Second Attempt at OCF

[Carl in Louisiana]

Well I think I used most everything from the last time I posted, but now absolutely sure. I think I did a better job of it this time with the lights. I would welcome all CnC and am okay with anyone wanting to edit and post their edits of this image to help explain. It is much easier for me when I see what's being said applied. Thanks for looking.

[Mark von Kanel]

Hi Carl,

Nice shot, but not entirely OCF surely! looks like some natural light with a touch of fill flash to me, but an excellent shot anyway! well done. id perhaps tidy a few of the stray hairs in pp though

[Carl in Louisiana]

Hi Carl,

Nice shot, but not entirely OCF surely! looks like some natural light with a touch of fill flash to me, but an excellent shot anyway! well done. id perhaps tidy a few of the stray hairs in pp though

Thanks for taking the time to comment Mark. It was all OCF, softbox camera left and shoot through umbrella over the camera as fill, the room had very little ambient light.
The stray hairs I will have to leave as is because I never did get around to learning to use PSE 10. I guess I may have to break down and start learning to use it one day....arrgg.... But will note that and try to make sure it is done before the shot next go round. I hope I can keep all of this in my head to try and get it right in camera and avoid the learning curve for now as spare time is limited...lol

[Mark von Kanel]

Hi Carl,

Now i get it, you mean off camera rather than on camera!! ive been involved in a thread reacently that im sure use OCF to mean on camera but thats my bad!!!

i did wonder how you got the catchlight high camera right but now i get it!

its interesting to see the difference in the catchlight shape and im curious to know how far away from the subject the lights are? the umbrella has produced a very tight catchlight, was it further away than the soft box? need to play with this my self.

im not keen on the dual catchlights so im gunna get my lights out and have a go at this myself... can i borrow your model???

im at the same situation myself with photoshop! but have learned how to use the clone tool for hair removal

[Carl in Louisiana]

Hi Carl,

Now i get it, you mean off camera rather than on camera!! ive been involved in a thread reacently that im sure use OCF to mean on camera but thats my bad!!!

i did wonder how you got the catchlight high camera right but now i get it!

its interesting to see the difference in the catchlight shape and im curious to know how far away from the subject the lights are? the umbrella has produced a very tight catchlight, was it further away than the soft box? need to play with this my self.

im not keen on the dual catchlights so im gunna get my lights out and have a go at this myself... can i borrow your model???

im at the same situation myself with photoshop! but have learned how to use the clone tool for hair removal

It may be me Mark I thought I was using the right letters, perhaps someone will come along and get it straight for us.

The softbox (24"x24") was just out of the frame camera left maybe a foot and the shoot through umbrella (45") was right over my right shoulder and the camera was approx 10-12 ft back. I forgot to bring my tape measure so had to guess at it and that could be off some.
It was shot at 75mm with a little cropping if I remember right. ISO 100 f/11 1/250

I ask her Dad but you'll have to drive to Slidell. Her Dad keeps a close watch on her, I know because he is my best friend.

[Mark von Kanel]

Hi Carl,

i hope you dont mind, my PP skills are developing and i had a quick go at some cloning to remove one of the catchlights and some stray hairs, what do you think?

[Carl in Louisiana]

I like that Mark! It does look much better with the stray hairs gone and the umbrella catchlight gone. I will have to raise the umbrella higher and see if that helps get rid of it.
I tapered the light from the left side of the umbrella so if I raise it and let the bottom of the umbrella do the tapering maybe that will do it.

You're going to force me into using PSE 10 sooner I see. LOL

[Colin Southern]

Well I think I used most everything from the last time I posted, but now absolutely sure. I think I did a better job of it this time with the lights. I would welcome all CnC and am okay with anyone wanting to edit and post their edits of this image to help explain. It is much easier for me when I see what's being said applied. Thanks for looking.

Hi Carl,

The eyes are a bit low in the frame (everything else is basically OK). I'd have cropped a bit more off the top, but left more below the neckline.

[Carl in Louisiana]

Hi Carl,

The eyes are a bit low in the frame (everything else is basically OK). I'd have cropped a bit more off the top, but left more below the neckline.

Thank You Colin for your comment! I checked the raw image but I did not allow any room for that crop. Yet another thing to be aware of before the shot to get it right in camera.
If you see anything else that needs to be addressed please let me know so that I can work it.

