Another SP help thread... - DPChallenge Forums

01/01/2008 04:31:28 PM · #1

Let me know what I could have done better/different, please. Lighting was from 2 strobes, one set directly to my right and above, the other 45% to the right. I was standing about 3 feet from the BG.

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Message edited by author 2008-01-01 16:33:24.

01/01/2008 04:43:59 PM · #2

Looks like you've blurred the background ... masked out your face from the blur ... but that you didn't completetly mask out your hair as some of your hair blends into the background. Rather than PP'ing the background, you're better off moving away from the background and letting it fall out of range of your focus DOF.

The lighting looks "okay to me". It's the posing that looks awkward. I do think you're side lighting is too far to the side. I should see more light on your eyes in the ones where you are facing the forwards.

01/01/2008 04:49:50 PM · #3

So, I shouldn't have been bouncing the 45 degree one, just let it come straight? And, yes, I blurred the BG...I was just going for a couple of quick shots and the BG is sooooooooo wrinkled

Message edited by author 2008-01-01 16:51:36.

01/01/2008 04:54:15 PM · #4

Originally posted by cryingdragon:

So, I shouldn't have been bouncing the 45 degree one, just let it come straight? And, yes, I blurred the BG...I was just going for a couple of quick shots and the BG is sooooooooo wrinkled

I wouldn't bounce the strobes ... use a shoot-through umbrella or softbox to soften it, but don't bounce it.

As for the blurring the background, I see from the EXIF data that you were shooting at f/11. That's a heckuva lot of light for an individual portrait. Drop it down to f/5.6 and your b/g out to blur nicely.

01/01/2008 05:03:00 PM · #5

Thanks, David...off to reshoot based on those...except the poses...I felt very natural doing them...not sure why they look "strained".

01/01/2008 05:21:53 PM · #6

More specifics on the poses:

- On the two poses where your body is facing to your right (camera left), your body is in profile (i.e. nearly 90 degrees to the camera) while turning your head back. This forms a crease in your neck ... and does nothing for your body. Turn your body about 45 degrees to the camera.

- Of these two poses, I prefer the one where you're looking up away from the camera. I think mainly because, if your body is going to be turned that far, then your head is in about the right position. Keeping the same position and bringing both back around 45 degrees would also work.

- The front facing image is, perhaps, too front facing (not turned to either side). That can be okay, depends on what you want.

01/01/2008 05:26:31 PM · #7

Back to images 1 and 3 again... this time referencing the lighting:

Notice how bright the background is on the top left of the image? Here's something to keep in mind: Light diminishes with the square of the distance. Therefore, if your light is 3 feet away from you, and you are 3 feet away from the background (i.e. the light travels twice the distance), then the background will receive only 1/4th as much light, which will nicely darken up the background. But that isn't happening here. It's almost as if the light is closer to the background than it is to you. I think that is related to the angle of the light. Bringing the light back around to the front (but still 45 degrees off of you) should bring the light down on the background.

01/01/2008 05:46:33 PM · #8

Just one strobe, off 45% to the front of me; turned off the one that was beside and above.

Again, the room is about 8 feet wide...so that might be part of it. And I didn't work on the BG, since I'm just trying to figure this out.

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Message edited by author 2008-01-01 17:48:23.

01/01/2008 05:57:52 PM · #9

Of the new ones ... I like #2 ... a lot! The shading on your cheek is just right. The catchlights in your eyes are in a good position. The pose is complementary.

The only area for improvement on #2, I think, would still be the background. It's still a bit bright and a little too much in focus (both of which take attention away from you). Can you come forward (away from the b/g) at all? Bring you and your light forward. That'll soften and darken the background.

01/01/2008 06:03:49 PM · #10

David,

As much as I'd like to, the camera is flush against one wall. The flash is in the corner and I'm about 2 1/2 feet in front of the camera, with the BG about 4 1/2 or 5 feet behind me.

I do, however, really appreciate the help.

01/01/2008 06:11:05 PM · #11

Now you know why you need a "long" room for a studio. Distance is extremely important. I'm surprised that you're b/g is 5 feet behind you and still so much in focus. I'm not sure what lens you are using, but can your aperture go any wider (f/4, f/2.8)?

I'm also surprised that if the b/g is 5 feet behind you and the camera is half that distance in front of you, that you're still spilling so much light on the b/g (again, light falls of with the square of the distance). We should be seeing a lot greater light fall-off I would think.

01/01/2008 06:21:22 PM · #12

Take a look at these two shots:

#1:

#2:

As you can see from #1, we don't have a lot of working distance here (shot this in her garage). She may be, at most, about 3 feet in front of the background? When I had her lean forward for image #2 (leaning puts her a little further away from the background) and I zoomed in, the background went completely out of focus.

