500 poses for Women

[camrajoky]

in photography there are some basic rules and there are laws.....rules once you learn them can be bent once you know what you are doing. One rule to try to remember, if possible try to point the nose to the main light. this will give you a more complimentry sculpting of the face. You mentioned earlier that you are using a bounce card, you may need to bring it in a little closer. You should bring it in until it shows in the image...then back it out until is gone.
You asked for some settings, if you are trying for a lighting ratio that is most common: a 3 to 1 ratio. You could METER the main light at F-8.....this should ive you close to a fill side at F-5.6....this will give you a 3 to 1 ratio from highlights to shadow level. This will make 3 stops from highlights to shadows with an overall F-stop of F-11.
One way to speed up especially when doing many different images like this.....if you tie a section of string to the light stand, then tie a knot where the string reaches the subject. once you set this with the meter....you then each time you move the main light to alter the way it drops across the subject.....use the string to keep the distance consistant. Looks funny but it is faster and as accurate as metering every time you move the subject.

[camrajoky]

Originally Posted by Gna

The image in your post #31 is fabulous as far as the angle, her expression, and her pose go. Confirms everything I said earlier.
Of course the burnt out parts are unfortunate. That is much better in the image in your post #37!



Well, eos said it, and he/she is right! Use a meter and get it right in-camera if you can, in PP only if you must.

And you don't need a separate (expensive) handheld light meter! You have a spot meter in your cam! Bought and paid for. So use it!

In camera meters wont measure flash, if you are using studio lights...then it is better to use a meter the first time rather than to trial and error.....as you are going to error more than having it correct. Plus you can not do averaging with the incamera meter.

[Gna]

Originally Posted by camrajoky

In camera meters wont measure flash, if you are using studio lights...then it is better to use a meter the first time rather than to trial and error.....as you are going to error more than having it correct.

Absolutely.

[/QUOTE]Plus you can not do averaging with the incamera meter.[/QUOTE]

If you paid attention at math in elementary school you can!

[camrajoky]

Originally Posted by Gna

Absolutely.

Plus you can not do averaging with the incamera meter.[/QUOTE]

If you paid attention at math in elementary school you can![/QUOTE]

if you can not use the in camera meter to read outside flash, then how can you average. The IN CAMERA METER reads ambient light....not flash!

[Mikkic]

Originally Posted by patterfr

Doing great.
Watch the nose shadow blocking light to the other eye like in the first one right above here.
But you 're doing great!!

Point noted...Thank you!

Originally Posted by Gna

The image in your post #31 is fabulous as far as the angle, her expression, and her pose go. Confirms everything I said earlier.
Of course the burnt out parts are unfortunate. That is much better in the image in your post #37!



Well, eos said it, and he/she is right! Use a meter and get it right in-camera if you can, in PP only if you must.

And you don't need a separate (expensive) handheld light meter! You have a spot meter in your cam! Bought and paid for. So use it!

Thanks so much...
I always have my camera set to spot meter--although it's pretty near impossible to use with strobes!

[Gna]

Originally Posted by Mikkic

Okay, now somebody out there will see this and know exactly what I am going for...but it is not quite there...her skin should be a white value of about 250....I just can't seem to get it there without mottling and messing up the shadows, which I would like to be a value of around 15... If anyone has the book I am working from, the effect is on plates 18 and 19....

Couldn't resist experimenting and adjusted her left ear a little for a more balanced composition. B4 & after:



Of course the burnt out parts are still burnt out, unfortunately.

[Mikkic]

Originally Posted by Gna

Couldn't resist experimenting and adjusted her left ear a little for a more balanced composition. B4 & after:
Of course the burnt out parts are still burnt out, unfortunately.

Looks much smoother in the highlight to shadow gradients, although Sarah doesn't mind her large ears and her 'beauty marks'..

So, would you mind sharing your workflow?

[Gna]

Originally Posted by Mikkic

Looks much smoother in the highlight to shadow gradients

That is probably due to my reducing of the image size and the resaving. It wasn't intentional.

although Sarah doesn't mind her large ears and her 'beauty marks'..

So for her (and probably for you and everybody that knows her personally) your original image is the better portrait of her. That is Sarah, after all! Third parties (who don't know her personally, and would consequently be regarding her as 'a model') may prefer the other one.

So, would you mind sharing your workflow?

Simple: liquify filter and healing tool.

