Beth - a high-key session

Scott_Quier · January 19, 2009

Some time ago, I taught Beth a thing or two about shooting, using flash, etc. Spent a bit of time with her. In compensation, she agreed to pose for me. The "theme" of the shoot was to produce some shots that her husband would appreciate for Valientines Day.

IN planning for this shoot, I considered her fair coloring and thought a high-key session would work. These are some of the shots that came out of the session (I'm just started and I have lots more to finish in the next couple of days:D).

Anyway, have a look and feel free to make comments or provide critique. There are lots of things I see in these that I think I would do differently had I to do it over again.

1. This was captured, literally, 1 minute into the shoot. It was the first one I processed and I think it's my second favorite of the shoot.

2.

3.

4.

5. This one is probably my favorite of the entire shoot. Funny thing is, when I went through the culling process, this one didn't make the first cut and got moved to the "not to be processed" folder because the background was garbage. But, something called me back - I think it's the eyes. Anyway, I played with it for a bit and wondered what would happen if I cropped out as much of the background as I could. We have a tight crop!

Nikolai · January 19, 2009

Nice HK, Scott!

I guess this is gonna be our "mode du jour" for a while, eh? Boys with their new toys:-)
What were your readings on bg and one the front lights?

Elaine · January 19, 2009

Oh Wow! She is gorgeous!! I love this set! The lighting and colors look fantastic.

I'm to be shooting a friend in a couple weeks as a surprise for her husband. I wish I could do something like this, but I don't have lights or backdrops. Hmmm...must do some research.

Scott_Quier · January 19, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Nice HK, Scott!
I guess this is gonna be our "mode du jour" for a while, eh? Boys with their new toys:-)
What were your readings on bg and one the front lights?

Incident at the model was between f/8 and f/9

Incident at the background was f/11 - should have been a bit higher.

I'll be able to keep this "studio" in place until about the middle of Saturday, then I have to break it down.:cry It's my wife's space and I'm forced to share it with a couple of different evening classes.

Scott_Quier · January 19, 2009

Elaine wrote:

Oh Wow! She is gorgeous!! I love this set! The lighting and colors look fantastic.

I'm to be shooting a friend in a couple weeks as a surprise for her husband. I wish I could do something like this, but I don't have lights or backdrops. Hmmm...must do some research.

This entire setup cost about $230. The seamless white paper was more than $100 - shipping on that stuff is a killer. After having done it once, I think I could probably set something like this up for less than $100. Of course, the lights are a bit on top of that.

WingsOfLovePhoto · January 19, 2009

Very nice! I like definately like #1 and 5! The only thing I noticed is there is something distracting on her left cheek? a group of freckles perhaps? or a smudge? maybe you could lighten them up a bit?

eL eSs Vee · January 19, 2009

Was this your first high key shoot, Scott? Whether or not it is, you did a fantastic job! Although I find her shirt a little hot on the first four shots. But the face shot, the one you cropped, is magnificent!

Extremely well done!!

divamum · January 20, 2009

Woohoo! I figured you had something up your sleeve after all your hints about "Monday", so was waiting for something from you to turn up today!

Scott_Quier wrote:

1. This was captured, literally, 1 minute into the shoot. It was the first one I processed and I think it's my second favorite of the shoot.

Beautiful... except I can't get past the shirt covering her mouth. Given the quality of the others you've got, you can spare this one, nice though it is! Man, she has seriously got eyes going on - just beautiful.

2.

Stunning, stunning, stunning. One could argue blown highlights on the left arm, but when it's as good as this, who cares? Has she modelled professionally, or is she just naturally talented? (Also, nice makeup job - did you use a pro, or'd she do it herself?

There's a really neat and rather subtle subtext going on too between the sexy pose and glimpse of undergarment and the prominent wedding ring finger (particularly when you consider these are a Valentine's prezzy for her husband)

4.

This and number 2 are my favorites. LOVE. Her neck's a little stiff, but I really like the whole combo of high key set, white shirt and that dark chair. Works a treat.

5.

This is a great closeup - actually, having said 2&4 were my favorites, I think I need to add this one as well!

On this one, can you soften the undereye makeup ever so slightly (not the undereye area, but just under the eyes where there's highlight)? In the others i like the effect -this closeup, it jumps out at me a tiny bit too much. Perhaps a little blurring to soften it enough to make it blend in?

Really enjoying these Scott - would love to see some more of them as you work through the shoot

Scott_Quier · January 20, 2009

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Very nice! I like definately like #1 and 4! The only thing I noticed is there is something distracting on her left cheek? a group of freckles perhaps? or a smudge? maybe you could lighten them up a bit?

