Meet Shikha!

[Sahil]

Well here is my best friend, Shikha. She had always been complaining that since I have got my new camera, I never clicked her.. But other females all the time.
It was difficult for me to make her understand the technicalities as to light & portraits not being my piece of cake. Anyways, I processed these two of the lot. Let me know how you like them?!



On the camera screen I saw lots of potential in the following image but on computer screen, it was a bit of disappointment. Strangely, I had a tough time getting rid of those stranded hair, on top & on left side of the image. or is it ok to leave them as is?

[wilgk]

She is very beautiful and looks so happy and relaxed with you - I always like green backgrounds for some reason as well.
Maybe the space above her Head is not necessary, but the stray hair does not bother me - I hope she loves them?

[rob marshall]

Sahil

I prefer #1. A good relaxed pose and the lighting on the model is good. Nice and sharp too. I find the background light a little bright, and, if you don't mind, I reduced it a little. Did you use flash for this? I also cropped the top and left slightly.

[Sahil]

Thanks, Kay & Rob.
Well Kay, she is yet to see these pics.
Rob:- No, I didn't use any flash. The light was too harsh, so I took her to some shadow area. & yea, I agree about the brightness. You have made such a subtle change, but yea it looks great now.
I hope she likes the pic.

[rob marshall]

Rob:- No, I didn't use any flash. The light was too harsh, so I took her to some shadow area. & yea, I agree about the brightness. You have made such a subtle change, but yea it looks great now.
I hope she likes the pic.

A lot of people think that flash is just for dark conditions, but it actually does a very good job when conditions are bright, and paticularly when they are too contrasty. What you can do in situations such as this is convince the camera that the background is not so bright, while at the same time putting more light on the subject/model. You might be able to do it in flash auto mode. Or you can do it manually by metering for the background so it doesn't 'blow out' then use fill flash for the subject. In that scenario the flash will give extra light on the subject, but won't make any difference to the background as it's too far away.

[Sahil]

Oh! Nice...
I have always used flash (on-Camera flash, thats the only flash I have) as Fill-in flash. I hate using flash otherwise. But will try what you have just told me. Sounds interesting.
But won't this separate the subject form the background? I have seen some shots, where-in the subject/model looks like it has been super imposed into the scene. I hope you are getting what I am trying to say?!

[rob marshall]

Oh! Nice...
I have always used flash (on-Camera flash, thats the only flash I have) as Fill-in flash. I hate using flash otherwise. But will try what you have just told me. Sounds interesting.
But won't this separate the subject form the background? I have seen some shots, where-in the subject/model looks like it has been super imposed into the scene. I hope you are getting what I am trying to say?!

It may do - it depends on the scene. A flash on camera is firing straight into the subject, so it can give a flat look to the subject. That's a problem if the background has some sense of depth, because the contrast between flat subject and background with depth might look artificial. I don't think it would be a problem in your shot though because the background is nicely blurred.

A flash (either pop-up or a gun) is quite a small light source, and so it can be quite harsh. You really need to take the flash off camera (if you have one) and get some directional lighting. It also helps to diffuse the light in some way, which makes the light source larger. Generally, a larger light source closer to the subject will give a much softer wrap-around light than a small flash source straight into the subject from a distance.

[Sahil]

Whoa!
All these complexities involved (lot of external lights) in making a portrait look good, gives me a fever! hehe... Thats the reason I don't want to get into formal portraits..
But love to read about them, 'coz IF I plan to do some formal portrait sometime, I would be knowing something. So keep all the knowledge flowing

[rob marshall]

Whoa!
All these complexities involved (lot of external lights) in making a portrait look good, gives me a fever! hehe... Thats the reason I don't want to get into formal portraits..
But love to read about them, 'coz IF I plan to do some formal portrait sometime, I would be knowing something. So keep all the knowledge flowing

I'll tell you what - I'll try this later using a pop-up flash, and post the results.

[Sahil]

I don't doubt the better results one would get with all the fancy lights, Rob. Nor do I doubt your feedbacks/knowledge. They are always appreciated, in fact looked forward to.
Its just that I am tooooooo lazy to make the whole setup. And may be not-enough rich too

[Shadowman]

Shame on you for not photographing her sooner.

