so i got a dslr and model 8)

[Bogs]

and then i snapped two hundred pics and this is probably the most decent one. it's going to be a mighty long journey until i start taking awesome photos haha, but meanwhile, your opinion would be appreciated

for this shot, i had nikon 50mm f1.8, sb700 and a softbox.

the focusing is not as sharp as it should be and the white balance is overdone too. now that i think about it, it looks pretty unnatural. how would you go about this? the whole place was pretty dark and the ceiling was really tall.

 

[Mach0]

The light is a bit hot on her side of the face and you already know about the WB.

 

[jowensphoto]

As suggested to me earlier, a grey card will help with the white balance issues.

Shooting at the lens' largest aperture is generally discouraged. Bump up to about 5.0 and compare the results.

 

[LuckySe7en]

Not bad for 200 snaps in. Avoid shooting wide open. As said earlier, you'll much better results when you stop down. The way her hand is positioned is pretty awkward too

 

[Granddad]

I did this in Lightroom - not the best job (I'm sure others could do better) but I only spent a minute or two playing with sliders. For a new guy with a DSLR I'd say you've got potential - and a gorgeous model with eyes to die for. Keep shooting!

 

[Granddad]

Try setting your WB to AUTO - that's one of the few presets that many DSLRs handle well. For the rest, shoot in RAW and learn to use manual settings.

 

[Bogs]

thanks for the feedback.

yeah i didn't catch on to the fact that taking control of the photoshoot is not only about camera, lighting, framing etc. but also about directing the model and making sure that i make the final decisions because there was a lot of backseat driver talk (so to speak) from other people on the set. i wasted so much time listening to them 8)

 

[The_Traveler]

The initial posting seems way oversaturated and there is a greenish yellow tinge under her chin.
I can't seem to get a better skin color than this.This lighting is strange.
Does the lighting come from different sources?

 

[Bogs]

traveler, yeah i had a softbox and a bounced speedlight there (plus light from the venue's bulbs if any of it reached the camera). thanks for trying to fix the tone. i was going for a warm night time sort of party/hangout lighting. i guess i've overdone it hahah

so would this shot be better? does the little gap showing background at the top right corner bother the eye? as in should i crop the photo so that the frame ends with her luscious hair? 8)

 

[shootermcgavin]

I like that one but it's a little too tight for me.

 

[The_Traveler]

The skin texture is all funny.
I would start over with a new shoot.

 

[Bogs]

I like that one but it's a little too tight for me.

thanks, the framing is too tight.

The skin texture is all funny.
I would start over with a new shoot.

yeah, it doesn't look very natural, which is what i should try to achieve i suppose

here is another one. the focus isnt very sharp and i would place the camera a little higher next time

 

[chuasam]

She's gorgeous. Try shooting from a bunch of different angles and experimenting with focal length and aperture.

 

[fokker]

You're doing pretty well considering your newness

 

[chuasam]

traveler, yeah i had a softbox and a bounced speedlight there (plus light from the venue's bulbs if any of it reached the camera). thanks for trying to fix the tone. i was going for a warm night time sort of party/hangout lighting. i guess i've overdone it hahah

so would this shot be better? does the little gap showing background at the top right corner bother the eye? as in should i crop the photo so that the frame ends with her luscious hair? 8)

View attachment 6042

With WB, when all else fails...go to B/W