How am I doing?

[Jones]

If you don’t know of them already, check out the work of Frank Doorhof and Calvin Hollywood. I think you’d really enjoy it. Calvin does a lot of photoshop stuff very similar to what you’re doing. Doorhof does so much of that surreal, edgy location kind of stuff like the image you showed (but it’s not composite). If you can find it, definitely check out his stuff  about locations.

[Worst Case Scenario]

I think the blacks need to be a bit deeper on the people, cool idea though.

[nairbynairb]

That was shot on location 🙂

[ebi]

so you are overdoing it in retouching, then?

[nairbynairb]

Eh, kinda… still trying to figure out what is too far and stuff.

 

[ebi]

well, then it’s good to get opinions here. Work on focus for sure. I think if you just tighten up the blacks on and around the subjects this would work better. I thought it was a comp shot b/c the area around the subjects seems to be a very different contrast from teh rest of the image.

[ebi]

also the focus..the depth of field is very shallow, feels forced and artificial.

[nairbynairb]

Here’s my most recent portrait of my buddy, Jesse.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80294871@N07/10766328904/lightbox/

 

I feel like I’m getting better… So I hope it looks like that, too.

This is with my flash w/ white shoot-through umbrella on camera left. A 500w tungsten shop light on camera right, shot against one of my cream-coloured walls.

[nesgran]

I’m not crazy about the different colour temps, you should ideally have gelled your flash to match the halogen, either that or gone bananas and gelled red or something

[emf]

Can I ask where you see the different colour temps Nesgran – I understand but my untrained eye doesn’t see it :/

I much prefer this one nairbynairb – it seems more natural and relaxed. I find the framing a little tight and would maybe have a little more breathing room around his shoulders – and also crop a little from the top to get his eyes along the top third intersection.

[ebi]

it’s pretty good. but your side light is really warm but the key light is really cool. This is the result of using flash and tungsten. As Nesgran said, you need to gel the flash to match the tungsten. Happy to see you simplifying your shots. Keep working it.

[nesgran]

Can I ask where you see the different colour temps Nesgran – I understand but my untrained eye doesn’t see it :/

Look at the guys left cheek (his left), it looks as if he is sitting by a window in late evening during sunset and his skin has taken on a nice and warm slightly orange tone. Then check out his right, this time it looks like daylight with a white and a bit colder light. If the entire picture had been either the warmer light from the halogen or the colder light from the ungelled flash you could more easily adjust the colour temp of the image globally.

I like the shot, I like the lighting (mostly, a little more light behind the thick frames of his glasses would have been good) but the colour difference stops it from being a great portrait

[emf]

Thank you Nesgran – that’s very interesting – wow so much to learn!

[nairbynairb]

Yeah unfortunately I don’t own any gels… I thought about that while I was taking it but it was late.
I’m definitely going to have to pick some up.

Thanks!

[emf]

Can you make them from coloured acetate sheets? Sorry, I don’t want to make the pro’s wince lol – but I read you could.

[Author]

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