Some portraits (maybe slightly NSFW)

[ClickAddict]

Not sure if I ever uploaded any photos here before. Open to some CC (but be gentle )
As you will see... I like shooting with lots of shadows.

Hoping I get these to upload properly....

1. Emma.

2. Arianne.

3. Rebecca

 

[Donde]

Very nice. If I were to make any changes at all I would crop out the floor in Arianne as the lighting of it pulls my eye down and I would eliminate the thin light diagonal line from Rebecca.

 

[tirediron]

Overall, I like the set; a couple of thoughts... #1 I think, would have been better shot in portrait aspect as the large dark areas on the sides, don't, IMO add a lot. Definitely agree on the floor crop suggestion in #2, and in #3, the pose seems a bit awkward; in particular, her right leg "doesn't make sense". Overall, I think I'd have preferred a slightly softer light and gentler transition from highlight to shadow, but a nice set regardless.

 

[ClickAddict]

Thanks. I fought over cropping #1 as a portrait and waffled back and forth. I think I was being influenced by what I know is there rather than only what is seen. (Feeling like I'm cutting out the curtain which is in shadows anyway). As for the floor in #2, I've posted that photo more often as a header to a webpage and as a banner with the floor cropped and a bit of the top as well, and agree it works well that way. As for the posing, would you have suggested a bit of straightening in her right leg, still bent beneath the other one, but showing the foot probably on the other side, or do you think the leg should not be tucked under at all and both running side by side?

 

[tirediron]

... As for the posing, would you have suggested a bit of straightening in her right leg, still bent beneath the other one, but showing the foot probably on the other side, or do you think the leg should not be tucked under at all and both running side by side?

I think I would have been tempted to keep both legs together, either partly stretch out, or both tucked underneath, but with enough visibility so that there was no hint of "amputation".

 

[ClickAddict]

Something like this? (I would have had her straighten her right hand fingers on this one, but didn't catch it as she was changing poses)

 

[Studio7Four]

Nice work! I also am a fan of working with shadows (not that I get to play with them as often as I'd like). I only have a few constructive criticisms, take them as you will.

Emma:
If this were my shot, I'd probably use a square crop. I really like the dead space on the right, but I feel the essentially dead space on the left doesn't add anything (if anything, I feel the few wispy trails of curtain detract a bit). I also wish for just a bit of rim lighting to separate the top of her hair from the background. It would probably require some tricky light management to hit that part of her head without adding unwanted light elsewhere (such as the curtain), but a little separation would be nice.

I do like that you lit and captured the detail in the mask so well that my eye goes there and lingers. It would be very easy for the eye to get drawn to her chest, as that is a relatively large, bright amount of real estate in the frame.

Arianne:
Add me to the group asking for a tighter crop on the bottom. You did such a nice job fading the front of the couch to black that the wood floor seems completely incongruous. I find myself wishing for just a bit of fill light on her forearm. The rest of her body has a nice blend of light and shadow, but her forearm is in complete silhouette. Maybe you could put a small (low powered) light between her torso and the couch, so that it illuminates from about the same direction as your main light. Just a bit of light would give a hint of structure, like the light on her left shoulder. I'd also suggest burning the highlights in the red sheet. For one, that sheet bounces the light so much more than her skin or the couch that the eye goes to the fabric draped over her rear which, though integral to the shot, I don't believe is the focus of the shot. Those highlights also emphasize the difference between the hot red sheet and the nice cool tones of the couch and her skin. Such a contrast in tones can work (I think it does in the Rebecca shots), but I think a consistently cool feel to this shot would be nice.

Rebecca:
I personally find the leg position in the first of her shots much more interesting than keeping them together as in the second. The reason I think it doesn't quite work is that because her lower leg is so under lit you do get an amputation feel. There are two fixes (well, alternatives for the next time) that I can think of. One is to add a bit of fill light. This would likely also help with the skin tone of her lower right leg and the disconnected right forearm and hand. (The rest of her - head, torso, upper legs - are consistently toned, but her right lower leg and hand get gray.) The second option is to tweak her left leg position slightly. You can open up that leg (bring the knee more to the camera) to angle her lower leg into the shot (and the light), and because her foot is still tucked back up it doesn't come across as a "spread" shot.

Again, I like the feel of these. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

[ClickAddict]

Thanks for the great feedback everyone. Some of you spent more time typing up thoughtful critiques than I expected. Just wanted to let you know it is appreciated.

 

[FITBMX]

Good set! It looks like you also got some great C&C.

 

[bribrius]

Something like this? (I would have had her straighten her right hand fingers on this one, but didn't catch it as she was changing poses)

View attachment 118906

on this one right here see how the models feet start to look grayish? I have had that same shadow problem and would love to know how to fix it.