'Practice' Shots of Senior pics, comments?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/27/2008 11:35:58 PM · #1

Today we went and 'practiced' taking shots, so that I could learn and correct for the 'official' shots.
Constructive Comments and Advice very appreciated.
These are straight from the camera...only cropped.
Thank You.

[thumb]703728[/thumb] [thumb]703729[/thumb] [thumb]703731[/thumb] [thumb]703732[/thumb]

Bebe

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

07/27/2008 11:38:34 PM · #2

I think they're great. Numbers 3 & 4 are my favorites - she looks so natural in them, and she has such a pretty smile!

07/27/2008 11:40:15 PM · #3

thank you.

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

07/28/2008 07:37:24 AM · #4

Thank you for your comments

dwterry, They are helpful!!

Wyrdling

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

07/28/2008 07:50:40 AM · #5

I like no. 1 because it's so stylish - the others have a more snapshot feel to them (mostly because of the lighting). I also like the no. 5 but the framing could have been better I think, there's too much background and she's cropped of at the middle so it looks like she doesn't have a lower half.

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

07/29/2008 08:34:42 AM · #6

Thanks......on the 'snapshot' ones, you are correct....I don't think I had the second flash....thus they were just with my SB800 on camera....

muckpond

Nikon D200

07/29/2008 09:08:21 AM · #7

i would either try to use lighter backgrounds with the flash as a fill light, or put her in a situation where you can use more than one flash to help light the background. the two things that jump out most to me are that the backgrounds are dark and the light on her face is flat.

does the d50 do commander mode for the flash? if it can, GET THE SB800 OFF OF THE HOTSHOE and use it to one side or the other. that will bring out some dimension in her face, give you a better catchlight, and make them look less snapshotty.

if you can do the commander mode thing, rent a 2nd flash (a 600 will work as a slave) and practice with off-camera lighting. if you can't rent one, buy a used 600 (they're relatively cheap). once you've been able to use multiple light sources you'll never go back.

practice is good.

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

07/29/2008 09:32:40 AM · #8

thank you

muckpond. You are all confirming what I did wrong. The D50 does not have a commander mode, but I just bought the SB800 to serve as master, and I already had a SB600. The first photo is one of the very first shots I ever used the two flashes (the SB600 is actually behind her, kinda)....

I got careless with the outdoor ones and only had the SB800 on camera. Obviously that shows!!...I started with the one out on the ledge, and couldn't get the flash close enough to her ( and didn't trust handing it out to her....will have to correct that!) I think after I put it away, I just kept shooting and didn't even think about using both of them.

Question, how do I get a bigger catch light in the headshot one?
I had the SB800 on camera bouncing off ceiling at 1.0 and the SB600 to her left and behind her (kinda a hair light) at 2.0

Message edited by author 2008-07-29 09:33:25.

Prof_Fate

07/29/2008 10:37:33 AM · #9

I like 1, 2 and 4 the most. 2 is nice.
you need to work a bit on lighting - some are too direct flash looking (#3 particularly)
More PP - her eyes need a kick especially in #2.
Shoot more wide open - the focus is the girl not the BG.
Posing is pretty good - see if she can tilt her head more (some kids just don't or tilt the same in every pic).

This was shot just about sunset with on-camera flash - done right it can work well. Shot wide open or close to it at 2.8, prolly at 24mm as I couldn't backup anymore. Her eyes just naturally pop, but the eyes are the most important part of a portrait.

Message edited by author 2008-07-29 10:40:28.

muckpond

Nikon D200

07/29/2008 11:22:06 AM · #10

Originally posted by dassilem:

Question, how do I get a bigger catch light in the headshot one?
I had the SB800 on camera bouncing off ceiling at 1.0 and the SB600 to her left and behind her (kinda a hair light) at 2.0

shoot the flash at her through a softbox or a diffuser. and make sure the flash is off-camera, so you get the catchlight in the iris of her eye and not the pupil (that will help with the lighting, too).

if the d50 has a sync terminal, you can use that with the SB800 so that both of your flashes are off-camera. flash on-camera = bad!

here's a great example of using multiple off-camera 800s.

you could also go for some funky catchlights by using a ring light, or by building your own.

i made one of my own and have been having great fun with it:

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

07/29/2008 03:12:16 PM · #11

Prof_Fateand

Muckpond
Thank you again...

