2 Model Shoots C&C welcomed (8 Photos)

Hi, This is my first photo post in this section and my 3rd & 4th model shoot, but only 2nd with artificial lights. I would like some comments and critique on my lighting so far. Used a 3 light tungsten kit w/umbrellas and hairlight, but one umbrella broke on the first three and I used a white reflector instead of a fill light. The last two were natural light from window. Is my light too flat? I am looking to improve. Thanks.

Also, How can I make my Black background look darker? It has a texture that might be considered distracting. I turned up the black level in LR2 to darken it, but I can only go so far without distorting other dark colors that way. I also think I might need to block out spill light (like a makeshift softbox) as I have white walls/ceiling 8ft.

Additional shots here
http://wisertime.zenfolio.com/

















--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

For a darker background you could try increasing the distance between the background and model. If your studio is too small, I would put your lights closer to subject, meter correctly, and that would help to darken background too.

If you don't mind me saying, the lighting looks a little flat. How did you position the umbrellas? (distance, angle)

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http://www.stevegongphoto.com

One shoot thru umbrella at a 45 deg angle slightly above the model to the right from my perspective and prob 4-5 feet away. Hair light either directly behind and below the model or coming from slightly behind and to the left and about 7.5" high with cardboard homemade snoot to narrow the beam.

I also sometimes used a second umbrella from the left and about head height at a 30-45 deg angle. I had a little ambient light too as it was daytime. Bulbs are 250w tungsten.

I just got a new Sunpak 383 and ordered another 285hv flash for future experimentation. I wanted constant lights to learn with and see what I was doing.
--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

For the black background, I think your subject is to close to the background.

The first 3 photos seem a little flat. Adding some contrast definitely helps. Especially a non-degrading contrast method.

The next 3 photos are better in that this model poses a lot better.

Below, this is the best one to me. Her left arm is catching to much light. I know it's the underside of the arm which is naturally whiter, but it is a slight eye catcher. Notice on her hand how it's catching a small light source.

You have definitely went to far with levels or black. The photo is much to dark. The photo looks VERY GOOD when I increased levels and added a pro-contrast method. I know this reveals your background pattern, but you can always mask and paint.

Oly500Enew said:

Click to expand...

The photo below, the hair light is too harsh. Notice how on her left side, it is way to bright. Positioning her long hair to be hidden would of been an option here. Also on her right side, her chest and ribs show this hard hard rim light. Rim lights can be enhancing, but not for this type of photo, and I think it was not your intent. I assume the light you used for that, was to far away, or not tight enough.

Oly500Enew said:

Click to expand...

On the photo below, notice the hair under her arm (her head hair..lol). Things like this are easy to over look when shooting. The dress appears to wrinkled, but I assume it's the nature of that particular material. The hot spots on her face are slightly distracting. Her hands need some spot healing.



Overall I think you done quite good with the equipment you listed. Besides that, you are doing much better than myself. It's good to have a 2nd or 3rd eye to catch the little things. I am sure I have missed many, and I didn't list everything I could think of.

I am quite sure if you get more seperation, your background will become black. Thus allowing your subject to be much brighter during processing the natural way.

Keep up the good shooting, and would love to see your Vivitar setup and photos. I plan on trying to get a couple of 285HV's and experiment myself.

Thanks for the feedback. Its good to have an extra set of eyes. You are right that backlight was too wide. I don't care for the included hairlight as its about 7" wide and casts too wide a beam. I figured out on my second shoot (the blonde) that I was able to perfectly fit a light cardboard box around the reflector to narrow it (although I didnt quite get the effect I wanted placing it behind her). Maybe I should even paint the inside of it black or put a diffuser on it? I thought a hair light should be pretty bright though?

I will definitely separate the model from the background next time. I think I had her about 3-4 feet away.

This is the what I was referring to narrowing the light, but I was not satisfied with the expression/exposure of most of them. This was one of the few acceptable ones. More subtle backlight, but the background still too bright.



--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

Unless it's the style you want, I think I would prefer the hairlight ABOVE the model and perhaps a grid on it. Use a boom.

Somehow your light is centered on the model, and her head is not as evenly light as her body.

Perhaps lights need to be closer/slightly different aim?

I would master that first so you get an even exposure, before pursuing the background lighting as you desire.

--
http://ronxp2000.redbubble.com/

In the first few shots, there is some shine under her eyes that popped out at me right away. Her skin tone, too, is very pale. That's not really your fault, but you might warm it up a bit.

The first poster was right about the background. The tutorial at the link below talks specifically about how to distance the bg to make it black (even a white bg!). And of course PS can do wonders. These images should be easy to mask off.

http://www.zarias.com/?p=71

The last photo is my favorite. Good work!

