Seeking Critique - New Fashion Photographer

[returntovendor]

Hi All,

My wife has recently started a fashion blog and I am her principal photographer. We go out every weekend for an hour or two and get a few sets in- which she can post during the week.

I bought my first DSLR in 2007 and took a digital photography class in university. I am fairly competent with both Photoshop and Lightroom. I understand basics of exposure and composition, but I've never done any photography that been published in the public realm or for any reason other than my own creative expression.

I am feeling a bit stuck with my work and I haven't seen an improvement within the last few months. I am working to enhance my photography and I'd appreciate any feedback you can offer.

Although it may not be necessary, I'd like to disclose that my gear is ancient:

Nikon D60 (Released 2008)

Nikon 35mm 1.8G

The first four photos are mine. The last one two are of a different blogger (the one with the colorful tree blossoms). I'd like to achieve something more refined and professional looking like this. But I'm struggling to find where I can make refinements.

My observations would say that composition and setting may be a factor, but the colors, sharpness, and the "smoothness" of the image appear to be enhanced as well. I shoot only with available light, occasionally using a deflector, but rarely. Perhaps a diffused flash would soften the light on my model and help me achieve a more professional look?

If anyone could advise on if my deficiencies lie within my gear, my shooting ability/technique, or my post processing- I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Linked Images:

Those posted as images. Pls simply post the URL, no "img" tags.

 

[Cody'sCaptures]

Need more light, a defined subject and less distracting backgrounds. Also you cannot post others work, you may post a link to them instead.

 

[tirediron]

Blog, shmog... you've got a willing model who will stand in front of the camera and can carry off "fashion". Most aspiring shooters I know would give their eye teeth for that! The general concepts aren't bad at all, BUT there are a lot of little details that are keeping these from being as good as they could be, and none of them are your [current] equipment. I will say that a 35mm lens is really too short; you should consider getting into the 85 - 105 range, but that's not what's causing your issues here.

1. This one, IMO is the weakest of the set and doesn't really have a lot to recommend it, other than being a snapshot of an attractive lady. You have deep shadow on her face and blown or nearly blown highlights on her shoulder and arm. This shot desperately needed fill light to bring some attention to her face by knocking the background exposure down, probably two stops. A key point is that the human eye is always attracted to the brightest area in a scene, in this case, the shoulder, and while it may be an attractive shoulder, shoulders as rule aren't very interesting. As well, watch your crops; "bits" of things such as her right elbow should not be cropped off.

2. The first thing here is the angle. There is NO excuse for not leveling an image! Bad photographer!! Twenty lashes with a rusty cable release. Here again, fill light was needed to knock down the ambient. This image shows a clear disadvantage to such a short focal length; wayyyy too much DoF; we don't need to see the background that much in focus. Other details... bring along a NEW pair of shoes with clean soles for her to put on once she's in position. Her pose here... it looks like you captured her in the middle of adjusting her hair, and watch the angles; a little too up-skirt.

3. Probably the best of the set, a real 70s Sears catalogue vibe. Again the background is too bright and too sharply focused, but aside from that, the only real issue, easily fixed is the fact that she's centered; whack off 1/3 of the right side blank space and you're done.

4. You're out of the direct sun here; notice how much better the colour rendition and saturation are? Watch the fly-away hairs all across her throat, and bring her chin down a bit.

Overall this is not a bad set but as most people do, I think you seriously under-estimate how much time, effort and equipment is required to do this "for real". For a relatively simple-appearing shot like #3, I would have probably had at least four lights, a BIG scrim, MUA, and assistant. It would have likely taken two hours from start to finish, and would have produced 35- 50 images to sort through. Not saying you should be doing that, but only by way of part explanation as to why there's such a delta between your shots and those in Vogue.

You also need to consider the purpose of each image. When we're talking "fashion", we really mean "sales". The purpose of fashion photography is to sell... <insert product here> so you need to feature that. Again referring to #3, assume the bag is the feature point; that should have been brought around more to the front, label clearly visible, and maybe a hand resting on it, or some other mechanism to draw the eye to it.

Good job; keep at it!

 

[returntovendor]

Thank you for the feedback, tirediron. That's very helpful and exactly what I was looking for. If you don't mind, I'd love to follow up with some questions to your response.

I understand and agree that a much more elaborate set up could produce better results. We are limited on time and resources- with no assistant and not enough time more than two or three hours to shoot on the weekend. The shoots are generally in the theme of "outfit of the day" where there will be several photos from one outfit/setting and a few detail shots. She then discusses and links these specific items on the blog post.

What I'm mostly trying to accomplish is to create images for her which put her above the vast majority of others working as "fashion bloggers". The blogger pictured as an example has consistently fantastic photographs and I'm just working to get closer to that quality of work considering our circumstances.

