My first Studio Customers

[Bend The Light]

I have just started a small studio with a couple of friends. We are not taking paying customers just yet, but I managed to get a fella and his lad to come and pose for us to practice on. He promises he will come back for a "proper" shoot once we are charging for them, so he must've liked the experience and the photos...

So, here are a few for you to look at. Please critique where you can. I know it a white background (which some of you will find boring/so yesterday, and we are looking to work with other backgrounds (indeed, we have a young lady coming to pose for us tonight where we can do some non-white backgrounds), but i think in some cases it looks good...


Barrie and Kieran v1 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr


Kieran v2 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr


Barrie and Kieran v3 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr


Kieran v13 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr


Kieran v14 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

Both chaps normally wear glasses, and both took them off for the shoot (not at my request, i hasten to add). it seems though that the lad tens to screw up his eyes a little when he doesn't have his glasses on (I do the same, to be fair).

 

[The_Traveler]

IMO, these are way overbright

 

[Bend The Light]

IMO, these are way overbright

View attachment 6257

Thanks. All of them, or specifically this one? I noticed this one was different from the rest.

cheers

 

[The_Traveler]

I think they all are too bright.

#1 has hot spots
#3 the man looks good but the boy is bright and looks like blanched areas around his eye.
#4 is the best lit but still too bright
#5 his right check and the side of his right arm are blown out.

I think the background is overbright also.

 

[cgipson1]

I agree with Lew, BTL... they need better processing! Do you not calibrate your monitor?

 

[DiskoJoe]

Yeah they seem bright to me too. But I like the first pose. The rest could use a bit of work. Dont like the idea of them sitting on the ground. Not a very manly pose. For a woman and a child it would have been okay.

 

[Bend The Light]

I think they all are too bright.

#1 has hot spots
#3 the man looks good but the boy is bright and looks like blanched areas around his eye.
#4 is the best lit but still too bright
#5 his right check and the side of his right arm are blown out.

I think the background is overbright also.

Thanks. The background wasn't completely blown in studio. I think I am having difficulty in lighting the background just enough without overexposing the sitters. Having said that, I check the highlights in camera...I have the "blinkies" on most of the background, but not on the subject. They are not blown at that stage.
Then, when I PP, I use the Threshold layer to show areas that are completely white, or not. I can adjust on a selection of the background, using either a curves layer or with a white brush to touch up. In theory, since these adjustments are only on the selection they shouldn't interfere with the subjects.

I agree with Lew, BTL... they need better processing! Do you not calibrate your monitor?

I do. See above for what I do to avoid blown out areas.
I recalibrated less than 2 weeks ago...

Yeah they seem bright to me too. But I like the first pose. The rest could use a bit of work. Dont like the idea of them sitting on the ground. Not a very manly pose. For a woman and a child it would have been okay.

Thanks.
The Background/floor is all I have at the moment, muslin, and we need something else but money is the key. Need to get some...then we can sort some of the finer points out. The floor is fine when it doesn't have a lively kid or two on it. I will re-stretch it before tonight's shoot.

 

[LuckySe7en]

Yes the background over powering. I think they're good pictures, you just need to make some adjustments in post

 

[MacHoot]

My attempt at an edit!! I love to edit! lol

 

[kric2schaam626]

The other thing that jumped out at me besides the over exposure in them, are the wrinkles on the floor of the backdrop. This is very easily fixed with a simple piece of pexiglass or whatever, something flat that won't wrinkle that they can stand/sit on.

 

[Bend The Light]

My attempt at an edit!! I love to edit! lol

Thanks. They look a little "orange" on my screen now, though. It does need contrast, though, I agree.

 

[Bend The Light]

The other thing that jumped out at me besides the over exposure in them, are the wrinkles on the floor of the backdrop. This is very easily fixed with a simple piece of pexiglass or whatever, something flat that won't wrinkle that they can stand/sit on.

Yes, that's the next plan for these. Thank you.

 

[Granddad]

Have you tried Lightroom? I find it's helped me tremendously with exposure issues. I have the same problems with backgrounds as you do so I may be looking for a sheet of plexigless, too.

 

[Bend The Light]

Have you tried Lightroom? I find it's helped me tremendously with exposure issues. I have the same problems with backgrounds as you do so I may be looking for a sheet of plexigless, too.

I don't have lightroom, just CS5. I just need to work on the light-craft a little more, i think.

Definitely looking for something else for the floor...it matters when we have the kids in as they often have shoots with them on the floor.

Cheers