New girl, new location, same crappy photographer.

[12sndsgood]

So April came out and spent a few hours with me at a little park I had wanted to shoot at. Nothing like a quickly setting sun to help reinforce the fact I'm not as adequate with my lighting as i need to be. I dont feel like I got all of this shoot that I could have. but I was happy with the results. And it was kind of fun racing the sun to get as much in as possible before it dropped completly out of sight.

As always let me know what you think, what I did wrong and what could have made it better.


1.)



AprilM 0002s by Square1 photography, on Flickr


2.)


AprilM 0011s by Square1 photography, on Flickr

3.)


AprilM 0005s by Square1 photography, on Flickr

4.)


AprilM 0013s by Square1 photography, on Flickr

 

[michael9000000]

I think photo 4 is really wonderful! The lighting, colors, and exposure are all dramatic and dreamy at the same time. If I were to have done it differently, I would've only asked the model to lower her chin slightly, and I would've cropped it a bit differently. That's just my 2 cents anyway... I could be wrong. Great work!

 

[12sndsgood]

How would you have croped it? I didnt have her full arm, so I was working around where to crop at the arm to make it look the least chopped off and not pushing her further to the right side.

 

[Chris R]

I like everything about these photos except the cropping... You're cutting off body parts. Take #2 for example... I think if you just cropped out the bottom where you can see her arm/shoulder meeting it'd be a lot better. The cutoff arms in 3 and 4 are also a little distracting... If she simply put her arm more inward I think it'd look a lot better.

 

[mommy-medic]

#2 looks a bit washed out. Maybe power down the flash some- it will help with the harsh shadow on her face as well.

 

[Jaemie]

What's "Duslin"?

I like tattoos. But photos of people with tattoos can be tricky. In this case, my eyes go straight for the ink and my attention is consumed with that question about "Duslin." If it was a common name like "Amanda" or "Cody," I probably wouldn't think twice about it. But "Duslin"? And it's so damn big and important-looking! It's stealing the show.

(I even googled it, without satisfaction...)

 

[chuasam]

I would love to have seen some expression in her face and her eyes. Right now she's giving the "dead stare."

 

[Jaemie]

I would love to have seen some expression in her face and her eyes.

Perhaps you could ask her to explain "Duslin."

 

[chuasam]

I would love to have seen some expression in her face and her eyes.

Perhaps you could ask her to explain "Duslin."

It's DUSTIN

 

[Jaemie]

I would love to have seen some expression in her face and her eyes.

Perhaps you could ask her to explain "Duslin."

It's DUSTIN

Oh. Oh, you're right. "Dustin." heh... <self-konk>

Well, I think that's a pretty weak way to cross a "t." I have to squint and use a LOT of imagination to see "Dustin."

 

[fokker]

Some comments regarding your lighting; and please keep in mind I'm not an expert at off-camera lighting but these things kinda jumped out at me.

#2, it looks like the lights were too far to her right and left respectively, as in they should have been positioned more 'in front' of her. As they are they are creating a side-lighting effect which is causing the shadows at the sides of her face from her hair, and the shadow on the left of her nose. If the flash to the camera right side was more front-on it wouldn't create such a long nose shadow, and if the flash to the camera left was more frontal it would be able to fill that shadow.


#4 the light is too high which is causing the deep shadows on her cheekbones, in her eye sockets and under her neck. This could be corrected for with a low placed reflector or fill flash, but I think the easier solution would be just lower the light slightly, still leaving some shadows to create depth, but without them being too overwhelming or oddly-placed.

I think #1 is the best of the set, at least in terms of lighting. It looks like just one light was used, and placed well so that there are no ugly shadows, but just enough shadow to define the shape of her face.

 

[IByte]

Great pics but that lady needs a smile thaf she's being photographed.

 

[pickle788]

Good lighting no4 would like to see smiles but

 

[12sndsgood]

TATTOO I left the tattoo and even being there 5' away it was hard for me to initially read them. but I try to leave tattoos on, this was for her portfolio so I won't clone something like out. now I did clone out a smaller on on her left rist just because in a few shots the way her arm was turned it looked like a black blob (not shown in these)

SMILE I did get some with her smiling but in allot of them it just showed up really awkwardly on camera, there are a few of her smiling, they just didnt happen to be in the 4 i threw up here so i can see how it appears she has that same look in every photo.

usually when i throw up a set of photos i'll try to throw up 2 im like the most, and 2 that im maybe questioning myself on. for me on this set i really like #1 and #4 #2 i like but i think i agree with mommy-medic, that my lighting was too harsh. this is one of the earlier lighting setups and i think i was rushing.The light started dropping fast, and after her dress change while i was waiting im watching the sun get lower and lower and i just felt rushed to get going.

Fokker. i read this last night on my phone and thought i was going to disagree with you on #2 but when i got home and looked at the photo I think your right on that. I just can't remember really lighting her with a left and right flash. for most of those early shots i thought i had on camera left and then the fill light almost head on. only thing i can think is if i moved or she moved a bit and i didnt adjust the lights perhaps. ive been trying to avoid the camera left and camera right light setup cause it was giving me flat lighting.

as for #4 I will have to look into my height. the set before I think i had gotten into having my light a little low. so maybe I went a bit too high on this one


I really want to get a vagabond mini so i can come out and use my softbox. i can tell such a huge diffrence in lighting when im going from that to umbrellas


thanks everyone, I liked how most of these turned out and i picked up a few things while i was out there so for me it was a success.