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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> Lighting advice / feedback please.
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 12/05/2005 08:46:50 PM · #1

I shot this photo for my inlaws' Christmas card. I'm inexperienced with portraits, and am learning my way around lighting.

I'm not getting the texture or "depth" I would like, and am guessing I'm either overexposing or just doing a poor job in photoshop. I'm shooting RAW, and using RSE & photoshop for editing.

Ideas / suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.
 12/05/2005 08:58:41 PM · #2


I had a quick go at it. You are slightly over-exposed. Adjustments: +10 contrast, +8 red saturation, +8 blue saturation, and used burn brush set to midtones on the man's shirt to bring back the color.
 12/05/2005 09:21:59 PM · #3
Originally posted by idnic:


I had a quick go at it. You are slightly over-exposed. Adjustments: +10 contrast, +8 red saturation, +8 blue saturation, and used burn brush set to midtones on the man's shirt to bring back the color.


Thanks Cindi. That is an improvement.
 12/06/2005 02:47:43 AM · #4
Here's my go at it! Hope you like it! You have to look at it full size to see the changes. Great photo!

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 12/06/2005 03:07:44 AM · #5
I don't know about the lighting, but I think I can help with composition...
12/06/2005 03:30:36 AM · #6
You certainly have the right idea, but IMO you need to be more selective in both focus and lighting.

Your portraits are probably lacking "depth" because the aperture you chose is large enough to get everything within your frame in sharp focus. From their features all the way back to the christmas decor behind them.

Also, you lighting is quite bright and is even across everything. From your main subject all the way back to those decorations.

So, I suggest two things. First, use as a wide an aperture as your lens has available. If its not at least f2.8, then you may want to consider pulling you subjects forward, and zooming in. This will have a similar effect to using a smaller aperture.

Second, try getting more light on your subject than the background. I't doesnt have to be the difference in night and day, and small change in light can have a huge impact on the final product. Also, just like in the previous example, it may help to pull your subject forward and zoom in. This will naturally bring more light to bear on the subject that the background.

Keep in mind that this what I would do. You preferences may be quite different.
 12/06/2005 07:34:23 AM · #7
This is a great expression, seems genuine and inviting. Good connection between you and them.

I don't know if you're interested in reshooting or not but I agree with mcmurma regarding what the photo needs for more positive aesthetics. A more shallow depth of field and selective lighting would give you a much better starting point. Given your stated lack of experience shooting something like this I'd suggest that if your in-laws are willing subjects ask them for a reshoot and instead of just using the widest aperture you can go for 3 or 4 apertures starting with the widest and working down a few stops (f/2.8, f/3.2, f/4, f/5.6, etc). That should give you a few to work from so that you can see the difference and select the one with the depth of field that best suits your (and their) tastes. Once you get a little more comfortable selecting an aperture based on your distance from the subject & their distance from the background then you may find that you take a single shot to get the effect you desire.

I've been playing so much with lighting lately I don't know what to tell you. mcmurma's comment about getting more light on the subject than on the background is on target (if you'll pardon the pun). Did you alter the power setting between the two lights? What kind of modifiers do you have (umbrellas, brollys, softboxes, grids, etc)? If you have softboxes I'd say put your key light off to your left and just in front of the in-laws; raise it up above eye level and aim it down at them with the baffle & diffuser panel (again if you have them). I might try the other light with a spot aimed just behind their heads on the mantle but that light needs to be turned down lower than the key light (remember any modifiers on the key light will probably cut down on the intensity so the difference between the two may be more than you'd expect to achieve noticeable difference in the photo.

If reshooting isn't likely then I'd multiple layers with layer masks to blur the background with gaussian blur. I'd also drop a layer over the background to dim it just a little. Not much you can do to bring the color or tone back into the subjects without changing the reds (too much playing makes the reds too bright and then toning them down without extensive layering & masking ends up dulling the other reds).



In this edit I dropped a quick layer mask around them and applied the gaussian blur. I then dropped a Levels layer and masked them and toned the background down just a hair. My final step was to burn their skintones just a little in their faces (from the slight overexposure) & I touched up his shirt just a little. This may not be the brightness you desired due to me toning down the background but now it has a little separation and you can lighten the whole image to your tastes.

EDIT: P.S. - the gaussian blur was very modest at 0.3. On the Levels layer for the background I pulled in the right Output to 233; I left all Input levels alone.

Hope some of this was helpful,

Kev

Message edited by author 2005-12-06 07:36:19.
 12/06/2005 08:13:15 AM · #8
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
I don't know about the lighting, but I think I can help with composition...


Perfect! I love the added features. Really add pop and wow and zing to the portrait.
 12/06/2005 08:26:35 AM · #9
Originally posted by Alienyst:
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
I don't know about the lighting, but I think I can help with composition...


Perfect! I love the added features. Really add pop and wow and zing to the portrait.


I didn't realize my sister-in-law was there. How could I have missed her?
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