Say Hello to Isabella

[Colin Southern]

Shot today in the studio 125th @ F11 @ ISO 50 @ 85mm. Short Rembrant lighting with key, fill, hair, and 2x backdrop lights.

[Dave Humphries]

Very good Colin, I can't suggest anything technically to improve it.

One does need to view fullsize - best in a separate browser tab so you can scroll up and down to see sharpness (for us mere mortals with no swivel screen technology)

Cheers,

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Dave,

I took the extra added step of asking myself "what little things might I get picked up on if I post it here" -- and hopefully fixed them first this time!

It's pretty hard to know what resolution to resample to these days, so I just did it to suit my 24" one at home (ie I didn't use any vertical pivots in post processing). On my monitor inline viewing shows a bit of degradation, but when I click on the image it opens a little larger, and looks fine.

[Klickit]

What a lovely, natural looking shot. I really like her upward gaze away from the camera and the fact that you have kept her skin natural - freckles and bumpy bits and all. She looks a lovely natured kid.

[Dave Humphries]

It's pretty hard to know what resolution to resample to these days, so I just did it to suit my 24" one at home (ie I didn't use any vertical pivots in post processing). On my monitor inline viewing shows a bit of degradation, but when I click on the image it opens a little larger, and looks fine.

Oh, I agree it loks fine, but to get the best of the freckles, it needs to be fullsize.

I took the extra added step of asking myself "what little things might I get picked up on if I post it here" -- and hopefully fixed them first this time!

Glad we're still able to help you improve

[Colin Southern]

What a lovely, natural looking shot. I really like her upward gaze away from the camera and the fact that you have kept her skin natural - freckles and bumpy bits and all. She looks a lovely natured kid.

Thanks Kit,

It was a composition I'd seen before and I set out to try and emulate it -- we took a few other compositions as well, but in the end I think it was technically the best (not surprising since that was the shot I set the lighting up for) -- and it's the one she liked best as well (always a bonus). I'll do a canvas print of it tomorrow for the parents.

She is a nice kid - first time I'd met her today (she spent the day with us -- a friend of my #2 daughter), she was a bit quiet at first, but by the end of the day she'd come out of her shell

[Colin Southern]

to get the best of the freckles, it needs to be fullsize.

That's the tough bit - I've got no idea as to what size you and others are viewing it inline. For me it's close to full size (probably about 85 to 90%).

[revi]

That's the tough bit - I've got no idea as to what size you and others are viewing it inline. For me it's close to full size (probably about 85 to 90%).

I've got a screen size of 1440x900, so showing isabella at full size requires some scrolling...
And reducing her to 900 pixels wouldn't do her justice, that's a very nice portrait.

[arith]

Hello Isabella Nice sparkle

[rick55]

Beautiful shot, Colin. Is the boa (or whatever it is) around her neck one of your props? It makes a very nice separation at the shoulder level.

Cheers,
Rick

[Colin Southern]

I've got a screen size of 1440x900, so showing isabella at full size requires some scrolling...
And reducing her to 900 pixels wouldn't do her justice, that's a very nice portrait.

Thanks Remco,

I think I've found the solution to the monitor issue ... everyone with smaller monitors needs to buy bigger ones!

Seriously, it's a bit of a no-win for me ... if I make it small enough to fit in a 900 pixel monitor then we lose detail for everyone

[Colin Southern]

Hello Isabella Nice sparkle

Thanks Steve

[Colin Southern]

Beautiful shot, Colin. Is the boa (or whatever it is) around her neck one of your props? It makes a very nice separation at the shoulder level.

Cheers,
Rick

Thanks Rick - it was just a scarf that she had, although I did change my backdrop to one that matched it!

[rick55]

Thanks Rick - it was just a scarf that she had, although I did change my backdrop to one that matched it!

It's a wonderful touch: the scarf with the matching backdrop keeps the focus on the face very effectively. Like a choker or a string of pearls, but perfect for your subject. Light-hearted.

Cheers,
Rick

[carregwen]

Technically, the shot is very good, especially the lighting. However, I really find that scarf distracting. I know the colours tone in with the back-drop, but is it a shot of the girl as subject, or the scarf as subject? The colours (a little gaudy) and the style of the scarf don't seem to go with the innocent look of the model, which is the great strength of the shot. I also think I would have got those wisps of hair on the right brushed away from her cheek and eye. The lighting is very good though.

[Colin Southern]

It's a wonderful touch: the scarf with the matching backdrop keeps the focus on the face very effectively.

I really find that scarf distracting.

Perhaps you two should get together and let me know who wins!

Seriously Rob, I didn't have a lot of options - she was originally wearing a turquoise coloured sweater that clashed with everything, so it was really a choice between white top with the scarf, and white top without the scarf -- and I think with the scarf was better (I didn't mention this before, but this wasn't a planned shoot - she's just a friend of my daughters' spending the day with us - came to the workshop to watch Avatar on DVD while I potted around - they got bored with the movie - so talked her into an impromptu photo shoot )

With regards to the hair ... yes, I missed that one. I'd actually brushed all her hair out of the way, but long brushed hair with kids seems to last about as long as clean white shorts in a game of rugby in the rain!

PS: Just gave the parents a free 22 x 15" framed canvas ... they loved it

[carregwen]

she's just a friend of my daughters' spending the day with us - came to the workshop to watch Avatar on DVD while I potted around - they got bored with the movie

And that just about sums up that particular piece of Hollywood 'culture' doesn't it. A fine example of hype and marketing masking an absence of substance and quality.

I'm sure the parents loved the photo.

[Colin Southern]

And that just about sums up that particular piece of Hollywood 'culture' doesn't it. A fine example of hype and marketing masking an absence of substance and quality.

Nah - actually the movie (especially in 3D) was amazing ... it's just that we saw it 3 times at the movies, and it is about 3 hours long, which exceeds the attention span of the average kid by about 2 hours and 59 minutes!

Have you seen it by the way?

[carregwen]

Have you seen it by the way?

No, just watched clips from it. All the awards it won are mostly for the 'special effects' http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/awards Is it a movie, or is it a triumph over difficult circumstances to produce a visual show-piece. Is that what a movie is these days?

[Colin Southern]

No, just watched clips from it. All the awards it won are mostly for the 'special effects' http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/awards Is it a movie, or is it a triumph over difficult circumstances to produce a visual show-piece. Is that what a movie is these days?

In my opinion, it was superb all round ... "special effects" don't even begin to do it justice - it was more of a totally believeable "alternate reality", especially in 3D. After what they did with that movie it goes to show that they can do ANYTHING. Special effects aside though it was also just fine on a "plot" / action level. I'd encourage everyone to see it (preferably in 3D) just once (having said that, I think most of the planet already has). I'd be very surprised if you'd be in the least disappointed.