My Turn

I have been posting at POTN for a month and I have just peeked inside this forum today. I have been going through and giving my 2 cents here and there so i thought I would share.
I am not a pro and I want to learn just like the rest of you. i have my first real "photo shoot" last week and I shot for four hours. I learned a lot and I can't wait to learn more.
So here is one (of many I am sure) those shots from last week. This shot has been slightly Photoshoped only to remove blems and such. I can post original if needed. So I will pinch my nose and jump feet first off the high dive, here goes.....

BTW, hair control is def the number one thing I learned walking away from that shoot. I will pay much more attention to stray aways and such from now on.

What a great post!

It's one of those that you have to go looking for faults rather than them leaping out of you.

I think it works also (better?) with a tighter crop into portrait.

Thanks, we shot for over four hours. Most of it was in front of a white, then black background. This was part of the last series we did on a bed (no, no nudes lol) with a bare AB800 pointed at the ceiling.
Not to boast but some of my best work to date, I feel. First time shooting with all my studio equip plus my 17-55mm 2.8 is. I has a great time.

Expression is good, though the makeup around the eyes is a bit much, and I'm not sure if it's the makeup or the shadows but it looks smudged out of place here and there, like someone ran a thumb covered in black from the inside of her nose across her left eye then downwards. Eyelash detail is very important for portraits, and that left eye's doesn't show as much as the right. I'd whiten the eyes slightly. The hair down the side is also too much IMO, especially with her head like that... really drags the viewer downwards and out the bottom of the shot. The background picture also works to quarter the image, which is generally not a flattering compositional arrangement. The vertical on the frame is quite obviously left-leaning, and the horizontals on the frame and floor are doing so more subtly to. My take on it all would be to rotate her more upright, and do something about the picture - removing it is probably best, but if there was anything there then the best approximate size I can find is indicated below. I haven't touched the makeup etc..

Cheers, Tony

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Major raccoon eyes caused by bouncing the flash off of the ceiling. Professional photographers bounce the fill light off of the ceiling but NOT the main light. The main light positioned off to one side cancels out those shadows in the eyes. You would do better to bounce that flash into an umbrella or a softbox and use a silver reflector.

Listening to advice from another image maker that has been shooting two weeks longer than you (and is therefore an "expert") will get you in trouble every time. Listen to the pros if you want your work to look like a pro, otherwise listen to GWCs and your work will look like another GWC.

Benji

Benji wrote in post #7697325
Listening to advice from another image maker that has been shooting two weeks longer than you (and is therefore an "expert") will get you in trouble every time. Listen to the pros if you want your work to look like a pro, otherwise listen to GWCs and your work will look like another GWC.

Benji

Benji

Out of curiosity who are you talking about here? ....and what's a GWC?

SAB_Click wrote in post #7697380
Benji

Out of curiosity who are you talking about here? ....and what's a GWC?

Mainly I'm talking to the Op, but in general this advice is true for anyone reading this or any post.

A GWC is a Guy With a Camera. I have noticed that with the advent of the internet and photographic websites where one can post their images it seems to me anyone who has been shooting longer than six weeks with a DSLR is all of the sudden an expert on everything photographic.

The lack of a main light catchlight in the subject's eyes was a dead give away to me that the main light was too high, and a too high main light will always give the subject raccoon eyes. This is the third time in as many days that I've seen the comment about heavy eye make up in these raccoon eyes shots, so I decided to set the record straight, otherwise heavy eye makeup will become another high key fiasco.

Benji

Benji wrote in post #7697458
Mainly I'm talking to the Op, but in general this advice is true for anyone reading this or any post.

A GWC is a Guy With a Camera. I have noticed that with the advent of the internet and photographic websites where one can post their images it seems to me anyone who has been shooting longer than six weeks with a DSLR is all of the sudden an expert on everything photographic.

The lack of a main light catchlight in the subject's eyes was a dead give away to me that the main light was too high, and a too high main light will always give the subject raccoon eyes. This is the third time in as many days that I've seen the comment about heavy eye make up in these raccoon eyes shots, so I decided to set the record straight, otherwise heavy eye makeup will become another high key fiasco.

Benji

Wow, I see the danger of listening to the wrong person. Perhaps we should have either GWC or PRO next to each of our names so we know who we are listening to. That would be very helpful.

