(first post) trying out portraiture outside with one light

[trailerparkjesus]

Hi DPP! This will be my first post here hoping to learn stuff from what you guys might think of my photo. I need advice if its the right exposure for you guys? framing? composition? or an overall thrash of a photo... ... Ive been looking for a place on the web where i can get good C&C's so I'd know if Im doing the right thing. so here we go...

i took one of the shots i did for an event that my boss asked me to do (basically like a pageant for call center agents)... im fairly new to digital photography (4 months) ...my camera body is a nikon D3000 and im using a 50mm 1.8 lens (its hard coz i could only focus manually)... i used a wireless trigger connected to my flash unit (manual at full power 1/1) with an umbrella (bounce)...what i did for post processing is to clean up the face, set the levels to what i think is the right contrast for the photo, and cropping...so here's my favorite shot out of the set:

this was shot at f5.0 - 1/160 - ISO100 with a Nikon D3000 with a wireless trigger connected to Flash (cheap china made which works well for the mean time) and a 36" white umbrella set to bounce.. (sorry for the long intro)




Thanks DPP

[trailerparkjesus]

basically id like to know if my depth of field was just right? or if i post processed it right?

[KagoGrl]

I'm no expert but I like the DOF and the composition! Only thing I'd like to see changed is the hair in her face. Otherwise it's a lovely shot!

[mandyatm]

I think it is gorgeous! Great light, composition and processing. The hair in her face is making a shadow, but I still like the picture. I wouldn't change a thing.

[zona5101]

First off welcome!
Nice image. Very well done. Exposure looks spot on, the image is plenty sharp and in focus. the dof fall off takes the background/forground out nicely.On the critical side…a bit of a specular highlight on her forehead/nose. The hair in her eye, as well as its resulting shadow, draws away from the overall image. It looks cute but you then focus on it instead of her wonderful skin tone. Those are some pretty minor tweaks and I don't know if i'd even take any action on them because overall this has the look and feel of a professional, well executed image.

[trailerparkjesus]

thanks so much! yeah ur right didnt notice the hair on her face though...ill try to keep that in mind next time..i dont like touching models when on a shoot this was like my 2nd shoot and i dont know that much in directing a pose but for sure i dont want to touch models not even just to fix the hair. I think its unprofessional and the model might think im taking advantage...or is it just me being paranoid?

[mandyatm]

LOL, maybe just ask her to brush the hair away herself.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by trailerparkjesus

thanks so much! yeah ur right didnt notice the hair on her face though...ill try to keep that in mind next time..i dont like touching models when on a shoot this was like my 2nd shoot and i dont know that much in directing a pose but for sure i dont want to touch models not even just to fix the hair. I think its unprofessional and the model might think im taking advantage...or is it just me being paranoid?

When you see hair hanging down in the face like in the above image and you know will look bad you simply tell the young lady you need to reposition it and then carefully do it. This is what separates an amateur from a professional. The facial area is not sexually charged. Now if she needs her necklace repositioned, or wrinkles pulled out of her blouse, again tell her EXACTLY what you are going to do, and carefully do it. If you are careful and a gentleman she won't think you are attempting to feel her up or anything.

NEVER say or do anything to make a female feel uncomfortable during the shoot. Complimenting her and telling her she she is going to look great in the images is OK but NEVER make a comment that is of a sexual nature.

Benji

[trailerparkjesus]

@Benji

Thanks for the tip...ill try it next time...im not that confident right now to tell models how to pose coz im thinking theyve been doing it for a while and they know what they're doing. I on the other hand is just starting out... any tips on how to approach em when you start shooting? What i usually do is to tell them to give me they're most comfortable pose and then i go from there telling them to shift left or right or look up or down or smile ... any tips for directing poses everyone? thanks

[Benji]

Originally Posted by trailerparkjesus

@Benji

Thanks for the tip...ill try it next time...im not that confident right now to tell models how to pose coz im thinking theyve been doing it for a while and they know what they're doing. I on the other hand is just starting out... any tips on how to approach em when you start shooting? What i usually do is to tell them to give me they're most comfortable pose and then i go from there telling them to shift left or right or look up or down or smile ... any tips for directing poses everyone? thanks

If you are working with professional models who have been trained at how to pose you shouldn't have any problems. Most portraiture however is done on "real" people who haven't the slightest clue as to how to pose, and in fact asking them to get into a "comfortable" pose can be anathema to a good pose photographically.

I have written a free tutorial called The Rules of Good Portraiture and in it I list about 40 or so tips that I have picked up in my nearly 30 years as a professional portrait photographer. While all of them are important, I feel there are two that are EXTREMELY important, and they are; turn the torso to a 45 degree angle, and if it bends bend it. In your image you have done both of these which is why it is such a nice image, but not in the what I call the WOW image catagory.

Benji