Can I get comments on this ? - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

03/15/2006 06:07:34 PM · #1

This is a photo I took of my husband.

Message edited by author 2006-03-17 15:07:41.

Jamester

Nikon D7000

03/15/2006 06:23:25 PM · #2

Hey Lea,

The first thing I'd say about that pic is what a great expression - really seems to capture a personality there.

Technically however (and I'm no expert), it doesn't quite seem in focus to me, and the crop is a little awkward, with the dark clothes making a really harsh border. I'd also have preferred it extended to the right so the head and hands are in frame. The actual face of your hubbie is also a little dark, but it will be difficult to get exposure bang on with such bright light and dark in the same frame

If you can somehow soften the lighting a little, the angle you had it coming from worked well.

Keep experimenting! Hope that helps,

Jamie

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

03/15/2006 06:28:45 PM · #3

I'm not sure how to soften the lighting.

He was laying on our couch, there is a very large window basically above his head which is where the light was coming from.

Yes - I cropped off his head in the photo (there's no cropping done on the photo at all). My fault totally ! The background is a white foam board, and I was trying to keep the whole image in front of the board (it's about 2' x 3' or so)

rox_rox

Canon EOS-20D

03/15/2006 06:49:35 PM · #4

My first suggestion would be to examine portraits that have gotten lots of positive feedback and learn what those photographers did to get the effects you are going for.

You might consider using something different for the background. The white is pretty drastic. Wrinkled backgrounds look terrible, so if you use a cloth, make sure it's smooth or that the DOF is shallow enough to disguise the wrinkles.

The foam core would make a nice reflector, though. Use it to reflect some light onto his face. Gauze or something over the window might soften the light.

I agree with the crop and pose being awkward. Also, you might get him to hold his hand to his face without actually applying pressure. That will eliminate the pulling of the skin on his face.

Hopefully this post will bump you back up and get you some advice from the real experts.

03/15/2006 06:58:38 PM · #5

I hadn't noticed the pulling, but that's a good point.

I'm seriously lacking in background material I'm afraid. Used a sheet in my first challenge and got dinged for the wrinkles I think. I suppose I could iron it - but who really want to spend the time ironing sheets ?

03/16/2006 03:51:06 PM · #6

Just a bump, hoping for some more advice.

What do y'all recommend as a make-shift backdrop ?

03/16/2006 04:00:22 PM · #7

Stop by a fabric store. They have cheap muslin, and it works nicely. As far as the wrinkles, does your camera let you adjust the aperature? If so, open it up for a more shallow depth of fiels, and the wrinles will blur giving a nice, textured backdrop.

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX Aspherical DG DF RF for Canon

03/16/2006 04:16:01 PM · #8

Originally posted by ericwoo:

Fabric store is easy enough - I'll have to check that out soon. There isn't one within walking distance but I should be able to do a price check this weekend.

My camera does have manual adjustments, but I'm not really familiar with them yet - every time I change something, I get either a horribly overexposed or underexposed shot.

photomikey

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/16/2006 04:17:31 PM · #9

There are lots of places on the internet to buy pre-dyed muslins. My first stop would be ebay. Shop carefully, there's a lot of crap out there.

You can dye your own muslin fabric. I have a tutorial video link somewhere -- so if you end up this route, contact me, and I'll try and find it. Basically, take a 10x10 muslin, a bottle of dye and a squirt bottle and go banannas. It's under-utilized, the muslin. Light it with a red gel, it's a red muslin. Light it with a blue gel, it's a blue muslin. Turn the lights off, it's a black muslin. [/sarcasm]

Empty walls sometimes do the trick. Might try moving the furniture and taking down a few paintings (or posters!) and shooting in front of a blank wall in your livingroom / bedroom. My garage has finished drywall, and everytime I'm near Lowe's or Home Depot, I stop in and see what's on their clearance paint rack. Look for FLAT (not gloss or semi), and if you find a color you like, paint the wall. I'm cheap and lazy, so I buy a disposable paint brush, and a disposable roller cover, and my studio is a different color for $20. If you have a particular color you're after, the cheap paint is only $15 - $20 a gallon.

Black felt can be found in fabric stores. If you live near an outlet mall, there is often an outlet fabric store around. I go to the end-of-bolt, closeout rows to see what I can find. (Reference paragrah 2, "I'm cheap".) It's easy to sew together or if you can find a big enough piece, just hang it from the ceiling. In my gara...err, studio, I have hooks hanging from the rafters.

You can use white fabric too, but watch out for those wrinkles. Also, white is not as forgiving to crappy sew jobs.

And follow the advice of the others, look through the "portraits" category here and elsewhere. Find what you like, and steal the idea. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll learn something in the process.

Message edited by author 2006-03-16 16:22:51.

