Marts 2014 portraits

**djdister** · 28-Mar-2014, 06:26

Originally Posted by AlexGard

I'm looking for some criticism/feedback/advice. Does taking photos of people in LF ever become easy?
Lighting is a hotlight in a softbox to the left, and a reflector to the right, but it really doesn't do it for me. This was shot at 5.6 1/15 I think. So I'm thinking a smaller aperture would help the focusing side of things (had some front tilt to get the lower portion out of focus).

Any pointers is greatly appreciated, composition, lighting, camera, everything. This photo has a lot of potential but I feel it's lacking in just about every department. Excuse the dirty negative, my coathanger dryer gave way and it fell on the ground. Also my developing is shite, I seem to get real hit & miss results with stand development. (HP5+ in R09 1:100 1 hour)

Alex,

I hope you'll pardon my presumption, but here is what I see as "the shot."

Click image for larger version.

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jp · 28-Mar-2014, 07:28

Originally Posted by AlexGard

I'm looking for some criticism/feedback/advice. Does taking photos of people in LF ever become easy?
Lighting is a hotlight in a softbox to the left, and a reflector to the right, but it really doesn't do it for me. This was shot at 5.6 1/15 I think. So I'm thinking a smaller aperture would help the focusing side of things (had some front tilt to get the lower portion out of focus).

Any pointers is greatly appreciated, composition, lighting, camera, everything. This photo has a lot of potential but I feel it's lacking in just about every department. Excuse the dirty negative, my coathanger dryer gave way and it fell on the ground. Also my developing is shite, I seem to get real hit & miss results with stand development. (HP5+ in R09 1:100 1 hour)

My advice would be to get Mortensen's "pictorial lighting" and start trying things in it.

Start with one person/model and get good with that before doing couples or groups. Use a DSLR for practice if you want.

With this image, the background and tshirt is part of the photo, but not contributing to it. Looks like you tried to make the shirt become less with the tilt. But composition is a better way regardless of format. The couple both have nice hair too which should be lit to show it off a little better. Just like a landscape or street photo, every part of the frame is important and you have to think about that just as much as the people who look nice on the groundglass.

Some photographers who have nice portrait work:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benrains/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jay_defehr/

**AlexGard** · 28-Mar-2014, 08:19

Excellent. Thanks so much. She didnt want her face in the pic (camera shy) and that is the pic i envisioned. I should have been in much closer. Any improvements on the lighting? Thanks again thats exactly the advice i needed . Cheers guys!!

**thicktheo** · 28-Mar-2014, 11:34

Omega View 45D, Leitz Hektor 150mm/f2.5, Fuji CDU II cross-processed and somewhat overexposed.

**Ramiro Elena** · 28-Mar-2014, 11:44

I love it Theo. I am finally going to have to get that lens... Did you miss focus a little or is it the lens?
It looks like you used a large reflector right behind you?

**thicktheo** · 28-Mar-2014, 12:07

Originally Posted by Ramiro Elena

I love it Theo. I am finally going to have to get that lens... Did you miss focus a little or is it the lens?

Well it's 150mm at f2.5 with a distance of less than 1.5m (can't remember exactly)... the DOF is quite thin and difficult to control properly.

However, I think I got the focus right on the spot, taking my time with a loupe, and the model is a pro so she really didn't move. The other shots I did (with a Xenar 150/f5.6) were totally great, but both shots from the Hektor came out like this, so I have to put it down to the lens.

Moreover, this film was a bit overprocessed, and this may account for some loss of sharpness (although, let's face it, it's the lens - all of my photos with this lens are somewhat soft).

I just applied a bit of sharpening (I had done no sharpening during scanning) and replaced the photo, now it seems a bit better.

Originally Posted by Ramiro Elena

It looks like you used a large reflector right behind you?

I used a single Bowens 500w studio flash, standing about 3 meters behind me and bounced largely on the ceiling and a bit on the wall behind me (small space here). No umbrella or softbox, just the bounce out of the ceiling and the room walls. :-)

**Ramiro Elena** · 28-Mar-2014, 12:16

Nice! I'd like to see the Xenar shots

The lighting is really nice. I've never tried that kind of set up.

**thicktheo** · 28-Mar-2014, 12:42

Ah well, here they are:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/thicktheo/FiuiK3
https://www.flickr.com/gp/thicktheo/7fDA8Z

They Hektor shots were two stops over-exposed, the Xenar shots were properly* exposed.

*: definition of "proper" - I exposed at 100 ASA when i should have been exposing at 25-or-less. I then developed for 15mins at 30c instead of the normal 8mins. the extreme push-process got the Xenar shots perfect and the Hektor shots overexposed. I tend to experiment a bit.