In both of these I (and the camera) am in pretty much the same position (probably about 10 feet in front of her). Both shots are done at f/5.6. The difference in perspective is that #1 is shot with the 5D (full frame) at 50mm while #2 is shot with the Mark III (1.3x crop) at 110mm.

01/01/2008 06:21:55 PM · #13

The strobes aren't adjustable and very bright, I'm going to guess either 500W or 750W. I'm shooting it with the 50mm 1.8. If I go any less than the 5.6, it gets completely washed out with the light. For some reason, when coupled with the flash, I can't go faster than 1/200 on the 10D. If I could get around that, it might be easier.

And yes, I'm learning about the necessity of a "long" room.

You're a great help.

Message edited by author 2008-01-01 18:26:53.

01/01/2008 06:30:20 PM · #14

There's no adjustment ... at all ... on the strobes? The cheaper ones I've seen using come with a setting for 1/4, 1/2 and Full power. Just having those three settings would be limited, but helpful. When shopping for a strobe, I highly recommend getting one that lets you adjust the power throughout a continuous range (i.e. "dial in" the exposure rather than use switches to adjust it) because if you can't adjust the power, you're forced to move the lights. And moving the lights changes more than just the light output.

Anyway, I understand on the limited space. My own little in-home studio isn't very big and so blurring the b/g becomes quite challenging for me as well. I prefer to shoot individuals rather than families so that I can go with a large aperture. But when I shoot families, I just pull them as far forward as I can, and I back up as far as I can, and from there I'm forced to use Photoshop if I still can't blur the background enough. I hate doing that though.

01/01/2008 06:36:28 PM · #15

Originally posted by cryingdragon:

For some reason, when coupled with the flash, I can't go faster than 1/200 on the 10D. If I could get around that, it might be easier.

When using strobes, shutter speed doesn't even matter. The strobe output lasts less than 1/200th of a second (probably more like 1/1000th). Try it. Shoot at 1/200th and again at 1/100th or even 1/25th. The light from the strobes will be constant.

If you tried going faster than 1/200th though, your shutter would not be completely open during the flash exposure because 1/200th is the fastest you can shoot at which both first and second curtain are completely open. Any faster than that, and the second curtain has to begin following the first curtain part way through the exposure. And the faster the shutter, the more this "gap" between first and second curtains turns into a just a tiny slit.

01/01/2008 06:39:42 PM · #16

Thanks for the info on the shutter speed.

My strobes have a setting for full power and no power...haha.

Here's what I'm working with.

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Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/01/2008 06:45:37 PM · #17

Ah... if those are what I think they are, I've used them as b/g lights (sometimes you want to through extra light on the b/g). They may seem bright for shooting just one person, but they'll easily be seen to be under powered when shooting a group portrait.

Since you can't adjust the power directly ... why not throw a white hankerchief over top or something so that you can cut the light output?

TCGuru

Canon EOS-40D

01/01/2008 07:53:36 PM · #18

he could also try adjusting the distance of the umbrellas from the light source... I find that is a good way to control the light when using a constant wattage :)

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/01/2008 08:08:49 PM · #19

Originally posted by TCGuru:

he could also try adjusting the distance of the umbrellas from the light source... I find that is a good way to control the light when using a constant wattage :)

Yeah ... 'cept that he said the flash is already sitting in the corner of the room. So the light isn't going to back up any. He needs a bigger room! :-)

geoffb

01/01/2008 08:27:35 PM · #20

Originally posted by cryingdragon:

Can you put a neutral density filter over the flash (either store-bought or something homemade)?

TCGuru

Canon EOS-40D

01/01/2008 08:30:06 PM · #21

Originally posted by dwterry:

Originally posted by TCGuru:
he could also try adjusting the distance of the umbrellas from the light source... I find that is a good way to control the light when using a constant wattage :)

Yeah ... 'cept that he said the flash is already sitting in the corner of the room. So the light isn't going to back up any. He needs a bigger room! :-)

LOL nono not move the umbrellas away from the subject, move them in and out of their holder... away and closer to the light source... it changes the spread and softness or is more directional and harsh. :)

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/01/2008 08:31:44 PM · #22

Originally posted by TCGuru:

Aargh... I totally misread your comment! Mea culpa.

TCGuru

Canon EOS-40D

01/01/2008 10:45:14 PM · #23

Originally posted by dwterry:

Originally posted by TCGuru:
LOL nono not move the umbrellas away from the subject, move them in and out of their holder... away and closer to the light source... it changes the spread and softness or is more directional and harsh. :)

Aargh... I totally misread your comment! Mea culpa.

I know, is ok :) smiles always!!