Comments Please - Portrait Photo

[Phra Ek]

I've been trying to create a 'Studio look' in my condo and using minimal kit. Constructive comments appreciated as I'm still learning.

Natural window back-light, single off-camera flash with plastic diffuser, Lumix micro 4/3 body with 45mm prime lens. Manual settings to over-expose the background and for tight depth of field - 160 sec and f1.8.

[MJP]

Life could be worse.

[sunshine51]

Phra Ek...

Nice shot with one exception...to me anyway & it may be a difference between our monitors

causing it. The lady's hair to the lower right looks like a black hole save for the hair clip shine.

A long time ago I dabbled in nudes for a bit and had the same thing happen to me on many

occasions until I started using a key light (flash or 250W gel covered film camera light) to

fill that black void and one could see the models hair...albeit dimly.

I downloaded your pic & tweaked the blacks a bit to try & show what I mean & it's just a 10

second tweak job not for proper final results but just to visualise my words. To me...in my

tweaked pic it's a tad bit too much to the lighter side however I hope you get the idea.

Many of the models I worked with in the past, once I lit the hair, always said they liked the

pix beter since their hair didn't look like a black, brown, blonde rag on top of their heads!

If you have a gratious model to work with who can give you some free time try & fill that

black blob/hole just a little bit. No proper light? Try using a table lamp between 40W-100W

with a reflector mounted behind the lamp...perhaps bent a bit also to shape the beam towards

her hair. Experiment!

No model available, cash running low? Use pillows & a cheapo wig!

This is just my opinion mind you. The rest of your pic is really nice.

Apols for the lady's skin tone in my quick adjust...as it was done very quick.

Edited January 29, 2015 by sunshine51

[fimgirl]

@Phra Ek - look very good to me and something I too have been experimenting with I.e. high key. On my monitor the hair looks spot on. Tones are excellent as they are, I.e. pastel in look. Skin tones perfect.

Carry on as you are - you're there IMHO.

[Phra Ek]

Thanks for the comments!

Sunshine51 - I see what you mean - just a bit more light in the hair would bring out the texture and colors. I was focusing too much on lighting her face. I think the dark hair color is a challenge to light as it seems to absorb all the light from the flash.

[sunshine51]

^^^ Phra Ek....people with dark skin are also a challenge. Dark skin, especially dark brown

never seems to come out correctly...i.e...either too red, orange or that horrible tinge of

yellow brown. My first wife was of Indian decent (Bombay) and I always had difficulty

getting browns correct (film days). Ages in the darkroom with the Durst and it's colour

sliders before making a single proof print. These days I find that digital also never truly

reproduces skin tones very well but tweaking tp perfection takes less time than the days

of film. As FG stated the tones in your pic are spot on. Black hair which is actually very

dark brown hair with a tad bit of red in it btw...is like a black hole for light...every scenario

even in a studio is different. If you can live with the lack of texture or if your clients can

live with it...all's OK. But to me...a bit of texture instead of a black patch always looks

better. Good luck!

[Phra Ek]

I posted the original image to get tips on how to improve - and got some very useful feedback.

I'm now posting another shot just to give people an opportunity to say what I fantastic photographer I am. Please post your superlatives - use of a thesaurus is allowed if you need to find new words to express your admiration for my shot.

But if you also have pointers on how to improve even further - I'd be very grateful. But seriously - I found that previous discussions very useful and am now using a reflector to light the hair and I'll be trying some more shots this weekend.

[sunshine51]

Hey Phra Ek...This is a lovely shot! Mainly for two reasons...

1...Her hair is no longer a black hole for light and by golly it now has texture...good stuff!

2...She has less cloth on her body than in the original pic...even better good stuff!

2.5...It is devinely wonderful you kept to the forum rules regarding her modesty!

Howzat?!

[Phra Ek]

Thank you Sunshine51.

And you are right about skin tones ..... the photo is not quite the model's actual skin tone - but it is the skin tone she wanted in her photo.

Sometimes the camera is required to tell little white lies.

[MJP]

Hands are in the way.

[sunshine51]

^^^ M...being an ex GMod...you know we must follow rules!

But I also agree...her hands ARE in the way...

[MJP]

^^^ M...being an ex GMod...you know we must follow rules!

But I also agree...her hands ARE in the way...

We can have tasteful nudes in the name of art, surely?

[sunshine51]

^^^ M...being an ex GMod...you know we must follow rules!

But I also agree...her hands ARE in the way...

We can have tasteful nudes in the name of art, surely?

Nope...we cannot....

[samsensam]

the composition looks strange with the leg kind of sticking up...

maybe lose the leg and increase the DOF to bring in the symmetry of the hands on breasts... just an idea...

[rhythmworx]

I think landscape orientation would look better, so the arms can be seen or move back a bit.

Avoid cutting off limbs at the joints in a photo.

Definitely a more natural exposure than the 1st though.

[bkkjames]

I admire your choice of model.

[Phra Ek]

I think landscape orientation would look better, so the arms can be seen or move back a bit.

Avoid cutting off limbs at the joints in a photo.

Definitely a more natural exposure than the 1st though.

The original shot was landscape and perhaps my cropping in the edit was too much? I liked the composition of the closer crop as it felt more 'intimate' and also removed the distraction of her watch.

[bkkjames]

If you need someone to assist you to hold a flash, I will do it for free : )

[sunshine51]

I think landscape orientation would look better, so the arms can be seen or move back a bit.

Avoid cutting off limbs at the joints in a photo.

Definitely a more natural exposure than the 1st though.

The original shot was landscape and perhaps my cropping in the edit was too much? I liked the composition of the closer crop as it felt more 'intimate' and also removed the distraction of her watch.

Recline.jpg

Get rid of the watch before the pic is taken. When I did heaps of nudies

the models were just that...naked as they day they were born. I also reckon

shoes of any kind are a turn off if the lady is on a bed...think about it. If you

want to show her legs in a better way have her stand on the balls of her feet

which is also sort of known as tip-toes...when she's upright on a floor or sitting

on a chair. In a reclining pose have her point her toes of one foot towards an

invisible horizon...has the same effect as her wearing "heels". Need more

tips? PM me. Hint...wet sarongs, espically wet silk sarongs on any body shape

are very sexy.

[MJP]

I think landscape orientation would look better, so the arms can be seen or move back a bit.

Avoid cutting off limbs at the joints in a photo.

Definitely a more natural exposure than the 1st though.

The original shot was landscape and perhaps my cropping in the edit was too much? I liked the composition of the closer crop as it felt more 'intimate' and also removed the distraction of her watch.

Recline.jpg

Get rid of the watch before the pic is taken. When I did heaps of nudies

the models were just that...naked as they day they were born. I also reckon

shoes of any kind are a turn off if the lady is on a bed...think about it. If you

want to show her legs in a better way have her stand on the balls of her feet

which is also sort of known as tip-toes...when she's upright on a floor or sitting

on a chair. In a reclining pose have her point her toes of one foot towards an

invisible horizon...has the same effect as her wearing "heels". Need more

tips? PM me. Hint...wet sarongs, espically wet silk sarongs on any body shape

are very sexy.

[Deserted]

Hard to fault it though I thought the subject didn't look relaxed enough.

[Africanteacher]

I'd love to see a shot of the same with the light shining through an angle. Say from the left or right side