Critique : Results from a Basics photography course

Apretext · 04-03-2013, 17:48

I did a SLR basics day at picture inspire on Saturday, which mainly covered portrait photography, so I thought I'd post some of the results.

The main thing I learnt is that I really don't have a clue about trying to get models to pose, the good photo's tended to be when either someone else, or the model came up with a pose! Must try and research next time.

1

IMG_3128 by apretext, on Flickr

Annoyingly, this one came out a bit noisy, and her left arm is a bit blown out. Must remember to drop the ISO to 800 in future when shooting inside. (this was at 1600).

2

IMG_3096 by apretext, on Flickr

Really happy with the focus and DOF on this one, even if the composition is a little uninteresting.

3

IMG_3094 by apretext, on Flickr

The guy who rant the course pointed out that if you have your models legs pointed towards you, they tend to look fat (even though they weren't!), so I'll avoid that in future. Still, other than unflattering legs, happy with this one.

4

IMG_3081 by apretext, on Flickr

One of the first from the day.

C&C welcome.

sheridant · 04-03-2013, 20:54

nice composition in 1 - camera angle works really well
no.3 lovely exposure - but cropping off the foot looks wrong
no.2 - again would have cropped a little higher to get less leg in

otherwise nice shots, everything nice and sharp and well focused

Pookeyhead · 04-03-2013, 22:27

They all seem a bit noisy. Why shoot at ISO400? Some of these shots are at 1/2000th!!! Why not shoot at ISO100? Did not whoever was running the course not discuss such things?

studiowork · 05-03-2013, 01:29

OK.

first of all, the pictures themselves - i like them...

Now, not sure if youve seen my post - but im on a setting of not knowing lighting / working the camera settings too well... so im not judging etc - because i can hardly talk :P

however:

refering to image 4...

1/2000th of a second for shutter speed?

your FStop is way too open for the light at f2.8 - so you compensated with a faster shutter speed? - ISO400 ...

lower number F = more open apperture. higher number the less open it is...
more open = more light in, less open = less light in...
less open means slower shutter speed to compensate...

if you put your fstop to f8 or closed it even further... and brought the shutter speed down a bit... lower ISO... could of been some better results

http://www.uscoles.com/fstop.htm - not sure if you were shooting in S mode? - controlling the shutter speed?

I was told to try and stick to iso 200 moving onto 400 or 100 - as the higher the iso (800 etc) digital noise begins to enter... adjust shutter speed . fstop to compensate ETC... was a little shocked when you said reduce it to 800...

http://digital-photography-school.co...al-photography

has a couple of images on the lower the iso number the less grain / digital noise

Again, im crap so not takin the mick, just might be useful... im suprised that a class didnt discuss these first though...

Apretext · 05-03-2013, 06:33 **Thread Starter**

ISO was discussed at the course, but he did say it varies from camera to camera as to where noise starts creeping in, and inside it was quite dark. However, I take your point about starting at 200, especially outside. I should also point out that everyone else was using kit lenses, and therefore the advice was F5.6 at ISO 400, but as I was using my 50mm 1.8, I was mostly using f2.8, which is why I shouldn't have been using ISO400 (but still did!).

My previous experience of shooting inside has normally always been of my parents new kitten, and if you didn't use a ridiculously fast shutter speed, the little bugger would have moved, not really a problem with portrait photography!!

So, lots of ISO experimentation needed too then.

Studiowork - No, I was shooting in aperture priority.

What else do I need to look into to improve?

mrtoad · 05-03-2013, 14:17

2 and 4 come over as a person with 4 emitting the most persona
no 1 has a strange effect of a sofa and tights fighting to see who will win the tapestry effect contest...and the lady is not in it at all
3 is another look at my legs shot and a bit too much thigh which takes over important pixels which for me should be dedicated to eyes face hair and midriff
fashion doesnt always comment persona
cheers
geof

Phil V · 05-03-2013, 15:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by studiowork

OK.

first of all, the pictures themselves - i like them...

Now, not sure if youve seen my post - but im on a setting of not knowing lighting / working the camera settings too well... so im not judging etc - because i can hardly talk :P

however:

refering to image 4...

1/2000th of a second for shutter speed?

your FStop is way too open for the light at f2.8 - so you compensated with a faster shutter speed? - ISO400 ...

lower number F = more open apperture. higher number the less open it is...
more open = more light in, less open = less light in...
less open means slower shutter speed to compensate...

if you put your fstop to f8 or closed it even further... and brought the shutter speed down a bit... lower ISO... could of been some better results

http://www.uscoles.com/fstop.htm - not sure if you were shooting in S mode? - controlling the shutter speed?

I was told to try and stick to iso 200 moving onto 400 or 100 - as the higher the iso (800 etc) digital noise begins to enter... adjust shutter speed . fstop to compensate ETC... was a little shocked when you said reduce it to 800...

http://digital-photography-school.co...al-photography

has a couple of images on the lower the iso number the less grain / digital noise

Again, im crap so not takin the mick, just might be useful... im suprised that a class didnt discuss these first though...

