DSLRUsers.com

With a mate's studio lights, here's a few practice portraits from the last few days. I used the kit lens with two strobes, fired from the hotshoe by cable. One of them used an umbrella. Any critiques welcomed.

My little niece:


My youngest daughter's friend from school:

[/img]

Top stuff Ozi. Just love the first. Perhaps the second could be cropped to a head and shoulder shot?

Nice work ozimax!
My only suggestion would be that in the second shot you should have moved the subject further away from the background so that it would blur a little more. However, I realise that sometimes you just can't do that.

Matt. K wrote:Nice work ozimax!
My only suggestion would be that in the second shot you should have moved the subject further away from the background so that it would blur a little more. However, I realise that sometimes you just can't do that.

Point taken, I actually had Anna sit right on the edge of the lounge as it was, I was working in a narrow room and couldn't get back any further.

Ozi - what great shots. Your niece is a real little cutie !!!! Just a hot spot on the forehead, but a fantastic 'natural' shot !! Well done.
I like the second, but agree Matt & Oneputt ..... I hope you printed these out for your 2 'models' ?

Rel

Hi,

I think the lighting and portraits are great.
Does anyone have experience with make up for covering the hot spots ?
It is the tip of the nose or the tip of the fore head or stuff like that which allways causes difficulties.

Cheers,
CD

Nice, OziMax. The only problem I can see is the hotspot on the forehead in no.1.

Alex

The first is a cracker it made me feel all clucky after 17 - 1/2 years of abstinence LOZ

The first one of your niece is brilliant! How can you go wrong with a subject like that... Absolutely gorgeous and a fantastic, natural happy expression...

How far is your subject from the background wall? Just wondering if you could get them a little further away from the wall so it blurs out more (or smaller aperture maybe?)... Or you could maybe do that in PP with a bit of lens blur (or gaussian blur as it's a flat wall, no changes in distance) on the background maybe?

The lighting in the second looks a little strong to me but take that with a grain of salt considering I've never taken a photo of a person ...

with the second image, you need to have the model further from the background.

perhaps closer crop also. head and shoulders perhaps.

like the first one a lot.

edit: although I think the light at camera left is a little too strong.
the clothing is a bit hot and there are some reflections on the forehead

steve

Great shots Max. Your niece is a natural performer and I've no doubt we're all going to see a lot more of her as she's growing up and giving you plenty of reasons to point a camera at her.

Christian - I wouldn't worry too much about makeup; takes about four seconds to get rid of the hotspots in Photoshop! (and it's a lot cheaper than make-up!)

Max - well worth the effort. As others have said the shot of your niece is a cracker

The first shot is terrific !- great expression - great lighting - great capture


Bob G

Re the "hot spot" in #1, I could have fixed it up but this is straight out of the camera, just cropped.

As to distance from the wall, I couldn't get any further away without her landing on her head, but I do understand the concept!!

Thanks.

This one is the second more closely cropped:



This is another one of little Kezia. I haven't fixed up any bumps and imperfections, but then again she is only a baby!



Finally one from the same session, a self portrait, should I say a fractured (frightening) fairy tale sadly photoshopped rather severely... At least my mum still loves me.