Mischa-hontas

[dragon76]

I started my "shallow depth of field portrait with strobe" quest a few weeks back but only last Sunday that I had a bit of time to do a proper shoot. With "Miss Mish" I was at f2.2 but i pushed it a bit further with this one at f1.4. Focus was a bit challenging as I also used a 6 stops vari ND for this shot.

Focal length = 50mm
Strobe = Paul C Buff AB800
Modifier = 1m Octa box (internal baffle and external diffuser)
Filter = Tiffen Vari ND 8 stops ( but only useable upto 6)
Other accessories = Elinchrom trigger and stand

[Shadowman]

Beautifully exposed.

[Polar01]

Very nice indeed.

Cheers: Allan

[Manfred M]

Nicely done Dean - you've nailed it with this shot. The subject is nicely exposed and the background is is soft and dark.

I've never tried it with a variable ND filter (probably because I don't own one; I use standard NDs), but effectively done the same thing as you have - pushed the ambient light level down so low that I have to shoot (close to) wide open and get a nicely underexposed background.

I probably would have placed the light more to the camera right and tried for lighting that isn't quite as flat. Your model has a fairly round face, so I would have gone for short lighting and would have started with that "classical" 45 / 45 setup and would have shot a bit more camera left. You have a bit of shadow coming in from the camera left side. I think a bit more would give you an even more interesting image.

Keep working on this! You are getting great results; time to fine tune your technique!

[Stagecoach]

Impressive Dean.

[madcrow]

Beautiful image and model. Awesome work, someone at the top of theirs game.

[Dave Humphries]

The only thing I feel I can add to the analysis is that in some ways* it is a shame the flower she's holding is the same colours as her dress and it has got 'lost' in it.

* arguably, if it had stood out more, I'd have been saying it was a distraction from the model's face
So perhaps the answer is that colour flower, but held somewhere else?


The only other thing I wondered about was the placement in frame of Micha (too centred?) and whether if the tree on right had be whole in the frame (if you took a side step left, then panned right), it might have balanced the whole more effectively. Certainly just cropping off the left hand side a bit is not the way to go, what you have here is better.

These are minor points compared to the lighting aspects Manfred has mentioned.

HTH, Dave

[bnnrcn]

Beautiful image Dean

[Wandjina]

That is a lovely photo Dean. I agree with Dave that it is a pity the flower gets lost in the pattern of the dress, and seeing the other hand would be good. I would also like to see her feet. I like the way the image "pops" from the darkened background. Well done