Photo shoot feedback appreciated

[sanyflame]

I have recently done a photo shoot and would love any comments on it. My aim was to get a glamour/ fashion feel in the photos. Some

images are manipulated and some had simply some adjustments. I'm also slowly building my portfolio, so if there's a strong image you

think should be used in portfolio feel free to tell me. I'm looking for constructive criticism, I already know some people dislike photoshop. I

did the shot at my home, in my improvised bedroom with natural window light and a reflector for fill in. I shot with a 50mm f/1.8.

 

Ignore the last pictures on the slideshow as they were, obviously, not for the same shoot. Thank you so much for your input.

 

[catherine_oostdyk]

Your color temperature isn't consistent through the series and most of the shots are OOF (out of focus) like the second image or just focused on the wrong thing, like images 6+7 appear to be focused on her nose.. The 11th image would be great but again, her eyes should be sharp and they aren't. This can be a problem when you're using such a small aperture and focus-recomposing. Also, a few images have hot spots on her face, like the 1st.

 

I don't think there are really people here that dislike Photoshop as much as they don't like the overuse of it. Sometimes images are just processed to death. Fortunately, I didn't see that in your images.

 

I do think that there is a nice variety of poses and angles. You also did a good job on the use of the window light. I look forward to seeing more of you work =)

[nathan_stiles]

I noticed that the 5th shot is very out of focus. You failed to get enough light into the eyes, and they aren't brown but black. :-(

 

As for the photoshopping: the part where you blew out the subject in the fourth shot-- was an interesting choice for a black model in a low key shot. I know this is sometimes done in European fashion magazines (though normally w/ fair skin models), but I'd probably have skipped that treatment in that shot.

 

If you were going for edgy glamour, you hit the theme. Really not fashion, b/c there's no shot where the clothes are well displayed. I couldn't tell you what the model was wearing, but she did appear to have a riding crop.

[cphoto]

Sharpness is a prime requirement. None are sharp. Lighting too harsh, it distracts. Mis-exposure correction in photoshop is overdone. Sorry to

sound negative, just trying to help.

[sanyflame]

Catherine, thank you for your feedback! I still have to master sharp eyes at such wide apertures. She had limited time to

spare so I felt a bit pressured to get the shots I wanted. I have now learnt that quality is better than quantity (not that I

didn't knew it before), and will spent more time focusing next time. The window light in my room can be very good but it's

also very unpredictable.

 

Nathan, thank you as well for your input. I get what you say about the fourth shot and I do have an alternative. Would it

work better in your opinion? http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c285/Sanyflame/Chantelle12.jpg

[sanyflame]

No need to apologize Charles, I'm not here to be patted in the back, I have my friends and family to do that. Thanks, I

appreciate your honesty!

[organik]

Always focus on the most important part of the subject. If it's a portrait, change your camera's AF point to the eyes, then subtly add some unsharp mask in photoshop. I usually have my aperture no smaller than f/11, which is too small quite often. Find out your lens' optimal aperture range for sharpness, and it's usually +/- a few stops around f/5.6 and f/8. Great lighting though... quite dramatic.

[patricklavoie]

Well, i think its a good start, but im sure you know theres a lot of major work to be done.

 

None are particularly amazing, but some have potential.

 

I would concentrate myself first on how to shoot, framed, and model direction, then i dont think those funky eye candy effect will be needed. A artistic point of view of course never hurt, but there not much *glamour* so to speak with those images. For me, when people use overlay filter with texture, is or to define a style across a serie or a story, or to get away of there mistake..i suspect you use it for the later one : )

 

Also, some retouching need to be done, to your taste, but in the minimum to get the model a touched more desirable; refine the knees, the hand, remove blue veins, and some undesirable element that make the model look bizarre.

 

A simple poitn of view from someone who work everyweek making people look good : )