Portraits from yesterday

So I had the chance to shoot a couple portraits yesterday. Wanted to share them on here. Shot with a 5DII and 85 1.8.

This is the incoming Executive Officer for Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific. He's quite a decorated Navy f/A-18 pilot.

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do you want any opinions?

Sure why not?

BGs on all are well lighted
I'm not sure about the smile in #1, I think a more serious look is what this sort of portrait should have
I think the expressions in the 2nd two are good
The key light in all of them are to low, the nose shadow is pointed across the cheek
Rembrandt lighting is generally, IMO, to dramatic for business/executive portraits. The lighting ratios are to big (to much contrast).
the second one works the best, IMO.

I'm an old ex military brat, so my opinion on serious expressions in these sorts of portraits is based on my expectations of how a commanding officer should carry themselves.

I pretty much second the critique from the gent above me. I do wonder if a [edit:] higher key-light would have resulted in not enough light getting under the hat in especially the first shot.

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #16722450
I pretty much second the critique from the gent above me. I do wonder if a lower key-light would have resulted in not enough light getting under the hat in especially the first shot.

There's an easy fix for that - just put the hat on backwards.

A good clam shell lighting using a single strobe and a reflector underneath would have worked great here. Overall the pictures are good, just the style of light doesn't match the subject matter

Thanks for the comments folks. I didn't use a "traditional" clamshell lighting set up because they were sitting at one end of the 10 foot conference table and I was at the other end. I had one strobe thru a 26" Rapid Box Octa camera right at about their level and a 42" silver reflector right up next to the table camera left just out of frame. I was getting too much shadow underneath the bill of his cover with the softbox much higher so I brought it down a bit. I could have used a second speedlight for fill instead of the reflector but I was pressed for time since I only the conference room for about 20 minute.

It's really interesting to read some of the comments and wonder what the perception of the military might be. I'm sure it's community specific but west coast Navy fighter pilots are some of the most laid-back and easy going people I know. Even the commanding officers and executive officers. I actually started out with the Commander (first photo) and told him to give me a serious expression and he gave me a few but then he told me he didn't want his command photo to portray a "hard a$$ tyrant". "That's not who I am, and not who I want my sailors to think I am." - those were his words to me.

Don't get me wrong, CO's and XO's will lay the hammer down when they need to but most of them don't want that "Do what I say now!" perception to be following them.

Thanks again for the comments guys!