Sara, Brent and Jan....

BanditPhotographyNW · Dec 13, 2013

Week 2 of lighting class...Tried to take the all your advise from last weeks set and apply it this week. I had a lot of hard shadows and lack of eye contact last week so let me know how you all feel about these...Some crappy walls this week too..

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tirediron · Dec 13, 2013

A few thoughts:

1. I like the lighting on her face, but her dark eyes and the lack of a catchlight leave them rather featureless. Additionally there's virtually no detail in her black top. I think a single large SB a couple of stops below key slightly camera right might have helped a lot.

2. Nice, notice how much more life that single catchlight adds? When you have the models turn their head, try and avoid having them turn so much that it forces their eye all the way to one side; ideally a little bit of sclera should be visible on each side of the iris.

3. I wish you'd brought the key just a bit farther right; her left (image right) brow and eyelid are mostly lost in shadow.

4. Nice; you could have pulled the lights a little closer toward the lens axis, but as-is, it's pretty good. Not overly fussed about his expression however.

5. Either drop the key or use a reflector to bring a little light into the eye sockets; nasty racoon eyes here, but good light everywhere else.

6. Nice! I really like this one.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

BanditPhotographyNW · Dec 13, 2013

Thanks John I looked at each picture as I read your thoughts and I agree completely.....I was not real happy with her Black top either but her other outfit she brought was like "Hammer time" and I was at a loss with what to do with it lol

Derrel · Dec 13, 2013

In this situation, it would be difficult for me to figure out a way to beat around the bush and type out something that would not come off as either patronizing or smart-alecky, so I'll just come right out and talk plainly. The lack of catchlights and the lack of detail in the woman's sweater in the first few images make me wonder--what kind and size of light modifiers were used? How did you manage to get so little light onto the subjects, so as to not have catchlights and not have any illumination on the clothing? I just do not 'get' what the instructor is trying to teach, or what is available for the students to use.

BanditPhotographyNW · Dec 13, 2013

Derrel your comment is completely fair, so I will explain. I am taking a Portrait lighting class through NewSpace here in Portland. The equipment has been pretty meager due to it being rental gear from a local supply house. The first 3 shots were in a hall about 3 feet wide and we had set up for us a ProPhoto V1 with a large reflector and a 20 degree grid and a second light which was a Broncolor head and pack setup with a beauty dish also with a 20 degree grid. As far as I understood from the instructor we could move the lights and raise and lower them but were not supposed to change the modifier. The set shoot of Brent we had 3 lights total 2 ProPhoto mono lights and another V1. Two of the lights were set up in 1x4 strip boxes and the V1 in a 3 foot octobox on a gigantic boom that was very hard to work by myself (my partner was absent this night and other groups were busy). The inability to raise and lower the light by myself easily made it difficult to get light into his eyes, he was also like a foot and a half taller than me lol. The last shot was with a ProPhoto ring light on center and another monolight on a boom outside the window and a side light but I cant remember what modifier it had on it... We had access to 1 24 inch round white reflector but I never saw it lol....I hope this clears things up a bit, I am also very new to shooting people these 3 make it a whopping 4 total people I have lit.