Houston Actor Headshot

Hey all, haven't posted in this group in a long time. Would love some CC for this image I shot a few days ago! D700, 105mm f/2.8, flash through softbox on the right as the main light and a bare bulb on the left illuminating her hair.

9 Comments

The easiest way to make a beautiful head shot is to start with a beautiful head. Great choice.

But seriously, very nicely lit with the exact right amount and colour of hair light. Good backgound and use of depth of field. Your exposure looks very good although judging by the slight lack of contrast which seems just a tad low perhaps it is slightly under exposed, or maybe just a bit flat, I can't be sure either way. I might not have cropped the top of her head, although I often do. In fact those last two points are the only negatives I can find. It is totally lovely.

You also have great colours working together, the warm tones of her complexion, her hair, her eyes and the autumn sun set colours behind her then you have the darker blue of her shirt, not competeing with her face but complimenting the blues behind her. Finally you have lit her, just a fraction brighter than the background, excellently judged. Well actually not excellently judged, perfectly judged. Beautifully done.

Great job

Thank you for the very kind words, and also for the feedback about the contrast. I might revisit the image to see if some processing might change it, though I honestly like how it doesn't feel overlit or over-produced as it is.

I agree about the over lit and over processed point you make, you're right but contrast is different and I'm not talking about much, as I am sure you realise.

What was your bare bulb and how did you power it? It matches her hair colour and the sunset light perfectly. A wondeful touch.

I see, I think I pictured in my head cranking the contrast up haha.

It's just a bare Neewer TT560. Didn't gel it or snoot it or anything, just kept it low power and feathered off her head a bit.

You said bare bulb, which I took to mean a light bulb without reflector or shade. The warmth of your subjects hair on that side also supported my opinion, whereas you actually meant a bare speedlight, which is daylight colour, rather than the tungsten colour I was imagining. Got it now, So the hair colour is just the colour it was nothing to do with your lighting. Thanks for the explanation.

Oh, I wasn't aware of the distinction--just thought bare bulb could mean a speedlight without a modifier attached. Learned something!

I don't know if it can mean speedlight w/out modifier. To me a speed light has a modifier built in, the difusing screen, which means not bare bulb to my mind, but who knows.

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