Thanks for the comments and I'll take a look at the cheek later today.

eL eSs Vee wrote:

Was this your first high key shoot, Scott? Whether or not it is, you did a fantastic job! Although I find her shirt a little hot on the first four shots. But the face shot, the one you cropped, is magnificent!

Extremely well done!!

By the numbers, the shirt didn't read blown in PS, but I may be mistaken. But the shirt does look blown in spots on my monitors at work (which are not calibrated) Maybe I need to revisit. And, yes, this was my first high-key session.

divamum wrote:

Woohoo! I figured you had something up your sleeve after all your hints about "Monday", so was waiting for something from you to turn up today!

Glad you liked!

divamum wrote:

Beautiful... except I can't get past the shirt covering her mouth. Given the quality of the others you've got, you can spare this one, nice though it is! Man, she has seriously got eyes going on - just beautiful.

On the other hand, I like this one for the fact of the way she is concealing a portion of her face. I would have liked it even more if all of her mouth had been covered by the shirt collar. Maybe it's the guy thing in me?

divamum wrote:

Stunning, stunning, stunning. One could argue blown highlights on the left arm, but when it's as good as this, who cares? Has she modelled professionally, or is she just naturally talented? (Also, nice makeup job - did you use a pro, or'd she do it herself?

You're the second to comment on the blown shirt - I'll definitely need to re-look at this.

divamum wrote:

There's a really neat and rather subtle subtext going on too between the sexy pose and glimpse of undergarment and the prominent wedding ring finger (particularly when you consider these are a Valentine's prezzy for her husband)

Her DH is in the military. I have a thing about guys serving our nation - I wanted to do something for the couple by way of "Thanks". Hence, the shots were all directed at him and what she thought he would appreciate. Getting her rings in the shots was important to me

divamum wrote:

This and number 2 are my favorites. LOVE. Her neck's a little stiff, but I really like the whole combo of high key set, white shirt and that dark chair. Works a treat.

Help me with this ... I can see that her neck is a litle corded - under tension. What about it reads "stiff" to you.

divamum wrote:

This is a great closeup - actually, having said 2&4 were my favorites, I think I need to add this one as well!

On this one, can you soften the undereye makeup ever so slightly (not the undereye area, but just under the eyes where there's highlight)? In the others i like the effect -this closeup, it jumps out at me a tiny bit too much. Perhaps a little blurring to soften it enough to make it blend in?

Again - more help required. I'm not understanding what you mean. I can see the lighter colored eye makeup under her right eye - is that what you mean?

divamum wrote:

Really enjoying these Scott - would love to see some more of them as you work through the shoot

Thank you - I get warm fuzzy feelings from comments like that! I will continue the PP this afternoon. Based on the comments above, I think I will probably be re-working these and posting before and afters. If they're not up by 6:30PM EST, they won't be up until tomorrow as I have an appointment at 7:00.

lisap · January 20, 2009

What a gorgeous model. These are really nice Scott. My favourite is the second one. Love her expression (serious yet seductive) and her hair blowing away from her face. My second favourite is #5. Those eyes!! So glad you retrieved it from the 'toss' pile. I really like the lighting on her face.

I love the natural feeling of these as well.

-- Lisa P.

mpaulie · January 20, 2009

Awesome shots, the lighting and exposure are great. love 2 and 4!

Scott_Quier wrote:

I think I could probably set something like this up for less than $100.

I'd love to hear some details?

Ed911 · January 20, 2009

Scott,

Very nice. I look forward to seeing more.

Davremdali · January 20, 2009

Exceptional
Exceptional photographs. I see pancake lighting with a touch of glamor. Number 2 is my favorite. Keep up the good work

Reynaldo -AKA- Davremdali
www.creativephotoimages.smugmug.com
www.edc-llc.net
www.facebook.com

divamum · January 20, 2009

Scott_Quier wrote:

Glad you liked!On the other hand, I like this one for the fact of the way she is concealing a portion of her face. I would have liked it even more if all of her mouth had been covered by the shirt collar. Maybe it's the guy thing in me?

I think that's it exactly - either all covered or not covered, but the part cover is what distracts me. We're talking really nit-picky though - I can see exactly why you like it, because the expressioin rocks! I wonder what happens if you play around with somehow removing the tiny bit of mouth showing, maybe cloning some collar over it, or liquifying the collar larger or somesuch? Or, alternatively, using liquify on the mouth and making it a tiny bit more prominent? Might be too much distortion, but I wonder....

Her DH is in the military. I have a thing about guys serving our nation - I wanted to do something for the couple by way of "Thanks". Hence, the shots were all directed at him and what she thought he would appreciate. Getting her rings in the shots was important to me

It totally works

thumb

Help me with this ... I can see that her neck is a litle corded - under tension. What about it reads "stiff" to you.