[Colin Southern]

Thank You Colin for your comment! I checked the raw image but I did not allow any room for that crop. Yet another thing to be aware of before the shot to get it right in camera.
If you see anything else that needs to be addressed please let me know so that I can work it.

Hi Carl,

No worries.

If I had to get nit-picky, I'd ...

- Raise the ambient light level a little so that her pupils aren't quite so dilated. It's a good effect to a degree, but a wee bit too much here in my opinion.

- You've ended up with soft but still quite contrasty light -- this works better on blokes whereas women are generally flattered by a more feminine lighting (unless she has a gun, in which case make it as hard as you like). I see that you also had a nice background. I'd be tempted to combine those two things and raise your shadow levels a bit.

- It also need a small output sharpen (say 40% @ 0.3px).

- I've gone for a slightly more aggressive crop too - just to move the eyes up a little.



I'd suggest trying some with a white background for women ...

[Carl in Louisiana]

Hi Carl,

No worries.

If I had to get nit-picky, I'd ...

- Raise the ambient light level a little so that her pupils aren't quite so dilated. It's a good effect to a degree, but a wee bit too much here in my opinion.

- You've ended up with soft but still quite contrasty light -- this works better on blokes whereas women are generally flattered by a more feminine lighting (unless she has a gun, in which case make it as hard as you like). I see that you also had a nice background. I'd be tempted to combine those two things and raise your shadow levels a bit.

- It also need a small output sharpen (say 40% @ 0.3px).

- I've gone for a slightly more aggressive crop too - just to move the eyes up a little.



I'd suggest trying some with a white background for women ...

I am glad you got nit-picky because it will help me to learn what is needed. I really want my photography to improve as much as possible and with your experience and sharp eye that could happen....I think.
I certainly will write these things down in my note book until it becomes a habit on what to look for.
I have a white muslin cloth I could use but will have to pick up a small hand held steamer to get the wrinkles out first and will use it in the near future.
You raised the exposure in your example..correct?

[Colin Southern]

I am glad you got nit-picky because it will help me to learn what is needed. I really want my photography to improve as much as possible and with your experience and sharp eye that could happen....I think.
I certainly will write these things down in my note book until it becomes a habit on what to look for.
I have a white muslin cloth I could use but will have to pick up a small hand held steamer to get the wrinkles out first and will use it in the near future.
You raised the exposure in your example..correct?

For white backgrounds, nothing beats white seemless paper - and it's pretty cheap. You do need to light it separately though.

In my retouch of your shot I just dialed in a whole bunch of fill light to see what happened.

[Carl in Louisiana]

For white backgrounds, nothing beats white seemless paper - and it's pretty cheap. You do need to light it separately though.

In my retouch of your shot I just dialed in a whole bunch of fill light to see what happened.

Thanks Colin for taking the time to help me out here, I appreciate it a whole lot. Now I can't wait to get to the next one to see how much I'll remember or forget.

[Manfred M]

Hi Carl - definitely a step forward from last time.

I will agree with Colin regarding the choice of background; I tend to shoot women against a lighter background, mid-gray and lighter. I also tend to shoot portraits in portrait format, rather than landscape; I just find it looks better. It also gives you a bit more material to work with. You have lots of material (all black) on the left side of the image that you could crop, but having a bit more top, and especially bottom would give you more options.

I also tend to leave a bit more material in the capture; "headroom", so to speak. It is always easier to crop the shot a bit. It's much harder to put stuff back.

I also try to position the eyes around 1/3 down from the top of the image. A bit of dodging on the right side to bring out some more light tones in the hair. I would also have tried with a light behind your subject, camera right. A hair light / rim light would have gotten her to stand out from the background a bit more.

[Carl in Louisiana]

Thanks Manfred! I have always learned from my mistakes, because I make so many and I have the knots on my head to prove it.
I will certainly take all of this in and try my best to use it the next time out. My list is getting longer as I go. Now I know why the Pro's make the big bucks. LOL

[Loose Canon]

Hi Carl!

Guess all I will add is “what a lovely model”! And I do like your background.

You have a great jump on this.

But I think you are going to have to dust off the ole PSE10 and get on down with your bad self! You think it is fun now, wait ‘til you get to adding the finishing touches in post!

I can’t think of too much better than making a photo of someone the best shot of them it can be!

Nicely done, Carl!