Light reflections in eyes

[Garry Edwards]

We're just trying to help, and it does make it a bit more difficult to see exactly what's happened if the images aren't SOOC - and for the same reason, all the images I put into my various tutorials are SOOC, although all finished images are retouched/processed as necessary.

You should really just use the one (key) light. A fill light should only ever be added later, and then only if needed. It's much easier to learn with just one light, and just one light is often all that's needed anyway.

 

[=ReBeL=]

I understand that completely and I really appreciate the help I'm getting in this thread. If it's needed (like this time it was), just please shout on me using big red capital letters. I really don't mind. I'm sure it will help me in the end.

I read the portrait tutorial (by Garry Edwards ) couple of times already and I do rememeber that introducing many suns is not good and also to add more lights only as 'problem-solving' tools.

Because I plan to practice with my black background a little bit more next time and I also know that my model has dark hair, I plan to introduce the rim light, to solve the problem of her being lost in the black background. I have 2 of my light diagrams drawn already and I plan to introduce lights one by one. So first the key light, then add a reflector underneath (making sure it hits the face where I want) and last add the rim light. That's the plan, but I'm pretty sure when I actually start doing there, my brain will go blank again and I'll stand there like a complete tool not able to count to 3 :bonk:

This time I plan to use lighting diagrams and make some notes beforehand, so it will help me to remember all the tips I need to remember.

There is also one more thing I need to stress to my 'model'. She has a really annoying habit of modifing her pose before I finish explaining what I want her to do. So it usually looks like, I start giving her direction seying that I want her to tilt her head... and she start tilting completely not the way I wanted, without waiting for me to finish how I want her to tilt her hear. By the time we try to go back to the before-pose, the pose is usually lost and I just want to bang my head :bang:

I plan to print few pictures (or pose diagrams) off the net before hand and just copy them exactly. This way I can concentrate 100% on lights, composing and framing.

The plan is good, but let's see if I can pull that off

 

[Garry Edwards]

There is also one more thing I need to stress to my 'model'. She has a really annoying habit of modifing her pose before I finish explaining what I want her to do. So it usually looks like, I start giving her direction seying that I want her to tilt her head... and she start tilting completely not the way I wanted, without waiting for me to finish how I want her to tilt her hear. By the time we try to go back to the before-pose, the pose is usually lost and I just want to bang my head :bang:

It isn't easy for an amateur model, so two basic tips

1. Work out exactly where you want her face to point and place something directly in front of her face, and ask her to look straight at it. Personally I tend to use a spare light stand for this, I just place it where it needs to be and adjust the height so that the spigot at the top is where I want her to point her face and look with her eyes. If she needs to look directly at the light, I just put a bit of sticky tape on the softbox (or whatever) exactly where I want her to look.
2. When it comes to tilting her head, she's your better half so you're allowed to touch Just tilt her head to the angle you want.

 

[Triggaaar]

Not read the whole thread, but...

Here is the picture:

this first one might be more what you're after if the model turns her face slightly towards you, creating more shadow on the left of her face and a better outline to that side of the face - this should stop the shot making her look large. Also drop the exposure a fraction.

Second setup is the traditional setup I do often

I like it, but I'd prefer the hair on her right to be mostly over her shoulder, as it's making her look large (same thing also applies to first picture, except there it's the hair on her left).

 

[=ReBeL=]

It isn't easy for an amateur model, so two basic tips

1. Work out exactly where you want her face to point and place something directly in front of her face, and ask her to look straight at it. Personally I tend to use a spare light stand for this, I just place it where it needs to be and adjust the height so that the spigot at the top is where I want her to point her face and look with her eyes. If she needs to look directly at the light, I just put a bit of sticky tape on the softbox (or whatever) exactly where I want her to look.
2. When it comes to tilting her head, she's your better half so you're allowed to touch Just tilt her head to the angle you want.

Great tips as usual Garry. Thanks very much.

Not read the whole thread, but...

this first one might be more what you're after if the model turns her face slightly towards you, creating more shadow on the left of her face and a better outline to that side of the face - this should stop the shot making her look large. Also drop the exposure a fraction.

I like it, but I'd prefer the hair on her right to be mostly over her shoulder, as it's making her look large (same thing also applies to first picture, except there it's the hair on her left).

Thanks Mike. I can see that now. Just a slight tweak to the pose in nr1 and the picture would look much better with nice shadows on her right cheek. Close but no cigar Probably 1-2 inches difference in her pose and it would look much better.

Please don't get me started with her hair. I think I'll sneak one night and cut them down to normal (shoulders) length. They really do annoy me, in real life and in photoshoots I'll ask her to do something with them next time, ponytail or whatever




I created those to diagrams to print them out and use in the nexst practice session, but I can as well post them here to see what do you think about those setups.

The first one is exatly the same as I use in those two shots I've taken down from this thread today on black baground, but this time I have a specific pose I want to try. Last time I used it with umbrella for rim lighting, but I think I might use snoot with honeycombe this time (how do I deattach the honeycombe? It seems like it's welded to the snoot )

The second one is something I saw in one of the lighting videos I've seen. The guy showed it when he was talking about 'short lighting', so I want to try to see how will it work in my case (with very lited space).

If I'm not mistaken, both should give me short lighting I'm after. What to you think?

 

[Triggaaar]

Just a slight tweak to the pose in nr1 and the picture would look much better with nice shadows on her right cheek. Close but no cigar Probably 1-2 inches difference in her pose and it would look much better.

Shooting tethered is our friend, you can see these things more quickly.

Please don't get me started with her hair. I think I'll sneak one night and cut them down to normal (shoulders) length. They really do annoy me, in real life and in photoshoots I'll ask her to do something with them next time, ponytail or whatever

Long hair is good, all celebs etc have extensions, just don't have it billowing all over the place. Just watching sky sports news and you'll see they have it draped down one side.

 

[=ReBeL=]

Shooting tethered is our friend, you can see these things more quickly.

Long hair is good, all celebs etc have extensions, just don't have it billowing all over the place. Just watching sky sports news and you'll see they have it draped down one side.

I tried shooting tethered and liked it a lot. She liked that as well, even a bit too much, because she was trying to see almost every shot, but I'll try again. Now that I have Lightroom it will be much easier as well.

I'll try not to complain about her hair much, because I need to learn to work with all kinds of hair and haircuts. That's just another one of those things that I need to start noticing live when shooting and not in PP, as it was the case this time.