Self-Portraits are the toughest..

[mmaria]

hi DBJ, nice to meet you

 

[D-B-J]

hi DBJ, nice to meet you

Nice to meet you!


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[D-B-J]

I love the shallow DOF - I'm a big fan of shallow DOF in portraits, but the composition is mediocre - there's room for a much more interesting crop and it looks half a stop under.

I actually really like the harsh rim light. It adds some drama.

You really nailed the focus though - not easy on a selfie! Well done!

EDIT: It says we're ok to edit under your avatar, so I had a quick play! I upped the exposure by a 3rd of a stop, reduced some of the reds in the skin and cropped it so that the (camera right) eye is on the upper right 3rd.

Nice! I always have a tough time consciously choosing to crop of part of a face in a portrait.


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[astroNikon]

I brought your photo into Lightroom and tweaked the lighting a bit.
Enjoy


--> http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_small/0/77/236205-57083-alfred-e-neuman.jpg

 

[D-B-J]

I brought your photo into Lightroom and tweaked the lighting a bit.
Enjoy
View attachment 82563

--> http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_small/0/77/236205-57083-alfred-e-neuman.jpg

Looks perfect!


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[Braineack]

nice job with the BG color! seamless.

 

[D-B-J]

nice job with the BG color! seamless.

I found a piece of black cloth a month or so ago, and it's been working impressively as a makeshift background.


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[Braineack]

I was talking about Astro's conversion to blue from black.

But yeah, I did the same, went to a fabric store and bought rement fabric for very cheap (non-reflective velvet material). Walmart is a good place to go as well.

Then I used iron on seaming stuff to make a loop at the end. I have a long dowel bolted up to the joists in my basement and I can slide on whatever color I have handy.

 

[D-B-J]

I was talking about Astro's conversion to blue from black.

But yeah, I did the same, went to a fabric store and bought rement fabric for very cheap (non-reflective velvet material). Walmart is a good place to go as well.

Then I used iron on seaming stuff to make a loop at the end. I have a long dowel bolted up to the joists in my basement and I can slide on whatever color I have handy.

Sounds like a sweet deal.


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[astroNikon]

I have an old big white blanket that I use a 4th flash & gels for changing BG colors
Though I lack black. For black I try to move the subject way up and just do the normal aperture all black then add flash.
But I don't have quite enough room in my basement for that. So sooner or later I'll get a black BG myself. Though I like coloring the white to grey or any other color better.

 

[D-B-J]

I have an old big white blanket that I use a 4th flash & gels for changing BG colors
Though I lack black. For black I try to move the subject way up and just do the normal aperture all black then add flash.
But I don't have quite enough room in my basement for that. So sooner or later I'll get a black BG myself. Though I like coloring the white to grey or any other color better.

I need some gels.


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[Braineack]

Gray is nice and allows you to get blacks easier, and still go white if you blast it with light, and gels still work on it.

 

[D-B-J]

Gray is nice and allows you to get blacks easier, and still go white if you blast it with light, and gels still work on it.

Hmm. What I really need is a proper background setup..


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[astroNikon]

I initially used a bathroom shower curtain rod hung from my basement ceiling & small clamps to hang the blanket from, though limited in width.

Then I graduated to this --> JTL 10 x10 Feet Heavy Duty Steel Background Support Set 5022

then adding this --> Adorama Solid Color 10 x 20FT Muslin Background, White 701L

Initially I used small colored gels right in front of the flash, such as these --> Rosco Roscolux Swatch Book,Small Sampler of Filter 8807

but realized that the gel is much better further away from the flash, now this --> Smith Victor 650021 Color Effects Rainbow Filter Pack 650021
used a coat hanger, rebended to the shape I wanted, which holds up a Binder Clip which you use to hold the larger gel sheet.

seamless paper is better, But I lack the storage space for the big looooooong roll. I'm sure it would get torn, etc from the few times I would actually use it, so the cotton/muslim is better for my usage. --> Savage Background Paper 107inx12yds Super White, #1 1-12

 

[pjaye]

What are your thoughts?



Jake

That you don't look *anything* like I pictured you in my head.