Lens for Portraits

Fl_Gulfer · 12-15-2012, 08:34 PM

Number 2

Last edited by Fl_Gulfer; 04-26-2017 at 08:35 PM.

Anvh · 12-16-2012, 12:38 PM

First photo is pretty decent for a first attempt, the image looks a bit flat though but for the rest it all looks pretty good.

Second photo looks flatter and the shadow on the background.
Flash on the camera is a no no for portraits unless it's for fill.

Fl_Gulfer · 12-16-2012, 02:04 PM

Well it was my first atemp and it was night time. I just had the Metz flash with me but if I knew how to place it I guess I could have used my remote trigger and the camera flash to see what happened. Although I've never use the remote trigger either.
Thanks for the input...

Anvh · 12-16-2012, 03:15 PM

Flashes literally adds another dimension to photography, its a hard thing to do if you've never tried it before.
So you did well, believe me =]

Experiment a bit with the remote trigger of your metz, if you place the flash away from your camera the lighting in your image becomes much more interesting.
With the first photo, you used the setup with the 2 studio flashes. From what i see they are both set at the same power level, it would have been more interesting if one was more powerful as the other to create some depth, now most of the shadows are filled. What you want is one main light and a fill light to soften/fill in the shadows a bit but leave them there.
Cheap way to fill in the shadows is to use a (5 in 1) reflector if you want to experiment.
Reflector is also great outdoors in the sunlight, you use the sun as the main light and use the reflector to fill in.

Fl_Gulfer · 12-16-2012, 08:56 PM

Thanks alot for the info. I will try what you've said and see how it works.

Anvh · 12-17-2012, 09:33 AM

I'm going through my portofolio but they all have quite soft light as well...

We did this photo a year ago when we started to get more serious... we had one main light i believe from the top left and a small fill from the right.
Still very soft light though so not a good example...

This one we did outdoors couple of weeks ago in the sunlight that was coming from the left and used a reflector left to reflect some of the light back.

Fl_Gulfer · 12-17-2012, 10:46 AM

Beautiful shots, it must be nice to get naked women to pose for you. the B&W is stunning.

mrNewt · 12-17-2012, 10:52 AM - **1 Like**

Regarding the second photo ... to avoid hard shadows in the background, use this simple trick ... make your subjects take 5-6 steps away from the backdrop

.
And since you do not have anything on the floor, don't take full body pictures. Concentrate more on the waist-up.

Anvh · 12-17-2012, 11:11 AM

It sure sounds nice but it's all work, there is nothing arousal about it in that context.
We do hear some stories of the models though... but those photographers get a bad name and they don't get much if any models anymore.
As far as we know all models are happy with us.

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12-15-2012, 08:34 PM	#16
Fl_Gulfer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Photos: Albums Posts: 3,054 Original Poster	Number 2 Last edited by Fl_Gulfer; 04-26-2017 at 08:35 PM.

12-16-2012, 12:38 PM	#17
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	First photo is pretty decent for a first attempt, the image looks a bit flat though but for the rest it all looks pretty good. Second photo looks flatter and the shadow on the background. Flash on the camera is a no no for portraits unless it's for fill.

12-16-2012, 02:04 PM	#18
Fl_Gulfer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Photos: Albums Posts: 3,054 Original Poster	Well it was my first atemp and it was night time. I just had the Metz flash with me but if I knew how to place it I guess I could have used my remote trigger and the camera flash to see what happened. Although I've never use the remote trigger either. Thanks for the input...

12-16-2012, 03:15 PM	#19
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	Flashes literally adds another dimension to photography, its a hard thing to do if you've never tried it before. So you did well, believe me =] Experiment a bit with the remote trigger of your metz, if you place the flash away from your camera the lighting in your image becomes much more interesting. With the first photo, you used the setup with the 2 studio flashes. From what i see they are both set at the same power level, it would have been more interesting if one was more powerful as the other to create some depth, now most of the shadows are filled. What you want is one main light and a fill light to soften/fill in the shadows a bit but leave them there. Cheap way to fill in the shadows is to use a (5 in 1) reflector if you want to experiment. Reflector is also great outdoors in the sunlight, you use the sun as the main light and use the reflector to fill in.

12-16-2012, 08:56 PM	#20
Fl_Gulfer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Photos: Albums Posts: 3,054 Original Poster	Thanks alot for the info. I will try what you've said and see how it works.

12-17-2012, 09:33 AM	#21
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	I'm going through my portofolio but they all have quite soft light as well... We did this photo a year ago when we started to get more serious... we had one main light i believe from the top left and a small fill from the right. Still very soft light though so not a good example... This one we did outdoors couple of weeks ago in the sunlight that was coming from the left and used a reflector left to reflect some of the light back.

12-17-2012, 10:46 AM	#22
Fl_Gulfer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Photos: Albums Posts: 3,054 Original Poster	Beautiful shots, it must be nice to get naked women to pose for you. the B&W is stunning.

12-17-2012, 10:52 AM - 1 Like	#23
mrNewt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ON, RH Posts: 2,181	Regarding the second photo ... to avoid hard shadows in the background, use this simple trick ... make your subjects take 5-6 steps away from the backdrop . And since you do not have anything on the floor, don't take full body pictures. Concentrate more on the waist-up.

12-17-2012, 11:11 AM	#24
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	It sure sounds nice but it's all work, there is nothing arousal about it in that context. We do hear some stories of the models though... but those photographers get a bad name and they don't get much if any models anymore. As far as we know all models are happy with us.