You should of told her to move her hair, it's out of focus and pretty distracting. I keep looking at it instead of the eyes

First 2 were shot with a vivitar 285hv on stand camera right, with a shoot through umbrella half covered so it wouldn't put even more light on the background (too cramped to move them away from background). Second 285hv on a stand camera left, almost even with the subject with a shoot through umbrella doing double duty as a background light and a rim light. Spill on subject was too bright, but I couldn't tell till I got home :(

3rd shot (B+W) was one flash, camera right and high up, pretty close to his head to give a larger softer light effect, with a reflector to his left to fill in face a little. The reflector is a $2 silver car windshield visor I bought in some richmond mall, yay for ghetto lighting!

Bought some nice curtains to use as backdrops, and some more hotlights, and several bulbs varying in wattage from 15 up to 150... Used my roommate as a subject.

PP: USM, Resize for web.

Comments?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/...d4ded995_o.jpg

that band of shadow down the right part of his face is distracting....need fill there. His hair is also blending into the background, so you need a hairlight or a spot on the BG.

practicing my lighting :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/...868cbd.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/...3c7992.jpg?v=0

w/ or w/ out the rim light?

i need a new model...

blue steel

I think with the hair light is better,but you need a better backdrop that that.

agreed

I picked up my light stands today. Waiting for my umbrella.

That was taken w/ a home made beauty dish. Next on the list is some seamless paper and something to hold it up.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/...e5fc14c1_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/...caa8fe2c_b.jpg

Holy Crap! It's amazing to see all the skills growing around the forum, KUDOS!

justin, that shot killed me hahhaa

and tomasz, that family shot is fuckin phenomenal as it is!

now, i need some tips by the pros.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/...7d4db893e9.jpg

I get to nit pick at it. Your lighting is just a hair off from rembrandt on her face and has a small highlight near her nose that's distracting.

Pose is clean and relaxed. The black near her left foot is a little distracting clone out maybe?

Same with the speck near her right foot.

Otherwise I'd say pretty clean image!

Greg,

need a little bit more fill under the brow on the 2nd image and to give a slight lift to the shadow on his right side (photo left).

thanks for the awesome feedback justin.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/...61d5f7.jpg?v=0

too much shadow under the chin?

I think the shadow is fine...my nitpick would the the wrinkles visible in the background cloth. Maybe move the subject away from the background more.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/...8899178e_o.jpg

PP: Hue (for my crappy WB), Desat, USM, Burn highlights in hair, Save for web

I would have put a piece of tin foil or white paper to her left eye area just to get a bit of a highlight in her eyes.

Len, what are you using to edit photos? Lightroom? PS?

I do all my work in PS, and actually I'm just using the small jpegs coming out of the camera at this point, I messed up my Camera Ready plugin, lol.

I hadn't really noticed how dark that left eye actually was... maybe I should reshoot that one

Fun Family Portraits


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/...ceb4eea5_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/...9d9c3d64_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/...0d4c653a_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/...06076241_o.jpg


More on flickr

Love the first and last one Tom!

If possible I think lowering the brightness of the leaves in the foreground a bit will help the image more. Right now my eyes are fighting between the family and the brightspot

I love working with RAW, but once it exports all the contrasts and colours fade.
Second looks a bit hot too, i'll check that later

Great set! How do you set the atmosphere to get such type shots? Where they this playful from the start?

^Thanks keitaro

Most of the time I asked them to just get warmed up with the kids.. Kick the leave, get them to play with either, do whatever they like, while I stand away and shoot from a distance. I try to make sure I place myself in the right place though, or i'd miss the pictures.

After 20 minutes of random play, I give them a set, tell them what to do and how to interact with the kids, reminding them I'm not here.

I made sure to capture all that's needed. Together as a family, just kids, individuals, walking pictures, playful pictures, staged, ect.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/...83bedb4a_o.jpg