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single light portrait

JustJazzie

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I was lazy with my lighting tonight, but felt like shooting something. One speed-light, bounced off of the wall. I had trouble getting the right angle, but finally settled on this one.

I cant do any editing right now, since the computer with my editing software is down. Any comments on lighting/posing/etc are appreciated though!

16176920544_336c0ce496.jpg
 
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You look pretty good. Maybe lighten up the darkest zones a tiny bit, otherwise seems like a nice,low-key feel to it.
 
Pretty good Jazzie. I do think you need a bit more light on your hair so it doesn't blend with the background quite as much and you could turn a touch to your right so your black top doesn't connect with the black background. Other than that it's very good to my eyes
 
This is not bad. The lighting is pretty good, if a little under (I know it's low key, but the highlights could do with a tiny nudge), and it could do with a hair-light to separate you from the background a bit more. You've also done well to control any reflections in the glasses, but my biggest issue is with the pose.

Your pose looks very tense and I can see it is all to do with your initial position relative to the camera which has led to a chain reaction of tension throughout your body. Here's how I see that chain reaction:

1. You are too side-on to the camera which means that:
2. your head is at too large an angle relative to your chest (almost 90°, by the looks of it), which means that:
3. as you've leant back, your head has gone with your back, but you don't have enough give in your neck to tilt it forward to balance your weight, which has caused that tense tendon to stick out of your neck, trying to hold your head upright and:
4. your arms being held in an un-natural position over your (tensed) stomach, which is your body's way of trying to counteract the weight and correct your centre of gravity.

I can even see your jaw is tense as your neck muscles strain to keep your head up and prevent you from toppling backward.

For leaning poses, put one leg in front of the other and "pop" the hip of your back leg - that provides a stable platform to place your weight on. Then, lean back allowing your spine to bend into an "S" shape (lower back curved in, upper back bowed out), but rotate your upper body around towards the camera so that your weight is mostly down the rear-most side of your body. Now that your body is rotated towards the camera, you can get your chin down and tilt your head slightly in the opposite direction to your lean and that will balance you. Your arms should then be free from balancing duties and you can fold them, hang them down, put them in your pockets or in your hair, whatever.

You'll find you can actually hold that pose for a while and your neck and jaw will be nice and supple for smile! :D
 
I completely, like totally agree with Forkie
 
You look pretty good. Maybe lighten up the darkest zones a tiny bit, otherwise seems like a nice,low-key feel to it.
Thanks Derrel! I agree! And I did lighten up things in further shots, but failed in the posing department for those.
Pretty good Jazzie. I do think you need a bit more light on your hair so it doesn't blend with the background quite as much and you could turn a touch to your right so your black top doesn't connect with the black background. Other than that it's very good to my eyes
thank you Weepete! I definitely see the issue there.
This is not bad. The lighting is pretty good, if a little under (I know it's low key, but the highlights could do with a tiny nudge), and it could do with a hair-light to separate you from the background a bit more. You've also done well to control any reflections in the glasses, but my biggest issue is with the pose.

Your pose looks very tense and I can see it is all to do with your initial position relative to the camera which has led to a chain reaction of tension throughout your body. Here's how I see that chain reaction:

1. You are too side-on to the camera which means that:
2. your head is at too large an angle relative to your chest (almost 90°, by the looks of it), which means that:
3. as you've leant back, your head has gone with your back, but you don't have enough give in your neck to tilt it forward to balance your weight, which has caused that tense tendon to stick out of your neck, trying to hold your head upright and:
4. your arms being held in an un-natural position over your (tensed) stomach, which is your body's way of trying to counteract the weight and correct your centre of gravity.

I can even see your jaw is tense as your neck muscles strain to keep your head up and prevent you from toppling backward.

For leaning poses, put one leg in front of the other and "pop" the hip of your back leg - that provides a stable platform to place your weight on. Then, lean back allowing your spine to bend into an "S" shape (lower back curved in, upper back bowed out), but rotate your upper body around towards the camera so that your weight is mostly down the rear-most side of your body. Now that your body is rotated towards the camera, you can get your chin down and tilt your head slightly in the opposite direction to your lean and that will balance you. Your arms should then be free from balancing duties and you can fold them, hang them down, put them in your pockets or in your hair, whatever.

