Christina in the Field

[Sean Setters]

Ok Madison, just for you...


I can't do anything about the "flat" lighting in the posted pic. Even if I change the color, it's still going to have the same lighting (unless I did some serious dodging and burning). That said, I can plainly see a gradient of light and shadow on her right arm as well as half her face in shadow (but not enough to lose the detail in those shadows). To me, it's off-camera lighting, and directional...so we'll just chalk it up to taste. ;-)


However, I'll put two pictures in this post. One will be a slightly warmer version of the pic above. The other will be another shot from the same series, warmed to the same tone. Maybe you'll like the second one better--but maybe not, as it was lit very much the same way. :-)


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.21.08/_5F00_MG_5F00_4834_5F00_warm-small.jpg[/img]


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.21.08/_5F00_MG_5F00_4831_5F00_2_5F00_warm-small.jpg[/img]

[Alan]

Sean, I like the shot. I guess I'm not "seeing" the flatness of lighting. Some people's skin tone are lighter than others (my wife's looks more like Casper the ghost :&lt.


I took your shot and did a minor curves adjustment in CS4, and it did pretty much what the top photo looks like. I put a bit more contrast in the curve, and it looks a bit warmer once I found the proper midtone, but her skin looks essentially the same.


Honestly, this shot is quite excellent as is.

[Chuck Lee]

Well done Sean.


Nice subject, background, composition and lighting direction. The CPL was definitely the ND filter to the rescue.


No critique, rather observations:


1)Sun looks a bit high. Speculars off vegetation cause flare and lack of contrast. Not too bad with this series. Thanks L glass!


2)Strobe lightis cool. That's probably the reason why it looks better overall cooled down. Might I suggest trying a 1/4 to 1/2 cto gel on that 285HV next time. Strobist Lighting 102 section 6. You'll like it at 5500!! Summer grass not Winter wheat!


May I do as well when trying out my local hot shot sites!!


Chuck

[Colin]

Sean, I mean this with all the respect due to you, my mentor of the off camera flash. I like the composition of the shot. I like the lighting, in terms of proportion. I think what madison might be referring to relates to the character of the lighting. I think there's enough shading for depth, but the color rendition seems to suffer due to the difference in the light, qualitatively, between the sunlight and the flash. All of the grass and environment surrounding the subject is primarily light by sunlight, and has a sense of warm richness. The subject, which is lit primarily by the flash, seems pale and grey in comparison. From my limited experience, I think you did everything right, and I don't know what you could have done differently. I don't know if you can set white balance selectively in Photoshop or anything. That'd be a neat trick. A reflector would conceivably provide a more consistent white balance, though as you pointed out, it might also blind the subject.


I wish I had something constructive to offer. I think there's a lot of good stuff in the shot, and I would have beenproud if Itook it. But I also think Madison is seeing something that's at least worth thinking about.

[Jarhead5811]

Well, I, think they're awesome. Of course I'm just beginning to tinker with flash portraits.


I can see a slight grayness to her arm but to me it appears to be a refection off her dress and until it was pointed out I didn't notice.

[Sean Setters]

I could have gelled the flash with a CTO filter to give the light a warm color. I guess because it was later in the evening the light had changed from a daylight color (which the flash is balanced to) to a warmer sunset color (even though it wasn't sunset yet). Warming the flash would have probably balanced the flash with the ambient light a bit better than it did bare. Being colorblind, I didn't see the problem at the time and didn't realize the imbalance until it was brought to my attention. I guess I'll know for next time.... ;-)