Just for clarity - why would you close the aperture down to f8 which will turn the lovely OoF background into something intrusive?

Sure lower the ISO, as others have said.

Back to the OP, I'm surprised that on a 'beginners' course, you were given so little guidance about the fundamentals and then expected to pose a model

As for the model, on a course like this, she should be able top pose herself and look very natural - I'm afraid she looks totally uncomfortable and most of the poses look far from natural.

The shots themselves (whilst not awful) are enough to stop me recommending the course to others for the above reasons.

Gr8Shot · 05-03-2013, 16:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil V

Just for clarity - why would you close the aperture down to f8 which will turn the lovely OoF background into something intrusive?

Sure lower the ISO, as others have said.

Back to the OP, I'm surprised that on a 'beginners' course, you were given so little guidance about the fundamentals and then expected to pose a model

As for the model, on a course like this, she should be able top pose herself and look very natural - I'm afraid she looks totally uncomfortable and most of the poses look far from natural.

The shots themselves (whilst not awful) are enough to stop me recommending the course to others for the above reasons.

+1

Apretext · 05-03-2013, 17:01 **Thread Starter**

I think it was the model's second shoot, I think her slightly uncomfortable look is down to her not really knowing what we are after (the girls in the group were much better at posing her).

I'll run a couple more through lightroom and post them up later on.

prints15 · 05-03-2013, 17:32

When taking portraits like these you want to blur the background so that there are no distractions. So open the aperture as wide as possible. F2.8 is ok if that is as open as you can get. On these i would have moved in closer, that too can help blur background. Keep the ISO as low as possible, 100 if possible.

MichaelToye · 05-03-2013, 17:37

if you are going to cut off limbs, don't leave unnecessarily large areas of negative at the opposite end, eg; legs and head ends.

Personally, at this focal length and for shots 2 onward, I would have moved in closer or stepped back.

Also, if you get the chance, try these again with the lens at eye level.

Apretext · 05-03-2013, 18:05 **Thread Starter**

They were all with a 50mm 1.8, so I could have gone wider, but I have found in the past if I go much wider, very little ends up in focus!

Michael - I assume you mean position myself so that the lens and the subjects eye level are the same? Also, as a beginner, I'm trying to stick to the rule of thirds as much as possible (being of the belief that you have to know the rules before you can break them), hence why there tends to be a bit of dead space, as I was trying to get eyes on the upper third line, if that makes sense.

MichaelToye · 05-03-2013, 18:43

I do teach/preach that everyone compose for thirds and then dismiss, so good stuff.

remember to think about your leading lines and backgrounds. the viewer's gaze will immediately go to a focal point in the image and then wander. you can control this with strong lines, like a leg, body, look, etc. backgrounds are also important here as random objects will distract and break the viewers gaze.

studiowork · 05-03-2013, 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil V

Just for clarity - why would you close the aperture down to f8 which will turn the lovely OoF background into something intrusive?

sorry, it was late (or early for some :P) i didnt even notice the blured OOF Bg... :P
obviously low ap # and decent zoom = must :P - (open as possible and certainly lower than F5 or so right?) ignore what I said lol :P - I told you I dont know what Im on about :P lol

and bigger objects need a wider ap too... so Im wrong and ignore that :P

04-03-2013, 17:48	#1
Apretext Getting Comfy Real name : James Location: Swindon Posts: 114 Camera: Canon 40D	Results from a Basics photography course I did a SLR basics day at picture inspire on Saturday, which mainly covered portrait photography, so I thought I'd post some of the results. The main thing I learnt is that I really don't have a clue about trying to get models to pose, the good photo's tended to be when either someone else, or the model came up with a pose! Must try and research next time. 1 IMG_3128 by apretext, on Flickr Annoyingly, this one came out a bit noisy, and her left arm is a bit blown out. Must remember to drop the ISO to 800 in future when shooting inside. (this was at 1600). 2 IMG_3096 by apretext, on Flickr Really happy with the focus and DOF on this one, even if the composition is a little uninteresting. 3 IMG_3094 by apretext, on Flickr The guy who rant the course pointed out that if you have your models legs pointed towards you, they tend to look fat (even though they weren't!), so I'll avoid that in future. Still, other than unflattering legs, happy with this one. 4 IMG_3081 by apretext, on Flickr One of the first from the day. C&C welcome.

04-03-2013, 22:27	#3
Pookeyhead Feet under the table Real name : David Posts: 3,219 Camera: Depends what I'm shooting	They all seem a bit noisy. Why shoot at ISO400? Some of these shots are at 1/2000th!!! Why not shoot at ISO100? Did not whoever was running the course not discuss such things? __________________ ------------------------------------------------- Cameras don't take photographs... People do.

