Wife/Daughter First Portraits - C&C please.

[Derrel]

I am not sure that it is the hosts affecting focus...not too long ago, three weeks I guess, I uploaded an image to TPF, and it looked HORRIBLE when it was shown on TPF. It looked so bad that I pulled the post down...and the image was a really good, sharp, studio flash lighted shot...but it looked wayyyyyyy blurry on TPF, and fine on pBase....the thing is, the image HAS BEEN posted here on TPF before, and it looked great. I am wondering if some new "routine" is being used on TPF pages???

 

[gsgary]

Another thing, they are too close to the background because light is falling on it

 

[jwbryson1]

I am not sure that it is the hosts affecting focus...not too long ago, three weeks I guess, I uploaded an image to TPF, and it looked HORRIBLE when it was shown on TPF. It looked so bad that I pulled the post down...and the image was a really good, sharp, studio flash lighted shot...but it looked wayyyyyyy blurry on TPF, and fine on pBase....the thing is, the image HAS BEEN posted here on TPF before, and it looked great. I am wondering if some new "routine" is being used on TPF pages???

It's a vast, left-wing conspiracy!

 

[jwbryson1]

Another thing, they are too close to the background because light is falling on it

Agreed. Again, limited space to work so I'm having that issue come up routinely. :meh:

 

[Derrel]

Gary must have his monitor brightness cranked up...on my setup, the background looks BLACK...and the wife's clothes look a tiny bit lighter...I cannot really see light hitting the backdrop...to me, it (the backdrop) looks fine. Black is a wonderful color background onto which to aim a gel-fitted flash...black makes for deep,rich colors with just a splash of gel-fitted flash aimed at it.

 

[jwbryson1]

Gary must have his monitor brightness cranked up...on my setup, the background looks BLACK...and the wife's clothes look a tiny bit lighter...I cannot really see light hitting the backdrop...to me, it (the backdrop) looks fine. Black is a wonderful color background onto which to aim a gel-fitted flash...black makes for deep,rich colors with just a splash of gel-fitted flash aimed at it.

Derrel, do you mean to use 2 flashes, one on the subject and a separate flash on the backdrop with a gel cover? That SB-700 comes with an orange and a green gel cover but I haven't used them at all.

EDIT: Think these would weird converted to B&W or Sepia?

 

[kundalini]

That SB-700 comes with an orange and a green gel cover but I haven't used them at all.

The green is intended for color correction under fluorescent lighting conditions.
The orange is intended for color correction under tungsten lighting conditions. Also adds a warm glow to skin.

 

[DiskoJoe]

Framing looks good but focus seems a bit soft. Also try not to use a black backdrop when shooting someone dressing all black. Next time have your wife where something else. Thats probably easier then changing the backdrop.

 

[gsgary]

Gary must have his monitor brightness cranked up...on my setup, the background looks BLACK...and the wife's clothes look a tiny bit lighter...I cannot really see light hitting the backdrop...to me, it (the backdrop) looks fine. Black is a wonderful color background onto which to aim a gel-fitted flash...black makes for deep,rich colors with just a splash of gel-fitted flash aimed at it.

Like this http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/i-SKzG4MQ/1/L/i-SKzG4MQ-L.jpg

 

[gsgary]

Framing looks good but focus seems a bit soft. Also try not to use a black backdrop when shooting someone dressing all black. Next time have your wife where something else. Thats probably easier then changing the backdrop.

No No black is ok, this dog was wearing black and it was ok

 

[jwbryson1]

Framing looks good but focus seems a bit soft. Also try not to use a black backdrop when shooting someone dressing all black. Next time have your wife where something else. Thats probably easier then changing the backdrop.

No No black is ok, this dog was wearing black and it was ok

Um, chico, how is the dog different from the portrait?

 

[jwbryson1]

Framing looks good but focus seems a bit soft. Also try not to use a black backdrop when shooting someone dressing all black. Next time have your wife where something else. Thats probably easier then changing the backdrop.

I hear what you are saying on the black on black, but I see this "shot" all the time--many pro websites that I have seen have this exact shot. So I'm confused if it's a personal thing or something else? I dunno. :meh:

 

[gsgary]

Framing looks good but focus seems a bit soft. Also try not to use a black backdrop when shooting someone dressing all black. Next time have your wife where something else. Thats probably easier then changing the backdrop.

No No black is ok, this dog was wearing black and it was ok

Um, chico, how is the dog different from the portrait?

It has a flash head opposite to main coming from behind so you can see the outline of the dog it does not blend into the background
This is how it was lit (at a dog show)

 

[Derrel]

Yes, I meant fire a gel-fitted flash at the black backdrop. Blue and purple gels work pretty well. and can easily be shifted in Selective Color, and the entire background color shifted, without affecting the foreground subjects hardly at all.

 

[jwbryson1]

Another thing, they are too close to the background because light is falling on it

Gary, you are right! Not to beat a dead horse or perpetuate an otherwise ho-hum thread, but looking at this photo on my Droid Incredible 2 the background is completely visible. So bizarre. Does that mean the phone lighting is cranked up or my monitor is just a lot darker? It's really a huge difference...

Lesson learned.