Heather

Dodge Dart

First one looks like what a kid would do clicking filter buttons in photoshop. Seriously detracts from the image.

Second one looks like bad lighting and a very cluttered background.

You've got a beautiful model and a great looking car. Take them both somewhere with beautiful scenery and take some photos there.

Tiberius wrote in post #15988146
First one looks like what a kid would do clicking filter buttons in photoshop. Seriously detracts from the image.

Second one looks like bad lighting and a very cluttered background.

You've got a beautiful model and a great looking car. Take them both somewhere with beautiful scenery and take some photos there.

thank you Tiberius for the input. I am alway looking to improve.

"First one looks like what a kid would do clicking filter buttons in photoshop. Seriously detracts from the image"

Not sure what you mean here. Is my white balance off or something? I use Lightroom and have Photoshop but don't use it that often.

"Second one looks like bad lighting and a very cluttered background."

Yes, you are correct, the lighting was not optimal and would like to re do if could. I had never shot inside a garage before and wasn't happy with the lighting myself. Everyone involved loved the fact that the cluttered garage was the background so not sure what I could have done about that that. My druthers would have been to shoot the scene outside with the beach as a background. Are you suggesting that I should have exposed the background more? I was trying to de-emphasize that so was lighting the foreground more. Please explain to me. I appreciate any and all input and c&c.

thanks!!

Liquid Dark wrote in post #15988225
thank you Tiberius for the input. I am alway looking to improve.

Thanks. I always try to offer constructive crits.

I mean it looks like you have used the find edges filter in Photoshop. You've oversharpened it. It's particularly noticeable where she's got that thick lock of hair coming over her shoulder, and on her neck underneath her choker.

It looks like you were shooting at around 50mm or so. Try stepping back further and using a longer lens, with your aperture set as wide as you can. This should make the cluttered background go a bit out of focus, so the clutter won't be as distracting.

Also think about your light. Judging from where her shadow is falling, it looks like the flash was above and to the left of the camera a little bit. If you were using a flash gun, try turning the flash head so it bounces off the wall to your left. Maybe get a friend to stand there holding a big sheet of white cardboard (or an actual photographic reflector, if you have one). This will give the light a softer look, as well as being more directional.

Tiberius wrote in post #15988279
It looks like you were shooting at around 50mm or so. Try stepping back further and using a longer lens, with your aperture set as wide as you can. This should make the cluttered background go a bit out of focus, so the clutter won't be as distracting.

Also think about your light. Judging from where her shadow is falling, it looks like the flash was above and to the left of the camera a little bit. If you were using a flash gun, try turning the flash head so it bounces off the wall to your left. Maybe get a friend to stand there holding a big sheet of white cardboard (or an actual photographic reflector, if you have one). This will give the light a softer look, as well as being more directional.

thanks Tiberius, that helps a lot, more than you can imagine!

I do tend to oversharpen my photos, my vision is not that good so I tend to err on the sharpening side, I am trying to find an apprentice to serve as editor in this regard as well as being a second shooter. I have a lot of knowledge in my head but much limited vision skills since a stroke last year.

My lighting was two lights off camera, one to the left aimed toward background. Another aimed toward the model and the car. third was on camera flash for fill.

Are these images salvageable in your mind? I was thinking the first one was quite good, maybe the deficiencies as you have noted. As I noted before, this is the first car shoot indoors and any car shoot of any kind I have done so not expecting great results first time.

Many thanks for the CC!!

I really like the first one, except for the over sharpening. You might clean up some of the stray hairs across her face as well.

I agree with the first one. Really like it except it is oversharpened. Keep it natural.

Liquid Dark wrote in post #15988337
thanks Tiberius, that helps a lot, more than you can imagine!

I do tend to oversharpen my photos, my vision is not that good so I tend to err on the sharpening side, I am trying to find an apprentice to serve as editor in this regard as well as being a second shooter. I have a lot of knowledge in my head but much limited vision skills since a stroke last year.

My lighting was two lights off camera, one to the left aimed toward background. Another aimed toward the model and the car. third was on camera flash for fill.

Are these images salvageable in your mind? I was thinking the first one was quite good, maybe the deficiencies as you have noted. As I noted before, this is the first car shoot indoors and any car shoot of any kind I have done so not expecting great results first time.

Many thanks for the CC!!

The first one is certainly salvagable, as long as you still have the original untouched photo. As for the second one, you could get it looking better with a bit of selective blurring on the background, but reshooting is by far easier.