Wife/woods - C&C

[MrMessy]

Went to the forest preserve last weekend for my first portrait outing. Luckily I had a willing and able wife for my model

 

[Tony S]

Luckily I had a willing and able wife for my model

So who's wife was it?

On the serious side, first get the digital clippers out and get rid of that weed growing out of the top of her head. I would like to see more light on her face. Out of the whole image, that is the darkest spot there. I think a simple reflector just out of camera view could have lit her face and eyes nicely even with the natural light. I'm still thinking about whether or not I mind the knees appearing out of nowhere and the tension caused in her right shoulder from the way she is holding them.

 

[MrMessy]

Thanks for the tips Tony. I totally agree on the weed - I tried to remove it but I have some learning to do on the PS front. In the end I bailed because I could clearly see the edits. Regarding the knees - I'm still unsure how I feel about them as well. The other shots I had in this pose showed her cowgirl boots, which were even more of a distraction than the knees. I don't know - part of me likes the knees and part of me doesn't.

I'm really glad you mentioned the reflector. I consciously chose not to buy one for my first portrait shoot because I wanted to keep things simple and clearly figure out what I was missing. I knew I needed a reflector but wanted to clarify that need before buying. The need for more lighting on the face is something I didn't identify until you commented. That's really, really helpful to me at this stage. Reflector need +1. Thanks again.

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, the plant sprouting from her head is a bit distracting. I think a bit of a crop might help the image, and the color has a bit of a yellowish look in the highlights (hr shoulders and arms, for example) that sort of makes me think this was overexposed and was then rescued in post. I sometimes call that the "overexposed Nikon look". The pose is a bit awkward, as Tony S alluded to, but she's got a pleasing expression and is easy on the eyes, so that alleviates some of those issues. Keep at it!

 

[Tony S]

A simple piece of poster or foam core board makes a great reflector to experiment with. No need to by some fancy thing that you have to worry about getting dirty or trying to figure out how to fold the danged thing back up (I hate those circle ones lol).

 

[Granddad]

A simple piece of poster or foam core board makes a great reflector to experiment with. No need to by some fancy thing that you have to worry about getting dirty or trying to figure out how to fold the danged thing back up (I hate those circle ones lol).

Tony, look on Youtube, there are videos on how to fold those circle reflectors! .... After I bought my big elliptical one I was ready to go ballistic but after watching a couple of videos it became easy and a new party trick! LOL! Here's one of my favourites:



Mr Messy - I think she's got lovely knees
Congratulations on having a lovely model, you're going to enjoy experimenting with portrait photography and we're going to enjoy seeing the results as you improve. Most of what I know on the subject I learned here.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[UnknownBro]

Thanks for the tips Tony. I totally agree on the weed - I tried to remove it but I have some learning to do on the PS front. In the end I bailed because I could clearly see the edits. Regarding the knees - I'm still unsure how I feel about them as well. The other shots I had in this pose showed her cowgirl boots, which were even more of a distraction than the knees. I don't know - part of me likes the knees and part of me doesn't.

I'm really glad you mentioned the reflector. I consciously chose not to buy one for my first portrait shoot because I wanted to keep things simple and clearly figure out what I was missing. I knew I needed a reflector but wanted to clarify that need before buying. The need for more lighting on the face is something I didn't identify until you commented. That's really, really helpful to me at this stage. Reflector need +1. Thanks again.

cool pic I dig the Bokah

 

[MrMessy]

Nice!

 

[DiskoJoe]

Decent exposure. Dont like the bench in the shot. Not doing much for her. I would crop in tighter on her face. One other subtle thing that bothers me is that your angle is pointing slightly down at her. You should get the camera down to a level plain with her face to give it better emphasis. BUt not too shabby for a first go. Kudos on her wearing an appropriate outfit for this occasion.

 

[MrMessy]

Thanks for the tips. It was like pulling teeth to get her not to wear something bright and colorfully patterned.