First portrait shoot! Feedback/Tips Needed.

[Mohain]

Hi,

I've not really done any 'proper' people photography before, just poor attempts at candids. My wife's sister is putting together a promo music CD and asked me if I would take some photos of her to go with it

Well here's my pick of about 130 RAW shots, taken over the day yesterday. I've not done any processing on these, just very minor tweaks of the RAW (shadows, exposure, brightness) and the B&W conversions are just straight channel mixer with at 100% red, so obviously I can improve on them.

First the images, then the questions.

 

[Mohain]

I don't have any lighting so it's all available light, with reflectors (bits of cardboard) and some with fill-in flash (onboard flash with sock diffuser ).

I'd like to be able to get nice skin tones without making them look false. Some of them could do with warming up a bit but in the past I've struggled to keep skin tones natural looking when warming them up. Any tips here?

Also I'd like to go with a high-key look with the 4th one. Any tips for that too?

Also the B&W conversions. Not sure which way to go here for portrait shots. Can anyone give any tip here too please?

Lastly, some general feedback on the images would be nice. I don't have time to reshoot as I'm on holiday for a week from this weekend but hopefully there will be a next time!

I really enjoyed taking these. I hope I can do some more.

Sorry for lots of questions but I'd appreciate any feedback/tips anyone can give me as I've got till Saturday to sort these all out!

Many thanks in advance,

Mohain

 

[Mohain]

I like them all, for the last one I'd have probably opened up the aperture and used a longer focal length to blow the background out.

Thanks. Limitations of my kit I'm afraid. Was wide open on all of them and the small sensor I have on the s9500 means everything looks like it's being shot at f32

I took some on my film SLR that has f1.8 but I forgot to bring the film in for processing today

 

[Mohain]

The fourth pic looks excellent but the others i am put off by the state of her hair.
Shame as she has a lovely face which pics very well but i just cannot get away from the state of her hair.
Out of the others the tree pose is the best.
Good effort though mate, i know nothing so bare that in mind when reading my critisisms.

I was assured it was the tousled look Thanks for the feedback but as I said I have no time for a reshoot.

 

[Mohain]

Alanis Morisette did something very similar printed on her cd for Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.

I tried to get her in the raw but she wasn't having it

That pose was the missus's idea, but it seemed to work OK. I'm sure I've seen it before too. Didn't Kyile do something similar?

 

[Mohain]

Very good. Some I feel need some more photoshopping to compliment her some more but the 4th is totally spot on!

Great shots mate

Thanks F11 I know they need photoshopping, that's what I'm asking, but I've never 'shopped portrait shots before and I've basically got to get it right firs time and pretty quickly so was hoping to get some tips! Do you have any?

 

[Mohain]

Still, great results for a compact.

Albeit a rather large compact! I prefer to call it a 'Digital Camera' as compact suggested something ... well ... compact

Colin, the only tips I've really got is to use reflectors, I used a large peice of A2 white foamboard from my local art shop but I could have done with 2 or 3 of them. I also got a gold reflector (A3 gold cardboard) which helped in some shots. Use a tripod as lots the the shots were wide open @ around 70mm at 1/30. I tried not to shoot wider that 50mm to avoid enlarging of features but wasn't as careful as I should have been (see no. 5 below). I shot everything in RAW.

Here are the final 5 incase anyones in the slightest bit interested. The 3rd one I'm not sure about, the flash is too harsh and it's a bit of a funny angle but she and all her family really like it. The wide angle on the last one does make her nose look a little big, and she didn't request it, but I like it so wanted to do it anyway! I've learnt a hell of a lot this week in the shoot and the post processing. People photography is a whole new ball game!! But, most importantly, I've really enjoyed it. I'm happy with the final results although I can now see some glaring errors (hopefully to avoid next time).

 

[Mohain]

Comments welcome, I've got one day to sort out any glaring errors before I got off on my hols!

Cheers,

Mohain.

 

[Mohain]

Thanks

Nothing special about the eyes really I guess I have an 'advantage' with the small sensor meaning increased DOF. Urm also used a tripod, focused it She's got quite big eyes too, which help.

 

[Mohain]

Thanks ej159, that's a good idea. I think it will help a lot