Need some major advice...

Hello All
I have not been on here for a while. But I really need your help. A friend asked for headshots to submit in TV/Commercial gigs he would like to start.

He was told that he needed a headshot. Simple and plain. I believe they don't want any makeup on his face (maybe something very light). What about photoshop(ping) the image? Do agency allow this? I did and I think I made a huge mistake. I could see some greenish or pinkish hue on his face.

Second, I really need your help on getting good skin tones. Can someone please give me suggestions on what I am doing wrong.

For ex: I had the camera set to AV and I was using the flash to fill in on the face. The sun in on his back.

I also had the camera set to Manual and the exposure was 2000/ f8 ISO 100
Any suggestion on how to make his face pop more?

PLEASE REFRAIN From SCREAMing AT ME. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS PICTURE IN THE HARSH SUN... I already know this and learned from it.
Thanks

All I did was sharpen it 40% and and adjust gamma

IMAGE LINK: http://www.mynetimages​.com

IMAGE LINK: http://www.mynetimages​.com

jackies35 wrote in post #16010798
Hello All
I have not been on here for a while. But I really need your help. A friend asked for headshots to submit in TV/Commercial gigs he would like to start.

He was told that he needed a headshot. Simple and plain. I believe they don't want any makeup on his face (maybe something very light). What about photoshop(ping) the image? Do agency allow this? I did and I think I made a huge mistake. I could see some greenish or pinkish hue on his face.

Second, I really need your help on getting good skin tones. Can someone please give me suggestions on what I am doing wrong.

For ex: I had the camera set to AV and I was using the flash to fill in on the face. The sun in on his back.

I also had the camera set to Manual and the exposure was 2000/ f8 ISO 100
Any suggestion on how to make his face pop more?

PLEASE REFRAIN From SCREAMing AT ME. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS PICTURE IN THE HARSH SUN... I already know this and learned from it.
Thanks

I don't think you ever have to worry about being screamed at around here. Obnoxious, hurtful, insulting, demeaning comments......now that you have to worry about.

Just kidding.......

While it's true that direct sun isn't the best light, in this case the angle of the light is what is causing some not very flattering shadows on his face. I think they are a little over exposed and I would do a bit of skin work as well.

I would reshoot these at a different time of day, evening would give you a much more pleasing light.

Since these are supposed to be head shots I'd crop in a lot more and clone out the red zit on his face unless it's a permanent thing. Add some blacks to bump contrast.

Chris Orwig offers the best technique in this video http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=eJiM-fsvQXE
If you're going to reshoot...use a gray card to color balance.

DON"T SHOOT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT Sorry, I just had to do that.

What did you do to the shadows? These look very unnatural to me. And I hope you didn't compose the image so tightly to his head but these are crops I hope? The one you use needs to be a much tighter crop of just him from #1

#2: There's a bridge behind his head.

Post #1 is too light, & post #2 is too dark. As for PSing the face, anything that's not permanent like a zit I'd remove.

Qbx wrote in post #16011081
Since these are supposed to be head shots I'd crop in a lot more and clone out the red zit on his face unless it's a permanent thing. Add some blacks to bump contrast.

I agree, & this would be about right IF the lighting was better.

Look at the links in this: VERY simple "outdoor studio"
There's a step-by-step WB & exposure workflow in post #15.

I agree with the above comments re: lighting. I would clean up the background, crop and remove the cut on his face. It also looks a bit cool. I would not sharpen these much if at all plus he looks tired ...make-up?. I find a B&W can help save a shot where there is colour problems:

As well as what the others have suggested, if you shoot outdoors again, you might want to have a hankerchief handy so he can wipe the sweat off his forehead.

Pay no attention to my edit since apparently, no makeup/photoshopping is allowed for headshots. I just thought I'd see what I could do with one of your images you posted. His forehead is smoothed not to remove wrinkles, but to remove the sweat. All I did to his eyes was desaturate the whites to remove the redness. I think Qbx's edit is the most natural.

I took at a shot at editing them too and tried blurring the backgrounds more. The background in the first image seems a little too nervous and the bridge distracts from your subject. Here are my edits.

You flash is blasting him - that's going to leave a bad look - these can't be saved unfortunately. Shoot in better light. You can shoot in the middle of the day - you just have to find the right location. A background that is bright is bad. Find a side of a building that isn't being hit by sunlight and is in some shadow. Make that your background and position your subject looking away from the sun - you'll get nice rim light. Fill with just a touch of flash and you'll have a decent shot. The background in these shots are so overpowering that your flash is just blasting the heck out of his face and there goes your color, contrast and anything good.

Thank you all!!! You all are too sweet, cool, and the BOMB!!! Thank you! Thank you! Trust me, I am listening to everyone here! One thing that did struck me and was mention was he looked tired and he need a napkin or a towel! Thank you!!! We are going to shoot again and it will be after 3:00pm! Thank you!!!

CoPhotoGuy wrote in post #16012809
You flash is blasting him - that's going to leave a bad look - these can't be saved unfortunately. Find a side of a building that isn't being hit by sunlight and is in some shadow. Make that your background and position your subject looking away from the sun - you'll get nice rim light. Fill with just a touch of flash and you'll have a decent shot. The background in these shots are so overpowering that your flash is just blasting the heck out of his face and there goes your color, contrast and anything good.

Thanks Man!!! Absolutely! I screwed up. I should have keep the early schedule and stop rushing. This is photography 101... I so freaking upset with myself.

Thanks again...

CoPhotoGuy wrote in post #16012809
You flash is blasting him - that's going to leave a bad look - these can't be saved unfortunately. The background in these shots are so overpowering that your flash is just blasting the heck out of his face and there goes your color, contrast and anything good.

I did stop using the flash and tried to work my reflector. I am still having skin tone problems.

I am just showing you this to say, (1) I have an issue and (2), not all the images were bad from the session. I am still learning to find the light and how to properly light my subject. Oh, yes I did remove the big pimple off the face. Cloned in photoshop


Thanks again for your help.

Those first two aren't so bad - just need some minor color correction, white balance and tint and you're good. I'd still work on finding a better background though and maybe some better posing - his head tilt is a bit odd. The third one the background is too bright and distracting and the light on the face is becoming too much.