Prof, thanks for the help...I should have shot more wide open, but until someone points it out to me I didn't think about it fully....I guess I don't think fast enough on my feet. I'll have to admit, when I saw you commenting I closed one eye and peeked with the other...., I was ready for the gods honest truth....which IS what I want...I want help with them so when I reshoot I think about what I didn't......., so I kinda feel pretty good that they aren't horrible, but OBVIOUSLY need work!!

Muckpond, thanks...I guess I didn't know how to make the catch light brighter without putting too much flash on her face. D50 doesn't have a sync terminal (or at least I don't think so). If I got a sync cord and attached the 800 to it (via hotshoe), to get it off camera would the 800 still trigger the 600?

very cool ring lights!!

muckpond

Nikon D200

07/29/2008 03:41:18 PM · #12

Originally posted by dassilem:

If I got a sync cord and attached the 800 to it (via hotshoe), to get it off camera would the 800 still trigger the 600?

yes. :)

07/29/2008 11:40:37 PM · #13

Ok, how bad are the edits?? any better??
[thumb]704445[/thumb]<----

<---- [thumb]703728[/thumb]

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/29/2008 11:47:38 PM · #14

oops...duplicate

Message edited by author 2008-07-29 23:48:07.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

07/30/2008 12:36:36 AM · #15

Understanding that everyone's interpretation of an image is different... here is my take on #57 using your unedited image as the source file:

The following are the steps I took in Photoshop CS3, with several steps done using Color Efex Pro 3.0 (noted by CEP3):

1) CEP3: Pro Contrast - remove color cast and enhance overall contrast.
2) CEP3: Dynamic Skin Softener - I softened her skin (used defaults, then backed it off to about 50%)
3) CEP3: Glamour Glow - Enhance highlights and shadows using a golden glow effect. I used the defaults, then backed it off quite a bit and masked out some of the areas that either went too dark (like the water behind her) or glowed too much (like her shorts and chest).
4) Used a dodge and burn layer to selectively lighten things (like the water behind her) and darken others (like the foreground) and also to do a tiny bit of body contouring (face, arm, leg).
5) Finally, applied a bit of USM using a wide radius (60 pixels) and a small amount (I think 9 or 10).

Other things that could be done on a full size image... handle sharpening and whitening of her eyes and teeth (I did nothing here).

See what you think of the post processing.

07/30/2008 03:42:05 AM · #16

heres my take on a the first photo, i loved it alot, the only thing i have to offer for advice would to try to reduce the harsh lighting that appears as white in her hair, I moved some of her hair over to block it in this edit. PS, is it ok if i use this edit in my portfolio as a before and after?:) i like how it turned out Jimbo!

Message edited by author 2008-07-30 13:38:18.

07/30/2008 03:33:35 AM · #17

07/30/2008 03:22:32 AM · #18

07/30/2008 03:31:59 AM · #19

07/30/2008 03:17:23 AM · #20

07/30/2008 03:28:17 AM · #21

07/30/2008 03:36:07 AM · #22

lol, opps, been trying for the past 30 minutes to post this and it kept freezin, someone dosnt like me tonight

Message edited by author 2008-07-30 03:49:34.

07/30/2008 04:09:27 PM · #23

Thank you David and Jimbo

David, I don't have most of those features that you used, but they CERTAINLY describe what I could do, and very much improved the photo...I think that pose/shot is the favorite for her informal....but I am reshooting, so maybe I'll be able to get it a little bit closer to being right. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the time you give helping me!!!!

Jimbo, Very good edit on the first shot....I PM'd you regarding the use in the portfolio.....