My first high key

[joshhuntnm]

just so you know--I am NOT too pleased with these. I just can't quite put my finger on what is wrong with them or how to fix it.

cc please

1
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/477107839_WBM7J-M.jpg

2
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/477108392_MT9rd-M.jpg

3
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/477108140_ht5zk-M.jpg

[gavin]

Well, These are not what you would call high key.

All three shots are great shots of the couple. What I see off is that they are all a little underexposed, the WB is a bit off, and the tonal quality appears flat.

[Scott_Quier]

Well, These are not what you would call high key.

All three shots are great shots of the couple. What I see off is that they are all a little underexposed, the WB is a bit off, and the tonal quality appears flat.
:agree on all points, Josh.

Some questions, the answers to which may lead you down a better path:

Did you light the background to 1.5 or 2 stops brighter than your subjects? For example, if you subjects are at f/5.6, you need to have light on the background such that an incident reading shows at least f/9 and maybe as much as f/11.
Did you shoot a gray card? It appears your WB is off a bit more than a bit.
It appears your models are under-exposed. There's not detail in some of both his and her hair.
How are you controlling light spill from the background? There's some evidence of it, especially on her hand in #2 and #3.

All that being said, I like the poses. If you are going for high-key, I think her top could/should be a lighter color. His shirt - good choice.

I really like the crop/pose of the second image but I'm a bit strange in that I really like tight cropped portraits. I like to see the faces right in my face.

[Nikolai]

Well, These are not what you would call high key.

All three shots are great shots of the couple. What I see off is that they are all a little underexposed, the WB is a bit off, and the tonal quality appears flat.
+1 :agree

HK is an interesting beast. My first few attempts (about a year ago) ended up with approximately similar results. Key reason (as I see now) - not enough light power and poor thinking on my side. I was so discouraged with the results that I stopped trying for almost 9 months. Now it's one of my favorite setups :-)

Simply be careful with your measurements, and you'll be OK! :thumb