Hey Everyone,
Another from my shoot with Kattie, wanted to hear some thoughts on this one. Feel free to give an honest rating on it.
Thanks for any CC!
Hey Everyone,
Another from my shoot with Kattie, wanted to hear some thoughts on this one. Feel free to give an honest rating on it.
Thanks for any CC!
Nice pose and good eyes. One thing that strikes me is that her face seems a little dark. Perhaps lighten that up and should be a great shot. Also, the smoothing on the face is very even, but perhaps a bit heavy.
Just some thoughts....Craig
Thanks Craig! Appreciate the comments as always
I don't understand why flash isn't used on shots like this one. Her eyes are amazing and would have popped with a touch of fill. Also her arm is dark and distracting. What's the focus, her face or her bangles, bracelets and tattoo? Great expression though, and a very beautiful model.
Thanks for the comments Mike, after looking again, her arm is very dark.
To much dodging and burning, to much magenta, to much vignetting, skin is to smoothed out, to flat. This needs fill (flash).
Looking again, it might be a bit too dark around her. Some feedback I received from a similar shot was that the background was too bright so I took it down a bit; maybe a bit much. Thanks
Over all, I like it a lot. Yes some of the comments others have made are valid but the fill in flash idea. I can't see that doing anything good, either direct from a flash gun or using a diffused studio style flash, either way just ruinatious, however subtle you might be with it.
I said, the background in your previous shot, top left, was distracting because it was bright, or words to that effect. I then said I would have cropped it a bit. I don't think I said it was too bright or should be darkened. It was perfect but there was just too much of it.
In terms of this image I am conflicted. Is the problem because you have made the background on the left, too dark, which you have, or is her face too pale, or are her right shoulder (camera left) and left arm too dark. Essentially her face is much brighter than the other areas, and that looks wrong. I might just as correctly say all the other areas are rather too dark, whereas her face is perfect, and I think this is the crux of the problem. Her face is the correct brightness but everything else is too dark. I suspect you have worked on her stunning pupils, but maybe just too much. Appologies if they are truly like that, they are stunning but look a little artificial, as do the whites.
Ideally, she would not have the heart on her hand, which is distracting, but short of Photoshopping it, hey so what. The bangle stuck on her hand is not ideal but the others look fine. Her face may have too much airbrushing and or make up but not hugely. Basically, lighten the outer areas and ease off the facial enhancements, including the eyes, and you have a winner of a photograph of a very pretty girl. Always a good thing.
Hey Ian,
Again, thanks for dropping a comment. I agree with most of what you're saying again. Will keep working on them to find a good balance between background being too dark or too light. Retouching on the eyes are pretty subtle (compliments of Kattie's parents, haha). The retouching on the face could be taken down though.
Thanks for all the points, I'll keep at it!
https://fstoppers.com/photo/99676
Made some lighting adjustments after yours and other's notes. Did not make any adjustments yet to the skin, or any fashion accessories, or tattoos haha.
Superb.
Just need the airbrushing reducing and that horizontal line I don't like on the far right, removing.
Did I say superb?
Much appreciated Ian. Trying to get better everyday and all of this CC helps. Will probably revisit the retouch on this soon.
Mike - much better on your adjustments. I know some here are against fill flash on your original, after all it's a "natural light" group, but don't listen to them. Each shot requires what it requires, and natural light doesn't always cut it. Sometimes the light you need just isn't there, and simply opening up the lens or slowing down the shutter doesn't get you what you need. What if you had been able to capture your adjusted shot out of camera? Better idea eh? After all most of the adjustments you made where chasing after a fill effect to lighten things up, correct? You could have had that on the outset if you'd applied flash. For some reason, many photographers are afraid of flash. That's usually for several reasons:
1: They don't understand how to blend fill with ambient light.
2: They don't understand how to use flash hardware.
3: They're afraid of flash - just because it's flash and will do anything to remain a "natural light" photographer - whatever that means.
This continuing trend in photography to use natural light only, as if flash is anathema is ridiculous and unnecessary. Light is light - and as a photographer it's your responsibility to get it right in camera to the best of your ability. If that means adding fill, do it. I can't tell you how many shots I've seen over the years using natural light only, as if it's some sort of purist right, that could have been made so much better if the photographer understood flash and used it. Instead, fill-phobia photographers would rather clean it all up in Photoshop. What a dreadful way to go about it all.The key is that you may not have had to have made changes at all (or very few) had you used fill to begin with. That means better shots, and being more productive in the field. Go check out Neil van Niekerk's website for an expert tutorial on flash and blending flash with ambient. You'll be amazed at how flash can, and will improve your photography.
