Photos of my Daughter (trying to do retro/high key)

[vipgraphx]

I wanted to share a few images I took today of my daughter. In the past I have used filters such as Nik color effex to do high key, cross processed photos.

THis time I tried to do it only using Camera RAW in PhotoShop CC. I have been into that washed out look for sometime and thought I would test out Photoshop CC and see what it can do. I believe Light Room CC is a great program to do this and save your presets.

Please Critique photo even if its not so good comments. I would like to continue to grow and learn and Its been a while since I have been doing portraits.
Camera I used was a D7100 with a Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens. No flash, shooting into the sun.

Are those washed out pictures I see on the net pure camera settings and lighting or are they post processed? Thanks!

Cheers

#1

ari d7100 2 by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

#2

Ari D7100 by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

 

[tirediron]

I'm sorry, but to me this is simply over-exposed and suffering from excessive flare. The only way to do high key is with lighting. This particular example is done with three lights; two in front of the model, at 45 degrees left & right of lens axis respectively and a single one directly behind the model to blow out the background. You can also do with two lights, one directly in front to illuminate the model and the as indicated above for the background. Ideally high-key is done with four lights (two on the subject, two on the background).

Your image would have been MUCH stronger if you had blocked all but the tiniest fraction of the sun with your daughter's head to reduce the flare, and then added a little bit of fill-flash.

 

[vipgraphx]

Ok , great thanks for the tips. It's different actually doing it and using filters to achieve those looks.

 

[tirediron]

Ok , great thanks for the tips. It's different actually doing it and using filters to achieve those looks.

True; once you get it down, you'll find it a LOT easier to do with lights than with post-processing.

 

[Derrel]

This looks like relatively believable sun flare. A lot of people really LIKE this kind of backlighting with sun flare look. I think it has a certain appeal. One tip would be that a dark shirt or jacket is not really as compatible with this as a light-toned shirt or jacket...the flare as it fades from flare to un-flared really shows up on the black shirt, and it sort of undercuts the effect, IMHO. Her 'pose', with arms at her sides, makes her torso look really thick, and has no implied sort of motion (perfect I guess for that, "Ohhhh, Daaaaaad, just HURRY UP and take the picture! attitude! I'm bored! lol)

 

[vipgraphx]

Good tips and you are right, She was on her way out to a christmas party and of course I wanted to snap some pictures....hahahahaa perception is everything!

 

[vipgraphx]

I have read that if you shoot RAW with this new camera there is no software right now to open the files up. WIll Adobe DNG converter open them up has anyone tested that out.... This is big turn off since I like to shoot RAW!

 

[Derrel]

There is always a small window where a new camera from a major mfr. will not have full Adobe software support. It takes a while for Adobe to update for brand new cameras. In the meantime, maybe the camera maker's software can convert the files to say, 16-bit TIFF, so you can work on them with your Adobe sw?

 

[vipgraphx]

There is always a small window where a new camera from a major mfr. will not have full Adobe software support. It takes a while for Adobe to update for brand new cameras. In the meantime, maybe the camera maker's software can convert the files to say, 16-bit TIFF, so you can work on them with your Adobe sw?

I made a goof post. My previous post was supposed to be in the A7 question thread I had...sorry but thanks for responding!