Hmm. I'm having trouble definining "why", that's just how it initially read to me. I do note there's a shadow on her collar bone (her right h side) which emphasises muscle movement/angle - I wonder what happens if you soften that? It's really not a big deal - very subtle. And I think I'm picking nits at a pretty absurd level of detail!

Again - more help required. I'm not understanding what you mean. I can see the lighter colored eye makeup under her right eye - is that what you mean?

I mean the frosted, light pink highlighter right under her lashes, extended to the inner corner of her eye and nose (both sides). Just a tiny bit of blurring or very sheer cloning (perhaps on a "darken" setting so it only alters the too-light pixels?) might blend that in softer so it's a little more natural in this one shot. She's so pretty and the lips/cheeks are in such a natural style/colours that the extra makeup is distracting for me in this one shot (and a tiny bit in #2, but it doesn't really catch my eye there as much because it's not so close up - in the longer shots, it's not so obvious). Then again, I tend to notice makeup details (too much time in the theatre, presumably

, so it may not bother anybody else at all, ymmv etc etc.

Based on the comments above, I think I will probably be re-working these and posting before and afters.

Look forward to seeing them!

heatherfeather · January 20, 2009

Oooh These are beauty! And you have a great model!

WTG with the setup and too bad you have to take it down so soon! But at least you have the know how now, huh.

clap

NeilL · January 20, 2009

Why do the numbers 007 come into my mind, Scott?!?

D Were you thinking of them??

White on white - now that's brave

Seems like summoning the WB demon to me. But it didn't come, obviously.

There are very nice things in all of these, and some of those things are unique to HK.

Is there a filter on the skin. I keep seeing what could be. Almost a graininess?

The hair is most luxurious in the first one, and I miss that in the others, where it is flatter.

I'm not sure I like the choice of a man's shirt to save modesty. A little clicheed? And its mixed messages fussy the images with needless associations.

My goodness, I think this HK thing is catching... I feel the symptoms coming on!

EDIT: I just came across your reference to the rings. They jarred with me when I saw them, but in the circumstances they have a reason to be there. But the shirt should come off. What am I saying

:banned

EDIT2: I wouldn't touch the mouth in #1 (well, hubby is in the military, right?)
I think there are problems with the posing of the head in #4, sometimes it looks like it has partly fallen off the neck, and I agree with divamum that the neck anatomy is detracting (well, it's trying to keep the head on)

sweet caroline · January 20, 2009

It's a beautiful set, Scott. The partially covered mouth in the first one doesn't bother me because her eyes are so captivating in this one. Her husband is a lucky guy, and he will love these.

Caroline

Mike J · January 20, 2009

IN planning for this shoot, I considered her fair coloring and thought a high-key session would work. These are some of the shots that came out of the session (I'm just started and I have lots more to finish in the next couple of days:D).

You are right - her fair coloring makes this work but that hair puts it over the top. Not to be a follower here but I like #2 and #5. Please share more of these. Now I have to go back to your SP post to take another look at your setup.

RBrogen · January 21, 2009

Some wonderful HK shots Scott!!! Nice lighting control. I have to work on not creating blown out shots when I play with these types of shots. Thanks for sharing.

jeffreaux2 · January 21, 2009

Nice job Scott. Very clean and crisp looking.....all of them.

Scott_Quier · January 23, 2009

As promised - A rework (finally)
Just to show that I can, eventually, get it right .... here are the same photos but this time the exposure of the shirt is a bit better controlled. Analysis of my workflow showed that I wasn't paying enough attention to the histogram during the RAW conversion step. Anyway ... here they are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

glennp · January 23, 2009

Great shot Scott! You've got a winner to work with. Love her eyes!

glenn

Prairiemaiden · July 8, 2009

HK Setup

Would it be possible to post a shopping list for someone wanting to try this?

RBrogen · July 8, 2009

Great images as usual Scott. Only nit pick I have is the pink bra is distracting....maybe a clone out or shoot without it.

D'Buggs · July 8, 2009

Prairiemaiden wrote:

Would it be possible to post a shopping list for someone wanting to try this?

Thanks for pulling this outta the 'done bin'!

These shots are right on the money of what I term, High Key as being all about. SUPERFANTABULOUS JOB!!!

Sooooo, did the client (and hubby) dig them as much as we all did?
Also, you promised us MORE.... Bring It! (or are they in another thread?).

Nikolai · July 8, 2009

Prairiemaiden wrote:

Would it be possible to post a shopping list for someone wanting to try this?

You need 3-4 manually controllable lights, white backdrop, white tileboard, and, naturally a camera and a way to trigger the lights.
Models is not included.

Scott_Quier · July 8, 2009

Prairiemaiden wrote:

Would it be possible to post a shopping list for someone wanting to try this?

Read these pages, start here

Beth - a high-key session

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