Working on my lighting-CC

Thoughts and input on these two shots? Does the black & white feel ok for exposure?

These are lovely. Exposure looks good to me on #2. Just a touch too hot on the right side of her face on the B&W shot, but I like it that way; it works for the photo. I wouldn't change a thing.

Be on the lookout for catch lights. The first one you only have it in one eye.

Im assuming you are working with one light but the 2nd could use some light to separate her from the dark background or if there was a lighter background it would have worked too.

There is a catch light in the left eye its just deep in shadow and located more so on the white of the eye. This was kind of an impromptu shoot of my niece after a large Turkey dinner so very informal hence the reason for no rim light in the first pic. I"m sure you know how it is to keep a kid still especially when they don't want anything to do with having there picture taken. None of these shots were posed by any means....just had to wait for the right moment and hope she was still the right distance from my light. I guess the shots would be called a semi staged candid

Thanks for the input

I really like the 2nd photo. Nice work! I'm still a noobie. What is a catch light and rim light? I'd really like to recreate this look.

bsiegler wrote in post #17807385
I really like the 2nd photo. Nice work! I'm still a noobie. What is a catch light and rim light? I'd really like to recreate this look.

Catch light is the reflection of the key light in the eye.
Rim light is light that is coming from behind the subject illuminating the edge of the subject.

windpig wrote in post #17807413
Catch light is the reflection of the key light in the eye.
Rim light is light that is coming from behind the subject illuminating the edge of the subject.

Thanks for explaining. So do we want to see the catch light in the eyes or is that bad?

Catch lights are good. They add life to an image

They're really sweet shots and the CC is pretty mild. I would have liked a little bit of fill on the left side of her face in the first shot, mainly to bring out that eye.

I was glad I got the shots I did. She was quite active. Thanks for the CC

Like everyone else here I think these are decent photos. However, like the others I would concur that the left side of her face is too dark.

Perhaps a larger light source and/or placing the light slightly closer to the camera axis could have lightened up her face? I do realize that the camera placement is a little difficult for a candid shot, but maybe a larger source?

bsiegler wrote in post #17807496
Thanks for explaining. So do we want to see the catch light in the eyes or is that bad?

You can see a catch light in each of the pupils in the second image (nice portrait of cute little girl, btw). In the first image the nose is blocking the catch light that should be in her left eye.

Catch lights add life to the eyes. They also are a sign that your have you key light set up in position. Generally you've looking for the catch light to be at roughly 10 or 2 o clock.

Google catch lights

I think you should try "feathering" the light .