Beautiful Becky

[Alison]

I received my new reflectors today. There's always one willing guinnea pig in my house lol.
Becky volunteered, even though she's not feeling too good, bless her.

Two versions uploaded for your opinions.
I rotated the the B&W version 90 deg CCC and it has only had levels and contrast adjustments.
The colour version is, of course, a cropped version and has had a noise reduction filter applied to it.

The light source is coming from my kitchen window which is approximately 12-15 ft above Becky's head.
Therefore, my lighting is in a totally different room and is coming through my lounge door.
Mcurtains are shut. No lights are on. Used the silver reflector. Flash not fired.

Be gentle with me it's my first practise with a reflector .

50mm 1.8
ISO 800
SS1/25
F2.8

[CLKunst]

These look nice Alison. Soft, full lighting effect. The impression I am getting form Becky is "comfortable". Very appropriate for the lighting. What kind of reflector did you get and how large? Don't you just love new accessories?

[Alison]

I bought a brand new Professional "5in1" 110cm Collapsible Multi Reflector from ebay for £15 including postage. A bargain I thought!
I love the lighting effect it is giving off. I am so happy with the warm colours! I can just imagine how much warmer it would look with the gold side.
Yes. I love new accessories. Especially when they are so cheap.
I tell you what though...it was fun getting it back into the little bag it came in. I was in fits!!!

[CLKunst]

Here is an easy way to fold up those pop out reflectors, especially if it's long.

Make sure all of the edges are untwisted. Bend it down in half. When the top and bottom edges touch pull the top corner and fold it toward the center and proceed to stuff it in on itself then quick cram it all back in its bag before it explodes back to size again. :smilewinkgrin: I often let my young clients help me set up so they're not intimidated by all of my stuff. I ask them to pull the reflector out of it's bag and it acts like a can of spring loaded snakes, always a big hit! Sproing!

[Alison]

Yeah I googled the instructions in the end LOL

[yogestee]

Hi Alison,,,,I like the lighting especially the big catchlights in Becky's eyes,,there is something special about large catchlights and dilated pupils in female portraits...Your lighting is soft and even which is a plus,,,but,,,,on my monitor both images are a tad dark and too contrasty for my liking...This might work great for a male subject but a bit harsh for a young woman...This is no big problem and can be corrected in Photoshop etc..

One thing that concerns me is your lack of DOF at f2.8...Becky's eyes are wonderfully sharp as is her hair (great lenses those 50 f1.8) but her nose and chin are too soft...These areas occupy too much space in this image...Stopping down to f5.6 might have fixed this problem...

Alison,,I hope I'm not over critical with this image...Your approach is great with the lighting,composition and posing but it is let down a tad in the camera handling department..

Jurgen

[Alison]

No I can take CC yogestee you should know that.
You do it so nicely.

Anyway like you say F5.6 would have been better however, I did try it but it was showing as underexposed on my camera meter. Like I said there was no lighting in my lounge. Had I opened my curtains I may have got away with F5.6 but there was no way I was going to use ISO 1600! Set to 800 made the images grainy enough.
As for the contrast, I'm not really sure why, but, I can look at the same image in Adobe or irfanview and it's fine. As soon as I upload to here, the images tend to go darker.
Thanks for the tip on using more contrast for male portraits though :thumbsup:
Thank you for your honest CC Jurgen. I appreciate it.

[readingr]

£15 on ebay - where I want some and I want them NOW :

Lovely photos, all my critiques about the soft nose was covered by Jurgen. Didn't know about the contrast bit but I can now see how it works when I've accidentally done it.

Did you capture the movie of how to get the bits in the bag? Love'd to have seen that.

Roger

PS. are we having a get together in the new year?

[Greg McCary]

I am not much for studio photography or the technique behind it, that's why I don't critique your photos much. But you have earned my respect at your craft. Good work as always...

[yogestee]

As for the contrast, I'm not really sure why, but, I can look at the same image in Adobe or irfanview and it's fine. As soon as I upload to here, the images tend to go darker.
Thanks for the tip on using more contrast for male portraits though :thumbsup:
Thank you for your honest CC Jurgen. I appreciate it.

Alison,,,I often have the same problem especially with mono images...They look fine in Photoshop but once submitted to this forum they tend to go dark and contrast is increased...

Has anyone else noticed this??

Jurgen

[livin4lax09]

i disagree with the DOF comment. stop it down to f/1.8 and make those eyes POP out!

[Alison]

Did you capture the movie of how to get the bits in the bag? Love'd to have seen that.

Unfortunately not. I wish I had now. It was so funny.

PS. are we having a get together in the new year?

Why? LOL...for the portrait lessons?

I am not much for studio photography or the technique behind it, that's why I don't critique your photos much. But you have earned my respect at your craft. Good work as always...

LOL bless ya! Thank you so much.

However, I'm not lucky enough to have access to a studio. Most of my shots are snaps around my house or in my garden. I sometimes set up my backdrop but not very often. There's just no room in my small 3 bed semi with 10 of us living here!

And my tungstens + brollies are just gathering dust on top of my wardrobe. Setting those up is just too much of a pain. Plus they get so hot, it's just too dangerous with two babies under 2 running around.

i disagree with the DOF comment. stop it down to f/1.8 and make those eyes POP out!

