DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Side Challenges and Tournaments >> DPC Portrait Group
Pages:   ...
Showing posts 176 - 200 of 308, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 11/21/2007 08:28:04 AM · #176
What Bernard is saying is that closer is better because the light is softer. :)

Exactly that.
 11/21/2007 08:33:30 AM · #177
timfythetoo


Tim,

I love the depth you got with this one - nice job. Your face looks to me to be lit by mostly natural light. Is that wrong? It looks like the flash is striking behind you and just grazing you with fall off. Wanna describe your context?
 11/21/2007 08:41:38 AM · #178
Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:
timfythetoo


Tim,

I love the depth you got with this one - nice job. Your face looks to me to be lit by mostly natural light. Is that wrong? It looks like the flash is striking behind you and just grazing you with fall off. Wanna describe your context?

This shot was a total accident as I didnt realize the shutter was going to fire. I was having issues with the remote. My face is lit with the 580ex bounced off a white umbrella - maybe a foot or so away from my face. The background is lit with a snoot covered 420ex on the floor. Gott alove when an accident works in some way.
 11/21/2007 09:11:02 AM · #179
Originally posted by surfdabbler:
Well, if your light source is bigger than your subject (i.e. a brolly for a portrait), then the closer it is, the bigger it gets, as it gives a bigger angle of light. Put it twice as far away and you need four times the area to get the same light spread. Put it infinitely far away, and it becomes a point light source, equals hard light, and your shadow lines will be sharp. Put the brolly in closer, the light source becomes bigger and softer, and the shadow lines and edges become softer. Same reason you use an umbrella in the first place - to make it a larger light source.

However, if you are dealing with a point source, then OK, there is a point where bringing the light too close will result in light falloff over the size of the subject, which can cause problems of it's own. Maybe this is what you are calling harsh light? But for a portrait with a brolly, for nice soft light, go as close as you can without getting in the way. I get pretty nice results with the 70cm softbox face less than 1m from the subject. For a similar setup with an umbrella, the end of the umbrella stick will almost be touching their face! I've seen glamour portraits done with large softboxes and reflectors, all within 1-2 feet of the models face, and photographer standing outside, shooting through a gap in the equipment!

The only other consideration is that flash power falls off with distance, so if your subject is moving around, you can't go too close with a single light source, because if they move toward or away from the light, it changes your exposure. So, you might trade practicality for having slightly harder light by moving the light sources further back.

Hmm, hopefully this makes sense.

Edit to add that my experience comes from variable power little flash units. I don't know anything about real lights. duh, 200 whats? :)


Dave, thanks for that explanation. Sounds good.

I shall see whether I can try some more shots moving the brolly's in closer
 11/21/2007 11:13:49 AM · #180
11/23/2007 10:26:19 PM · #181
My trio of uncooperative kids. They wanted nothing to do with photos yesterday.

Taken in my basement.
A set of halogen work lights to the left light, lighting the background (white paper).
On-camera flash (SB-400) with a LumiQuest Mini Softbox on it use.

[thumb]615964[/thumb]

Message edited by author 2007-11-24 08:29:25.
 11/24/2007 04:04:12 PM · #182
Set up the lights today in the studio and was just trying to adjust them and Aja wanted to pose because we are ordering Christmas cards for them to give out to their friends and family. Opinion? These are using the only two Alien Bees I have one with the softbox on it and the other with a shoot through umbrella. I am getting a red tint. Guess I need to play with the WB

[thumb]616213[/thumb] [thumb]616214[/thumb]

Message edited by author 2007-11-24 19:51:21.
 11/24/2007 05:15:13 PM · #183
It was our first self-family-portrait session

The kids only are from a previous day. It's so much harder with your own kids/family than with complete strangers
[thumb]616236[/thumb]
 11/24/2007 05:54:35 PM · #184
Three new ones.

Very uncooperative family though.

(for reference... amazing what a difference 3 years makes!)

Message edited by author 2007-11-24 23:14:50.
 11/24/2007 05:59:30 PM · #185
Picture taken at out local Rememberance Day Parade of an old soldier
Unfortunately it was difficult to get a clean shot because of the crowds.

11/24/2007 07:06:40 PM · #186
Any advice on how to get rid of the magenta cast? I know the red background has something to do with it. BI shot on AWB and probably shouldn't have. But changing the WB in Lightroom does not fix it.
 11/24/2007 08:52:57 PM · #187
Originally posted by rex:
Any advice on how to get rid of the magenta cast? I know the red background has something to do with it. BI shot on AWB and probably shouldn't have. But changing the WB in Lightroom does not fix it.


Select just the girl, and use hue/sat to pull the magenta back a bit. See how that looks.

Don't touch the background though - pulling back the magenta might make that red looks 'off'.

Here's my 3-minute editing of it - just selected all the background and shirt, inverted the selection and pulled back the magenta and reds in a hue/sat layer :

[thumb]616297[/thumb]

Message edited by author 2007-11-24 20:59:22.
 11/24/2007 10:26:41 PM · #188
A recent session. Used two softboxes...one as a main light to the left and one placed quite a bit behind me, to the right.

