Self portrait...brutal C&C needed!

Hey Folks,
Alrighty, I finally got my first monolight and softbox yesterday and since my wife don't like to pose for me (and wouldn't let me post the pictures for review even if she did), I was messing around with some self portraiture today trying to get a "feel" for the new gear. This is the first time I've used an actual monolight as well as a softbox so I need some brutally honest feedback here (just remember that "brutal" doesn't mean "intentionally rude"). I'm not looking to have the ol' ego stroked...I really need to know what I'm doing right and what could be improved.

Just for reference, here's the setup I used. One (generic) 150ws monolight with 16" softbox (pretty much cranked all the way down power-wise), one Metz Mecablitz 30 BCT4 flash fired into a gold/silver umbrella set up as a fill light and one Bower hot shoe flash behind me for a back light. The Metz and the monolight were fired with my cheapy Chinese transceivers and the Bower used an optical. Camera used was my Rebel XT on a tripod with my Canon "Nifty Fifty" f/1.8 lens...f/3.2 at 1/200 sec, ISO 100.

Soooo...should I take the total lack of response as a sign that I did something right or simply that it was that bad that it wasn't worth comment? Or did this lovely image of myself just cause everyone's monitors to implode the moment they opened the thread? .

Please, I'd really like to hear some thoughts on the shot here...

Hmmm, not sure why no response. I'm far from an expert but what I see is your key light perhaps too low (based on the nose shadow) and almost too hot. Looks like you might have been trying to get it in under your hat brim? Hat brims make lighting really tough IMO.

Moving a bit further from the background would help blur your wrinkles back there.

Now that I've opened my mouth I'm sure someone who knows what they are talking about will respond...

It looks fine to me, but I am a newbie and don't even come close to knowing how to take studio style portraits.

Dave

Walczak Photo wrote in post #5454776
Soooo...should I take the total lack of response as a sign that I did something right or simply that it was that bad that it wasn't worth comment? Or did this lovely image of myself just cause everyone's monitors to implode the moment they opened the thread? .

Please, I'd really like to hear some thoughts on the shot here...

I think that you should take it that I have been busy all day and haven't had a chance to peruse the forums until now.

I am very impressed and wish that I could do half as well. I think that the comments from Titus provide a good technical evaluation. Composition-wise, I like it.

BTW, I am glad to see that you combed your hair.

I like it. Self portrait is very difficult to pull off. It seems you nailed it pretty well. This is a very close example of Rembrandt lighting. Not only that but also it displays a person with personality. In my eyes it makes the viewer stop for a second to contemplate about what sort of experiences the person depicted carries on their shoulders. Good job!

It's impressive what you did with the XT + nifty fifty (I love that combo)

Thank you for the comments everyone...I really am grateful. The "nose shadow" seems to be my biggest problem at the moment. I -think- it's got something to do with my softbox being so small (it's only a 16") but I'm not totally sure...it's also possible that it could just be the position of the softbox too. I did a few shots later that day and had moved things around a little and was still coming up with pretty much the same shadow on my nose...I would have thought the fill light would have eased it off a bit, but clearly it didn't.

I do certainly agree that I should have been further from the back drop...the only problem is I shot this in my living room and...well...let's just say "space was at a premium" LOL!!! Next time I'll have to move the coffee table out of the way so I can move the camera back so I can move me back (when I'm posing). Had I of been shooting someone else, I would have just opened the aperture up to 2.8 and I think that would have helped with the background too, but since this was a "self" portrait...I was having a hard enough time getting the camera to focus without going to an even shallower DOF. One of the downsides of shooting at home...along with having 3 dogs and 3 cats. My dogs kept knocking over my back light and one of the cats puked on my muslin while I was shooting.....some day I'll have a studio.

I will also take a closer look at how high I had my softbox set up as well...from most of what I've seen and read, I thought it was supposed to be pretty much level with the subject/model (i.e. the center of the softbox level with the center of the models face). I wasn't deliberately trying to "shoot under the brim" as it were, it just worked out that way.

Actually...truth be told, the hat was just an after thought while I was shooting...just playing around with a couple of different looks at it were. At first I was trying to pull off the "corporate" type shot...no hat, wearing a tie, etc., and with my rather unruly hair, it just wasn't working! LOL!!! I already have some shots of myself wearing my black barrette so I was just trying something a little different this time . I think hats can add a lot to the "personality" of a shot...at least for some people like myself. I guess I have one of those faces that sort of molds itself to the hat...in my wedding shots I was wearing a white tux with a white top hat and I really ended up looking like Malcome McDowell in "A Clockwork Orange" LOL!!!!!! What can I say...the hat makes the man .

Anyways, again thanks for the comments...I'll keep them in mind for my next attempt. Once I get my muslin washed, I'll probably try a few more.

Peace,
Jim