My fist shots with my new studio lights. CC Please!!!

Below are my first three shots with my new studio lights. Any CC could be very helpful.

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What a cutie! Does he just stay where you put him? I like both of them.

I have taken over 2000 pictures of my dog in the last year since he was born, he is sooooo use to it. When I get my camera out he runs and gets in front of the backdrop. He's not good for anything but looking cute and warming your lap!

First picture seems framed or cropped to tight (part of ear missing, dog and teddy)
But it is amusing, very nice compagnon.

I will only comment on lighting - not composition or interest or cropping, etc.

In both pictures I am seeing an indication of what I think are two umbrella lights placed more or less equidistant, left and right from the camera.

Be advised that the catch light in the eye is showing this quite clearly as an 8 pointed star. I feel that for this subject with its lighting that the background should be darker and perhaps a more neutral color. In other words, the red is too red and distracts somewhat from the subject.
I also feel that the lighting is generally very good - especially on the lower picture. However, I make the observation that in the lower picture, the face is not as brightly illuminated as his right shoulder and neck. I realize that his coat is darker in the head area, but that is all the more reason to try to get the balance between the face and the body more favorable to the face.

The same is true of the subject in the upper picture with the added concern that the Teddy is brighter, and I think you want him to be more subdued so that the real subject gets the emphasis.

I hope you do not take any of that as negative, because I am intending it only as informative in that I think both shots are excellent.

Congratulations!

Thanks Bob! Those are exactly the kinds of comments I am looking for, I am pretty new so I'll take all the help I can get. I also noticed that the umbrellas showed in his eyes. Any suggestions on how to get rid of that?

Thanks!!!

Kim

You could blur it in PS...

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I think the shots are overall underexposed as well, I did some very minor adjustments in curves using photoshop and it seems a bit nicer on my monitor. Probably would have helped to expose a stop brighter I think

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The job done by jbkalla on the catchlights is a wonderful example of a way to do it.

However, in my opinion, if you are going to do Photoshop work on catchlights, it is worth the trouble to find examples of what natural catch lights look like and try to mimic them. Natural catchlights from normal ambient lighting are generally rather indistinct and usually there is only one in each eye. It's an art to mimic the real thing, but it's worth the trouble - especially if you are doing portraits professionally.

Just remember, that a natural catchlight is nothing but a mirror-like reflection in the dark part of the eye that reflects an image of whatever the surroundings might be, so sometimes you see a rectangular window, just as plain as day in the eye. Natural as that may be, it just doesn't look right - just like the reflection of an overhead, two -tube fluorescent lighting fixture wouldn't look right.

HEhe I like it. You did well. You would almost say the dog was posing for you..

Thanks everyone for your help! I took a few more pictures tonight, please let me know if you think they are an improvment? CC Please!

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Dear Kim,

Yes, much improved in many respects.
First, the lighting on the face is in better balance with respect to the rest of the scene - especially in the bottom shot.

Also, the catch light is no longer "strange" and looks more natural. The eyes look very "alive".

The composition in both shots is good, although it is a little tightly cropped in the bottom shot.

Thanks Bob for the comments, I always appreciate your feedback.

I like the second shot. I'd prefer a verticle composition with a little bit of selective lightening up of the eyes.

Just a thought. Why are you using brollies for a dog? Surely a harsh light would make the fur stand out better? Try and lets see. I dont have a dog to practice on.
Nice work btw
Chris