Head Shot of Musician

This is a head shot I did yesterday of a young oboist headed for a professional career. My question is about editing/airbrushing. This is essentially untouched (background smoothed out only). Other than perhaps touching up the under eye circles, I am wondering whether it needs anything at all. I think she's gorgeous as is. I love the freckles and hate to brush them out. Opinions, please?

ISO 100, f/13, 1/125 (shot with sync strobe).

Rachel Foster said:

This is a head shot I did yesterday of a young oboist headed for a professional career. My question is about editing/airbrushing. This is essentially untouched (background smoothed out only). Other than perhaps touching up the under eye circles, I am wondering whether it needs anything at all. I think she's gorgeous as is. I love the freckles and hate to brush them out. Opinions, please?

ISO 100, f/13, 1/125 (shot with sync strobe).

Click to expand...

Rachel,

She's a darling. The headshot could be improved by you using Photoshop and the shadow/highlight capability. That's so useful. The 50mm lens is great for portraits but one needs to choose the best candidates for getting up close with the lens or else one can exaggerate the features like the nose. Here's the trick, just go back 3-5 feet. With your 5DII you can crop. That perspective distortion is nothing to do with the lens, but is because of how close you are. With a longer subject to camera distance, you will do better.

She is a professional. give her at least a first name. Also take a picture with her oboe for two reasons. first she would love it and second so would we!

I love the fact that you are photographing portraits and also flowers. Keep it up!

Asher

Also, put your © in the EXIF!

I'll have another look at the shots I took with the 24-105. I wondered about that distortion and now that you mention it, the answer is obvious.

We DO have a follow up shoot with the oboe planned and I've got some ideas about the lighting.

Thanks for the feedback. It's VERY helpful!

I'll check with her regarding how much of her name and info she'd feel comfortable having posted when I see her later today.

Glad, Rachel, you really take pains to use the feedback in a constructive manner. Try shooting from a larger distance and separate your subject from the b.g.

A light behind her on the floor shining backward to the backdrop would provide an interesting halo effect vignetting outward.

Keep it up!

Asher

I'll try that. I used a light slightly higher and behind for a hair light but not a light placed low to the ground.

(Using the feedback: Why post if not open to suggestion?)

You can get rid of that unsightly shadow on the b/g by moving your subject farther away from the b/g, and then using a longer focal length will allow you to be farther back, eliminating the perspective distortion that makes her nose look peculiar.

Google some of the classic lighting schemes for ideas on how to light portraits. Short lighting, broad lighting, clamshell lighting, and rembrandt lighting. Each of them provides highlights and shadows in various places to emphasize and dramatize the face.

I have some books with that info but have yet to really learn the techniques. The major problem I'm facing is the room I'm shooting in is 15 to 20 max. I was thinking of using the 70-200 lens. That limits the distance I can have between model and backdrop. Do you think a black backdrop would help?

The shadow I kind of like, though. Does it distract?

Rachel, the shadows below her ears change the shape of her head, making it bulkier.

15 to 20 feet should be enough room to shoot at 70mm. Four or five feet between the subject and the b/g and 10 to 15 between you and the subject sounds good. 70mm on your full frame will give you a good perspective on the face. Longer would be even better.

You said you used a hair light above and behind the subject; there is little evidence of it in the shot. I don't see any specular highlights in the hair especially on the back to provide separation from the background. Having more room behind her will give you room to get the light behind her, not off to one side so the other side is in complete shadow (not the object of a hair light).

You should get a book on portrait lighting and look at the set up diagrams. You might also look at Chuck Gardner's portrait lighting tutorials here http://super.nova.org/DPR/. They advocate a pretty formulaic approach, but it's a good place to start.

Thanks, Charles. I have two weeks or more before the reshoot. I think she could be a spectacular model.