One of my first legit studio portrait shoots, C&C appreciated.

[Gavjenks]

I've done a fair amount of portraiture in available light, outdoors, with a reflector or one flash, etc. This is my first legitimately scheduled ahead of time, bells and whistles studio shoot, though. With a backdrop and dolled up model and all the lights and everything. Going for a high-ish key look upon request. She also requested to be portrayed in a "serious" mood.



C&C greatly appreciated!

 

[tirediron]

Not bad; did you do some background brightening in post by any chance? A few thoughts, mostly relatively minor niggles, but thoughts for future work.

The overall exposure seems just a bit hot on these; I suspect that she's a very fair-skinned person, but I'm seeing the key side just a bit hot and washed out. I think reducing your key about 1/3 stop would have helped. Try and avoid having the model position their head so that the iris is right against the edge of the eye socket; ideally you want to see a bit of sclera on each side and below. I like the posing and expressions here, but I think in #1 you were perhaps just a bit too high. If you're going to try high-key, avoid black clothing, since by definition that makes the image anything buy high key, and discuss make-up with the model too; I'm not sure why the purple eye make-up with red hair, but it does NOT work.

Overall, these are some nice, solid images, and I think if you fine-tune the exposure in post just a tad, you'll have a nice set.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

 

[jwbryson1]

Not bad; did you do some background brightening in post by any chance? A few thoughts, mostly relatively minor niggles, but thoughts for future work.

The overall exposure seems just a bit hot on these; I suspect that she's a very fair-skinned person, but I'm seeing the key side just a bit hot and washed out. I think reducing your key about 1/3 stop would have helped. Try and avoid having the model position their head so that the iris is right against the edge of the eye socket; ideally you want to see a bit of sclera on each side and below. I like the posing and expressions here, but I think in #1 you were perhaps just a bit too high. If you're going to try high-key, avoid black clothing, since by definition that makes the image anything buy high key, and discuss make-up with the model too; I'm not sure why the purple eye make-up with red hair, but it does NOT work.

Overall, these are some nice, solid images, and I think if you fine-tune the exposure in post just a tad, you'll have a nice set.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

Good post John.

 

[Big Mike]

Might not have noticed on their own....but side by side like this, we can really see a difference in the background on the centre one. I think that's where John was going when he asked about brightening the background in post.

Were the background light the same type & color temp as your main lights?

 

[Granddad]

#1 - The facial expression/angle etc are good but the pose looks a bit like she's leaning on a bar about to ask "What'll it be, Stranger?" If she's happy with that as serious enough then it's fine. Lighting and wb looks good to me though (mega nitpicky) there's a bit of shadow in her cleavage.

#2 - Like it lots. Nitpick: can see around the hair where you've dodged the grey background to white if you look closely in the full size version. I have the same problem at times and I don't have a solution to that in post processing.

#3 - Something about the angle makes her face look wider than the others. It's still a nice image, though.

My overall opinion and comments - beautiful model, well lit for your aim of high keyish and nice skin processing. I'd make a note for future reference to remind your model to touch up her roots if she dyes her hair.

I'd call that a good first studio portrait shoot! :thumbup:

Note to others: The WB in the thumbnails is cooler/greyer than the full size image - as is often the case.

 

[Granddad]

Try and avoid having the model position their head so that the iris is right against the edge of the eye socket; ideally you want to see a bit of sclera on each side and below.

AHA!! Excellent tip, I wondered about the eyes in that one, I can see how it might make it look that fraction better.

 

[cgipson1]

Skin tones are very bright, and appear very cool.

Tip of the Day: Skin Tones By the Numbers | Popular Photography

Suggested Caucasian: 227, 176, 149/10, 33, 40, 0

 

[Stevepwns]

I love #2 but I want to move that hair by her left eye. She has pretty eyes, the hair distracts me.

 

[o hey tyler]

The images seem flat and leave very little visual impact.

Did you shoot raw or jpeg?

 

[amolitor]

Second John and Tyler here. I will add that the camera angles seem dubious to me. Partly she's rearing her head back a bit to give you a nice look up her nose, but #1 you definitely seem too high and #3 too low. #2 might be spot on, or maybe her posture is just working better with whatever angle you're using.

Going low and going high definitely give you "looks" but they're not traditional portraiture looks.

 

[Derrel]

Having the eyes look sharply off to one side, so that more of the white of the eyes is shown on one side is called "eye cut", and is traditionally viewed as representing sexiness, sexual desire, or mysterious thoughts. I think the eye cut works best in the second shot, the one where she's resting her chin on her hand. To me, that is the clear winner out of these three shots. I wish the flat, back of her hand were not shown, but instead that her hand were shown in more of a side-view.

In the first shot, the hard edged shadow on her bust looks unnatural compared against the rest of the lighting. I think you did a great job on #2 in showing some good detail on the black blouse, while also holding detail and keeping the light feeling in the highlights. Shot #3 has a lot of movement off and out of the frame to the right, and her chin is placed too low in the frame; she's wearing a short length pearl necklace, and that is cropped off, yet the peak of the hair is almost at the top edge of the frame, so overall, shot #3 suffers from a feeling of "down and to the right" quite a bit; the low chin and the cropped-off necklace really hurt this one, and the extreme eye cut runs counter to the facial and lip expression she's projecting.

 

[ktan7]

Not too bad of your first studio shot. The face is well lit up.

 

[Gavjenks]

Not bad; did you do some background brightening in post by any chance?

[and various other commenters] Yes, I didn't do a good enough job on background lighting. One reflected umbrella (off center at that, it turned out). Probably could use two shoot throughs at least instead. Had to brighten, and it messed up the edges of her hair etc.

#3 - Something about the angle makes her face look wider than the others. It's still a nice image, though.

I agree, but can't figure out why... It's more angled left than the chin rested photo, AND is short lit. AND not angled back, all of which should make it look horizontally thinner, but it doesn't. Any insights would be helpful.

Suggested Caucasian: 227, 176, 149/10, 33, 40, 0

Interesting. Will give those a spin.

The images seem flat and leave very little visual impact.

Did you shoot raw or jpeg?

RAW. What do you mean by "flat?"
Tonal range? She wanted it to be all very bright, so it intentionally has a short range / close to 1:1 ratio.
Perspective? I was only like 10 feet away.

Second John and Tyler here. I will add that the camera angles seem dubious to me.

Yes. She was concerned about (in reality very slight and easy to post process) neck folds, so I was trying to do some stuff to either hide that (with an arm) or use a higher angle to stretch the neck more, to make her feel happier and more comfortable looking in the moment.

A high light would have been another option, to cast the neck in shadow, while still having a flat angle, but I couldn't get it to work. I think due to the lack of a good boom arm for my softbox.

Anyway yeah, I would have preferred more straight on angles (I like the angles personally, but they were a deviation from the requested "mood" not that I think she cared/noticed). This seems most easily fixed by just having more experience making models feel good about themselves and whatever insecurities. I imagine it's a matter of practice, although if you have tips, then send them my way!




Thanks for all the other comments too, everyone!