Being a "natural light" photographer only is like being a writer who tells the world you will only tell your stories by mouth, but you will never use pen, ink, and paper. It's just not a practical way to approach story telling. Likewise with photography and flash. Learn to master flash. I'm not saying you should use it always, but it should be something you're prepared to use, and are capable of using should the need arise.
Cheers,
Mike
http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/
I had not realised this was a natural light group. Sorry, I missed that. I thought this a Portrait Photography group. If you look back over some of my comments you will see I have talked about lighting many times, so no I don't have a bias against it.
I don't think this image needs any other light, just my opinion. This is not a bias agaist artificial light, of any kind, just my view.
I have 40 years full time photography experience, originally as an advertising and commercial photographer working in London on international advertising campaigns for Ford, Daimler Jaguar, Peugeot, British Airways and Imperial Tobacco. I then moved back home to the north of England, where the advertising industry barely exists so I did many years as commercial photogrpaher using studio or fill in flash almost every day. I own 5 Elinchrom studio flash heads and am trying to decide which battery powered units to add to my kit. For 25 years my photography was in TV as a Lighting Cameraman & Director of Pgotography. I shot two Royal Television Society award winning commercials and one won a Channel 4 Best Short Film award 2005. So, I think it is safe to say I am not afraid of or ignorant about lighting of any kind. I just don't think this image needs it. An opinion based on my aesthetic assessment of this shot, pure and simple. You are also entitled to your opinion, of course. And no doubt Mr Freestone will develop his own ideas after reading everyone's input and reflecting on the image himself.
I joined this forum to learn about portrait photography, which directly I have done too little of. However, in TV I shot many hundreds of formal lit interviews which is a similar thing, but not exactly the same. I find offering well thought out CC helps me to develop my knowledge and eventually my skill will improve, I am sure.
Actually Ian - I think I misspoke. It is a portrait group - so that would include I presume all types of lighting. My mistake!
You're right - saying it doesn't need any other light is a point of personal opinion. If one is satisfied with it - then one is satisfied. For me though, much more could be done to add to it during the shoot. Also, another tell tale sign for me is when suggestions to improve the shot turn to "brightening" and "lightening up" in Photoshop - it's a sign the lighting wasn't right to begin with, and in many cases, as in this one, fill would have made all the difference.
Just my opinion.
By the way, I'm not challenging your credentials. It looks to me like you have an extensive background. Please don't take my comments as an attack on you. In fact your work is very impressive, and I've enjoyed it very much. Thanks for submitting it.
Mike
Well said. Of course we are both entitled to our views and that is why these groups are worth the time and trouble involved in making well thought out critiques, one can learn all sorts of things from many heads, always being better than one, as the saying goes.
Well said Ian, and yes even reading the discussion between you and Mike help us all learn. The beauty of sites like Fstoppers.
Hey Mike,
Really appreciate your insight on lighting. Many people can of course look at different styles in different ways. Personally I think finding natural reflectors through your location is a skill in itself. Of course, it has benefits like not needing to bring any lights or equipment other than your camera and self. But to your point, lighting is something that we should all know so we can be prepared for any situation. At this stage of my career I am enjoying the challenge of finding natural light and growing my shooting AND retouching abilities through helpful CC like yours and Ian's.
Sounds great Mike. You do raise a point I didn't mention: reflectors. You can do an incredible amount of work with natural light and reflectors. However, natural reflectors (objects you might find) raise a greater challenge. It's been my experience that my setting - e.g., background, direction of my main light (usually the sun outdoors) is coming from, etc - override my ability to find and make use of any natural reflective surfaces. Rarely do I walk into a situation where I have a great back-lit scene, and happen upon the perfect natural reflector at just the right distance, angle, and composition from my model to light the front properly. If you're working to challenge yourself that way then you have my admiration. For me, I usually set out with an idea in mind, and I do whatever it takes to get the result I'm looking for - from the outset with using flash, reflectors, natural light, etc., all the way through post. I work more like an artist with an idea in mind, and then working the tools I have - all of them, to get that idea that I had realized in a print. For me, giving up control to what I might find in the field puts too great of a chance of failure in front of me. Please keep in mind that I'm not against natural light photography. I've seen many, many examples of great shots taken with just natural light. For me it's all a matter of what I come up against at that moment. It may very well be that natural light alone will do, and that's often the case. I just like to be prepared with the tools and knowledge I need for any given situation.
With that said, I admire your resolve in trying to set things up with natural elements and what you might find in the field. I wish you all the luck in the world in your efforts! Please post some of your future work that you've produced in this way on this forum. It's a fascinating exercise!
Mike