Playing with Photoshop Cs2- C&C please

[NikonNewbie]

I took these pics of Bridget and tried alot of the different methods of black and white out of a Photoshop book. What is your opinion of this pic? This is done in Halftone...would just grayscale be better? And how about the pose and everything else? it was taken at night (not that you can tell since I changed it) and it auto mode.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

The first thing I notice is that it was either really harsh flash or when you converted it you upped the contrast too much giving her a blown out face and hands. The focus looks good on the eyes. (One of the things I struggle with the most.) But I probably would have moved her from the background a lil further to try to get a nice blur on it.

 

[NikonNewbie]

The first thing I notice is that it was either really harsh flash or when you converted it you upped the contrast too much giving her a blown out face and hands. The focus looks good on the eyes. (One of the things I struggle with the most.) But I probably would have moved her from the background a lil further to try to get a nice blur on it.

Do you mean moved her away from the background physically? or with the camera? because she was sitting on the porch.
Ya I play with it...i was messing around with a bunch of settings...I have another one that I used a channel mixer and the pole she was posing with came out really weird...

 

[misstwinklytoes]

I mean her. Get her to stand further away from the background. I would try during the day. The flash is giving really harsh shadows in both pictures. She looks better in the 2nd one, but the pole looks radioactive or something, lol. What settings did you use?

 

[o hey tyler]

While using photoshop, crop out the ridiculous white **** around the edge of the photo. The shortcut for 'crop' is C.

 

[NikonNewbie]

While using photoshop, crop out the ridiculous white **** around the edge of the photo. The shortcut for 'crop' is C.

Ill do that! Thanks!

 

[arcooke]

I'd pick different backgrounds/poses for her if I were you. Vines and pillars clash with her goth/punk image. She could be put to good use in an city setting (brick, graffiti, sitting on a curb, etc).

 

[NikonNewbie]

I'd pick different backgrounds/poses for her if I were you. Vines and pillars clash with her goth/punk image. She could be put to good use in an city setting (brick, graffiti, sitting on a curb, etc).

Maybe you can't see it...it is a pretty scary looking house...in fact..I was scared as **** taking the pics..:lmao:
This isn't one I was trying to take...i just wanted a pic of the house for reference..and...I should also probably say...it's her great gmoms house...or was...so she has sentimental value with it.

 

[NikonNewbie]

I mean her. Get her to stand further away from the background. I would try during the day. The flash is giving really harsh shadows in both pictures. She looks better in the 2nd one, but the pole looks radioactive or something, lol. What settings did you use?

LOL...be damned if I know! I have no idea...i was trying everything in the book...:lmao:
I took it at night to give it more of a "dark" feel instead of the day...but all of the originals I took looks like it coulda been light out...the flash was bright as heck.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Try during the day with natural lighting then use PP to make it look dark or gloomy, moody, etc.

 

[MohaimenK]

just take the flash off camera, hold it up high so if the shadow is there, it won't be right behind her, but be invisible to the camera.

 

[arcooke]

I'd pick different backgrounds/poses for her if I were you. Vines and pillars clash with her goth/punk image. She could be put to good use in an city setting (brick, graffiti, sitting on a curb, etc).

Maybe you can't see it...it is a pretty scary looking house...in fact..I was scared as **** taking the pics..:lmao:
This isn't one I was trying to take...i just wanted a pic of the house for reference..and...I should also probably say...it's her great gmoms house...or was...so she has sentimental value with it.

Wow, awesome house. And yeah, the decayed old house didn't really come through in your pictures. The first picture you posted almost looked like it was taken in front of a nice house with pillars, vines and a marble wall.

 

[o hey tyler]

Is your friend a Nazi-Punk?

 

[KmH]

Do you mean moved her away from the background physically? or with the camera? because she was sitting on the porch.
Ya I play with it...i was messing around with a bunch of settings...I have another one that I used a channel mixer and the pole she was posing with came out really weird...

The hard edged shadows, and harsh lighting, are because your strobed light source is small and on the camera. You will get those regardless how far from the background the subject is.

The pole got nuked, because it is closest to the flash (strobed light).

Using umbrellas or softboxes with strobed light makes the light source appear much larger letting the light wrap around the subject, become much softer, and producing nice soft edge shadows.

Visit www.strobist.com for information about off-camera-flash (OCF) techniques.

Get the book Light: Science and Magic, An Introduction To Photographic Lighting by Fil Hunter.

 

[NikonNewbie]

ok so you think if I took lights to the location and tried it at night it would better? or ...if I just took them during the day and did them in grayscale on Photoshop afterwards?
I found a basic starter kit from Ritz camera... and I'm thinking about asking for it for xmas (along with a new lens)...is this a decent set up for a beginner? I know I would have to bring batteries to run the operation on a location...
Westcott ulite 2-Lite Umbrella Kit
(2) uLite constant lights
(2) 38" White Umbrellas
(2) 6' Light stands
(2) 250-watt Photofloods.
it was on sale for 119.

Is this even sufficent enough to try at home portraits?