C&C please - first try with studio strobes

[knifejuggler]

Just bought myself a couple of Interfit Stellar 600s and had my first go with them yesterday. Both of these were taken using only one of the strobes (shooting through a translucent brolly) #1 is my brother, #2 is his daughter.

Please tell me what you think.

Cheers

[nrellas]

I like the first alot, it really just works for me. As for the second, IMO it would look better without the selective coloring, as it seems to bold for a softer picture.

[TJPhotoGuy]

Ok for a first session, this iss pretty good... looks like you have no hair/kicker light which in the first makes seperation pretty tough, although it can be said that it kind of works for that shot.

The focus is the light is a bit high, just a bit. It's on his forehead and his eyes have a bit of shadow. Maybe try a reflector underneat him.

Your brother is VERY photogenic, and I love his expression... his face has a lot of character, and the texture in that shot is great, good job, and it works very well in b/w.

The second shot I also like, I like the DOF. I would like to see that one in color though...

[BenyBoy]

no. 1 is a great picture.

[knifejuggler]

Thanks for the comments so far, here's the colour & non-selective colour versions.

TJ, when you say the light is too high, do you mean I should just tilt it down a bit or physically drop the entire head a bit? My camera was touching the bottom of the brolly when I took the shot, so moving it down would change the angle of the shot. I didn't want a hairlight as I wanted him to be peering out of the darkness, so that was a concious decision (unlike a lot of my first shots!)

[song4themoon]

I love them both, but the first is incredible! That would be an awesome portrait of a band member for their biography!!

[Noelle8818]

I think they look great. I prefer the picture you posted below of the daughter in complete B&W

[knifejuggler]

yeah, the more I look at it, the less I like the selective colour shot and think the plain B&W shot is the better one. I have another shoot with some family members tonight, so I'll bear in mind everyone's comments.

Any tips before the shoot??

[TJPhotoGuy]

I agree with you about the hair light in #1; I said that was probably fine. I definitely like the color version of #2 much better.

What I was referring to was the actual focus of the ligth in #1; woudl have made it about an inch lower, talking about the angle, not the strobe.

Don't get me wrong... both excellent. Just critiquing; I try and give positie comments too not just any negative ones I feel exist.

[dragulaz]

Great photo in #1. Question, did you have any problem with light spill onto your background? One problem I seem to always have in this type of shot is my background looking gray instead of black.

[Saralonde]

#1 is great. I always like people with lived in faces better than beautiful young ones. Much more of a story to be told in the lines.

[PEACHMAN]

I do not agree with questions regarding the selective coloring...that photo, in my opinion is what it was made for...both photos are beautiful...the lighting is superb in the first especially...what great character in his face and caught it so dramatically in it's inactivity...# 1 is a clear winner in any venue and # 2 is very well done in it present form...

[Stevie@JC]

I totally agree with Peachman awesome shots

[Dragos Jianu]

outstanding use of light. love theRembrandt style. great job!

[knifejuggler]

TJ, I am VERY grateful for your comments, that's why I posted the pics here, I want proper crits rather than just the usual 'nice shot' type comments I get on my blog. Thank you for explaining about the angle of the light, I will bear that in mind for the next one (tonight's shoot didn't happen in the end) To be honest, the angle of the strobe head didn't really figure in my thought process too much, it will from now on!

Bret: yes I did have spill on the backdrop (a new bed sheet which, when I bought it, I thought was black, but it turns out to be navy blue), so I had to tweak it a bit in PS to kill any bg detail and have the head peer out of the shadows!

Thanks everyone, this is why I love these forums, proper crits, proper questions & proper answers!! :-)

[queenbee288]

I really like #1.

[Dimitry]

The first one is awesome. The second I like, I just wouldn't have cropped as much (imo). Otherwise an excellent shot too!

[Sam]

I like the first shot, I'm not sure if I would with a hair light. It would look like a completely different image to me. I like that he is popping out of the darkness.

The second is nice, although I like the full color version best.

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your new toys.

[roman_t]

first one looks just pro.

[hybridwire]

The first one is great. I really like it. Excellent work.

[knifejuggler]

Thanks guys, one question, I also want to do couples shots but, when asked I couldn't think how to pose them. We eventually came up with this shot, which I know isn't brilliant, but I would love some ideas/feedback for the next session.

Cheers

[Dimitry]

It'd be cool if their eyes lined up heh
It's an okay experimental shot but it would look awkard in a frame though. Very sharp though! :)

[TJPhotoGuy]

Guys, what makes you think this is Rhembrandt light? THat's butterfly lighting! And the lighting is good, very good for a first series, but as pointed out above it's not "superb."

Not to take away from you knife; like I said, very nice. Man I'd love to have a shoot with your brother in law!

As for the couple shot; that's a very, very typical shot. I have book on posing couples that offers up tons of good poses, I'll try and dig up the name for ya.

[mattgreg]

OK as a newbie I need to ask a question here regarding the lighting of the first 2 shots. Is this look only achieved through photoshop and darkening the background? or is this look achievable with lighting alone?

Secondly, does it matter whether you use strobes or continuous lighting?

Matt

[mjshen]

Honestly, I think all the shots are great! But I think I like the last one (#4 in all b/w) the best...but really great efforts all around!

[knifejuggler]

TJ, I'd appreciate that book title very much, thanks!

Matt, as far as I am aware, the shots can be done with lighting alone, the only reason I darkened them is that I was shooting in a hall that had daylight coming in and I didn't move my subjects far enough from the backdrop to prevent light (from the strobe) hitting the sheet I was using (which also would have been better if it had been matt black instead of navy blue!) By getting the light close to the subject, the fall off is more pronounced (due to the inverse square law) and by keeping the backround a long way away you can get the look of people coming out of the darkness.

[StealthLude]

i like this first 2 in b&w

good job

[mattgreg]

Knifejuggler,
Thanks so much for your thoughts. These are really lovely shots!!! I would love to see more.

Matt

[ImagineTNT]

Great shots! I really like #1

[fstop212]

#1 is outstanding.