Critique Self-portrait practice

Michael Batten

Michael Batten

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Michael
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Good evening all,

Having been off work with bacterial tonsillitis (hence the glum look) this week I thought that I should practice more with the studio flash.

I tried several positions for the studiohead, straight on didn't quite work as I'd planned, so this was close on my left on the 45 degree ish and only around 30-45 inches away.

This was 1/160th f4.0 ISO 100.

Would love any comments good or bad.

Thanks for looking.

View attachment 93644
 
The lighting looks spot on to me, as does the skin tones and the framing.

However, it does look slightly soft to me in the eyes though, perhaps focus has missed slightly?
 
The lighting looks a little hot to me above your left eye and bridge of the nose, maybe try a smaller aperture, which will lessen the amount of light and add to the dof


Les
 
Turbo-G said:
The lighting looks spot on to me, as does the skin tones and the framing.

However, it does look slightly soft to me in the eyes though, perhaps focus has missed slightly?
Click to expand...


Thanks Grant, I've double checked the original this morning and it does look sharp, however when I was processing it I got the impression that it wasn't. I was pretty pleased with the lighting I think that's worked quite well and the skin tones too. As Meatloaf said "two out of three ain't bad"

Lez325 said:
The lighting looks a little hot to me above your left eye and bridge of the nose, maybe try a smaller aperture, which will lessen the amount of light and add to the dof


Les
Click to expand...

Thanks Les, I checked the histogram and there is a slight hotness above the left eye you're quite right but the bridge is showing ok. If I make a -5 highlights adjustment in LR then that clears the hotness. Personally I prefer a shallow DoF but that wouldn't stop me from exploring a deeper DoF.

Bobsyeruncle said:
Agree with what lez says.
Looks too much like a mug shot for me though.
Sorry.
Click to expand...

Thanks Robert, no need to be sorry I asked for comments good or bad. My other half says I am a right grump b@5t@rd so only living up to expectations. :).
 
What backdrop did you use? Also, what's your technique to set up and get focus etc when working on your own for a self portrait?

I've only attempted two so far, and found it to be a bit hit and miss, even if using a smaller aperture...
 
crop to just below the beard and just on the hair line
your sensor is not your format...your cropped image is

CC crop and clone

i think a black to white would make you look oh so much loverly
:D

cheers
geof
 
The back drop is just a grey blanket pinned to a curtain rail, I'm about 8ft from the backdrop.

The a7r has face recognition so it's just a case of using auto focus and the Sony autos on the eyes it's a clever little system and I'd say it's 95% accurate. I use a hahnel wireless remote that's plugged in via the mini slot to take the picture and have an interfit 90x60 easy-grip white reflector in the other hand.
 
mrtoad said:
crop to just below the beard and just on the hair line
your sensor is not your format...your cropped image is

CC crop and clone

i think a black to white would make you look oh so much loverly
:D

cheers
geof
Click to expand...

Thanks Geof, more than happy for you to have a go at the black and white, I had a little play yesterday and I didn't think it did much.
 
Michael Batten said:
Thanks Geof, more than happy for you to have a go at the black and white, I had a little play yesterday and I didn't think it did much.
Click to expand...

cheers...i appreciate your confidence....but mainly gives me a chance to do some b>w
watch this space...:D
 
Thanks Geof you've gone and done a Van Gogh on my ear!

I had another go after you said but I didn't think that it was any better in B&W that in colour.

Eyes look good but for me they are over done a little, how do you do yours? I tend to do a high pass filter, add a layer mask and then brush the eyes in. It's a decent conversion but not sure it brings anything else out.

Michael.
 
What was the modifier? I can't be certain but it looks like a medium octa. You could try feathering the light so that the hotspot in the centre just grazes you - either to the front or the rear, depending on how much light you want on the backdrop. That should calm the highlights down a bit.

Not all softboxes have hot spots but lots do, and shoot through umbrellas invariably do.
 
juggler said:
What was the modifier? I can't be certain but it looks like a medium octa. You could try feathering the light so that the hotspot in the centre just grazes you - either to the front or the rear, depending on how much light you want on the backdrop. That should calm the highlights down a bit.

Not all softboxes have hot spots but lots do, and shoot through umbrellas invariably do.
Click to expand...

Hi Simon,

The modifier was the https://www.lencarta.com/s-fit-80cm-silver-folding-beauty-dish which I used before. I had ever so slighty increased the exposure so that's what's tipped it over. I see so many comments that people have underexposed that I think that I've over compensated.

This beauty dish came with two white diffusers and a grid, all were applied here.
 
Michael Batten said:
Thanks Geof you've gone and done a Van Gogh on my ear!

I had another go after you said but I didn't think that it was any better in B&W that in colour.

Eyes look good but for me they are over done a little, how do you do yours? I tend to do a high pass filter, add a layer mask and then brush the eyes in. It's a decent conversion but not sure it brings anything else out.

Michael.
Click to expand...

its done in my toady way and rather amateur...silver efex and then some burn and dodge...
if you want i will take it off the forum..no worries
let me see yours ....yah boo sucks
:D

cheers
geof
 
mrtoad said:
its done in my toady way and rather amateur...silver efex and then some burn and dodge...
if you want i will take it off the forum..no worries
let me see yours ....yah boo sucks
:D

cheers
geof
Click to expand...

No I don't mind at all, I'll give it a B&W go and will post the results this week.
 
Michael Batten said:
Hi Simon,

The modifier was the https://www.lencarta.com/s-fit-80cm-silver-folding-beauty-dish which I used before. I had ever so slighty increased the exposure so that's what's tipped it over. I see so many comments that people have underexposed that I think that I've over compensated.

This beauty dish came with two white diffusers and a grid, all were applied here.
Click to expand...

I'm liking the look of it, esp after the hotspots been reduced.

Slow down a bit with the gear ;)

Once you add the diffusers, it's no longer a BD, it's a softbox, a BD requires the deflector in place, the light carefully placing and no diffusion panels. Best used with the grid though.

A softbox works best feathered, and I keep forgetting this too :(

Grids on a softbox help to give definition to shadow edges, can't really see that working here.

I need to get mine out for a play.
 
Phil V said:
I'm liking the look of it, esp after the hotspots been reduced.

Slow down a bit with the gear ;)

Once you add the diffusers, it's no longer a BD, it's a softbox, a BD requires the deflector in place, the light carefully placing and no diffusion panels. Best used with the grid though.

A softbox works best feathered, and I keep forgetting this too :(

Grids on a softbox help to give definition to shadow edges, can't really see that working here.

I need to get mine out for a play.
Click to expand...

Thanks Phil, could you define feathering please?
 
mrtoad said:
its done in my toady way and rather amateur...silver efex and then some burn and dodge...
if you want i will take it off the forum..no worries
let me see yours ....yah boo sucks
:D

cheers
geof
Click to expand...

Just a quick edit for you Geof.

DSC03620-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit.JPG
 
that suits me...
what's this ear 'ere?..:D
did you have an accident?
i took out the shirt as distracting
cheers
geof
 
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