Simple Beauty Lighting

Lovely portrait Ross, do you mind me asking which lens and aperture you used (I am assuming quite wide).
 
Very nice shot, are her eyes a little too white? The white definitely seems to draw my eyes a bit, maybe if she turned her head slightly towards the camera, her pupils would be more central?
Lovely model and I'm sure loads more great pics to come.
 
Would be nice to see the shot before PP
 
Cracking portrait love it :)
 
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My observation is on the makeup.
To support the pictures you are doing, you need a makeup artist.
You have one already? …really!!
 
beautiful portrait, I would tidy up the few stray hairs on her eyebrow.
brilliant image.
 
Its a gorgeously lit shot but I'm not a fan of those catch lights at all she has amazing brown eyes and they distract from it by being more interesting.

I think a beauty dish would have worked better.
 
Tintin124 said:
Its a gorgeously lit shot but I'm not a fan of those catch lights at all she has amazing brown eyes and they distract from it by being more interesting.

I think a beauty dish would have worked better.
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A beauty dish would have provided completely different light, though, Bryn. I love this kind of light that just covers the model just as much as a BD.
 
The23rdman said:
A beauty dish would have provided completely different light, though, Bryn. I love this kind of light that just covers the model just as much as a BD.
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Indeed... its just the catch lights she has amazing and I mean A MA ZING brown eyes that are kinda spoiled by them. Maybe its the reflector catch light which is the annoying one ... maybe a change in angle cause its obviously needed to reduce shadows.
 
The23rdman said:
I get why you guys don't like them, but I've never ever met any non photographer who has ever commented on catch lights.
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This ^^.

The overall shot is cracking, beautiful lighting, pose, model, make-up etc. The catch lights are a little distracting but as a photographer i see those the most because i immediately start to de-construct an image to see how it was put together.

If you have access use strip boxes next time as an alternative :)
 
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I think it's a stunning image as is the model I'm not experienced enough to to critique or deconstruct how it's been done
All I can say is what the image made me feel and that's

Wow
 
Phil V said:
I think the light is stunning.

But the catchlights spoil it IMHO.
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Impossible to avoid them if you light like this. Eyes reflect their surroundings. simple as that. If you want no, or small catch lights then you need to either light high, or light with small light source, and both options would have resulted in massively different results.


Sharky said:
This ^^.

The overall shot is cracking, beautiful lighting, pose, model, make-up etc. The catch lights are a little distracting but as a photographer i see those the most because i immediately start to de-construct an image to see how it was put together.

If you have access use strip boxes next time as an alternative :)
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Which would have changed the lighting and made it more directional laterally... as that's what strips are for.

Tintin124 said:
Its a gorgeously lit shot but I'm not a fan of those catch lights at all she has amazing brown eyes and they distract from it by being more interesting.

I think a beauty dish would have worked better.
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I suspect many people commenting have little studio experience.

To get that flat, diffused look, you can not use a beauty dish. You need to surround the model with light. You will get large catch lights unless you retouch them out. You could possibly use 2x large beauty dishes in close to get the same results, but then you'd just get 2 equally large catch lights of the beauty dishes.

The catch lights don't bother me. Catch lights never do. Eyes reflect their surroundings and some types of lighting make it impossible to avoid the lights reflecting in the eyes.


Kodiak Qc said:
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My observation is on the makeup.
To support the pictures you are doing, you need a makeup artist.
You have one already? …really!!
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Still trying to decode that message. Not sure what point you're making.
 
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The23rdman said:
I think he's trying to say that the makeup isn't up to much, which I disagree with completely.
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That's how I read it too, but wanted clarification as English is not his first language... I think.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Still trying to decode that message. Not sure what point you're making.
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The23rdman said:
I think he's trying to say that the makeup isn't up to much, which I disagree with completely.
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David and Dean,
My remark is only towards the makeup of the model. I am suggesting that the
applied makeup is not the most flattering for this model since she has a ton of
very strong features that together build a nice visage with great character and
personality. The makeup to too strong in every way: colours and width.

Her features are strong enough and I don't believe they needed being accentuated
but blended. Small jaw, small mouth, and small nose are completely dominated by
these beautiful but over done big eyes — bothered by ginormous catchlights.

On this childlike big eyes face, use your fingers to hide the eyes only and you will
discover another —more gentle— beautiful young woman… not a racoon! And I said
nothing about the hair pin yet.
Thus …you need a makeup artist. You have one already? …really!!
Pookeyhead said:
That's how I read it too, but wanted clarification as English is not his first language... I think.
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Thanks for your indulgence! I do, at times, fight/struggle with the bells and whistles
of this language that is apparently easy as one starts but gets increasingly difficult.
 