05-03-2013, 01:29	#4
studiowork Quite Chatty Posts: 57 Camera: Nikon D3000	OK. first of all, the pictures themselves - i like them... Now, not sure if youve seen my post - but im on a setting of not knowing lighting / working the camera settings too well... so im not judging etc - because i can hardly talk :P however: refering to image 4... 1/2000th of a second for shutter speed? your FStop is way too open for the light at f2.8 - so you compensated with a faster shutter speed? - ISO400 ... lower number F = more open apperture. higher number the less open it is... more open = more light in, less open = less light in... less open means slower shutter speed to compensate... if you put your fstop to f8 or closed it even further... and brought the shutter speed down a bit... lower ISO... could of been some better results http://www.uscoles.com/fstop.htm - not sure if you were shooting in S mode? - controlling the shutter speed? I was told to try and stick to iso 200 moving onto 400 or 100 - as the higher the iso (800 etc) digital noise begins to enter... adjust shutter speed . fstop to compensate ETC... was a little shocked when you said reduce it to 800... http://digital-photography-school.co...al-photography has a couple of images on the lower the iso number the less grain / digital noise Again, im crap so not takin the mick, just might be useful... im suprised that a class didnt discuss these first though... Last edited by studiowork; 05-03-2013 at 01:36.

05-03-2013, 06:33 Thread Starter	#5
Apretext Getting Comfy Real name : James Location: Swindon Posts: 114 Camera: Canon 40D	ISO was discussed at the course, but he did say it varies from camera to camera as to where noise starts creeping in, and inside it was quite dark. However, I take your point about starting at 200, especially outside. I should also point out that everyone else was using kit lenses, and therefore the advice was F5.6 at ISO 400, but as I was using my 50mm 1.8, I was mostly using f2.8, which is why I shouldn't have been using ISO400 (but still did!). My previous experience of shooting inside has normally always been of my parents new kitten, and if you didn't use a ridiculously fast shutter speed, the little bugger would have moved, not really a problem with portrait photography!! So, lots of ISO experimentation needed too then. Studiowork - No, I was shooting in aperture priority. What else do I need to look into to improve? Last edited by Apretext; 05-03-2013 at 10:02.

05-03-2013, 14:17	#6
mrtoad Growing roots Real name : Geof Location: southwest cornwall Posts: 11,182 Camera: Lumix G1 micro 4/3	2 and 4 come over as a person with 4 emitting the most persona no 1 has a strange effect of a sofa and tights fighting to see who will win the tapestry effect contest...and the lady is not in it at all 3 is another look at my legs shot and a bit too much thigh which takes over important pixels which for me should be dedicated to eyes face hair and midriff fashion doesnt always comment persona cheers geof __________________ Lumix G1 - 14-45 Zoom Lumix FZ7 - 12x Zoom “Would I were with him, wheresome'er he is, either in heaven or in hell ...Henry V

04-03-2013, 20:54	#2
sheridant Forum Regular Location: Aylesbury (h) London (w) Posts: 1,024 Camera: canon - but don't judge me	nice composition in 1 - camera angle works really well no.3 lovely exposure - but cropping off the foot looks wrong no.2 - again would have cropped a little higher to get less leg in otherwise nice shots, everything nice and sharp and well focused

05-03-2013, 17:01 Thread Starter	#9
Apretext Getting Comfy Real name : James Location: Swindon Posts: 114 Camera: Canon 40D	I think it was the model's second shoot, I think her slightly uncomfortable look is down to her not really knowing what we are after (the girls in the group were much better at posing her). I'll run a couple more through lightroom and post them up later on.

05-03-2013, 17:32	#10
prints15 Quite Chatty Real name : Tony Location: Belfast Posts: 57	When taking portraits like these you want to blur the background so that there are no distractions. So open the aperture as wide as possible. F2.8 is ok if that is as open as you can get. On these i would have moved in closer, that too can help blur background. Keep the ISO as low as possible, 100 if possible.

05-03-2013, 17:37	#11
MichaelToye Quite Chatty Real name : Michael Location: London Posts: 56 Camera: Leica AG M Monochrom	if you are going to cut off limbs, don't leave unnecessarily large areas of negative at the opposite end, eg; legs and head ends. Personally, at this focal length and for shots 2 onward, I would have moved in closer or stepped back. Also, if you get the chance, try these again with the lens at eye level. __________________ Michael___________________________________________ Leica Monochrom

05-03-2013, 18:05 Thread Starter	#12
Apretext Getting Comfy Real name : James Location: Swindon Posts: 114 Camera: Canon 40D	They were all with a 50mm 1.8, so I could have gone wider, but I have found in the past if I go much wider, very little ends up in focus! Michael - I assume you mean position myself so that the lens and the subjects eye level are the same? Also, as a beginner, I'm trying to stick to the rule of thirds as much as possible (being of the belief that you have to know the rules before you can break them), hence why there tends to be a bit of dead space, as I was trying to get eyes on the upper third line, if that makes sense.

05-03-2013, 18:43	#13
MichaelToye Quite Chatty Real name : Michael Location: London Posts: 56 Camera: Leica AG M Monochrom	I do teach/preach that everyone compose for thirds and then dismiss, so good stuff. remember to think about your leading lines and backgrounds. the viewer's gaze will immediately go to a focal point in the image and then wander. you can control this with strong lines, like a leg, body, look, etc. backgrounds are also important here as random objects will distract and break the viewers gaze.