"School of Portraiture" - Lesson 05 - Introduction to Flash & Some Inspiration!

[Class A]

Have been absent for way too long. Hope I'll be able to contribute with some shots myself sometime.

Just a quick note regarding monitor calibration. Note that while the calibration alters the LUT of either the graphics card or the monitor and that this will already make a difference, it is still important to use a colour-managed application to get the correct colour. If you look at an image in a non-colour-managed web-browser, chances are that the colours will look subdued (often the case with laptop screen which have a lower gammut than sRGB). They may also look oversaturated if you are using a wide-gammut display.

So make sure you are using a colour-managed browser (such as Safari or Firefox), otherwise the necessary transformation into the output device colour space won't happen. I understand that Windows Vista and Windows 7 may take care of the transformation even if the application doesn't but I haven't been able to confirm that myself. Try this test page to see whether you can trust the way your browser renders colours of web images.

Adobe LR and PS are colour-managed but not all image manipulation software is. So even if your monitor is calibrated, you still got to make sure that you are producing (and viewing) images that will look the same to others with a calibrated monitor.

[speedneeder]

Hello, I just found this website and new to 'photography' as opposed to picture taking. I started the portraiture lesson and have completed lesson 1. Can I turn in my homework here for evaluation? This may have already been answered, but I didn't want to read through all the posts to find out in order to take the course in sequence

Thanks

[Colin Southern]

Hello, I just found this website and new to 'photography' as opposed to picture taking. I started the portraiture lesson and have completed lesson 1. Can I turn in my homework here for evaluation? This may have already been answered, but I didn't want to read through all the posts to find out in order to take the course in sequence

Thanks

Hi Brian,

Yes - for sure. Unless anyone else wants to do the lessons with you, in which case we could start a new thread. Probably easiest just to pop them in here and I'll move them later if I need to.

[speedneeder]

Thank you Colin. From your first lesson, I have so far ended up with the attached photo - errr portrait. My son is doing homework at the coffee table with the couch in the background. The color doesn't really work for me. I don't think I quite got my son's eyes in focus either. When I get home tonight I will be looking for reflectors!

[Colin Southern]

Thank you Colin. From your first lesson, I have so far ended up with the attached photo - errr portrait. My son is doing homework at the coffee table with the couch in the background. The color doesn't really work for me. I don't think I quite got my son's eyes in focus either. When I get home tonight I will be looking for reflectors!

Hi Brian,

Good on you for having a go ... get see how far we can take this with you!

Lesson 1 was all about selecting a good background - and hopefully we can do a little better than a plain orange background

So your first assignment is to take a wander outside and/or around your neighborhood parks etc and try to find something better (whilst you reflector is in the post). It might give you some ideas if you have a look through my outdoor portraits gallery. (just look at the backgrounds at this stage to get an idea as to what works, and what doesn't).

By the way, what equipment are you shooting with?

[speedneeder]

Yes, the background did not work. I do have some better opportunities outside in the yard, but this time of year it's alsmost dark outside when I get home from work, so that limits my options considerably! I was think this morning at breakfast that I could turn the table on it's side... Perhaps a patterned blanket over the couch would have helped...
The only thing I was successful at was keeping 'the room' out of the portrait.
I'm looking forward to this weekend because I'll have more opportunities with some daylight.
I have a Canon EOS 400D with the kit 18-55mm lens. I also have a 70-300 lens, a Sigma EF 530 flash, and will hopefully receive my ef 50mm 1.8 lens in the mail today.
I'll check out your gallery as well.

Thanks

[speedneeder]

OK, new attempt at portraiture.
I was able to shoot about 100 shots outside before the rain chased me in...
I couldn't get my daughter's eyes to show well with or without a reflector, so I cheated and used my flash! Unfortunately, this leaves a little shadow next to her nose
I guess I need a remote flash now.

[Dave Humphries]

I couldn't get my daughter's eyes to show well with or without a reflector, so I cheated and used my flash! Unfortunately, this leaves a little shadow next to her nose

Hi Brian,

Colin is the expert, but if you just wanted a catchlight in your daughter's eye without such a harsh shadow, I would suggest a stop or two of negative Flash Exposure Compensation (or as often written "-2 FEC")

This would give more emphasis to the daylight and less to the flash, hence less nose shadow.

Focusing on the nearer eye is usually recommended, but a good effort never the less.

