first try at portrait shot

[NetMagi]

shot very low-tech

blanket for a backdrop

1000w halogen + 500w halogen (old lights intended for video work, I found in the basement of the office I work in)

I basically found some portrait shots online I liked and tried to 'emulate' the lighting.

This is the first time I've ever shot anything in controlled lighting. . so go easy on me

kit lens at 70mm
Aperture: F5
Shutter: 1/30th
WB: Incandescent -1



-Rich

[sirhc55]

Rich - not bad IMO for a first try. The shadow on the right hand side around the chin needs either some PP work or if you are shooting again maybe a reflector to inject some light into this area.

Other than that nice going mate - I am sure that down the track you will be turning out many portraits.

[Glen]

I agree with Chris , for that look a little fill light on the right hand side would work (reflectors are cheap), the blanket works really well, I like it

[stubbsy]

Rich

I'm not a portrait shooter, but from my novice eye I'd add one other thing the comments already made. I think your use of a dark background when your subject is wearing dark clothes is a distraction since their body blends into the background. Maybe a lighter blanket?

[dooda]

On that same vein, (my extremely novice eye and total inexperience in shooting portrait style) I would frame in tighter. As I scroll the picture up, I find it a little more pleasing when the bottom of the frame is slightly above the red stripe in her sweater (about where the seem in her sleaves is), just below the shoulders. I know it's picky, and if someone were to contradict me on this I wouldn't defend my point for a long time, but when I look at it that's what I prefer.

[redline]

yeah i agree with the others,
you need to add a fill or reflector on her left side to reduce the shadow.
the bg is a little wrinkled perhaps ironing it to reduce the wrinkles

[hedge]

Hi Rich, prretty good for a first go!

I like how you've put her on an angle, i like that you have enough light on her hair to seperate her from the background. Where were your lights positioned? I also like the shadow on her left side - rather than adding a reflector you could also try diffusing your main light a little? Would also agree with the lighter clothes thing. Using a reflector to give her some rim lighting might be cool also.

The only other thing i see is that her eyes look a little funny? I can see 4 catchlights/bright spots in her eyes. Maybe they're watering a ltitle from having so much light? I sometimes use bunnings lights and those suckers melt a model pretty quick!

cheers,

adam

[NetMagi]

Thanks for the input everyone. The background was too dark in my opinion regardless of the color of her top, but the top sure didn't help.

As far as the wrinkles in the blanket go, I thought it added some texture.

I'm very torn between liking and disliking the shadow. The style of lighting I was copying has the shadow filled only about 50% with the fill light the same as I did. One one hand I like the look, but on the other the shadow line is just too abrupt. I think I need to bounce the light to soften it up (which I can't do with the equipment I have)

I brought a portable halogen work light in today to illuminate the blanket and tried some more shots. Here's one from today:




-Rich

[hedge]

Rich, theres heaps of really cheap things you can use as reflectors. Try picking up a car windshield heat protector (you know, those metallic things you stick in to keep the sun off), a steering wheel cover (same as above), some sheets of foam or even some white cardboard. You can also put some aluminium foil over cardboard and have an instant silver reflector.

Get her to hold it infront of her and it should reflect some of the light up under her chin and soften those shadows a little. Better yet, get someone else to hold it off to the side and angle the light where you want it. Other than than, hang a thin white sheet or some sort of light gauze infront ofyour ligths. That should soften the shadow line quite a bit. Kinda like a povo softbox!!

adam

[NetMagi]

well, in my case it's not just needing something to bounce the light or diffuse it, but with the lighting direct I'm already shooting 1/30th shutter. I guess I could step up to a 400iso and bounce the light. . .

-Rich

[gstark]

Rich,

Excellent work for first efforts. Good focus, reasonable balance.

Looking at the first image, it seems to me that you're using one light to either side of you, with the lower power one to your right. If you're having issues with a reflector, don't forget that you can reposition the lights - closer or further from the subject - to increase or decrease the intensity of the lighting. Moving the lower power powere one one foot forward, and the higher power one one to two feet back, might make quite a difference.

One thing that does bother me a bit is the harshness of the lights; is there some way that you could try to diffuse at least the primary light source a little, and thereby soften the shadows? Depending upon the style of the light that you're using, something as simple as a white pillowcase across the front of the light might be enough to do the job.

Throwing the light onto the background, as you've done in the second image, is a great idea. Sometimes, moving the light source closer (again) but shining it (more) obliquely across the surface to give the background light its own shape is sometimes a useful trick.

I think someone has suggested one extra light on the model's hair. I'd take that a step further, and use a third light, from the rear and above the model, onto the model's hair and shoulders. You can generate a small rimlight effect in this way, and thus provide absolute separation of the model from the background. With or without the background being separately illuminated.

Well done; I look forward to seeing your next efforts.

[gstark]

Rich,

well, in my case it's not just needing something to bounce the light or diffuse it, but with the lighting direct I'm already shooting 1/30th shutter. I guess I could step up to a 400iso and bounce the light. . .

Keep the ISO as it is; move the lights a little closer to the model to counteract the light loss from diffusion, and then diffuse them as suggested.