Thoughts On The Lighting In This Pair Of D300 Photos?

[aschnaider]

<p>I think it's a good image and minor adjustment in PS can just improve the mood.</p><div></div>

[bsd230]

<p>As shown above just a little saturation and adjustments with curve. I like Pete S's version.</p>

[r_johnston]

<p>"It was very kind of you to share your technique but it seems far beyond what casual photo tweakers like myself are capable of."</p>

<p>Calvin, you can do anything that Pete did, it is just a matter of taking the time to practice a bit and following his instructions. Remember if we say "I can't do it" what we are actually saying is "I can not do it." We can always not learn or do, what we give ourselves permission to and do what we are determined to learn. <br>

Like I tell my wife, you have been painting for decades, I just began, but can learn. You gain experience each year, so I may never catch up to you, in experience. But I can learn all the technique and with my knowledge of photography be as good at composing paintings. <br>

You may not catch Pete with his experience.<br>

But could be amazed at what you can be doing within a year or two.<br>

You only need to begin learning his techniques.</p>

[Nowhereman]

<p>Calvin:</p>

<p>The overcast light of these pictures is very good for portraits in general and, as others have said, there's absolutely no need for fill flash, which in this case could create problems rather than solve them. The problem is rather of the general conceptual approach to an obviously posed portrait which is also reflected by the use of the generalized and essentially meaningless word "mojo" in this context. Better to think what you specifically didn't like about the two pictures which, judging by your subsequent comments, seems to be a flatness of tone — and which could also be, in my view, a blandness stemming from the the artificiality of the somewhat artificial poses. As it is difficult to get most people to pose naturally my own preference is to keep the subject in conversation as he or she moves around, as I do as well, and occasionally to take a picture — but that stems from my own preference for unposed portraits of people in their own environment, of the type that you can see in a slide show by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/malland/sets/72157603989168260/show/">clicking here.</a></p>

<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2098/2368396980_d3502b9197_o.jpg" alt="" width="863" height="856" /><br>

Tsumeb, Namibia | Nikon D300 | 17-35mm f/2.8 lens | ISO 800</p>

<p>—Mitch/Bangkok</p>

<p> </p>