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Kodiak Qc said:
David and Dean,
My remark is only towards the makeup of the model. I am suggesting that the
applied makeup is not the most flattering for this model since she has a ton of
very strong features that together build a nice visage with great character and
personality. The makeup to too strong in every way: colours and width.

Her features are strong enough and I don't believe they needed being accentuated
but blended. Small jaw, small mouth, and small nose are completely dominated by
these beautiful but over done big eyes — bothered by ginormous catchlights.

On this childlike big eyes face, use your fingers to hide the eyes only and you will
discover another —more gentle— beautiful young woman… not a racoon! And I said
nothing about the hair pin yet.
Thus …you need a makeup artist. You have one already? …really!!

Thanks for your indulgence! I do, at times, fight/struggle with the bells and whistles
of this language that is apparently easy as one starts but gets increasingly difficult.
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Well, that's one opinion, and I'm sure that she would look great shot that way too, but models have to be adaptable and she looks great like this.
 
Can't say anything other than WOW...that really pops !
 
Kodiak Qc said:
bothered by ginormous catchlights.
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If you find a way to light her like that, and have no catch lights, let us know. Not only would you be a lighting genius, but quite a few physicists would like a word with you too. :)

We'll just have to disagree about the make up.
 
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I do not have much to add, other than when I look at her big, beautiful eyes, the catchlight is unnatural and unsettling because of the triangular shape of the pupils. The lovely brown iris is diluted by the catchlights as well.

As a woman, what I see as far as makeup, is that the treatment of the eye area does not match the treatment of the rest of the face. Would it be better if the application was more harmonious? Just my humble.

Marie
 
rossomck said:
Interesting comments.....lol. The makeup was done professionally by a makeup parlour, and personally, I have no problem with it whatsoever, and neither had the subject, Alannah. As for the catchlights, they were put there deliberately - the two soft boxes were angled together in front, and I shoot through the gap, with a white reflector below. It is a well-known, well-practised technique. I like catchlights, and in fact my studio is called 'catchlight studio.' If you don't care for them, that is your prerogative. But please don't teach me to suck eggs by suggesting ways to do it differently. Personal, artistic taste. I am not a professional photographer, but I have 100+ medals in International competition that say I must be doing something right. :)
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You posted in the > > Photo Genres Discussion & Critique section, if you don't want comment passed on things you're in the wrong place.
 
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This is not the kind of reaction expected from an experienced shooter toward
a member expressing an opinion in a soft spoken manner!

rossomck said:
Interesting comments.....lol. The makeup was done professionally by a makeup parlour…
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Right… like if you don't know the difference between a house painter and an
artist, a "greasy spoon" cook and the Ritz's chef.

rossomck said:
As for the catchlights, they were put there deliberately - the two soft boxes were angled together in front, and I shoot through the gap, with a white reflector below.It is a well-known, well-practised technique. I like catchlights, and in fact my studio is called 'catchlight studio.'
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Your setup and shooting strategy are clearly readable in the iris of the model.
The issue is not the catchlights but how you have used them. This well practi-
ced technique you are referring to, I know as well — though I would never let
it get out of control or out of reason.

rossomck said:
If you don't care for them, that is your prerogative. But please don't teach me to suck eggs by suggesting ways to do it differently. Personal, artistic taste.
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Just as it is anyone's prerogative to express an opinion in this section of the
forum —and personal artistic taste it is.

rossomck said:
I am not a professional photographer…
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A self declared non-professional photographer that has a studio is fine with me.
But a studio with a name?

rossomck said:
…but I have 100+ medals in International competition that say I must be doing something right. :)
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As far as I am concerned, you can try to eat your 100+ medals - but my last
100+ customers fed my family.
 
Okay, before this gets out of hand can I just suggest that everyone remember that it's just a forum, just a photograph and just not that important.

Ross, you're relatively new, but if you post photos here people will give you their honest opinion rather than just blowing smoke up your .... - it's not Flickr.

A bit more grace instead of the big "I am" will win you friends.

Edit: why not use your posts to explain why you shot it like this for the less experienced to learn instead?
 
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The23rdman said:
Okay, before this gets out of hand can I just suggest that everyone remember that it's just a forum, just a photograph and just not that important.

Ross, you're relatively new, but if you post photos here people will give you their honest opinion rather than just blowing smoke up your .... - it's not Flickr.

A bit more grace instead of the big "I am" will win you friends.

Edit: why not use your posts to explain why you shot it like this for the less experienced to learn instead?
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Too late fella, looks like he has gone off in a huff ... which is a pity.
 
Damn. I missed this one! Sounded like the image was really good too, which is a shame. We all things to learn, even the more experienced as well as not so experienced and everyone in-between.
 
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