Hi all

I'd be delighted to have some feedback on these portraits. My thing - till now (last 35 years or so) - has been landscapes and still lifes, so I'm still trying to get to grips (not literally though) with subjects that actually breath.

www.photo-models.co.uk...pos=0.html

www.photo-models.co.uk...pos=1.html

I'm no photographer but I like them You have them nicely placed and things. What I'd say though is with the second one, maybe it could have been up a wee bit so the top of her head was in it.

Had a look at them both and here are my thoughts

Image 1
Model looks uncomfortable - I'd guess inexperienced - the lighting is very even - but I'd say it's too flat - from the catchlights it looks like tow lights at 45 to the model. To get some more modelling you should try and have the light brighter on one side than the other. Your B&W onversion has also flattened the contrast out - just like your landscape work get some "punch" into this. Angle of model in the frame adn background all work well - what's it like in colour?

Image 2
Much more punchy! I love the colour contrast between the outfit and the hair. Nice clean background and much better lighting on the face - model still not happy though LOL. Clipping the top of the head works well and allows a tighter crop on the face.

Very promising start!

I agree with what Brian says. You cannot use the same lighting for monochrome and colour, it doesn't work. Both are a bit flatly lit, but this shows up mre im mono than in colour. In black and white you don't have the colour to differentiate between different tones, so this must be made up for with shadows and contrast. For mono use a full two stops difference between your key and fill. Both your lights are very high. Try putting the fill about chin level and don't diffuse the key so much. Try the same technique for colour too and see the difference. For converting to mono don't use the "desaturate" in Photoshop. It is the worst way of producing mono, giving even values to all colours, and therefore a flat image. Converting to greyscale is better, and there are other more complex methods which give even better results.

Natasha, Martin, Bill.

Thanks so much for your critique.

I can see what you mean about the lighting, it is very flat and I have been experimenting more, now, with 'strobist' type set-ups rather than the studio lights. Your comments have given me sooooooooooooo much food for thought though, Thanks.

Bill, I'm not sure about how to get the effect I'm looking for in mono. I do change to greyscale rather than desaturate, but perhaps - in light of the fact that the original lighting is so flat - if I should work the contrast levels more in the histogram balance.

Whatever, I'm keen, now, to try some more set-ups.

Many, many thanks for taking the trouble to respond.