Critique Lorna

Morbid

Morbid

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Ian
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A few shots of Lorna, taken after an evening out so make-up isn't fresh and hair is a little funky too (at the top). Single flash, shoot through umbrella and makeshift polystyrene reflector, held at an angle, just out of shot.

Thoughts? I'm not totally happy with them, not sure why but maybe the grey background isn't doing much for the shots (so the last one has a bg added). Flash on the background wasn't working and I can't seem to get it to trigger when I had it working briefly before. Time for a second YN600 perhaps...

1. IMG_4707 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

2. IMG_4699e by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

3. IMG_4697e3c by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

4. Background added in PP.
IMG_4726e2 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

Pull back shot.
IMG_4727 by Ian Bradshaw, on Flickr

Thanks for looking and as always C&C welcome.
 
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These are nicely exposed and pin sharp with great expressions (4699 is my favourite), Ian (y) prime candidates for practising some retouching techniques! You've got great light in her eyes too.

My only crit on these is that the landscape orientation ones might be a bit too close for head shots. I prefer to have more neck/chest/collar bone area showing, so that it doesn't give the 'floating head' appearance.
 
I'm hopeless with C&C on this sort of shot so you'll have to make do with a "Great results, especially seeing the setup". I think the second is my favourite but I like them all just about equally.
 
gbmphoto said:
These are nicely exposed and pin sharp with great expressions (4699 is my favourite), Ian (y) prime candidates for practising some retouching techniques! You've got great light in her eyes too.

My only crit on these is that the landscape orientation ones might be a bit too close for head shots. I prefer to have more neck/chest/collar bone area showing, so that it doesn't give the 'floating head' appearance.
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Thanks Graham, really useful crit, I think that's certainly one reason these look a bit odd, have wider shots so I'll take a look at those and compare.

ETA. Didn't take any wider landscape shots. Remember why now, wasn't happy with the focus so did mirco AF adjustment the day before and these were testing that out. Will bear in mind next time.


Did a bit of minor retouching to the last one, and perhaps one of the others, can't remember. Lorna isn't keen on taking it too far with FS etc. Might practice and not tell her!
 
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EdwardL said:
I'm hopeless with C&C on this sort of shot so you'll have to make do with a "Great results, especially seeing the setup". I think the second is my favourite but I like them all just about equally.
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Thanks for taking the time to comment, it's appreciated. I use a simple set up, and have limited space to work in.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
I like them, but lowering the brolly would create a better catchlight in her eyes.
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Another good point Bob, thank you. I've been experimenting (mainly with Finley) on this very thing over the weekend. Too high, dark eyes and minimal catchlights. Too low and it gives oddly positioned ones. Think it just needs a few test shots and repositioning at the start to get it right. Have read somewhere to get the lights as high as possible, I'm not convinced this is necessarily true!

Another thing to add to the pre-shoot list...

ETA. One from earlier. How are the catchlights?

IMG_5016 by -Ian J Bradshaw-
 
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Morbid said:
Another good point Bob, thank you. I've been experimenting (mainly with Finley) on this very thing over the weekend. Too high, dark eyes and minimal catchlights. Too low and it gives oddly positioned ones. Think it just needs a few test shots and repositioning at the start to get it right. Have read somewhere to get the lights as high as possible, I'm not convinced this is necessarily true!

Another thing to add to the pre-shoot list...

ETA. One from earlier. How are the catchlights?

IMG_5016 by -Ian J Bradshaw-
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Catchlights are fine in that one :)
 
Morbid said:
Thanks Graham, really useful crit, I think that's certainly one reason these look a bit odd, have wider shots so I'll take a look at those and compare.

ETA. Didn't take any wider landscape shots. Remember why now, wasn't happy with the focus so did mirco AF adjustment the day before and these were testing that out. Will bear in mind next time.


Did a bit of minor retouching to the last one, and perhaps one of the others, can't remember. Lorna isn't keen on taking it too far with FS etc. Might practice and not tell her!
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The AF adjust worked :) the eyes are very sharp. What was your kit combination for these?

You have loads on your Flickr and I'm interested to know, which is your favourite pic and why?
 
Nice shots, I like the flat, even lighting you've created. The first two are particularly pleasing.
 
I like tightly framed headshots when the model's face is good enough and yours definitely meets that requirement. Although all of them are good, and at first I thought No. 4 was the best of them, after several viewings I keep going back to No. 3 as there is something about her enigmatic smile that holds my attention.
 
gbmphoto said:
The AF adjust worked :) the eyes are very sharp. What was your kit combination for these?

