First Time Portrait Session

[brittaniphotography]

Sooo, I had a session with a model the other day. It was the first time I got to use soft box lighting, and here is one of the photos I took that day.

Any suggestions?



ISO 100 // f/8 // 1/40 exposure time

[brittaniphotography]

I hope I didn't submit this too big??

[klam]

Good looking model with nice eyes, good head tilt. If this was the look you were going for you did good.

My nits.

Can't see the the quality of light because of the high-key processing done. You could of shot this with a bare strobe and still get the same look with the processing used minus the softbox catch lights.

The face looks flat, barely any contours, nose isn't defined except for the nostrils again due to processing style. Something doesn't look right where her hair parts meets the forehead, seems like you used a white brush and painted there.

The shadow transition on her left side of forehead to hair isn't gradual and looks too /forced processed. I see that the softbox is up above her head and the left side of her head is closest to the softbox so that would mean the shadows in that area will be less darker than shadow on the right side of face, but that isn't so in this pic.

I do like this image and would like to see how it looks if you brought back more depth/detail in the face. For a first time portrait session you did a fab job. Your processing techniques needs some refinement.

Why the 1/40 exposure time? I would of used 1/200 sec to reduce camera shake, reduce motion blur, to kill ambient light from contributing to my exposure.

Apologize for being so blunt.

[zona5101]

very nice...except blown highlights

[brittaniphotography]

Originally Posted by klam

Apologize for being so blunt.

Being blunt is fine. I asked for constructive criticism, so blunt is actually a good way to go. I appreciate you (both) looking at my photo and analyzing it for me. I was surprised and impressed what you got off of looking at the image. I am inserting here the original image, and 2 newly edited ones. One color, and one b&w bc I like it so much in b&w.

=) Thanks again, to you both.

For my editing I used Lightroom. I'm very new to Lightroom, and I am still learning how to use everything, and what everything does. I was pretty liberal with what I did do, which is what gave it the washed out look. I liked it, but you have very valid points here.

As for why I used the 1/40, it was a suggestion of a photographer who has taken me under his wing. They are his lights, as well, and I had no idea what I was doing with the softbox lights anyway. Bu it is a learning curve. =)

[original]


[color edit]


[b&w edit]

[zona5101]

Your color edit looks closest. The sooc shot is a little over exposed but the edit tames those highlight a bit. The edit is a little over sataturated. Maybe try a different b&w conversion technique. You have a good color image as a starting point but the conversion is a bit contrasty...you have lost some of the shadow detail... The "trick" is to get your high key image with a white background, shawdow detail and no blown highlights or edge flare. Easier to type that to execute!

[klam]

Is it possible to adjust the exposure in Lightroom and knock it down half a stop or so to see if you can get back the blown out details? I use Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop so I'm ignorant with Lightroom.

Now that I've seen the original image the main issue is the lost details from over exposure. Ask your mentor why 1/40 sec? I'm interested to know because it might help me also. In general using a slow shutter speed is to allow ambient light into the image. But the image you have posted would not have benefited much if any from ambient because it seems like your softbox over powered the ambient.

I actually prefer the original out of camera, sometimes I like things a tad over exposed.

[brittaniphotography]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Klam:: I shall have to ask him why. I haven't had teh chance to recently. As far as Lightroom goes, I am so new to it, it's funny. =) But I am still learning the adjustables. I do know it's possible to adjust the exposure, but it doesn't so much bring details back, as it just makes it a dark photo.

Zona:: thanks for the tips!!

[klam]

Well you're many steps ahead of me in lightroom, I have never used it. I dabble with Photoshop and Camera Raw for my edits.

Yup, if the details is lost due to over exposure you can't bring it back by under exposing in post. For that reason some people believe it's best to under expose a tade while taking a pic so the details in the highlights are not lost and correct the exposure in post.