1 Light in full sun Portrait

Single strobe with the sun directly behind subject, 4PM.

Please CC on lighting, composition and pose of this portrait.
I'm not concerned with WB, color or sharpening.

Much appreciated and thanks for you time,
Ralph

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watch your horizon line in the back see the blue at the top should be straight seems a little off center too. and las a little too buch shine on his cheek. but i do like the shot

I like! Kudos on a potrait that doesn't rely on shallow dof-the truck adds to the character and feel. The low perpective gives the subject an air of confidence and independence.

The lighting is good... In my inexperienced eye it looks like you balanced the strobe and daylight quite well, though i think the beard and chin could benefit from reflector fill. Two more things I pick up on: reflection of the hat in the window is unfortunate and his breast pocket should probably be emptied. But it does look great.

It's a respectable portrait.

David

My intent on the shoot was to have my friend from Texas (this is how he dresses every day) standing next to the F150 pick up truck, kind of a character shoot. Doing it in bright sun at a problematic location for background created to many issues for the short time I had to shoot.

It was a great learning experience.

Bryan Grant Photography wrote in post #12981162
watch your horizon line in the back see the blue at the top should be straight seems a little off center too. and las a little too buch shine on his cheek. but i do like the shot

I didn't notice the horizon, easy fix. Shine on cheek was from end of the workday oil/perspiration. a little pancake make up in the future.

Thanks for you input.

HeaTransfer wrote in post #12981172
I like! Kudos on a potrait that doesn't rely on shallow dof-the truck adds to the character and feel. The low perpective gives the subject an air of confidence and independence.

The lighting is good... In my inexperienced eye it looks like you balanced the strobe and daylight quite well, though i think the beard and chin could benefit from reflector fill. Two more things I pick up on: reflection of the hat in the window is unfortunate and his breast pocket should probably be emptied. But it does look great.

Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I was going to try and get the whole truck in, but didn't have the time or modifiers to light it.

One of my two lights died (the dumby I am forgot to charge the battery) so I lost the fill from below I was going to use, although it wasn't needed for the eyes.

The hat in the window is one of the many details that are hard to pick up on, thanks for bringing it up. The breast pocket had a pack of Camels in it.

Woodworker wrote in post #12981578
It's a respectable portrait.

David

Thank You.

Everything you asked for looks alright. Maybe could have zoomed out a little. Other than that, it's just an ordinary snapshot, if that's what you were going for.

AlexMoPhotography wrote in post #12986911
Everything you asked for looks alright. Maybe could have zoomed out a little. Other than that, it's just an ordinary snapshot, if that's what you were going for.

Hi Alex,

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Trying to put all the elements together for an acceptable strobe lighted portrait is quit challenging. There is a look that "on camera" flash imparts to an image that gives it that "on camera flash" look, I'm curious what you see or don't see with this image that gives it the "snap shot" look. Self critiquing, at least at this stage of portraiture, is difficult for me.

Much appreciated.

Ralph

I think a little tighter crop would look a bit better and it's too bad the right side of his face is in shade.

This shot might make an interesting black and white image. I hope you don't mind but I did a quick edit with a bit of crop, open the shadows on the right, pulled out some detail and converted to b&w for an example.

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I totally disagree with the term snapshot for this picture, FWIW.
It is more than that.

navydoc wrote in post #12990381
I think a little tighter crop would look a bit better and it's too bad the right side of his face is in shade.

This shot might make an interesting black and white image. I hope you don't mind but I did a quick edit with a bit of crop, open the shadows on the right, pulled out some detail and converted to b&w for an example.

Thanks Gene for your opine. The BW looks to work

BasAndrews wrote in post #12990909
I totally disagree with the term snapshot for this picture, FWIW.
It is more than that.

BasAndrews

I appreciate that.

Well done. His expression is priceless. A darker colored truck might have made it even better.

I really like the B&W one. The color one looks like it might have a tad too much red cast to it.

SJC from VT wrote in post #12998812
Well done. His expression is priceless. A darker colored truck might have made it even better.

Thank you. He's are nice Texas boy.

bboehm wrote in post #12998883
I really like the B&W one. The color one looks like it might have a tad too much red cast to it.

I agree with the red, I've not had time to dial in color and contrast.

I think pulling the subject out away from the truck a bit and going a tad wider would have helped bring more of the truck into the picture. That would also give the added benefit of more rim lighting around his shoulders/neck/face. Also, his head is tipped a bit far to one side for my liking. Composition looks good centered. I would consider croping off the top of his belt buckle.

All in all it is a very compelling shot. It captured my attention much longer than average.

Drew,

Thanks for you opinion.

The location with the truck was like making a purse out of a sows ear, so pulling back wasn't really an option. I wish I would have had more time to work the edge lighting a bit more. I agree with the belt buckle, It will either be complete or cropped in the final image.

Ralph

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