You have loads on your Flickr and I'm interested to know, which is your favourite pic and why?
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Used a 70D, 24-70mm, YN600, YN radio trigger and the umbrella as shown in the pic, with a bit of polystyrene for the reflector.

IMG_4717 where she has the most natural smile is probably my favourite even though it's the one where the reflector wasn't used, closely followed by IMG_4725 again for the smile and I quite like the pose - though I need to do some reading up on poses, I'm hopeless due to lack of any experience.
 
paul.w said:
Nice shots, I like the flat, even lighting you've created. The first two are particularly pleasing.
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Thanks Paul, nice of you to comment.

Earley Man said:
I like tightly framed headshots when the model's face is good enough and yours definitely meets that requirement. Although all of them are good, and at first I thought No. 4 was the best of them, after several viewings I keep going back to No. 3 as there is something about her enigmatic smile that holds my attention.
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Thank you Christopher, you've just made Lorna's night when she read your comment.
 
Morbid said:
Thanks Paul, nice of you to comment.



Thank you Christopher, you've just made Lorna's night when she read your comment.
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Tell her it was genuine, if it wasn't I wouldn't have made the comment and here's another one for her; I've gone back yet again to No. 3 and I've finally worked out why it holds my attention. That is the one where her very beautiful, no other words will do, eyes are shown at their best.
 
As others have said terrific lighting and sharp. Also very good expressions from the model. To me #2 is the most flattering to her but I wish it were framed like #4.
 
Morbid said:
Another good point Bob, thank you. I've been experimenting (mainly with Finley) on this very thing over the weekend. Too high, dark eyes and minimal catchlights. Too low and it gives oddly positioned ones. Think it just needs a few test shots and repositioning at the start to get it right.
Click to expand...

One of the real advantages of studio lights and modelling lamps!
 
Great stuff, we're getting into micro-criticism territory now...

Lighting wise.. it's very nice. Some of the shadows are a little hard-edged but that's what you're going to get from a smallish shoot-through umbrella. #3 has worked best where she's turned her face to the light.

It'd be worth checking how well the flashgun fills the umbrella. And if necessary try a different bracket to get the flashgun central. You could also try aiming the brolly upwards or downwards slightly so the central hot spot isn't directly on the face - but it's quite possible that neither will make any meaningful different to the results.

I'm not sure about the position of the reflector. It's definitely worked well in #3 where it catches the edge of the jaw, but for the others I wonder whether moving it more to the front would be a minor improvement? Or even add some fill from the front bouncing your second flashgun off a white wall or the reflector.

Expression-wise, they're all great but #3 is the weakest. And my favourite face is in the pullback :)

What was your focal length, out of interest?
 
juggler said:
It'd be worth checking how well the flashgun fills the umbrella. And if necessary try a different bracket to get the flashgun central. You could also try aiming the brolly upwards or downwards slightly so the central hot spot isn't directly on the face - but it's quite possible that neither will make any meaningful different to the results.
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I think it fills the brolly ok, the issue here was more that the light was too high. I've only had the brackets since Christmas, so will be keeping them for a while (especially as "Finley" got them for me). See the Winter Woollies thread for better positioning of the flash, I think.

juggler said:
I'm not sure about the position of the reflector. It's definitely worked well in #3 where it catches the edge of the jaw, but for the others I wonder whether moving it more to the front would be a minor improvement? Or even add some fill from the front bouncing your second flashgun off a white wall or the reflector.
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The reflector was maybe a bit low in some of these. It was between me and Lorna so it was in front and off to camera left a little (angled up a bit), later I moved it so it was higher and just out of shot - it was all a bit hit and miss and rushed to be honest (15 mins max spent doing this). A proper reflector has been ordered, so that may help. Second flash (well, a second one I can use the radio trigger with) is due to be delivered tomorrow. Perhaps a bit of on axis fill (I have a second brolly and bracket) would negate the need for the reflector (?) or would i need both :thinking: . I'll probably end up falling over a light stand at some point....

juggler said:
Expression-wise, they're all great but #3 is the weakest. And my favourite face is in the pullback :)
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Thanks, I'm hoping Lorna doesn't notice the pull back shot !!

juggler said:
What was your focal length, out of interest?
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The exif is on Flickr, from a quick check it ranged between 30mm and 58mm (on a 1.6x crop body, so 48mm to 92.8mm equivalent, I think).
 
BruceMo said:
Funny thing taste. My fave is 3. Light falls nicely on her and the expression has a nice smile and just a hint of naughty
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Thanks Bruce, I guess if we all liked the same thing we'd have nothing to talk about...that's the best one of Lorna's eyes too.
 
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