Portrait Critique - First go with my Alienbees B400 [Archive]

Robert_Lay

28th of November 2008 (Fri), 08:29

Those are pretty concentrated hot spots on each face - suggests that the lighting is too harsh (needs more diffusion). The overall contrast of the image is also too high. Neither one suggests an outdoor shot, because the backgrounds are too dark.

Lighting is everything, and when you take on the task of making large corrections to ambient lighting, it usually takes a lot more than just turning on a lot of electric lighting.

I would suggest starting with ambient light and working your way into subtle modifications of that, where needed. For out of doors shots, a good place to start is in open shade.
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What is Open Shade, and How Does It Improve Outdoors Portraits?

Open shade is the shade created by a structure that blocks the direct rays of the sun but at the same time allows the bright sky itself to illuminate the subject.

Examples of Open Shade ---
Your subject is near enough to a large structure that he or she is completely in the shade of that structure. At the same time, there is little or no blocking of the open sky above the subject. In other words, if the subject were under a canopy or roof that blocks the sky, that would be shade but not "Open Shade".

What are the Advantages of Open Shade?
-- The fact that there are no direct rays of the sun falling on the subject means that there will be lower contrast light falling on the subject. The light that illuminates the subject will be from a large expanse of blue open sky and will be diffuse or soft, in comparison with the direct rays of the sun. The effect on the image will be that the facial shadows will be lighter or softer and more detailed, and the highlights will be softer and more detailed.
-- Portraits made in Open Shade will be less contrasty with softer shadows and with more detailed highlights rather than having deep black shadows in the eye sockets and under the chin and nose.
-- The subject will be able to pose without squinting.
-- There will usually be a background for the shot that is not white and blown out.
-- The camera's AutoExposure system is less likely to be confused by the extreme range of brightnesses in the scene and will be more likely to command a correct exposure.

What are the Disadvantages of Direct Sunlight?
-- A subject illuminated by direct rays of the sun will have very high overall contrast. In fact, the range of brightnesses on the subject will typically be greater than can be captured without special processing.
-- The subject will usually find it difficult to keep his eyes open without severe squinting, the shadows will be so deep and black as to be featureless or without detail.
-- The highlights of illumination on the subject will often be such a bright white that they will be featureless or without detail.
-- There will be very few elements of the subject having mid-range tonal values - everything will be either overly bright or overly dark.

What is the Quickest Way to Recognize an Overly Harsh or Contrasty Lighting Environment?
-- Look to see if the subject is casting a deep black shadow on the ground. If so, he is in the direct rays of the sun - not in Open Shade.