Headshot critique request

Thank you for all the fun we had the last time I did headshots. One of the girls that we worked over was my daughter. For several days, she bounded down to my computer/photo station to see what new and exciting things had been done to her that day.

For this set of headshots, I used a black background with a pair of Studio Max lights. One was over my right shoulder (1/1 power) and the other was shoulder height on the models' right (1/4 power). The lights were shooting into a reflecting umbrella that had a white diffusing panel on it. I used my speedlight at 1/128 on the camera firing vertically to optically trigger the flashes.

Camera settings:
ISO 320
1/300
f/11
Shot/saved RAW and JPG at the same time. These are JPGs, SOOC.

I'm linking to only a few photos, but there are more available on flickr.

Specific questions (but please feel free to add your own comments...I'm here to learn):
1. I quite often have a sloppy catchlight in the models' right eye (edge of scelara and iris), how do I get rid of that? Do I put the fill light slightly behind the model or is the second catchlight OK?
2. The camera was set on flash for white balance. The pictures seem a bit warm to me. How do others see the White Balance on these?
3. My standard pose is to have the model stand at a 45 degree angle and then turn their head directly toward the camera? Does this work for you? Any suggestions for improvements?
4. What's the best way to avoid the shiny foreheads? It was early in their practice so that shouldn't have been sweating much by then. Suggestions?

1

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/godspell2010/6​848930436/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/godspell2010/6​995050161/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/godspell2010/6​995044001/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/godspell2010/6​848918976/

Now that I see them here, the first thing I need to do is crop off the top!

Hi Dave. The WB seems close to the money but not bang on the money eh. I agree the seem slightly on the warm side.

This technique to get accurate WB easily through Photoshop/Lightroom would have been perfect for this session. http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=n19pJoHxy-Y

Good point about the crop. Have you thought about putting a flagged hair light behind them and high enough to create some highlights around their heads? That will help separate them from the bg better. Flag it so it doesn't hit the bg or the lens. On my monitor most of these shots have hair just blending into the black bg. I think this would improve your portraits 100%. If you don't have an extra light, then use your fill for a hair light and contrive a reflector to serve as a fill.
If you want to eliminate the 2nd catchlight just pose a model and move the fill at right angles away from camera until it disappears. Then that's your light position. I think your fill should move away from models too since the lighting looks flat and moving away will create more shadows from the main. Your fill is clearly visible in the glasses of #7.
They do look a bit warm here as well.
Shiny foreheads: ask your daughter for help (makeup). In a pinch use talcum powder.

I agree that you need some sort of a hairlight for background separation.

Qbx wrote in post #14110582
Good point about the crop. Have you thought about putting a flagged hair light behind them and high enough to create some highlights around their heads? That will help separate them from the bg better. Flag it so it doesn't hit the bg or the lens. On my monitor most of these shots have hair just blending into the black bg. I think this would improve your portraits 100%. If you don't have an extra light, then use your fill for a hair light and contrive a reflector to serve as a fill.
If you want to eliminate the 2nd catchlight just pose a model and move the fill at right angles away from camera until it disappears. Then that's your light position. I think your fill should move away from models too since the lighting looks flat and moving away will create more shadows from the main. Your fill is clearly visible in the glasses of #7.
They do look a bit warm here as well.
Shiny foreheads: ask your daughter for help (makeup). In a pinch use talcum powder.

Exactlymy thought about the hair light once i first looked at the shots.. otherwise.. very nice shots

Thank you for the critiques.

So far, you've given me homework in
1. Hairlights,
2. Fill light positioning
3. White balance,
4. Cropping.

I appreciate the succinct critiques that give me the improvements.

dave

Another thing with girls is watch for bra straps and have them move them under the clothing.

The few issues have been covered I think - hair light, flat light, WB.

I would suggest you don't need f11 for these shots and a shutter of 1/300 is quite high.

Your models started moving back to the straight on look as you progress down your shoot. That first one is terrific IMO.

I would add the images seem a bit under exposed.