My missus, should be in glamour, NO NUDITY HERE though.

[Advocate]

For some reason I can't yet post in the glamour section but have picked up a few tips. I LOVE the high key pics and have had a go here at my own. Once I can post in Glamour I have a few more to share (nothing explicit).

Please let me know what you think :)

Alistair

[Advocate]

Last one.

[Advocate]

Any comments?

Good pics? Bad pics? Ideas for improvement?

[Carzee]

First off, a big welcome and HS.

The 3 pics all have that washed hi key finish which is not my fav thing. The one I like best is the last, the b/w. Face expression is better.

What color is the hair in reality? Often simplest is best.

[peter/c]

Welcome! According to new rules, You cannot post in 'Glamour' until You have made 500+ posts and been a member at least Three months.I think this is to stop undersirables from just joining to leave lurid/sexist comments.
Peter.

[marie]

I like #1 especially
very nice idea



you may like to see the latest news re glamour forum here >

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92051

:D
and

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92341


welcome:)

[Advocate]

Thanks for the feedback and explanation re: Glamour section guys. It's appreciated :)

Now that I'm in "Hi-key" mode I'm finding it difficult to switch out lol

Definitely looking to buy a 50mm f/1.8 (or 1.4 if the missus will allow it) soon ;)

[txdude35]

Hi key shots aren't really my favorite either, but one small comment. In the second shot the lines of the background and the color in a sea of white draw my eye staight to her chest, and every time I try to look at the face, my eye is drawn back down. She's an attractive woman, but her expression and messy hair in that shot don't do anything to hold my attention.
Welcome to the forum, and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[Advocate]

Hi key shots aren't really my favorite either, but one small comment. In the second shot the lines of the background and the color in a sea of white draw my eye staight to her chest, and every time I try to look at the face, my eye is drawn back down. She's an attractive woman, but her expression and messy hair in that shot don't do anything to hold my attention.
Welcome to the forum, and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Heh, yeah they're my favourite part of her as well ;)

More seriously, once I'd read your comments I totally saw what you were talking about. I'll try and adjust the picture in PS to remove those background elements that now (to my eye) seem to point to her assets. :)

Alistair

[Advocate]

Is this any better?

http://www.the-point.org.uk/images/eos350d/carolyn1_repost.jpg

[Advocate]

Have also reworked #3

http://www.the-point.org.uk/images/eos350d/carolyn3_repost.jpg

[Terry66]

Hi key shots aren't really my favorite either, but one small comment. In the second shot the lines of the background and the color in a sea of white draw my eye staight to her chest, and every time I try to look at the face, my eye is drawn back down. She's an attractive woman, but her expression and messy hair in that shot don't do anything to hold my attention.
Welcome to the forum, and I look forward to seeing more of your work.


I had the same problem, but fixing the background didn't make it go away. ;)

Seriously though...very nice work...

[Advocate]

Wow thanks. I was expecting heavy criticism (of the constructive kind of course) and the positive feedback I've received is such a boost.

The more I use this camera the more I love it (though I have to say buying this camera has made me start pricing up the 20D lol).

[Terry66]

enthusiasm is the key. Always strive to do better than the last time...

[Airedale1]

I like the 1st image. Has anybody ever said that, your wife bears a very strong resemblance to Tom Cruise's first wife, actress Mimi Rogers. At least she does to my eye.

[Advocate]

The 1st image is Carolyns favourite also :)

Noone has ever likened her to Mimi Rogers before and it may be the nature of these pictures that make her look like Mimi

I should add that these three images were taken from a total of about 70 shot on Monday night. I keep going through the others to see if there are anymore I can pull out but tbh I'm having to do things like the "hi-key" stuff to cover up my awful photography :s\

I'm sure I'll get better with time though :)

[cgratti]

I would like to see these without the high-key or washed out affects... the look solid, its just hard to tell with all the effects added to them.

[Advocate]

I'll get to work posting them without the high key effect right away sir! ;)

You'll have to forgive my poor amateurish shot-taking skills though :/

[Advocate]

First one....

http://www.the-point.org.uk/images/eos350d/_MG_1182_orig.jpg

[Advocate]

Second one...

http://www.the-point.org.uk/images/eos350d/_MG_1235_orig.jpg

[Advocate]

Finally number 3....

http://www.the-point.org.uk/images/eos350d/_MG_1187_orig.jpg

[InSituPhoto]

have your model get farther away from the background and make sure if you're using something homemade that it doesn't distract from the photos. i'm gone studio-less myself, and nature makes the best backgrounds I've found yet.

[Chazs]

Hi Advocate. I couldn't reply in G&N, so I'll try here. You mentioned to play around with one and explain some techniques. Here's what I did with one of your smaller originals and came came across a technique that you might want to play around with for your hi-key shots. I've never done hi-key shots, so I'm not even sure this has any merit.

Take the original photo and make three layers (layer 1, layer 2, and layer 3) with 1 on the bottom and 3 on the top.

Desaturate layer 2 completely. Change the opacity to around 65%.
Apply a Gaussian Blur to layer 3 (play around with the amount). Change the blend to Pin Light.

The only other thing I did was to fill the outside with a feathered oval, and remove a few shadows. Here's the result. Hope it's okay.

It looks a little soft when posted, so also play with the sharpening.

[berto]

personally. what i think separates these photos from glamour is the setup and the composition.
the first photo, what are you trying to say? she's laying down and her hair is messy and the slanted composition doesn't say much. trial and error, maybe you shoulda tried other angles.
#2 comes the closest. try to get her away from the background. focus more on her and blur the background a little. also her hair- too messy.
#3 its a straight out frontal shot with the flash. her eyes are "glowing" and in your post processing you made her face tooo white.

as a beginner. they are good efforts. you are trying and thats what counts. just read up a little on some portrait basics and take it from there.

[Advocate]

Chazs, we love what you've done with that picture, thanks! :)

Berto, thanks for the feedback. Have any links to beginners guide to portraits? I certainly need em ;)

Alistair

[berto]

hi advocate,

i looked around. don't take these advise as the holy grail of photography but just read and understand its basic premise.

here's one from Kodak
http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=317&pq-locale=en_US

it has a lot of helpful information.
-bert

[Hellashot]

Way to much flash/overexposed.

[Advocate]

bert, thanks for the link I'll take the time toread it and try and put some of the tips into practise.

Hellashot, these were my attempt at High-key shots and so they are deliberately overexposed. I originally shot in RAW and used CS to up the exposure almost to maximum to get this effect. I have included the original pictures here to show that they originally weren't overexposed. :)

hmmm unless you're talking about the original pictures, are you?

[Mthorpe_Davies]

Not my kind of images, sorry but she looks like a deer caught in headlights.