Her website: http://thevivaluxury.com

Another blogger which she really admires and seems to have consistently high quality images: Outfits Archives - Pink Peonies by Rach Parcell

Questions
1. I understand that the photos could benefit from lighting, as that seems to be a theme throughout your recommendations. I've done a little research and still have a fair amount to learn about how to set up and use an external flash. My understanding is that an off-camera set up could offer me the results I need. Would you say that the linked products below are a good starting point?

Amazon.com : Neewer 47"/120cm Octagonal Speedlite, Studio Flash, Speedlight Umbrella Softbox with Carrying Bag for Portrait or Product Photography : Camera & Photo
Amazon.com : Neewer PRO i-TTL FlashDeluxe Kit for NIKON DSLR D7100 D7000 D5300 D5200 D5100 D5000 D3200 D3100 D3300 D90 D800 D700 D300 D300S D610, D600, D4 D3S D3X D3 D200 N90S F5 F6 F100 F90 F90X D4S D SLR Camera- Includes: Neewer VK750 II Auto-Focus Flash + Wireless Trigger +N1-Cord & N3-Cord Cables + Hard & Soft Flash Diffuser + Lens Cap Holder : Camera & Photo

Could you recommend a good reference I could read which discusses a how-to or beginner's guide on off-camera flash photography?

2. For image 3- would a longer focal length really be able to create a DOF that much more shallow when she is standing so close to the wall? I had felt that the differences in texture and color made up for the DOF. But if you could explain why this is wrong- or undesirable, that would really be appreciated.


Thank you again for your time and advice.

 

[tirediron]

1. The speedlight is fine, and you can do a LOT with a single speedlight and modifier such as the octabox you linked to, but if you're regularily shooting out of doors in full sun, it won't cut. You need a MINIMUM of 250 w/s and more likely 4-600 w/s. A unit like this, while pricier, is going to do a LOT more for you. It's battery-powered, so it's fully portable, and uses an industry-standard Bowen's mount, meaning there a literally thousands of modifiers you can get ('though the Octabox you linked to would be an excellent starting point). It also does high-speed sync, meaning you can shoot at speeds above flash sync. This is the lighting bible. Get it, read it, and then re-read it. The Strobist Blog is also an EXCELLENT source of OCF information.

2. For an image like #3, I would have likely gone with a focal length around 200mm, and aperture of f4 at the most. That would have isolated her somewhat from the background. A situation is only undesirable if you don't like it; if you and the client are happy with it, that's fine, but again fashion work, is all about highlighting the product, whether it's the clothing, the shoes or the person. Long focal lengths and shallow depth of field contribute to selective focus, that is, isolating the element(s) in the scene so that the eye goes where you want. In addition to being attracted to the brightest area of an image, the eye will also naturally concentrate on the area in sharpest focus.

I can't open your wife's blog (computer issue), but the other one you linked to is not really something to which you should aspire; it's something you should strive to surpass, and with relatively little practice, you will able to easily. Look closely at the images. Many aren't level, most have blown backgrounds (likely the result of spot metering in bright sun to achieve proper exposure on the face/shadows), and pretty much everyone has insufficient detail in the whites.

The technical (exposure/colour) side of this really isn't hard to do. Read the book, spend some time at YouTube U. and get a light similar to that which I have linked above with the modifier and you'll be well on your away.

 

[Designer]

I shoot only with available light, ..

Why is that? You are limiting yourself needlessly.

 

[DanOstergren]

I shoot fashion and beauty professionally, and consider them my personal expertise. I have a few questions and comments for you, although I'm too tired at the moment to offer much real critique on your photos for the time being.

First of all, you aren't completely limiting yourself by choosing to shoot in available light only. ALL of my published fashion editorials were shot in natural or available lighting. Choosing to shoot in only available light limits you in terms of versatility, but to be frank, it's not about the light source, it's all about how you use the light. Beauty is very important in fashion, and you need to know how to use your lighting to best showcase and sculpt the features of your model. Assuming that your wife knows anything about beauty, she should know about the makeup technique called "contouring and highlighting". I always recommend that beauty and fashion photographers familiarize themselves with the makeup technique and it's purpose, and then apply it to their lighting. Even when you flip through the pages of an issue of Vogue you're going to see this lighting pattern very often, which brings me to this question: where are you finding your inspiration and reference? Do you buy fashion magazines and study the images? You should be doing this. High end fashion magazines are going to show you what a well executed fashion photo looks like and give you reference for what you should be working towards. They show you examples of great lighting, great retouching, how to create shape and composition using the clothing and posing for the model. I often tear out the pages that I am the most inspired by and keep them in a portfolio that comes with me to every photo shoot. You should also know who the great fashion photographers are and familiarize yourself with their work; among them are Irving Penn, Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh, Mario Testino, Michael Thompson, David LaChapelle, Herb Ritts, Ellen von Unwerth. This is where you should be setting your standards of expectation when it comes to fashion photography. Even some of the newer names like Emily Soto, Lara Jade and Lindsay Adler are worth looking up. As a matter of fact, I HIGHLY recommend the Fashion Photography 101 with Lara Jade video workshop available through Creative Live; she goes over so many useful aspects of fashion photography, like styling, working with collaborators (which is ESSENTIAL in most fashion photography), working with agencies, retouching, lighting, and other really great stuff to get you headed in the right direction: Fashion Photography 101 with Lara Jade | CreativeLive.

