Critique Thread for Photographers

[SlowHand50]

Originally Posted by R.M.

Attachment 591572

Love this! Would never have guess it was self-shot.

[Iaintliein]

Very well done! Great job of keeping the highlights from blocking up.

[wade38]

Working with digital make-up

[Iaintliein]

Originally Posted by wade38

Working with digital make-up

The overall skin smoothing and softening is too heavy for this forum for sure and takes attention away from the make up you're doing on her face in my opinion.

I've done digital make up on colorized black and white images in other venues, Corel Painter in "colorize" mode is the best.

For PS I suggest you look into "frequency separation" and put the make up on a new layer in "soft light" mode over the low frequency layer, that way the skin texture remains intact and you can lower opacity of the layer to tune the colorization to taste.. The best write up I've read is on Model Mayhem in the retouching section, do a search for the thread "Low Pass Sucks" or something like that.

Thanks for helping revive the thread!

[R.M.]

Originally Posted by SlowHand50

Love this! Would never have guess it was self-shot.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

Very well done! Great job of keeping the highlights from blocking up.

Thank you very much. I have a lot to learn. I got rid of my Canon and my photos seem more clear and sharp from what I'm noticing.

[Jack$lit]

Originally Posted by SlowHand50

Love this! Would never have guess it was self-shot.

It is a nice shot.

I have been experimenting with off camera speed lights, snoots and high speed sync lately. This room was very well lit with ambient lights. You can barely see the light pole the back speed light with a snoot is standing. This was two speed lights. Brings a dramatic look I think. I have done a few almost midday sun in an alley and was able to create a nightshot look and feel - just using fill on her.

[Iaintliein]

Originally Posted by Jack$lit

It is a nice shot.

I have been experimenting with off camera speed lights, snoots and high speed sync lately. This room was very well lit with ambient lights. You can barely see the light pole the back speed light with a snoot is standing. This was two speed lights. Brings a dramatic look I think. I have done a few almost midday sun in an alley and was able to create a nightshot look and feel - just using fill on her.

Very nice! I got a set of inexpensive grids (should have made myself) for speedlights a few years ago and have ended up using them exactly once. Great shot of my grandson but I always drag out the big lights for other people shots. Seeing your shot makes me want to re-visit the idea.

Thanks for sharing.

[Jack$lit]

The snoots are Gary Fong but I made my own prior to that with simple black felt. I'm using my own grids as Fongs heavy thick plastic cases heavy shadows on subject. You see the grid shadows when you have to narrow the beam for a shot like this. I paid a rediculus price but they do work well without his grid.
I now use 3 , simple key, fill and back light or hair. I'm all Nikon gear but TTL off and set the flash out put on camera for all 3. Turn on key first, shoot and adjust. Turn on fill, shoot adjust then add the 3 light shutter speeds exceed 250 + of course and with sync enabled you can tweek exactly how much or how little ambient light you want in the shot. I find it easier to test shot each flash to see it individually then bring on all 3 last.

Ps - not a plug for Gary Fong snoots but they are easy, great for outdoor fill lighting or a walk around shoot you don't want to carry battery packs and heavier gear.

Certainly don't replace my studio gear.

I did a Austin Weird theme for a client where we spent the afternoon driving around and jumping out, two speed lights in trunk , shoot for 10 minutes or less or until she drew too much attention with the bright pink slingshot bikini and heels. Throw speed light on the stand back in trunk drive off to some dumpster in an ally , shoot a few more 😀

[R.M.]

Originally Posted by Jack$lit

It is a nice shot.

I have been experimenting with off camera speed lights, snoots and high speed sync lately. This room was very well lit with ambient lights. You can barely see the light pole the back speed light with a snoot is standing. This was two speed lights. Brings a dramatic look I think. I have done a few almost midday sun in an alley and was able to create a nightshot look and feel - just using fill on her.

Beautiful photo. I'm a big fan of black and white.

[DaNastyTruthArt]

Hello Hobby Critics. Here are some images I'd like evaluated. As you know some ppl like B&W, some color.

Some like emotion (smile), some not. What do you think and why? Also, how do you like the edits?

I'm enjoying and becoming a fan of frequency separation & dodging/burning.

[Iaintliein]

I'm usually a sucker for B&W but in this case I like the first of these two fine images better. I wonder what they would look like reversed, the first with the smoothness of her cheek in B&W and the second with her dimple accentuated in color.

Great shots and thanks for sharing!

[R.M.]

Originally Posted by DaNastyTruthArt

Hello Hobby Critics. Here are some images I'd like evaluated. As you know some ppl like B&W, some color.

Some like emotion (smile), some not. What do you think and why? Also, how do you like the edits?

I'm enjoying and becoming a fan of frequency separation & dodging/burning.

Thanks for sharing information. Some photographers just don't want to do that.
Great work and Happy new year.

[Iaintliein]

"I'm enjoying and becoming a fan of frequency separation & dodging/burning. "

Yep, frequency separation is the only way to go for many applications. I'm working on nesting multiple splits so I can "lift" the grain from scanned negatives "above" the sharpening and other correction layers to preserve it without sharpening it.

There used to be some great actions in the thread, "Highpass sucks plus solution" on Model Mayhem, but I see the hosting site doesn't have them any more. Bound to still be around though.

I've never shot a provider with film, but still use it for most everything else. One of these days I need to get a pretty young lady here over to the house to shoot some film.

[Randall Creed]

I like the black and white one better, myself.

[R.M.]

I love the black /white and love that someone is sharing knowledge. Happy new year.