You'll find you can actually hold that pose for a while and your neck and jaw will be nice and supple for smile! :D
wonderful to know! Thank you Forkie! I'm gonna make sure to 're read that a few times after coffee so I can remember it. May even have to read while I practice in the mirror! Lol. I really appreciate the tip. I think I WAS tense here. Not just because of the pose, but because things just weren't working out like I wanted them too.*sigh* oh well. Try try try again right?!
 
wonderful to know! Thank you Forkie! I'm gonna make sure to 're read that a few times after coffee so I can remember it. May even have to read while I practice in the mirror! Lol. I really appreciate the tip. I think I WAS tense here. Not just because of the pose, but because things just weren't working out like I wanted them too.*sigh* oh well. Try try try again right?!

Absolutely keep trying!

And doing it yourself is a very good way to practice because when you tell a model what you want them to do, you'll know what to tell them and can even show them because you will have done it many times before, yourself! :)
 
I realized when doing this, how much I have come to rely on the computer. I can lighten up shadows, and smooth out lines from posing so easily! Getting everything spot on in a single frame- much harder than I thought!
 
Yeah, getting it right in camera is always tough*! But worth keeping at it!



*which is why I love Photoshop so much... shhhhh!
 
Yeah, getting it right in camera is always tough*! But worth keeping at it!



*which is why I love Photoshop so much... shhhhh!
Yes! Keeping at it for sure. I think it will be easier to achieve when I finally come across some models and I can get myself Beheind the camera, instead of guessing what I look like. ;-)

Unfortunately, the next lady who has agreed to model for me wants boudoir shots, and I won't be allowed to post them for c&c. So hopefully I can still learn a thing or two when we get around to it!
 
Unfortunately, the next lady who has agreed to model for me wants boudoir shots, and I won't be allowed to post them for c&c. So hopefully I can still learn a thing or two when we get around to it!

This looks good, and you've got some great feedback from people who actually know something about portraiture set ups.

On the boudoir shots, just do what mmaria does, cut off her head in post and show us :345:
 
Unfortunately, the next lady who has agreed to model for me wants boudoir shots, and I won't be allowed to post them for c&c. So hopefully I can still learn a thing or two when we get around to it!

This looks good, and you've got some great feedback from people who actually know something about portraiture set ups.

On the boudoir shots, just do what mmaria does, cut off her head in post and show us :345:
I was thinking I'd make her wear a mask! Lol
 
Yeah, getting it right in camera is always tough*! But worth keeping at it!



*which is why I love Photoshop so much... shhhhh!
Yes! Keeping at it for sure. I think it will be easier to achieve when I finally come across some models and I can get myself Beheind the camera, instead of guessing what I look like. ;-)

Unfortunately, the next lady who has agreed to model for me wants boudoir shots, and I won't be allowed to post them for c&c. So hopefully I can still learn a thing or two when we get around to it!

That's a shame, how come you won't be able to post for C&C? Is it one of those "I want to have some saucy photos done, but they're just for me!" things? I've heard of people doing that before, purely for their own enjoyment and self-indulgence!
 
Nice work! Unedited? Pretty outstanding if you ask me. Nice pose too.
Thank you! I will admit, I upped the contrast by like .2 trying to hide some background wrinkles, (then I get called on blending into the background, cant win for loosing right? lol) and I had to crop in since its hard to compose selfies, other than that- I used the in camera black and white setting. (because it was already .jpeg, i didnt want to process anything more.) So, I didn't get to use RAW or do any "real" editing like liquify, cloning, and skin smoothing like I usually would.

Yeah, getting it right in camera is always tough*! But worth keeping at it!



*which is why I love Photoshop so much... shhhhh!
Yes! Keeping at it for sure. I think it will be easier to achieve when I finally come across some models and I can get myself Beheind the camera, instead of guessing what I look like. ;-)

Unfortunately, the next lady who has agreed to model for me wants boudoir shots, and I won't be allowed to post them for c&c. So hopefully I can still learn a thing or two when we get around to it!

That's a shame, how come you won't be able to post for C&C? Is it one of those "I want to have some saucy photos done, but they're just for me!" things? I've heard of people doing that before, purely for their own enjoyment and self-indulgence!
Yes, she wants them for her. Her hubby doesnt even want her to get them done, so I suppose its sort of a secret. I am excited though. She is quite photogenic! (I have shot her before) And very, umm- voluptuous. So, I am looking forward to the shoot, even if it does have to be a secret. ;-) Maybe we will get a shot or two I am allowed to share, but I sort of doubt it, and I will surly miss the valuable C&C I will have to do without.
 

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