studio portrait

[thoha]

working on a small light setup, any suggestions! tips on what to look out for a starter!

4 flash used manually with trigger. 2 front/back/ backdrop.

[Robert_Lay]

Too many places where a tonal merger confuses the eye. Need a different background color or tone in order to give better separation.

[thoha]

new try out!

[Thumbsup]

Background seems too distracting for the second image. The subject and backdrop don't match well. Adorable child but my attention keeps shifting from the prop and background.

[MattMoore]

ditch the chair, it is def what my eye wants to go to immediately (and the person should be the 1st thing the eyes go to).

[puadxe]

The chair is tilted impossibly in the 1st photo (is it raised off the ground?). I agree on all the background distractions in the 2nd one.

[Robert_Lay]

Looking at your second shot...

The background is a little overpowering, as someone already mentioned.

Consider that you are in complete control of the lighting. What should be well lighted and what should be more subdued, in this shot?

Ideally, (and I realize this will require a lot of work), you want him lighted up from the top of his head down to at least the elbows. On the other hand, the vehicle and the background would be better if more subdued. I won't try to tell you "how" to accomplish that because there is no one right way - however, there is a better lighting possible, and that is what you have to find.

I don't think anyone could disagree that the duck face draws the eye away from the boy, and that is what you have to correct.

[thoha]

thanks all, will work on that today :)

[BrandonSi]

Looking at your second shot...

I don't think anyone could disagree that the duck face draws the eye away from the boy, and that is what you have to correct.

I didn't even notice the duck face until you mentioned it.. and now it's bugging the heck out of me :)

Robert is spot on there, try another prop that he can sit on.

Also, I think the lighting above the head would help negate what looks like digital artifacts or editing around his head.. In actuality I think it's a combination of baby head fuzz and the lighting, but it almost looks like you ps'ed something right off his head.

[thoha]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/3120433829_32cf828266_o.jpg

another shot with a black backdrop and tryin to giv a light faded effected on it. prob on it for me is that the backlight had drop the covering head, which has lit her right elbow. what do u guys think?

[hawkeye60]

I like the last shot but she needs some separation from the background. Just a small hair light would do. Your main light appears to be lighting her from the eyes down to the feet, I'd raise it higher.

[Karl Johnston]

Pertaining to the last shot:
I like it all, but the weird crumbly look of the light is strange, why is that happening?
If it were possible I think her pants would benefit from being darker, too, or a switch of the background to something bluer

First shot:

I like it all, change nothing

Second shot:
Some don't like the random rainbow of contrasts, but I understand how difficult it can be to work with kids and especially getting them to sit still and be happy for a bit requires using props. In fact some look a lot better with props, and I think the chair should stay. I don't really like the muslin in the background not merging with the floor, that's what is throwing me off otherwise really like how that worked for you.

[thoha]

ya, i think on the last shot, i need to darken the jeans and feet abit, too light there. the light on her right elbow is comin from the lower back flash, will fix that.

[_Jo_]

Tone down the props...I like simple.

[Robert_Lay]

I think that in this particular example, the portrait should be either appear to be candid or not - it cannot be both. In a candid shot, she would not be looking at the camera.

One could argue that this could not be a candid, because there are too many details suggesting a posed shot.

I feel that even so, it can be candid and at the same time posed, and that in this case she should be reading - not looking at the camera.

[Mustang GT]

I really like the last one