Another Red Head

[JimH]

Female body posed away from the light - check
Background blurred - check
Hairlight not as hot - check
PP done to where I am happy with it - check (note - she would really love for someone to post a tutorial for getting rid of the greys)

All present and accounted for - ready for inspection sirs and madams!

Seriously though ... please C&C away. I really feel like I accomplished something today and need to be grounded some. THANKS !!!

[patterfr]

Jim
I like this. I am looking forward to what the lighting gurus have to say because it looks very good to me.
I wouldn't touch the "greys" they look cool and add character.
So all in all she has to like this.
In the area of offering an opinion, I am not sure if it is due to web compression or what, but the skin on her neck looks a tad oversmoothed(I only say this because I am a "redhead afficianado" and I know there has to be some freckles on her neck and chest, and I bet that if you added just a touch more skin smoothing to her face she'd like it more. Redheads tend to have very light skin and can have areas of unevenness in skin color/redness that I think looks better smoothed a little.
Good job. I think you are making great strides IMHO, and it's fun to watch.

[akrab]

lighting lookks good to me! (please note, I do not own lights lol so dont know a lot about them)

her one shoulder looks too squared to me... and she looks as though she is leaning too far forward.

I am not versed in studio set up either LOL so take what I say with a grain of salt

overall I think you did good.

[onrie]

Originally Posted by akrab

her one shoulder looks too squared to me... and she looks as though she is leaning too far forward.

I agree but other than that coming from a redhead I think you did really well.

Andrea

[gaopa2]

Looks good, Jim.... you followed the check list to the letter and it paid off. This is a very nice photo and I am sure your model is pleased with it. Cheers, Bill P.

[harryd]

Lookin good to me Jim. Keep that check list going, maybe I can remember it next shoot.

[PetersenPhotography]

Jim - great photo! On my monitor, though, it seems that the shadow density is too small, so there's not enough contrast in the image. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of editing. I took down the brightness and burned a few areas of the image.

What do you think?

[felix.reichardt]

Now grounding ... as requested ...

Sorry but this pose does not not look good (IMHO). Look away from your check list and you will see that that pose looks very unnatural and not flattering. The other shoulder up and head tilted to that shoulder would look better (IMHO).
(maybe i'm the one all wrong here but thats my thought)

[Jimmyz]

I agree with Felix It doesn't look natural or comfortable.
But i do like that background.
The lighting would have been improved if you would have raised your softbox up higher (even with her shoulders)
Pose:
Turned her face more to the light. And brought the left shoulder forward more toward the camera and straighten her up a bit.
Keep trying you'll get there.

[toto le robot]

e've got a good grounding team here may I join, I'm very good at grounding people, specially myself

awkward pose/ looking like a hobbit: check
strange crop/ composition:check
too much skin on the shoulder/ dissymmetry of the shirt:check
not enough fill on her right side of the face:check
approving solution from jimmy Z:check.

is that enough or should we call the air defense?

[JimH]

Originally Posted by patterfr

Jim
I wouldn't touch the "greys" they look cool and add character.
but the skin on her neck looks a tad oversmoothed(

Fran, one of those getting older things on the grey hair I guess (but I agree with you). Might have overdone it a little - didn't spend much time I have the portraiture plug-in which is pretty automatic. Will pay more attention - or do it manually.

Originally Posted by akrab

lighting lookks good to me! .. her one shoulder looks too squared to me... and she looks as though she is leaning too far forward.

Alison - Standing back from the monitor and not looking at it up close. Then sitting back down I can definitely see it. Thanks for the catch!

Originally Posted by onrie

I agree but other than that coming from a redhead I think you did really well.

Thank you Andrea

Originally Posted by gaopa2

Looks good, Jim.... you followed the check list to the letter and it paid off. This is a very nice photo and I am sure your model is pleased with it.

Thanks Bill - she fed me when I got home - so must have done something right!

Originally Posted by harryd

Lookin good to me Jim. Keep that check list going, maybe I can remember it next shoot.

Harry - the C&C of this image has given me even more to add .. stay tuned!

Originally Posted by PetersenPhotography

On my monitor, though, it seems that the shadow density is too small, so there's not enough contrast in the image. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of editing. I took down the brightness and burned a few areas of the image.

Appreciate it Nic. I see EXACTLY what you are talking about.

Originally Posted by felix.reichardt

Sorry but this pose does not not look good (IMHO). Look away from your check list and you will see that that pose looks very unnatural and not flattering. The other shoulder up and head tilted to that shoulder would look better (IMHO).

Felix - the "check list" is kind of a running joke of things I kept getting wrong in previous attempts (thanks Sis and Kelly - wherever you are). However I do see what you are saying and see that her left tendon is popping out a bit too.

Originally Posted by Jimmyz

The lighting would have been improved if you would have raised your softbox up higher (even with her shoulders)
Pose:Turned her face more to the light. And brought the left shoulder forward more toward the camera and straighten her up a bit.

Thanks for the encouragement JimmyZ. Interesting idea with the main. Think the bottom of the gridded 32x40 SB is about four feet off the ground - will definitely give that a try.

Originally Posted by toto le robot

awkward pose/ looking like a hobbit: check
strange crop/ composition:check
too much skin on the shoulder/ dissymmetry of the shirt:check
not enough fill on her right side of the face:check
approving solution from jimmy Z:check.

is that enough or should we call the air defense?

Toto .. if you have more - don't hold back. No air defense on my part to be scrambled. I don't consider this an assault. More of a training exercise! However the crop was intentional. Thought it looked a little unique or different then what we usually see here. Maybe if I got the pose better it might have worked better.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Think I have a better pose that didn't look as unique. When I get back to the office on Monday I will be sure to post that one and we can try again.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[Rain Lily]

Jim - I've read all the comments with interest, because I am trying to learn what to do in studio lighting too...

