different shutter speeds:

And here's a shutter speed adjustment that appears to create a white balance problem:

And here's what it looked like with the Quantaray turned off and everything else set the same:

Does every pretty much agree that I should be shooting through my umbrellas at this point, and not using them as reflectors?

Thanks for the info.

 

[andrew99]

Those umbrellas are shoot-throughs. I have similar ones. They can be used either way, though, just with different efficiency. Shoot-throughs are good since you can get them closer to your subject.

You should be using the fastest shutter speed you can, that way your shot won't be contaminated by the ambient light. Probably 1/200 or 1/250. The shutter speed doesn't effect the flash power, it only affects the ambient light. If you use a slow shutter speed, you'll get a mix of the flash and ambient, which are different colours, and this is what's causing the colour cast on your photos. So use a fast shutter speed and set the camera's white balance to flash or daylight, not auto.

 

[kundalini]

This seems like deja vu because I'm sure that I commented on preparation and planning on one of your shots before. A couch with a throw and an AC unit comes to mind. It appears you have plenty of backdrop to the left, yet you shoot from a point of view from the left where the backdrop ends. Why? Only to get the distracting elements of an opened door into the toilet? I would think that if you moved your position to camera right some, if not all, of that distraction would have been eliminated. It may have also moved the gaped opening of the "curtains" from lining up with the top of the girl's head on the left.

Secondly, be aware of the color combinations you have going on. The amount of red is overwhelming. The girls have auburn hair, the backdrop is in the red family and a dull color to boot, the girls have pink tights on, the blanket is embossed with red patches, their tops have red stripes and they have light pink skin color (as they should). A change of wardrobe may have been a benefit.

I don't know, but has anyone mention motion blur? The little girl on the right must have moved during exposure. With a flash at hand, this should have been easily eliminated. That or your focus is off. It is accentuated by Andrew's crop. (btw Andrew, you missed a bit by her elbow....) Bring up your shutter speed to around 1/125s minimum, but probably up to your sycnh speed.

Just a few thoughts and my 2¢.

 

[stsinner]

This seems like deja vu because I'm sure that I commented on preparation and planning on one of your shots before. A couch with a throw and an AC unit comes to mind. It appears you have plenty of backdrop to the left, yet you shoot from a point of view from the left where the backdrop ends. Why? Only to get the distracting elements of an opened door into the toilet? I would think that if you moved your position to camera right some, if not all, of that distraction would have been eliminated. It may have also moved the gaped opening of the "curtains" from lining up with the top of the girl's head on the left.

Those are some pretty good points, and just to be clear and so that you don't think my eye that THAT terrible, I knew these shots would be junk, and I was just taking pictures to learn and to take pictures.. I wasn't expecting great portraits, and, therefore, didn't put much effort into the composition and backdrops.. I just wanted to see what I was in for when I did want to take serious portraits...

 

[kundalini]

So use a fast shutter speed and set the camera's white balance to flash or daylight, not auto.

B-b-b-b-ut if you can adjust the WB in post (shooting RAW), what does it matter? I shoot everything in WB Auto..... could care less. LR2 allows me to adjust to the tempertue I want.

 

[kundalini]

Those are some pretty good points, and just to be clear and so that you don't think my eye that THAT terrible, I knew these shots would be junk, and I was just taking pictures to learn and to take pictures.. I wasn't expecting great portraits, and, therefore, didn't put much effort into the composition and backdrops.. I just wanted to see what I was in for when I did want to take serious portraits...

There is a "Just For Fun" gallery. Perhaps........................

Why post something you know is "junk" in a gallery where learning is paramount? Oh... I understand............................................... nevermind.

 

[ksmattfish]

It's all about the light. Get the book "Light, Science & Magic".

 

[stsinner]

There is a "Just For Fun" gallery. Perhaps........................

Why post something you know is "junk" in a gallery where learning is paramount? Oh... I understand............................................... nevermind.

Are you kidding me? Are you really being that much of a dick? What I'm saying is that I took pictures, not expecting them to be great, but trying different settings and asking why these settings didn't work.. If you don't have the patience for people asking questions, maybe you shouldn't be offering advice.. Jesus.

I would really like to learn why a shutter speed selection looks like a white balance problem, etc, but I'm not going to fret over backgrounds while taking training pictures and trying to learn this...

I think you should stay out of the beginner forum if that's all the patience you have. What are you doing in the beginner forum with your attitude and 4600+ posts? Just looking for people to insult? I may be a new photographer, but I'm not new to being a man, and your attitude sucks.

One problem I continute to see.. Seasoned (friendly) members say to the abrasive old timers, "That's what makes people leave this forum.."

