Self Portrait

[Fast Eddie]

I was playing with off camera flash and people photography. Given my girlfriend hates having her photo taken that leaves me as the willing model!

Flash (placed behind me) bounced off the wall behind me for high key effect and exposed for the face.



Other than the model, what do you think? That odd expression (as iiisecondcreep put it) is my (forced) smile before anyone asks.

Shot tethered to my laptop.

[Ian]

Re: Self Portrait

Hi Eddie,

For me there are several problems with this image (and none of them are to do with the model! )

First of all - there isn't enough contrast - it has a very flat tone. It's also not very sharp. I think the lighting is actually not a problem.

Did you shoot in RAW? Any chance of having a play with the original file myself?

Ian

[Pol]

Re: Self Portrait

Well hello there, handsome Eddie.

Nice try actually and Ian has already mentioned the flat tones.

The high key effect is great on the background and the exposure on the face isn't too bad, even though the tones are flat - but I'm thinking you might be able to improve things quite effectively with a set of reflector discs.

You can get a set of collapsible reflector discs very cheaply from 7dayshop - HERE.

[Pol]

Re: Self Portrait

You can get a set of collapsible reflector discs very cheaply from 7dayshop - HERE.

You could have hours of fun experimenting with those.

Pol

Eddie,

Like you I have nobody willing to model for me, nor do I have anyone who will spend time holding reflectors, mirrors etc for me ... and having my husband trying to help usually leads to arguments.

So I've sometimes experimented with self portraits and reflector discs. I'm attaching a copy of one I took maybe 4-5 years ago, probably my most successful experiment and certainly the only one I've ever had printed.

It was on the patio on a very bright, contrasty day, left side of the picci with my face in very dark shadow, black flower on the left side of a white sun hat. I'd used a reflector on the left side and I think I'd also used the diffuser disc on the other side; far enough back to diffuse the extremely bright sun iirc.

The catchlight in my eyes if from one of the reflectors, which was propped up against a garden chair.

It's not an especially good picci but it does demonstrate how the use of reflectors and maybe a diffuser disc can help. The black background is a natural result of the setting though I have tweaked it and cleaned it up to purify it for the print.

Pol

[Fast Eddie]

[Pol]

Re: Self Portrait

You can work miracles with a set of small reflector discs, a small mirror (eg a small shaving mirror or maybe 2 of them placed stategically). Another useful aid is an anglepoise lamp with a daylight bulb in it.

I have a cheap anglepoise with a daylight bulb in it, a cheap mirror (on its own stand) from Ikea and we also have daylight bulbs in most of the rooms, as well as in my anglepoise reading lamp.

You can get daylight (craft) bulbs from HERE

[Fast Eddie]

Re: Self Portrait

Ok, here's another version.

[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/theboyfast/6284076888/[/ame]
[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/theboyfast/6284076888/[/ame] by Ed Swift, on Flickr

[Ian]

Re: Self Portrait

That's better, but I think there is more potential Can you send the original to [email protected]? RAW file if possible

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Self Portrait

OK, here's a different version:



The file is actually quite sharp, but around 2 stops under-exposed.

Ian

[Fast Eddie]

Re: Self Portrait

That looks good. thanks. I think you may have pushed the exposure or brightness more than i did.

you're right about the under exposure, i also had about +2. Even with out flash the rear wall was obviously fooling the metering and i didn't pick it up until afterwards when working on the file.

Edit: I've had another bash. Not quite as light as yours Ian, but lighter than the others so far.

[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/theboyfast/6284076888/[/ame]
[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/theboyfast/6284076888/[/ame] by Ed Swift, on Flickr

[Patrick]

Re: Self Portrait

Hi Pol, Ian,



The one thing that really bugs me about this is the lack of catchlight,

Thanks,
Ed

Never worry about catch lights, put em in via your editing software, and I should brighten the eyes a little.

Patrick

[Fast Eddie]

Re: Self Portrait

Never worry about catch lights, put em in via your editing software

Heresy!

[Barr1e]

Re: Self Portrait

Almost there.

Regards. Barr1e

[kennykodak]

Re: Self Portrait

Pol,
do i see a touch of lip stick or are my eyes playing tricks? auto focus have extended many a career for us old timers.

[Pol]

Re: Self Portrait

Pol,
do i see a touch of lip stick or are my eyes playing tricks? auto focus have extended many a career for us old timers.

Yes, your eyes are good ... that is indeed a touch of lippy. A touch of airbrushing here and there too, just to smooth out one or two wrinkles but don't tell anybody. I'll also let you into another secret. I'd used the gold reflector to try to give myself a bit of a 'golden girl' glow. How sad is that, eh.

However - I didn't care much for the full colour version, nor did I want pure b/w - so I faded the colours, tweaked and airbrushed in the places that made me look too too much like a wrinkled old tart ... then I laid the tweaked version in a layer over the top of a b/w version - faded the layer until I got what I wanted.

>

>

Who said the camera never lies. Nor does Photoshop ... does it?


Pol