03/16/2006 04:23:14 PM · #10

Believe me, I'm on board with the "I'm cheap" idea ! Family of 4 on a single (manufacturing line-worker labour) income makes for a budget so tight it's almost non-existant.

I don't do much ebay - the shipping is usually a killer (I'm in Canada, and end up getting docked for customs and duties charges even on used goods), but the local fabric store has frequent sales.

Painting is a no-no, we rent an apartment. And the walls are already coloured thanks to my toddler and pre-school aged Picasso wannabes ;)

I can sew pretty well though - so I could patch together a large enough backdrop if I had to.

03/16/2006 04:29:57 PM · #11

Also, check this out:

//www.hancockfabrics.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=11090&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=muslin

4 yards will give you a nice 12' x 8' backdrop for 10 bucks plus shipping.

And with manual, open up the aperature (smaller numbers) and make the shutter faster (larger numbers) until you get an exposure that you like. That;s the beauty of digital, right?

[ edit ]stupid spelling errors

Message edited by author 2006-03-16 16:32:15.

03/16/2006 04:37:32 PM · #12

Just ordered 6 yards for myself. Glad I looked!

03/16/2006 04:44:34 PM · #13

Hancock fabrics doesn't ship outside the USA

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

03/16/2006 04:51:09 PM · #14

great image, but as stated maybe a little soft. If you have a chance take that actual image and after resizing it try some USM (unsharp mask). Change the levels and see what works best for it. I was amazed at how just a little can fix an image. Be careful not to go overboard though.

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

03/16/2006 04:51:51 PM · #15

Well hell.

This one is only 58" wide, but a good start:
//www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric-quilt-backing-broadcloth-100-cotton-muslin.aspx?SearchProductID=deab793d-ef23-48dc-9d6e-bea95c6319b8

Another with lots:
//www.dharmatrading.com/fabric/cotton/muslin.html

Riponlady

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

03/16/2006 05:11:13 PM · #16

Really useful information here for me too regarding backdrops even if it is not worth me buying online US.

Next info area for me is lighting - ways of using ordinary house lighting or cheap other forms.

Also are light tents worthwhile? I have a friend who made a couple herself and I might be able to persuade her to make me one - they were devilish to put together so I will need to pull in a lot of favoure if I do!
P

PS I thought the pic was good but can only agree with comments re cropping.

Message edited by author 2006-03-16 17:12:03.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

03/16/2006 05:32:54 PM · #17

Thank you all.

This is very informative for me (though my husband wasn't impressed with the pulling near his eye being pointed out ! *LOL* Poor guy is only 25, but said it made him look "old" when he saw it)

rox_rox

Canon EOS-20D

03/16/2006 05:46:16 PM · #18

Originally posted by kashi:

Your husband is a cutie, and he has nothing to worry about for a looong time!

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Nikon

03/16/2006 09:42:39 PM · #19

Originally posted by greatandsmall:

[quote=kashi] Thank you all.
Your husband is a cutie

Yes, I fully agree there ;)

Apple iPhone

03/16/2006 09:58:16 PM · #20

Muslin from the fabric store comes in WIDER widths than whats mentioned here... i beleive my piece is 120 inches wide... so look carefully if you want a wider piece...120 inch wide muslin

Message edited by author 2006-03-16 22:00:21.

photomikey

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX Aspherical DG DF RF for Canon

03/17/2006 01:00:07 AM · #21

This is probably the wrong thread for this, but I looked at the pic of your daughter from the "Comfort" challenge, and I see the wrinkled sheet problem you're having.

Try moving the daughter farther away from the sheet, and get less light on the sheet. First suggestion would be don't use the onboard flash.

I understand you're in a cash strapped situation, and don't want to outlay a lot on lights, so find a cheaper options. I use clamp lamps a lot, they are availible online or from just about any hardware store anywhere. The really, REALLY cheap ones are $4-$5 (the bulbs are another 3 or 4 bucks), and nicer ones with reflectors are $8 or so. If you can't find anything you like in that arena, almost anything with a lightbulb in it will work. Torchiere lamps, end table lamps, reading lamps... I've used a $3 bedside clamp lamp from IKEA before, to great success. If you can't (or don't care to) afford lighting diffusion (which is a MUST), try dryer sheets. made out of different stuff, but similar properties. (And, handy enough, VERY DIFFICULT to start on fire from bright lights!) They actually work better after they've been through the dryer a few times.

Find a spot in your house with good lighting (in front of a south facing window, perhaps -- or under a directional spot of some sort), and sit your munchkin there and take pictures until your card is full. Then go look at the pictures, and if you only get one good one out of two hundred, think of what a victory it was! All you've learned about lighting and photography, and it was all free! You could take another two hundred and it would still be free!

Good luck out there.