Nice effort with the DOF, to severe of a crop in the second.

[Sahil]

Hehe... Now, I am looking forward to another round of photography with her
Well, I didn't really crop it, but framed it like that
Now I gotta process other shots too

[Hans]

Hey Sahil, hope you doing well.
I love the first photo. She is stunning which... makes it a whole lot easier for you . Why has it taken you so long?
Can you remember the settings and was this your 50mm f1.8?
With the second, maybe it could have been improved by taking the lock of hair on her left (the lock hanging forward over her left shoulder) and sweping it back and around to her tight shoulder to open up the neck and face. Just a thought.
Re the light, there are photographers you can't shoot without one and those that refuse to use one and a whole lot in between. I am the kind that is just too poor to get one so manage without it I must say the whole thing does intimidate me but I am sure my photography will open up when I start learning it. But for now I really don't think you needed flash here accept as Rob said, to darken the background just a touch. Enter photoshop for non-flash users Send me a PM about those settings if you can.

[Sahil]

Thanks Hans for your kind words.
What took me so long?! Lol! I don't know... I had taken a few casual shots earlier too, but none was to my heart's content. At times, she didn't find her dresses good enough, at times I missed the focus (thanks to manual focusing) or there wasn't enough light. Various reasons...
Following are the settings I used. The camera was on Aperture Priority mode. (This is the mode I mostly use)
I clicked this using my new Sigma Lens. 70-300 APO-DG (motorised) So didn't miss the focus

Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/4.2
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash
Metering Mode: Center-weighted average

Well on my camera screen I found a great potential in the second shot, but was disappointed when I saw it on my computer screen. I had a certain pose in mind which, probably, I couldn't explain to her properly.

And yea, same here.. To poor to have those fancy lights.. So I believe in doing without them
Maybe, the day I possess them, I would not take even a single shot without them

[Sahil]

Got this printed, framed & gifted to her.. She LOVED it

[Colin Southern]

Hi Sahil,

I think it should be more about Shikha, and less about the background, so personally, I'd crop it more agressively.

Here's what I came up with ...

[Sahil]

Colin,
Wish you could have taken out 3-4 mins for me, 3 days back.. When I hadn't set this for printing
But I guess lady wouldn't have liked me cropping away her dress... She got this 'dalmatian' print dress in memory of her pet dog who died a couple of years back...
Rest, I am really liking the crop..
And just out of curiosity, how much does getting a pic printed, laminated, mounted, in size 12X18 cost at other member's places?

[Colin Southern]

Wish you could have taken out 3-4 mins for me, 3 days back.. When I hadn't set this for printing

Sorry, so many new posts that I'm missing a few recently

But I guess lady wouldn't have liked me cropping away her dress... She got this 'dalmatian' print dress in memory of her pet dog who died a couple of years back...

Who knows! For what it's worth, I've started cropping images more agressively, for more impact, like this.

And just out of curiosity, how much does getting a pic printed, laminated, mounted, in size 12X18 cost at other member's places?

Would cost me about $1 to print, but no idea about framing. If I did it on canvas, it would probably cost me areound USD $30 to produce if that helps (as a 22 x 15").

[speedneeder]

Sahil, I think both images are pretty good. The stray hairs don't bother me at all. I guess if it was an indoor 'pro' portrait I might think differently, but somehow I never seem to notice a few stray hairs on an outdoor portrait.
Don't be afraid of the flash, you can do quite a bit bouncing an on camera flash for photos like these - you can bounce off of walls as wells as ceilings. Pay attention to what your bouncing off of though, it may add its own color to the subject! The only time I use the built in flash is when I just can't take the picture without it - and then I would be cursing myself for simply being unprepared. Any more, everywhere I take my camera, I take my flash and at least one other lens.

[Hans]

so personally, I'd crop it more agressively.

heaps better crop, Colin. Really adds impact, and makes here look even more radiant. Looks like you put a little of your own PP stamp on this one (smooth skin texture) or no?