I work with an old Canon 5D MKI from 2007, so don't stress too much about your gear, especially because right now you're only shooting for a blog. Gear doesn't matter so much as lighting and skill do. Focus on becoming a better photographer, not on getting "better" gear.

 

[returntovendor]

tirediron: Thank you very much for all of your feedback.

While we've been doing this since the beginning of January and we both enjoy it- I am not sure it is a permanent thing. I am unsure about spending +$700 on a light for a temporary situation. Do you think we could benefit at ALL from the speedlight or should we just not bother at all?

I have a 50mm 1.8 I can put on my crop sensor to see if it lends more desirable results. I'll look for a used lens with a greater focal length as well.

Although I can see your points for the blog I linked to (the first one is an example, not my wife's), this blogger is very successful. She has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram. That is the end goal, really- to get a following and turn the blog profitable in another year or so. I want to take great images, but it seems there is a very specific style which appeals to those who click "Follow".

As far as composition- I do have a question.

The product is "the look" or the overall outfit, hair, makeup, and accessories. The photos I attached are a sample from sets we've taken. Some photos are of the whole outfit, some are details shots of a purse, shoes, necklace, etc.

Is that all acceptable or more understandable with that information or is there still a composition piece which I'm overlooking or not understanding?

Dan: Thank you for that insight. I looked through your portraits link and I know I'm getting good advice.

I've worked to seek inspiration from other "fashion bloggers"- specifically those with a considerable following of 10k or more.

Delaney (@thestyledseed) • Instagram photos and videos
Courtney - Mindy Mae's Market (@leopardloafers) • Instagram photos and videos
Angie Wilson Harrington (@thefashionfuse) • Instagram photos and videos
Paige Sovic (@paigenicollephoto) • Instagram photos and videos

I want to make images which are equal to or better than theirs. But I understand that some of them may have more resources (crew, lighting, years of experience, professional photographers) and I feel a touch inadequate as a single person with only basic knowledge.

I also wonder if the style of photography done by those photographers you named is going to have the same kind of appeal to Instagram followers as those bloggers with very bright frames and warm filters.

Thanks for affirming that my gear isn't the limit here. It sounds like lighting is the weak point and the portraits need to be supplemented by an external light source to evenly and flatteringly highlight her features and allow the background to be further underexposed.

It sounds like I have a lot of reading to do and some additional research in the proper use of light to obtain better portraits.

 

[tirediron]

You can certainly get some benefit from a speedlight, but it depends on the situation. Most of the samples you posted appear to have been shot in full or nearly full sun closer to mid-day. In those circumstances, a speedlight will do little; it might help fill in a face, but not much more. Since your focus (pun fully intended) seems to be on full body w/ background, than it really isn't going to help.

That said, you can, as Dan indicates do a lot without any supplemental light whatsoever, by using reflectors, diffusers, etc, BUT... to do large scenes in bright sun, you're going to need large modifiers and people to wrangle them; 3-4 people easily. Even then, a fill light would still be highly desirable.

A lot of the reason that current trends in social media such as Instagram are popular is because they're the norm. They're the norm because people are buying digital cameras and not learning how to use them. Any traditionally trained photographer will look at most of the images to which you linked and weep a little. The average person won't notice the differences between one of these Instagram image and a professionally created one, BUT... they will almost certainly all like the one created by the professional better.

I sincerely believe that the best way to set yourself apart and ahead of the herd is by working on learning photography. Learning posing, lighting, proper exposure... this will all make your stand out from the crowd. Now, assuming the budget won't support a $1000 worth of new gear, you need to change your circumstances. Go out earlier or later in the day; take advantage of natural shade & diffusion (Dan is an expert in this area), and make what you have work to advantage.

In summary, you either need to add equipment or change your approach. Either will work, but regardless, you need to spend a LOT of time with your nose in the books!

 

[frommrstomommy]

that one link you shared just seems like they did more punchy editing.. dont mind the halo on the first, I used an adjustment brush in a very sloppy manner to brighten face because it was just an example lol