Cheers,

[speedneeder]

Excellent idea! Why didn't I think of that lol

[speedneeder]

Better light today, I bought a $3 reflector at Walmart (elmers white cardboard presentation board), and the kids were willing to help me with my homework, so I took a few more portraits. I had to keep the kids pretty close to the fence to avoid the direct light, so really shallow DOF's.

First, I broke one of the rules by shooting head on. The reflector was lighting up my daughter's eyes well, and I just couldn't resist. I need to pay more attention to hair when my subjects have so much of it I like this portrait.
Portraits 009s.jpg

Next, my son and daughter switch duty between subject and reflector holder. He was not quite as cooperative as his sister... I caught some overexposed stuff leaking under the fence so I cropped this one a little.
Portraits 018s.jpg

Third photo, my babies together. They were having fun and so was I. Not the best composition, but everyone is smiling.
Portraits 040s.jpg

I was focused on lighting and the background and keeping eyes focused so I didn't spend much time with different poses.
Any feedback is appreciated.

[speedneeder]

I didn't get to take any new portraits this weekend since the weather has been crummy. I did order a gray card though

[speedneeder]

This is a picture taken with no color correction.

[Donald]

Brian

The link is showing as http://flic.kr/p/8XGJeg When you click on this link you see this picture on its Flickr page.

I don't think the above is the correct Flickr image location URL that you insert into window brought up by the 'Insert Image' icon. Maybe you need to check out the guidance about inserting images, here. You seem to be using the wrong link information?

Is this what you're trying to get?

[speedneeder]

yes that's what i'm trying to get! sorry to pollute this post with my technical inadequacies!
Thank you Donald.

This is a picture corrected with the gray card.


I was amazed that this was done with literally two clicks of the mouse.

[maloufn]

Thank you Collin. You have no idea how much all this basic stuff helps. Jessica seems like a great compliant
model- and tht is something that helps. I am a frustrated photographer amd my wife Nayla is the perfect
looking model but the most uncoopertaive. I am still working on her!!

[Colin Southern]

Thank you Collin. You have no idea how much all this basic stuff helps. Jessica seems like a great compliant
model- and tht is something that helps. I am a frustrated photographer amd my wife Nayla is the perfect
looking model but the most uncoopertaive. I am still working on her!!

Hi Maloufn,

It all depends on the mood that Jessica is in, unfortunately. To be honest, lack of co-operation from the kids was somewhat frustrating a lot of the time -- even to the point when friends of theirs would come around to visit - I'd ask "would you like some nice photos taken" and daughter would chearfully chip in "say no - he makes you do all sorts of weird poses - it's horrible" at which point the guest would of course have to side with my daughter and say a polite "no thanks", which is JUST what you need to hear, not.

It's also made worse by the fact that at that age (typically 15), many are very self-conscious about their looks, and always think they look fat, ugly, or both (when in reality, the only difference between them and girls on the cover of magazines is approximately nothing). So sometimes it really starts to dent one's self-confidence; for a while I'd be thinking "here I am with a fully equipped studio - a truckload of professional gear - and I can't even give a shoot away for free". I must admit that I had a few stern words to #1 daughter about it last time she did it - it concerned a friend of hers who I hadn't seen in a few years - and in those years she had grown into an absolutely stunning young lady with a very fresh-faced look (and I'm not kidding here - I'm not meaning an average looking kid, she's turned into an absolute jaw-dropper) - but - once again, didn't feel good about her looks. Perfect opportunity for me to get a bit of practice - perfect opportunity for her to get something that could really lift her self-esteem (so a real win/win), but again torpedoed by daughter.

Every so often though a Kirsten, or Ashley comes along who loves it (both have said they want to move in here, although one wanted to bring her boyfriend too, so possibly their was an ulterior motive!) - and some have friends who'd like to have some shots done too - so all I can suggest is "hang in there" and if family won't co-operate then find someone who will; sounds a little cruel I know, and I think it IS a bit sad, but from our point of view it's hard enough without them making the job even harder, and frankly, we don't need that kind of negativity. At the end of the day, we're doing them a favour too, and it they won't co-operate then it's there loss too, but also their decision. Just make sure that the ones you DO shoot have a great time - so they tell their friends etc. Most first time models that I shoot come in quite nervous, and ALL leave with a big smile (although perhaps they're just glad it's over! (just kidding!)).

Sorry if all this sounds a bit negative, but that's the pathway I've been down this year - there is however light at the end of the tunnel

Lesson 6 - Introduction to Studio Lighting - Can be found here.