You know, you and others seem to have the attitude that if they sense that you know the least bit about what you're asking about, you're being an attention whore, and they belittle you.. I've done many things in my life, including being charged with million-dollar aircraft and a flight platoon in the Army, but I'm new to "good" photography.. I can take pictures all day long, but I can't take good pictures.. I don't need your condescending attitude or arrogance when I ask you a question, because I can pretty much guarantee you that, although I may not have the eye behind the lens that you have yet, I've done more in my life and lived in more countries and states than you have an experienced a great deal more in life than you have..

How about treating me like a man and not judging me and acting like you know the reason why I asked a question, as you did in your last post.. I could delete my account on this board tomorrow, and my life wouldn't skip a beat, but I've encountered the most friendly people on this board as I have on any photo forum I've subscribed to, so I really wanted to set up shot here. But your attitude sucks, and I don't have the patience at my age to deal with arrogant clowns like you.

I'm not an artsy-fartsy type of fellow that you'd encounter in SanFran.. I grew up in the Midwest, and I cut my teeth in the Army, so deal with me like a man, and not a pansy.. I don't need your "photographers are the be-all, end-all" attitude. I just want to be able to ask questions without being called stupid.. I'm not politically correct, and I approach things as I see them, so be a man or don't address me.. Don't assume that you know why I asked a question. Either answer it was good knowledge, or don't answer it.. I don't need your judgment. I'm just trying to learn.. I will ask a stupid question.. I will ask bunches of them.

 

[MelodySoul]

Just a thought and I'm not trying to be rude but it seems like you have a lot of equipment for someone who hasn't mastered the basics. I think you are trying to do too much too soon and it's making learning harder than it needs to be. Learn how to shoot manual, play with natural light...get that down and then move to studio lighting. That's just my opinion though.

As for PP, there are some photographers who rely on it to make a good portrait but personally I feel that a great portrait shouldn't require too much PP at all. All I do generally is a basic portrait retouch, that includes fixing any blemishes or stray hairs, using curves, a little sharpening and white balance correction.

 

[kundalini]

Are you kidding me? Are you really being that much of a dick?

Apparently...

What I'm saying is that I took pictures, not expecting them to be great, but trying different settings and asking why these settings didn't work.. If you don't have the patience for people asking questions, maybe you shouldn't be offering advice.. Jesus.

Yet you start this thread trying to be all serious and stuff............. So by pointing out a few flaws (in my eyes) that may help you in the future is a bad thing? Oh, and to insulate yourself from serious critique, you would prefer to have all happy faces for your responses?

I would really like to learn why a shutter speed selection looks like a white balance problem, etc, but I'm not going to fret over backgrounds while taking training pictures and trying to learn this....

Which promotes the "Just For Fun" gallery. There's no need for embarassment for this gallery. It definetly serves a purpose.

I think you should stay out of the beginner forum if that's all the patience you have. What are you doing in the beginner forum with your attitude and 4600+ posts? Just looking for people to insult? I may be a new photographer, but I'm not new to being a man, and your attitude sucks.....

I think you should rethink and revist my posts. To be honest, I feel I can contribute in a positive manner to the "Beginners Forum". So to make this an even exchange, it is probably a good idea if you put me on your Ignore List. I vow to not interject my thoughts and opinions onto your posts in the future and likewise you completely ignore my (possible) assistance that is directed to another member of TPF.

One problem I continute to see.. Seasoned (friendly) members say to the abrasive old timers, "That's what makes people leave this forum.."

You know, you and others seem to have the attitude that if they sense that you know the least bit about what you're asking about, you're being an attention whore, and they belittle you.. I've done many things in my life, including being charged with million-dollar aircraft and a flight platoon in the Army, but I'm new to "good" photography.. I can take pictures all day long, but I can't take good pictures.. I don't need your condescending attitude or arrogance when I ask you a question, because I can pretty much guarantee you that, although I may not have the eye behind the lens that you have yet, I've done more in my life and lived in more countries and states than you have an experienced a great deal more in life than you have.

Surely you're not finished....... carry on...........

How about treating me like a man and not judging me and acting like you know the reason why I asked a question, as you did it your last post.. I could delete my account on this board tomorrow, and my like wouldn't skip a beat, but I've encountered the most friendly people on this board as I have on any photo forum I've subscribed to, so I really wanted to set up shot here. But your attitude sucks, and I don't have the patience at my age to deal with arrogant clowns like you.

Have I not extended my "patience" to this point? I feel sad that you are at a point of frustration. Perhaps it is not me that you are in angst towards, but mirroring the vexation of "getting the shot". I have only tried to be of assistance towards you goal. Taking jabs at me is fruitless on your part. Homey don't play that game. I strive to be an advocate of good will and promote the art of photography with the limited knowledge I have.

Perhaps I should be the one to forego the existences on TPF and you are to rule. My apologies to be so presumptious.

I was really hoping to reach 5K posts, but perhaps that is a goal for another forum. Anyone have any good suggestions where to go next? I'm no longer wanted on TPF.


In the end, if my apologies did not appease you stsinner...... I could care less. The only addition to these comments is for you to grow a pair.