I often think the same thing. Her eyes are so pretty!

[chandlerjr]

Reflectors can be interesting to use. You can use them for "fill" lighting, to provide a "soft" lighting effect, or to create strong contrasts. Now in this case, I like the b&w the best because it provides a soft lighting effect. However, I wonder if the photo (b&w version) would have been better if you would have used the reflectors for more contrast instead.

Over all, though, I like the b&w composition--because it is different. Have fun with your reflectors!
Larry C.

[readingr]

Why? LOL...for the portrait lessons?

Yes please - just been on ebay and mine are now on their way. Thanks for the tip. Have you heard from Didache recently about the one he was setting up?

They look fine in Photoshop but once submitted to this forum they tend to go dark and contrast is increased...

Has anyone else noticed this??

I found that it depends on how you resize the photo for posting.

I evetually came up with a script that converts from Adobe to sRGB then resizes the photo in 25% steps and then applies an unsharp mask. I also have another script which unsharps at each step for the photos that the first script doesn't work for. This is a PSP script and if you want I'll e-mail you a copy.

Roger

[Alison]

Yes please Roger I would love to have the PSP script. You are a diamond!

No I haven't heard from Didache. I think it's all gone out the window lol.

You are in Basingstoke in the UK!!! And there's me thinking you were in America. Most of my photography friends are from other countries, with the exception of Smartwombat and Bev I think.

[gahspidy]

I think both of these are fine, especially the lighting. I like the b&w but rather see it vertically like the coloerd version. On the colored version, I feel as if there has been too much noise reduction on the face various areas especially the hair line at the part. Then it appears like perhaps a bit too much sharpening around the eyes and attempted on the lips. I could be wrong, perhaps this is compression etc. but the b&w version does not seem to suffer from these effects as much as the color version. There is also a yellowish tone around her neck area.
I agree with Brent in that I think taking advantage of your fast lens by opening it up some more would be quite effective for a portrait shot and also increase your shutter speed as I see you were at 1/25 which is quite slow for handholding (if thats what you did)
I am just trying to point out all that I think could be improved upon, but am in no way putting the images down. I think they are pleasing and you have done quite nicley, especially considering this is sort of you testing and expereimenting with your reflector.
Keep up the good work

[GB1]

Alison - Successful. I would slightly lighten the reflected light myself though. I prefer the black and white one. Not that the color is bad, but there's something about B&W and models -- it just seems classical. But her lips in the color one are great. Becky looks fine in the poses but next time tell her to really relax and let go, as it seems like she is slightly proping her head up/tensing. -GB

[Alison]

I can see what you are saying GB.
It's probably my fault tho to be honest because I am holding my reflector and resting my camera on the top of it.

Here's another though. She's looking a little more relaxed in this shot. I know alot of you hate my airbrushed portraits but I love it. It says "hollywood" to me.
This one was shot at F/3.5 and with window light only.

[GB1]

Great shot too... definitely glamourous. The only thing it needs is a better background to place it in a 'studio' setting, but you did well with what was available.

Btw on the first posting, the color shot I can't help but wonder what it would look like with a (GOSH FORBID) cigarette propped sideways from her mouth? Maybe like one of those Newport cigarette advertisements we see here.... It would have to be in B&W. Not to encourage her to do that, but if you can stand it, try that with the same angle and see how it looks!

GB

[almo]

Wow,


It really helps to have a pretty subject, but when the talent upstages the subject, killer combo!

[gahspidy]

This last one is very good. I like the tones very much and there is a flattering, natural softness to it. Lighting looks well. I would clone out her fingers coming down near the top of her head though. Good work

[Didache]

Hi there ... Didache (me!) is still very much up for a get-together, although it would have to be new year now. I will send you both my mobile in private message. If you are interested at all, give me a bell.

Cheers
Mike

[chandlerjr]

I can see what you are say GB.
It's probably my fault tho to be honest because I am holding my reflector and resting my camera on the top of it.

Here's another though. She's looking a little more relaxed in this shot. I know alot of you hate my airbrushed portraits but I love it. It says "hollywood" to me.
This one was shot at F/3.5 and with window light only.

Alison,
What software do you use for airbrushing? Funny, I started working at a large, photographic studio when I was 13 years old. When I was 14, I started air brushing b&w portraits and touching up negatives directly on the film (all b&w portraits were taken with an 8x10 Portrait Studio camera). Strangely, airbrushing soon when the way of the $2 bill.

One of my last and greatest airbrush accomplishments was to take a portrait of a young girl scared in a fire, soften the scars without taking them completely away, and still make it look realistic. I worked on it using multiple prints (16x20) for 3 months before I got the right combination. Her mother was moved to tears. That was 40 years ago (I was 15 years old), but I remember it as if it was yesterday.
Larry C.

[Alison]

I use a Kodak Airbrush filter. Digital Gem I believe it is called.
Sometimes I just add a noise reduction filter so that the image looks smooth but not overdone. Depends how I feel at the time.

[Coastal Flyer]

Alison,

Sorry it has taken me so long to weigh on these, your portrait work is just wonderful. I don't understand half of the technical talk that you have received so I can't add to any of that. The b/w is my favorite, it is really a beautiful photo. Not a bad subject to work with either; glamor for sure. Congrats, very nice job.

CF