C&C Requested: Natural Light Portraits

[TheWengler]

Those came out nice Tori. Was it a paying gig?

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

i'd also unbutton the jacket aswell cos the way it bunches up isnt very flattering for her.

I think thats her shape Rooz.

[Rooz]

there are ways to make shapes less flattering though. sitting up strait and unbuttoning the jacket significantly changes the appearance in that mid area. she's not a big girl at all.

[toriaj]

Thanks, guys! I'm glad you think well of them. The guy's eyes are so dark in the original, even RAW doesn't seem to have captured much detail so lightening them just turns them gray. I'm thinking it was my lighting, maybe if I'd had a softbox close to his face, or some other soft lighting coming from just below eye level, it might have opened up his eyes? What do you think?

And unbuttoning the jacket is a great idea, I'll have to think of that next time. They are paying me some, (the most I've gotten for a gig so far) $150 including eight 8x10s. I know I could probably get more, but I'm just starting out with portraits and I appreciate their willingness to work with an unproven photographer.

[erichlund]

If you have the space, you want your subject 5-6 feet in front of the backdrop. This allows the backdrop to go well out of focus, and you will definitely lose the wrinkles, even at f8. When you see commercial back drops, they look to be about 6-8 feet wide. This is so the edges stay out of the frame, even though they are well back from the subject.

Also, he's slouching, and you are correct, both are leaning back just a bit. Have your subjects think of a string passing up through the spine and out the top of their head. Have them figuratively pull up on the string. It will straighten their spine and drop their shoulders (try it in front of a mirror, it looks like you gain about 2-3 inches ), giving them much better posture. Also, they will appear less passive and more engaged if they are directed to lean very slightly toward the camera, just as you would if you were talking to someone and trying to make a point.

[cdifoto]

The SOOC shot looks best. Is your monitor calibrated? I suspect not.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

His eyes aren't very open I think that has kept the light out. Just a guess from a total portrait novice.

And re Rooz's point of opening her jacket and sitting up straight. Call me a perv but I'd try for a pose, posture, atire and lighting that highlight some flattering curves. Didn't you tease Lukas about shooting his G/F with her arms pressed behind her back

[cdifoto]

They are paying me some, (the most I've gotten for a gig so far) $150 including eight 8x10s. I know I could probably get more, but I'm just starting out with portraits and I appreciate their willingness to work with an unproven photographer.

Nothing wrong with that. I'm doing a free bridal shoot today because A) she's beautiful, B) bridals aren't big around here so I had to open her mind to it, C) she's beautiful, D) it's my first bridal shoot, and E) she's beautiful.

[toriaj]

Thanks everyone. CDI, I think you're referring to the shots I posted in this thread a few months ago. From what I can tell, my monitor isn't too far off, it's my eye for skin tones that's off (especially when the photo was underexposed.) I have a Pantone Huey, but I couldn't get it to work right. Might try again later. DPR, I'm not sure about Lukas's girlfriend, but I agree that my shot could be more flattering. Thanks for all the tips on posing, Erich included.

[cdifoto]

I'm not very good at judging skin tones either tori. What I do (if I have time and/or remember) is hold up a grey card at my subject and meter that. I also take a picture of it to set a custom white balance. When I do that, I don't even have to adjust anything after the fact because it's spot on.

You have to do it each time you change locations and/or the position of the subject relative to the light (on sunny days) and it doesn't work so well for exposure when the sun is constantly darting in and out of clouds, but if you can get do it it'll save you a lot of work later.

I have a $250 Sekonic Light Meter too but I use the grey card more because I can't do a Custom White Balance with the meter.