I just wanted to comment that I think the tendon on her neck adds definition, and for some reason, have always thought a tendon brought out by a head turn on a woman is pretty. My mom has a neck like that, and when she was young, her portraits usually had this feature. I always thought they were beautiful portraits.
Sis

[k9ofkaos]

You've gotten plenty of great feedback already so I can't say anything anyobne else hasn't but about the grey hair, I'll offer up a quote from my mostest favoritest musician:

"Just wear a touch of grey, it kind of suits you anyway."
-Garcia/Hunter

[easypickings]

I can't add anything here. As a former redhead, now strawberry blonde, I can say that redheads grey beautifully. Tell her to embrace it. Our hair gets lovely streaks naturally that others would pay big bucks for.

[toto le robot]

Originally Posted by jhilgedick

Toto .. if you have more - don't hold back. No air defense on my part to be scrambled. I don't consider this an assault. More of a training exercise! However the crop was intentional. Thought it looked a little unique or different then what we usually see here. Maybe if I got the pose better it might have worked better.


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

sidewinder launched!
unique crop doesn't mean ugly crop!
boum! target hit

now seriously, it's a good thing to want to do differently, but not for the sake of doing it differently.
here your crop which seems to be a 4/3 generate frustration, as the pose is strange I want to see more of the body but instead you show us an empty space with muslim(?), what is the point? you want to show us that you have a beautiful background that anyone can buy anywhere?
what is your story there, what do you want me to imagine?
see my point? there is surely something to do using a traditional background but not filling the image traditionally, but you have to know what you want to say to know what to do with your subject and her pose.
then you will inductively (??) find your crop.
get the idea?

[JimH]

Originally Posted by Rain Lily

I think the tendon on her neck adds definition, and for some reason, have always thought a tendon brought out by a head turn on a woman is pretty. My mom has a neck like that, and when she was young, her portraits usually had this feature. I always thought they were beautiful portraits.

Thank you Sis - what a unique perspective - never would have looked at it like that. Would love to see one of those portraits!

Originally Posted by k9ofkaos

but about the grey hair, I'll offer up a quote from my mostest favoritest musician:

"Just wear a touch of grey, it kind of suits you anyway."
-Garcia/Hunter

LOL - good thinking Mojo. I will definitely pass that on - maybe queue it on the iPod as I do!

Originally Posted by easypickings

I can say that redheads grey beautifully. Tell her to embrace it. Our hair gets lovely streaks naturally that others would pay big bucks for.

Hmmm .. you bring a VERY interesting point EP. Visits to the salon could have a negative impact on available funds for more photographic equipment. Definitely will convince here that grey = good!

[JimH]

Originally Posted by toto le robot

sidewinder launched!
unique crop doesn't mean ugly crop!
boum! target hit

now seriously, it's a good thing to want to do differently, but not for the sake of doing it differently.
here your crop which seems to be a 4/3 generate frustration, as the pose is strange I want to see more of the body but instead you show us an empty space with muslim(?), what is the point? you want to show us that you have a beautiful background that anyone can buy anywhere?
what is your story there, what do you want me to imagine?
see my point? there is surely something to do using a traditional background but not filling the image traditionally, but you have to know what you want to say to know what to do with your subject and her pose.
then you will inductively (??) find your crop.
get the idea?

Yes .. I see what it you are saying. My thoughts on it were that since I didn't want the face to be dead center in the image, but wanted the viewer to get there on their own was to center the shoulders and use the natural diagonal lines from bottom left into the face. A tighter crop perhaps more at the shoulder level in a more traditional look might have pulled it off.

As mentioned earlier, I think i have a few with the more traditional look to it. Will PP and post when I get back to the office on Monday.

[Athena]

wow, I am seriously late to this party! I'll just say that I like the white in her hair and that I agree with Sis about those neck things. But that might be because I have them.

[JimH]

Originally Posted by Athena

wow, I am seriously late to this party! I'll just say that I like the white in her hair and that I agree with Sis about those neck things. But that might be because I have them.

Late? Nah - fashionable timing! I did have her sit down and read the comments about the grey before I posted this and she was awestruck by then all. Completely different outlook on it now. Note for next check list - "neck things" are necessarily bad. Thank you Athena!

[Songman45]

OK, I got invited to the party. I needed gasoline and got hung up at the bank getting my second mortgage paperwork done for the fill-up, so sorry I'm late.

Its a vertical composition, put in on a vertical layout. I believe the main light is okay. I see a small stip of highlight on her left temple that I don't quite understand. The inside of her right neck is whitened out, maybe by post production or blasted out highlight. Its not glaring, but is detracting.

Lets talk about the pose. This is not the most feminine featured woman you could have drawn as a study. What do we do in portraiture? We accent the positives and diminish the negatives. She is turned very sharply away from the camera axis and turning her head across her own. This stresses the tendons in the neck and makes them stand out, flexed muscles and tendons = strong stron=masculine, something this model does not need brought out. The Fix? Reduce both angles. If you are going to have her look across her axis, to the camera bring her around to about 30 degrees (forget the protractor, just turn her body about half the distance back to the camera so her head won't have to turn so severly). The cross body head position calls for a hit tip to keep the head from looking like its falling off the shoulders. Unfortunately, this is also a strong or masculine thing.

I believe your camera angle is low. I see under the nose more than I'd like to and her chin (another strong thing) is pointed at the lens.

Bring her around a few degrees, get the stress off her neck, raise the camera slightly above her eyes, rotate the camera to vertical and shoot it a little looser, crop at the near shoulder and just above the bend of the elbow. Get a different expression, a slight grin if not a smile. Oh, last though, if she's not going to wear make-up have her moisten her lips with her tongue just before you expose.