Studio shots of Monica [pics attached]

[McMadCow]

I had a shoot in the studio at my school the other night, and I'm pretty pleased with a few of the shots I got. The model is a classmate of mine who was so kind to pose for these. I don't usually shoot in artificial light, so I'm interested in hearing how I fared here. Shot on Ilford FP4 125, 50mm lens, f4 or so, usually around 1/30th.

[Didache]

Wow! When I read the description I thought I was going to get ever so nice posed head and shoulder shots - but this is very different! I like it! Obviously this isn't going to be everyone's taste, but as far as I am concerned, it is pushing the boundaries of portraiture, and that is a good thing, even if they don't all come off. I would really like to see others of this type.

Cheers
Mike

[walterick]

Neat lighting! FP4 is not usually so contrasty as this? Did you bump the contrast afterwards?

I love your ideas here. I am a big fan of abstract portaiture like this (you may have seen my failed attempt at it recently ) I prefer the second and third to the first. The first I feel would be a better picture if the neck were cropped out. Almost feeling like 2 pictures there to me. The second I would do the opposite, cropping out more of the face to draw attention to the neck.

The third is my favorite. I love the lighting, the composition, the whole idea of it. However, there is something going on with the toning that is bugging me. I see a hot spot on her cheek, but her eyes are under a different quality of light. The rest of her body seems lit by a different quality of light yet again. If you could somehow balance these light sources so they all appear to be of the same quality - or brightness - I think it would add oodles to this picture. Of the three I see, the light on here face is most fitting to the picture, imo. One other thing I might consider is cropping off that piece of light in the right of the frame, though I can see others arguing its value.

Overall, well done!

[McMadCow]

Thanks for the comments so far!
Walter, good catch on the different quality of light on her eye. This shot is for an assignment involving using a mirror to isolate a feature within the frame. So the shot is exposed for the reflected light hitting her eye from a taped-off mirror that was positioned off-camera. The light silhouetting her hip, chest and jawline is from the light positioned slightly above her feet. The light on her eye is the little mirror reflecting that light back at her. It's actually the same light on her shoulder in the first two.

[walterick]

Well that explains a lot! I assumed it was coming through a window, or you had barn doors on a hotlight.

[readingr]

I like the first and second because they are not the standard portrait and the effects of the lights really work.

My only critique is #2 where I think the flare of light on the right is a little too bright and the little bump on the head which I assume is hair captures my attention because I'm trying to work out what it is.

Nice shooting.

Roger