[thumb]616346[/thumb]
[thumb]616344[/thumb]
[thumb]616343[/thumb]

[thumb]616340[/thumb]
 11/25/2007 11:10:30 PM · #189
Originally posted by rex:
Any advice on how to get rid of the magenta cast? I know the red background has something to do with it. BI shot on AWB and probably shouldn't have. But changing the WB in Lightroom does not fix it.


(Not sure where the reference image is, but working from Kashi's edit...)

This is a very nice shot! I just love the negative space on the right, and the expression looks very natural.

Removing the red cast is easy - since her skin tones are the brightest thing in the shot, use color balance to pull some red out of the highlights. It also nicely separates her from the bkg in the color space.

Also, with solid color backgrounds, I like a bit of vignetting to give it a more dynamic feel. And for portraits, I also like to sharpen a touch and added a very faint soft glow.

Here's my edit:


Cheers!
-Jeff
 11/25/2007 11:49:37 PM · #190
From half way up a mountain, on Saturday. Lighting isn't the best and shot with a point and shoot, using on camera flash for a few of them. Using the nose to make a consistent set of portraits of the people I was hiking with.



Message edited by author 2007-11-25 23:50:31.
 11/26/2007 08:42:56 AM · #191
[thumb]616910[/thumb]
 11/26/2007 03:52:12 PM · #192
Originally posted by smurfguy:


(Not sure where the reference image is, but working from Kashi's edit...)

This is a very nice shot! I just love the negative space on the right, and the expression looks very natural.

Removing the red cast is easy - since her skin tones are the brightest thing in the shot, use color balance to pull some red out of the highlights. It also nicely separates her from the bkg in the color space.

Also, with solid color backgrounds, I like a bit of vignetting to give it a more dynamic feel. And for portraits, I also like to sharpen a touch and added a very faint soft glow.

Here's my edit:


Cheers!
-Jeff


Nice edit Jeff - I definately like the use of a vignette to break up the solid slab of colour.
 11/26/2007 04:01:13 PM · #193
Originally posted by Nusbaum:
I would like to organize a group of DPC photographers that are involved in portrait photography and would like to work with other members of similar interests. The goals are pretty simple right now:
1. Build a list of dpc members that are fairly serious about their portrait photography.
2. Support posting of thumbnails to your latest work.
3. Encourage and support portrait photography in challenge entries.

Please let me know if you are interested and we'll get started!

Posting Guidelines
1. Upload your images(s) to your dpc portfolio.
2. Update the image detail to include your goals as well as the techniques used.
3. Post a thumbnail(s) to the image her so we can have a look.
Note: If you post more than one image, the collection should make sense as a series

- albc28 (Advanced Amateur)
- annpatt (Amateur)
- CalamitysMaster00 (Pro)
- chesire (Pro)
- dwterry (Pro)
- ErikV (Amateur)
- Eyesup (Novice)
- [user]fotomann_forever[/user] (Pro)
- gaurawa (Amateur)
- gi_joe05 (Pro)
- hopper (Advanced Amateur)
- idnic (Pro)
- Jedusi (Amateur)
- jenesis (Advanced Amateur)
- kashi (Novice)
- loseme (Amateur)
- magenmarie (Advanced Amateur)
- njsabs2323 (Semi-Pro)
- nusbaum (Semi-Pro)
- rex
- Rooster (Advanced Amateur)
- smurfguy (Amateur)
- surfdabbler (Amateur)
- TCGuru (Semi-Pro)
- timfythetoo (Advanced Amateur)


STIll no adds to this list. ;(
11/26/2007 04:05:06 PM · #194
ok you may add me to this list. I am learning a bunch viewing this thread..maybe someone could learn form me. :-))
 11/26/2007 04:27:51 PM · #195
Just a few portraits from a month ago.








11/26/2007 04:29:06 PM · #196
I shall join!

Here is a recent session I did for a couple of models...





11/26/2007 09:46:45 PM · #197
Originally posted by Jedusi:
Nice edit Jeff - I definately like the use of a vignette to break up the solid slab of colour.

Thanks, Steve. =)

Originally posted by escapetooz:
I shall join!

Wow, Monica, those are fantastic! I could easily see any of those in a magazine. I like the middle one best for the natural, unposed look. Superb! Is the light natural or strobe? Did you burn here and there?
 11/26/2007 10:12:13 PM · #198
please add me to the list. I can post a few portraits on here
 11/26/2007 10:27:18 PM · #199
I assume to join the team, you'd have to be a member, not just a registered user right?

I'd like to join but if I need the membership then it's understandable...

Just wanted to make sure how this works.

Thanks :)

11/26/2007 11:18:53 PM · #200
Originally posted by smurfguy:
Originally posted by Jedusi:
Nice edit Jeff - I definately like the use of a vignette to break up the solid slab of colour.

Thanks, Steve. =)

Originally posted by escapetooz:
I shall join!

Wow, Monica, those are fantastic! I could easily see any of those in a magazine. I like the middle one best for the natural, unposed look. Superb! Is the light natural or strobe? Did you burn here and there?


Thanks very much! All natural light... I don't have fancy things like lights or reflectors (aka I'm poor) Umm... I might have dodged and burned the black and white one... but maybe not. I think I used a gradient map... hmm. I can't remember... lol.
Pages:   ...
Current Server Time: 04/24/2024 09:05:48 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/24/2024 09:05:48 PM EDT.