Trying to improve on portraits...thoughts?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/03/2009 09:36:54 PM · #1

I'm not great with lighting, and am trying to improve when time permits. My girls let me practice on them - after I agreed that they got to choose the poses (which was fine with me, and pretty funny). I only set the pose in the first pic posted here - they did the rest. One AB800 camera right and in front of the girls (sheet thrown over an umbrella for impromptu softbox), one AB800 camera left and behind the girls for back/hair light.

Critiques, and thoughts in general how to improve shots like these will be appreciated. I am blinded by my beautiful girls and do not view these objectively. :-)

LadyK

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

01/03/2009 09:38:34 PM · #2

im gonna spy on your thread, i need to learn the ways of portraiture too

MattO

Nikon D4

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

01/03/2009 10:45:48 PM · #3

I left you a few comments. I think you need to add a bit more light or fill from the front. And think about adding some light before the shot to close the pupil down the iris is really small in some of these. I'll try to add some comments to the rest, but most of the comments would be the same.

Matt

smichener

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

01/03/2009 10:47:26 PM · #4

Cute picture of your kids.

I'm just learning about portraits myself and I'll be watching this too. The thing I notice is the left side seems to need just a bit more even light. While you might have wanted a slight shadow it seems a bit heavy in most of them.
This one

seems the most evenly lit imho. I wonder if a 3rd light would help this and allow you to keep the hair highlights.

01/03/2009 11:59:56 PM · #5

Originally posted by MattO:

Thank you. I had the modeling light off...I will turn it on and look for the iris/pupil size in the future. I will also try a reflector - maybe to reflect the back light from the left front and provide a little fill.

Thanks again!

01/04/2009 12:03:40 AM · #6

Originally posted by smichener:

The thing I notice is the left side seems to need just a bit more even light. While you might have wanted a slight shadow it seems a bit heavy in most of them.

Thanks for your comments. I will try to add more fill light (perhaps with a reflector as I just noted in an earlier post).

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

01/05/2009 09:54:22 AM · #7

OK. I'm an idiot. Though not very active, I've been here long enough to know to NOT edit photos on an uncalibrated laptop....OUCH!! Home renovation forced me to my laptop, and these pics suck as they appear here!! They look 10x better (and 3x brighter) on my laptop!

Now the comments make even more sense! I apologize to all that even looked at these. :-)

justamistere

Nikon D3s

01/05/2009 10:58:50 AM · #8

I'd say don't chop off tiny bits of the top of their hair, unless that is the obvious intention. I've heard that the eyes should be in the "thirds", if that's the type of composition you're going for. They all have a soft lighting, with an eye-catching highlight. They are wonderful shots.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/05/2009 11:07:35 AM · #9

Originally posted by Patents4u:

You're very lucky to have such cute models to work with. They did a great job with the poses.

Is that one throwing gang signs? :D

01/05/2009 11:24:08 AM · #10

Originally posted by Mick:

Is that one throwing gang signs? :D

Too funny! Not sure what the dangling hand pose is about...maybe I better pay closer attention to her friends?? :-)