Self-portrait

[Rachel Foster]

So....it is doggone hard to set the lighting when you're not behind the camera to see the result! Secrets?

This is my best self-portrait. I think lighting and focus could be improved, but the "essence" of me is there.

Secrets on how to do this? Dish, please!

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x153/annieblues/me2.jpg

[Charles L Webster]

Lighting looks fine. Framing could be improved a little. All that black above your head doesn't add anything.

Nice job, another expressive portrait. Thanks for sharing

[Rachel Foster]

Thanks, Charles....I think maybe less black space could be better.

I've just looked at this after running adobe gamma....what a difference! It was much darker before.

[Tony Fiorda]

I think the light is too high and your eyes are way too dark, unless of course that is what you were going for. I also like to see some catch lights in the eyes that are missing because the light is too high. Try lowering the light and keeping the main light at about a 45 degree angle to your forehead. In the case of this pic, I would have it on your left (camera right) giving you what is called short lighting. Add a fill light with another strobe or reflector on your right (camera left) to fill in under your chin and forehead to lessen some of the shadows there. Using a handheld meter to help judge the lights can be helpful if you have one.

But all in all a good effort, self portraits are indeed difficult to do.

[Asher Kelman]

Tony,

A good set of advice!

I think the light is too high and your eyes are way too dark, unless of course that is what you were going for.

Rachel, I agree with Tony. Lighting of the eyes, or at least one eye, is important unless one wishes to give the impression of death and nihilism.

Add a fill light with another strobe or reflector on your right (camera left) to fill in under your chin and forehead to lessen some of the shadows there.

A white card held below and in front of your face is a simple way of balancing the light.

Using a handheld meter to help judge the lights can be helpful if you have one.

Here's another high on the list pointer I really like! I'd suggest an extra prop: a manequin head. This allows you to look at the lighting and make judgements. You can take readings at the manequin both reflective and incident. Discuss this idea here (http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=38091#post38091).

But all in all a good effort, self portraits are indeed difficult to do. But a superb investment in time!

[Rachel Foster]

A mannequin head! That would work!

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

A mannequin head! That would work!

But a superb investment in time!

Yes, although even Asher (an erudite, in several fields!) may under-estimate the impact of his remark(s) here. For the initiated, which purely for the sake of convenience includes me http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif, a mannequin head offers a great opportunity to explore various lighting effects.

Larger light sources provide more smooth transitions from light to dark. Mainly lighting the 'averted' side of the face offers great opportunity to modulate the facial contours (augmented by filling in the camera facing side to control lighting contrast). The angle (height) of main lighting allows to position the shadows (e.g. of the nose) where they are most favourable to the human features.

Portraiture is a very specialized type of photography, which requires a lot of skill in several fields. Self-portraits are perhaps even more difficult, in the sense that they require introspection and (a lot of) imagination, in addition to practical positioning skills (within self-timer or remote-release constraints).

Rachel didn't do too bad, considering ...

Bart

[Rachel Foster]

Very kind of you. It feels hit or miss not being behind the camera, but Asher's solution is really quite good. I've a fast lens for low light on order and that's my preferred style, it seems. A head will allow me to experiment to my heart's content.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Hmmm...I actually would move this more in the "death and nihilism" direction, like an expressionist woodblock print. A harder main light for crisper shadows and a more chiseled look, and a low, hard fill, like a theatrical footlight, positioned just in front of the camera and pointing upward would do it, maybe a kicker behind you if you don't get enough separation from the background with the main light.

I agree that the head should be higher in the frame, and I'd probably shoot vertical or square.

If you've got room for a large floor mirror next to the camera, that's one approach to checking the lighting and head position in self-portraiture.

[Rachel Foster]

Another good idea!

Actually, the nihlism is consistent with what I gravitate toward. I'd like to see some of your work. Have you some online?


ETA: See Rachel's red face. She looked at David's intro post. Ooooooooooooooooooooops!

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm a little behind on my website, but there are some images up at--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/photo

and a few other places.

[Barry Johnston]

Hello Rachel,

I think it is a great effort !! The framing needs to change to see more of your neck and chest, but overall I think the harsh lighting is consistent with the mood of the photo.

Well Done !!

Regards,
Barry.

[Rachel Foster]

Thank you, Barry. I don't know how well-executed it is (there is always room for improvement) but I feel it captures "me." That's who I think I am.

Thanks to all who gave feedback.