Portrait - Black on Black C&C please

[kundalini]

Still trying to work on my people shots and post work. Your comments are appreciated.

The Goods:
D700, 70-200mm f/2.8, 3x SB800

The Settings:
f/7.1, 1/200s, 98mm, ISO200

The Positions:
Main Light - 24" Soft Box on camera axis
Fill Light - 1/4" Honeycomb grid at 315°
Hair Light - 8" snoot at 135°
Soft Silver reflector opposite Fill Light


Thanks for looking.

 

[Kofman13]

i like it... but the model's expression seems stiff and also the image seems over sharpened. but overall the lighting positions are spot on !

 

[c.cloudwalker]

It does look a bit over sharpened to me. Other than that I think it is technically fine.

But it is kinda boring.

Your self portraits are a lot more interesting because you are having fun with them. This is more like: good, let's move on, just another portrait.

Years ago I shot this guy for a brochure for his company. Because he didn't think his feet would show in the photos, he put on a suit and tie but came into the room barefeet. I incorporated that in some of the shots. At first he hated it and wanted to use one without the feet but everyone else talked him into using the feet one. It turned out to be very successful, people calling him for jobs would mention his feet

Every portrait studio can do one of those. Be different.

 

[kundalini]

i like it... but the model's expression seems stiff and also the image seems over sharpened. but overall the lighting positions are spot on !

Thanks. I noticed the oversharpening too. I did a bit more in the flow than usual and the last sharpening for the web sized jpeg was over the top.

It does look a bit over sharpened to me. Other than that I think it is technically fine.

But it is kinda boring.

Your self portraits are a lot more interesting because you are having fun with them. This is more like: good, let's move on, just another portrait.

Thanks Cloud, appreciate the candor. Not to make too many excuses..... but I will. I had 15 minutes to setup, test the lights on-the-fly and 15 minutes to shoot. This was a 14 y.o. girl getting ready for her Homecoming dance and had more on the brain than taking stupid photos. Hell, it took half the shoot time for her to transform from the 2x4 she embodied.


Bump for the afternoon crowd. Any comments?

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Hell, it took half the shoot time for her to transform from the 2x4 she embodied.

I can imagine that easily enough but it reinforces what I said earlier. If you are having fun maybe she will also and not look like a 2x4...

Be yourself. That is the best way to get photos that are good.

Most photogs don't get those shots because they are not themselves. They try and be something else which they don't even understand. Just be yourself, and I think you will get much better results.