Please forgive me because I am most definitely nearer to GWC than PRO in my photographic journey, but to help me, could you explain what the light/highlight (not sure what you would call it) is that I am seeing in the eyes of the model and how you can tell the difference between that and the main light?

Lack of proper lighting doesn't mean the makeup isn't also excessive... and I stand by my assertion that there's a dark smudge across her nose and cheek...

SAB_Click wrote in post #7698061
Wow, I see the danger of listening to the wrong person. Perhaps we should have either GWC or PRO next to each of our names so we know who we are listening to. That would be very helpful.

Perhaps, but some would see it as bragging if one places "Pro" next to his name. We image makers with huge egos can be a strange lot ya know.

SAB_Click wrote in post #7698061
Please forgive me because I am most definitely nearer to GWC than PRO in my photographic journey, but to help me, could you explain what the light/highlight (not sure what you would call it) is that I am seeing in the eyes of the model and how you can tell the difference between that and the main light?

I love helping people.

The little catchlight that you see in her eyes is a reflection of something in front of her, a mirror behind the image maker perhaps. I don't think it was the camera's on board flash as it is too low in her eyes. The on board flash catchlight is usually dead center in the eyes.

The correct placement of the main light will put the catchlights at either the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock position in the eyes depending on which side of the subject the main light is positioned. In the above case, had the light been at her right (our left) the catchlights would be at the 11 o'clock position. In the image below the catchlights are properly positioned. This will also allow the main light to get into the eyes and brighten them up so the iris' will have more color and the whites will be whiter

Benji

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Okay....whose photo am I supposed to be critiquing now?

I'll do everybody at once then :

- odd angles/crop
- soft eyes
- white balance issues

WOW guys cool it please lol. The make up was excessive and yes I did only have one main light pointing up but at that point I believe I had the silver reflector helping a bit. She wanted to do the shoot and wanted to do her own makeup so what can I do? I am good at adding make up in Photoshop but have never tried to remove it.
Tonydee. no offense but what the crap is that? lol just kidding but for real what is that ugly ass white triangle in the lower right corner? Also why would her hair be floating up and to the right?
Anyway, I too noticed the eyelash issue and the left eye is at a different angle so there for the lashes are pointed more toward the camera. I thought about adding some fake extensions but didn't.

Thanks guys and please more C&C is welcome.

One more thing Bengi, your example looks like it was shot in a studio for sure and her make up and skin tones look so unnatural to me along with the highlights on her cheek and nose.
I was trying to avoid that look in this series. If I posted another shot you would see it was suppose to almost look like candid shots of your reading and then sleeping on the bed. I am not a super big fan of the polished studio look. I do however want to learn better comp and lighting. Thanks for your input.

I am embarrassed to even show this but here is another shot in the same series with props (book and glasses). This image HAS NOT BEEN EDITED, RETOUCHED, OR CROPPED IN ANY WAY so please don't beat me up. It is to show how UN-studio like that the shots were.
Remember this is straight off the Camera and reduced in size.

BigAlz1 wrote in post #7700681
...so please don't beat me up.

cri⋅tique /krɪˈtik/ [kri-teek]
–noun
1. an article or essay criticizing a literary or other work; detailed evaluation; review.
2. a criticism or critical comment on some problem, subject, etc.
3. the art or practice of criticism.
–verb (used with object)
4. to review or analyze critically.

All due respect, this forum is called "critique corner". By posting here you have to expect all types of criticisms. The key is to try to keep an open mind and not take them personally.

BigAlz1 wrote in post #7700681
It is to show how UN-studio like that the shots were.

If the point was to show how a photo is, there specific sections on this forum for that purpose ("'Photo Sharing' section" comes to mind).

That said, do not take any of my criticisms or critiques personally. I am merely pointing out things I see wrong or would do differently with the photo. I have plenty of things in my photos that I could improve on (and am trying to).

Bottom line though, if you like the photo, then its fine the way it is; but if you post it on an internet photography forum and in a section that is titled "critique corner", you have to be prepared to receive it. Not everybody will tell you what you want to hear (not saying that is the case here, but in general and for everybody).

Things I would improve in the future based on what I see in the last photo :
- crooked
- not enough contrast between subject and background
- odd pose/body positioning
- needs more fill in the face
- hair is covering too much of the face
- recommend a hardback book as a prop next time