Posted: 4/11/2008 4:51:53 AM EDT
I decided I wanted to take a few portrait pictures. I wanted to see if I could make it look like a studio shot. I grabbed a sheet and put it up in the corner of my room. I used a sb-800 in remote mode to give me some indirect lighting. I for the most part am happy with how this picture looks. I would really appreciate any help with telling me things I did wrong or could have done better. Also things I can do in photoshop with ligthing etc... I will try and put more up but I think this is my best shot.
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Lighting, lighting, lighting. Your technique is more of a "horror movie" lighting. Lighting low, and putting shadows on the face as you have. A studio protrait will have a key light, fill light, hair light and a background light to get rid of the shadow behind the model. Don't be afraid to use different angles with the light. try hard side lighting. At least you have a great model to work with 
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There's a lot of really good portrait lighting suggestions with exactly what you have (SB-800) in Scott Kelby's guide book : www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-2/dp/0321524764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207922065&sr=1-1 If you have a local large book store, they'd probably have his first and second additons in maybe, and you could skim through it real quick for some great ideas. I don't have the book in front of me here at the office, so I can't tell you exactly what his suggestions were, but I'm pretty sure it was something like putting the light up and off to the side about 30 degrees from the camera, and having the light shine from an angle above so the shadowing is towards the floor area instead of right behind. Also, for fill flash from the camera's built-in, that should be turned down low in the camera's menu instead of full blast, if on at all. Like I said, don't have the book in front of me, and going off memory here. Plus, add to that I'm a 100% novice in this photog stuff, reading, learning, and shooting all I can at this stage, but have yet to try out lighting yet. I do admire your "subject" 
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What you can't do because of a lack of flashes/strobes can be somewhat compensted for using reflectors (like the foamcore from your local crafts store). The shadows in that first picture scared me.  You need to get light into her eyes. They're dark. Create some nice catchlights.It looks like she's right against the background. Pull her away from it to alleviate some of the problems caused by the shadows behind her. Pose-wise the hand in the first shot looks lost. It needs someplace to go other than just hanging out (er, up). Tilt the head a little. Maybe angle one shoulder slightly towards the camera. If she extends her fingers (say to frame her face) keep them in line to form a pleasing visual cue for the eyes to follow. Overall I think she's a very pretty girl. I'd personally ditch the pointy eye shadow, though. Maybe ok for a high fashion shot but not this. |
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Okay I will have to try the foamcore stuff. I couldnt move her away from the background much just because of the room we were in. Next time I will plan ahead a little more. The eyeshadow was something she did for fun that night and I just happen to want to take pictures. |
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Personally, I like extreme shadows for darker compositions, especially in black & white. I agree that her hand seems lost, it looks like she should be holding something (would be a perfect “holding the black rifle” posehinghttp://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj267/swdhead/dark.jpg It needs more contrast and the rose is a little lame, but I'm sure you get my general idea. BTW – Having subject matter like that looks like that always helps |
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Oh no! Selective color. :: runs away screaming :: Looks like the flash was to the right of the subject as viewed. In the first shot it actually looks like it's down by her knees the way the shadow is cast up the wall. Notice how her left arm is fairly hot and the light falls off towards the right arm. Bounced should've softened things up a bit. ETA: Damn I'm good. Beat by a mere :22 secs. Something to remember about lighting...mimic the sun. I see people holding reflectors at the ground to bounce light up the subject. The sun doesn't do that. Natural lighting comes from above. Note, too, how her face is over-exposed when you look at it by itself: 
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Ive got so much to learn haha. You guys have been so nice and very helpful. If yall want I can try and keep posting pictures up that I take and giving y'all something to critique. |
Ill see If I can get her to model some Black Rifles for me. She is working on getting more comfortable around guns. She has been going with me while I shoot trap to get used to everything. Ive got the 10-22 ready for her first shoot. So there will be pics of that for sure. |
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Couple of things to try. Get the model farther from the background. At least 3 or 4 feet. Put the flash at about a 45 degree angle to her nose and at eye level or slightly above and maybe 5 feet away. Get a second sheet and put it between the flash and model. Get the sheet close, just out of the frame. It will act like a big diffuser/softbox (assuming the flash is a a few feet behind the sheet as well.) Set your camera aperature to it's widest setting (lowest number.) This will help soften the background. Focus on the eye What everyone said about using foamcore as bounce and fill. Basic lighting is key, fill and kick/rim/hair light. But you can do all this with one light and reflectors. |
Hey, that was MY suggestion. Get your own!
I'd be concerned due to a couple of problems this can cause. First, the flash definitely needs to be back away from the sheet as mentioned. Otherwise you'll tend to get a hotspot rather than even, diffused lighting. Second, sheets vary in color. White isn't necessarily white. I'd be concerned with a) throwing off the white balance and b) introducing color casts.
The eyes should (almost) always be the focal point in a portrait. However, it can be a bit more complicated than simply shooting wide open. You also have to take into consideration depth-of-field. It's entirely possible to have the subject's head angled such that you end up with one eye in focus and the other not. But manipulating DOF properly can create some great images. I shot an engagement session on the beach yesterday and made sure to do a number of shots alternating between the bride and groom being in/out of focus. I also let them be together while focusing on the background instead (and vice versa). Definitely a good tool/understanding to have in your bag of tricks. |
LOL, honestly though should be 6 feet minimum. OP, Looks like your off to a good start. Here is a good studio lighting/small flash forum if you want to take a look around it for the threads that give lighting set-up info: Lighting Forum HTH. |
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I always hated having to do portraits with only one small strobe - I did it way too often when I did PJ work. Couple things that will help you, in addition to what others have said: - Try natural light. You can accomplish more than you can imagine with a good sized window, some foamcore reflectors, and a little patience. - Use a mid or dark toned background. Trying to get a pure white background while using one flash is a pain in the ass, and requires much PS work, and rarely looks right. A mid or dark background will have other advantages too, but simplicity is a biggie here. - Others have mentioned using a diffuser, and that is a good route to take. But you could go the opposite way as well, and use bounced light. Using your flash, pointed away from your subject, towards a piece of foam core which is then used to bounce the light back to your subject (and it will be a much more pleasing light source). Add a second piece of foam core opposite side, and you will have a decent fill. - Start small. If you are using one flash, don't try to do full length, indoor shots. Instead, focus on something smaller, like head and shoulders. - Environmental portraits can be done with one or two small strobes, balance with the ambient light. This is what I used to do when I was working. Allow the ambient exposure to be 1/2-1 1/2 stops below, then pop the flash from the side, or bounce off the wall, or off an umbrella, etc. Just remember, if you want to simulate studio shots, there is a reason why studios use so many lights. It's not because it makes their job easier, it's because they are controlling the light, to control how the photo will look. And for Pete's sake, get your subject away from the background, and don't put the head in the middle of the frame.
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