Funny how when you start thinking too much about lighting, you start to lose the other things - like making sure the model's facial expression is usable before snapping the photo. I only mention it because I seem to be going through some difficulties myself - I took much better pictures when I thought a lot less about lighting.

The bottom hairlight I don't like so much. It looks much better in your pics when it is coming from above and at an angle.

In the second photo, the catch lights look odd in the pupils. I think the shot works a little better if her head is turned slightly more toward the camera, while her shoulders are turned slightly more away from it. That would also minimize the shadow in the collarbone area (I think), or at least make it less noticable.

In the hair toss shot, I would bring the left light around front some more. Looks like her back is well lit, and it overpowers the right light. That particular model seems to have a shiny face. A little more powder should soften the highlights (better to notice it before the photo is taken than to deal with it in post).

Love the lighting on the last two shots. My only thought is that the background could use a darker tone on the last one. It's more a location issue than a lighting one.

Just a few hopefully constructive thoughts. I'm no expert.

Very very flat lighting this is the kind of lighting they use at walmart not something you want your photos to look like.

Why are you shooting thru a umbrella that is one of the biggest marketing rip offs ever to come out it makes no sense.
It is the worst thing you can do to your light.

Drop the 250w bulbs and buy some real strobes and a thick black backed umbrella and shoot into it this way 1/3 of your light is not lost.

Oly500Enew said:

One shoot thru umbrella at a 45 deg angle slightly above the model to
the right from my perspective and prob 4-5 feet away. Hair light
either directly behind and below the model or coming from slightly
behind and to the left and about 7.5" high with cardboard homemade
snoot to narrow the beam.

I also sometimes used a second umbrella from the left and about head
height at a 30-45 deg angle. I had a little ambient light too as it
was daytime. Bulbs are 250w tungsten.

I just got a new Sunpak 383 and ordered another 285hv flash for
future experimentation. I wanted constant lights to learn with and
see what I was doing.
--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last
night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

Click to expand...

Your lights appear to be too low, and too far away. I am judging that based on the bizzare direction of the shaddows on the face (easly seen with the nose shaddow) as well as size and location of the eye catch lights. Try moving your lights in as CLOSE as you can (just an inch out of frame) and bring your key light higher as well, Try 45 or 30 degrees up, not 90 where they are now. I also thing the lighting is a tad flat (increase your key, decrease your fills and hairs). Seperate your models from the background as much as possible. When I shoot in my livingroom, they are typically 15 feet or more away.

Good start, but in my opinion, the only keeper is the last one.

Well,

It was my first foray into studio lighting ever on the cheap to try it out. I already ordered some strobes and got a black back removable umbrella too, and just added to my kit along with wireless triggers.
--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

Thanks for the comments, but my light (main) was not up 90 it was up between 30-45...might have been spill of the ceiling though or the hair light you are talking about, which was back and to the left 30 and up 45-60.

I will try moving closer with the lights and farther from the background.
--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

Oly500Enew said:

Thanks for the comments, but my light (main) was not up 90 it was up
between 30-45...might have been spill of the ceiling though or the
hair light you are talking about, which was back and to the left 30
and up 45-60.

Click to expand...

Looking at the catch lights, the lights appear to be parallel with the face, not above the face (which is what i am recommending). Directly parallel with the face would be lights at 90 degrees, 30 degrees would be really really high, and 0 degrees would be shooting straight down from above. which your lights certainly were not. Move your lights up.

Oly500Enew said:

I will try moving closer with the lights and farther from the
background.

Click to expand...

I failed to raise lights when I went from sitting to standing.
--
I'm not a professional, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night.

http://wisertime.zenfolio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21868346@N00/

Oly500Enew said:

I failed to raise lights when I went from sitting to standing.

Click to expand...

Take a close look at photo #6. Look at the shadow from her nose. It is actually poing up and away, almost pointing to the 2 o'clock position. These kinds of shadows are unnatural for us to look at (The sun is above our heads, not below, right?)

I am no pro... but when I shoot with my lights one of my main goals with the lighting is to make it look as natural as I can. What I try to avoid, is when you look at the picture, what draws your attention, are the lights themselves. When I look at your photos, I don't see pretty women, fun clothes, and fun pictures, I see strange lighting on them. What you want is for the lighting to dissapear so that when you see the pictures, you see just your subject(s). Even though you can tell they are lit with lights, you don't want that to dominate your attention.

The same thing happens to me with actors in movies. When watching a bad actor, I see the actor himself. When im watching a good actor, I see his characer. There is a big big differences, and I think the loose analogy works with lighting.