First shoot of my friend

[Daytonj6]

At my school in one of my classes we have a new portrait studio operating with Profoto D1 lights and new Nikon D40s. I would bring, my own camera but I have to clean my censor which I need to research information on, and I'll need an adapter or sync cord to use the strobes. However. I went in with my friend, a few weeks before we tentatively scheduled a day and did a photo shoot impromptu-ly. In an hour and a half or so we uploaded 64 pictures to the new imacs we have.

From there I am stuck with this picture.
I took some others from that day to use for a project and used photoshop on em and came up with some great results (in my opinion). I am stuck with this one, mostly cause shes stunning. Is there anything you would do?
Give me any opinion on how to make it better, how to alter it, what to apply to it and I'll take any feed back.
Anywhere from colouring back grounds, lip alterations, blemishes, skin softening, eye makeup, hair colouring/moving, liquefying, overall brightness/contrast, levels/curves, getting rid of what might be distracting wrinkles on her back, riding her hair on top that could be messy, cropping, vignetting, or matting. Anything. I would like to read any ideas, constructive criticism, and tips to make this better, or different. She wants to use one of my pictures for "school photos" for her family, and this would be the best out of the rest.
Also, if there are things I cannot do or apply to this picture, please let me know so I can keep in mind for a future shoot her and I are planning.
What props work best. or what the best and most information filled source of text I can read from. for the serious photographer.

Here is the original photograph I took. Please be respectful.
Thanks in advance,

Dayto.

P.S. I will be using Photoshop CS4 (and I could learn other Adobe programs in the CS4 suite).

[Katie_Belmont]

I would crop down alot of the empty space over her head and adjust the levels. The highlights should be lighter. The blacks look good.
Good job on the lighting.


For the future, the background isn't evenly lit, the bottom is darker so it's not a solid white. Her bra strap is showing so I don't know if I would use this shot for her yearbook picture. You could clone out or even just erase the stray hairs to finish it off.

[Daytonj6]

Thank you Katie, I quite enjoy the enlargment from cropping.

And I will look into the highlights and all.

Quick question. How long have you been into photography, what relm and same with portraits.

Just so I can get an idea where the advise is coming from. whether it is opinion or from experience

Thanks again

[PowerPix]

Originally Posted by Daytonj6

Quick question. How long have you been into photography, what relm and same with portraits.

Just so I can get an idea where the advise is coming from. whether it is opinion or from experience

Thanks again

Hahahaha!!!!! Does it really matter as long as you found it helpful? *my chuckle for the evening*

1. Ok, my "opinion"....nice model (always helpful). Crop works better for this photo.
2. lighting on the background is a bit uneven. If you wanted you could cut her from the background and make a new layer on an all white background or color of your choice. I actually shot a portrait the other day and made the background using a diagonal blue/FG gradient I created. It came out great and added a different style. I say play around with the background.
3. I like the eye contact but I think her posture detracts from what could be a polished photo. Maybe a more upright, shoulders back position.
4. The bra strap is distracting. Could be edited out.

5. Any questions for me??

[Katie_Belmont]

Lmao. Where does opinion come from if not from experience?

[Daytonj6]

Well it just gives me an awareness where you coming from. a little bit of info you know?
Thank you, I will be sure to tell her that :P The cropping, I agree works great.

I could do that. And to add to what I was saying in there. My teacher is teaching us (thats ironic these days) to start with your best. (cause photoshop can only do so much - obviously). so to correct that, we only have two lights. I guess I would have to make use with reflectors, and then use a light for the background. If I wanted to start with the best original. But I have taken shots of the web and practiced and played with random backgrounds.
I like the variations with digital background creation, however not all the time will it work or will it be easy.

I will make note of that, and in the meantime I will try pushing pixels around. I want to give her a bunch of variations. not just a nice in focus shot that she likes simply because she doesn't know the potential of a better image.

Ahh, one might say that it is hehehe. I shall take that out, and the whatever on the right end of that.

Sure Katie.
I was playing around with this in iphoto and got rid of her earring. I'm not sure if I like it sticking out being the only thing shown in the shadow there.
Also, I just noticed a 'V' shape on her cheek.

I got a lot of different variations on her shirt with different lighting as well.
I sculpted a silhouette and all that was left on the front (besides the black outline) was the studs around the word love. but I was wondering, if the rest of it is to distracting. and on that note, I will have to get a WAY better outfit for her to wear if this is going to be given to her family lol.

Well, if it doesnt come from experience, it would be like hers. there is opinion from experience because you know what the possibilities are with using one light to several, different light modifiers, props, models, face configurations, colour mixtures and ALL

Haha, I am glad you got a laugh form this
Thank you for your help too, It has been great. Another opinion I am going to write down and keep in mind.

[Sterling]

I realize you can't change it for this photo but for next time, remind your model, "Posture, posture!" Just from looking at the tiny thumbnail, my first thought was, "why is this young girl hunched over like a 95 year old?"

[Spinnerette]

I don't see any problem with her bra – but that's mainly my opinion regarding fashion statements, I think not showing is kinda tacky.

To me (again, fashionwise) changing that would be like saying "here, wear this long-sleeve shirt and knee socks with the very long skirt so you look respectful".

Only problem is her posture. Her back, and the way she's tilting her head forward.
My brain's screaming "lordosis, lordosis" like crazy when I look at it.

[Daytonj6]

Originally Posted by Spinnerette

I don't see any problem with her bra – but that's mainly my opinion regarding fashion statements, I think not showing is kinda tacky.

To me (again, fashionwise) changing that would be like saying "here, wear this long-sleeve shirt and knee socks with the very long skirt so you look respectful".

Only problem is her posture. Her back, and the way she's tilting her head forward.
My brain's screaming "lordosis, lordosis" like crazy when I look at it.

Thank you. again, more things to consider

[PhotoPhix]

Originally Posted by Daytonj6

At my school in one of my classes we have a new portrait studio operating with Profoto D1 lights and new Nikon D40s. I would bring, my own camera but I have to clean my censor which I need to research information on, and I'll need an adapter or sync cord to use the strobes. However. I went in with my friend, a few weeks before we tentatively scheduled a day and did a photo shoot impromptu-ly. In an hour and a half or so we uploaded 64 pictures to the new imacs we have.

From there I am stuck with this picture.
I took some others from that day to use for a project and used photoshop on em and came up with some great results (in my opinion). I am stuck with this one, mostly cause shes stunning. Is there anything you would do?
Give me any opinion on how to make it better, how to alter it, what to apply to it and I'll take any feed back.
Anywhere from colouring back grounds, lip alterations, blemishes, skin softening, eye makeup, hair colouring/moving, liquefying, overall brightness/contrast, levels/curves, getting rid of what might be distracting wrinkles on her back, riding her hair on top that could be messy, cropping, vignetting, or matting. Anything. I would like to read any ideas, constructive criticism, and tips to make this better, or different. She wants to use one of my pictures for "school photos" for her family, and this would be the best out of the rest.
Also, if there are things I cannot do or apply to this picture, please let me know so I can keep in mind for a future shoot her and I are planning.
What props work best. or what the best and most information filled source of text I can read from. for the serious photographer.

Here is the original photograph I took. Please be respectful.
Thanks in advance,

Dayto.

P.S. I will be using Photoshop CS4 (and I could learn other Adobe programs in the CS4 suite).

I tightened the crop a bit as she looked a bit slumped over, I also adjusted the tone and did a bit of unsharp mask.


Armando

Original



Phixed