[RJohnston]

If you have Lightroom, you can convert JPGs to DNG or TIF and for me it makes it easier to work on them. I do also like the High Key Portrait one of the better ones Ive seen on PhotoCamel.

You might try removing the two spots on her neck with PS spot remover to see how you like it. Get the feeling it draws my attention to much to the neck or that it looks like something on my monitor and without them attention would focus more upon your daughters eyes... In a lower key it may not matter as they might look more natural than they do in the High Key Portrait.

[Mikkic]

I think I'm getting tired of headshots...) Time to move into the head and shoulder poses....

The colored pose below is Creative pose #4, which is also SOOC. I was pleased with the lighting....
The B&W is pose #11
We are not trying to keep these in order anymore, as sometimes we find some further along that we can do, and then we might go back and pick up a previous pose--gotta keep my model happy so this project can continue as long as I hope...

I was excited to have two of the posted images win a POTD--the cowgirl, with a slightly different crop and in sepia, and the Beret image...I'm pleased...

[camrajoky]

Both of these are very nice. One thing you might try to look for....the ear ring hanging out of the back space when you can not see the ear. Also the angles of her face to the camera. Look at her eyes in both images. Her left eye is the dominate eye. When you are more facing the camera, it shows more, but when you turn the head to a 2/3 view, the optics of the telephoto lens equalize the size more. This is caused by the small difference in distance to the lens with the eyes being different distances from the lens. I like the second image for this better.

[EOS_JD]

Originally Posted by Gna

The image in your post #31 is fabulous as far as the angle, her expression, and her pose go. Confirms everything I said earlier.
Of course the burnt out parts are unfortunate. That is much better in the image in your post #37!



Well, eos said it, and he/she is right! Use a meter and get it right in-camera if you can, in PP only if you must.

And you don't need a separate (expensive) handheld light meter! You have a spot meter in your cam! Bought and paid for. So use it!

I'm not a heshe Just a he -

Oh - Spot Meter in your camera won't be of any use when using flash. You need a flash meter. As I said the Sekonic 308s is a basic but very useful addition that is not very expensive. The more popular choice is the L358 and does pretty much everything you would want from a meter.

Jim

[common man]

Just a little improvement if you don't mind.
I removed 2 moles and a stain on the coat.
These changes would make the photo more commercial and saleable.
Otherwise it is a great shot!

[Mikkic]

Okay...pretty kooky on the first one, I know, I was playing around...

These are all shot against a white BG-I was experimenting with light fall off...

and in the fourth one, she HAD to try the pose with the fan blowing so breezily through her lovely locks...

[RJohnston]

You might try it without such a sharp angle of her hand and wrist in the one with the feathers. Perhaps showing more of the back of her hand instead of the palm.

You might try a pose with both hands coming together with the fingers of one hand in the palm of the other. With her head tipped towards her hands and cheek resting on the back of the inside hand.

[FrankZ]

I agree. I like the first one a lot, but the second is far and away my favorite. Everything comes together beautifully in that one, lighting, pose, wardrobe and model. You're daughter is lovely and it looks like she can handle variety, very different looks in each of these.

[sonshine_rae]

These are great.. and I can see your posing and even PP work improving as you go along. Keep it up !

And can I admit to being slightly jealous.. of your willing and available model !?.... sigh

[Gna]

The first one, with the feathers, is too corny for me. Too reminiscent of pageant-type photography. But that's just me, I guess. Her blue eyes are mesmerizing, though! I'd like a little more dynamic lighting.
The next one oozes expression and personality, but isn't very flattering of course. Unforunately the big slant distracts me.
The B/W one is a classic, obviously. Executed to perfection, imo. But too classic to do the model justice.
The last one would have been the most relaxed, and 'sympathetic' image to me if her hand hadn't been in the picture. Although the wind effect is a bit over the top for my taste.

All this is just my opinion of course!

[patterfr]

Keep on going. The one with her chin on both hands show large circles. I would asume this means your main was too high or that you could have used a reflector or fill light.
Nice job, and for your information, my book just arrived from Amazon.

[Mikkic]

Thanks much for the tips and observations...I learn from them all!

Originally Posted by patterfr

Keep on going. The one with her chin on both hands show large circles. I would asume this means your main was too high or that you could have used a reflector or fill light.
Nice job, and for your information, my book just arrived from Amazon.

LOL! Hey GREAT! Good for you--do you have a willing model to practice with? You'll have a fun time...although some of the poses are a little strange....}