First shot was shot with just fill; second one the on-camera speedlite provided the key so the background wouldn't wash out. I'm figuring it would have been a bit better if I could have set up the flash further to the left.
Setting is one of those mixed-use living/retail places here in Austin. On our way back from getting some yogurt.

C&C appreciated and welcome.

1. ISO400, 67mm, f/8 1/200sec 5Dmk2


2. ISO400, 40mm, f/8 1/200sec

Out of curiosity, Andrew, why did you choose the f/8 aperture? These shots aren't bad at all but I think some better bokeh would have made them even better.

Originally Posted by thoth Out of curiosity, Andrew, why did you choose the f/8 aperture? These shots aren't bad at all but I think some better bokeh would have made them even better.

5.6 usually works well for me with a single subject. Sometimes more shallow, but 5.6 is safe. Cute shots. I love her smile in the first. In the second, I feel that she's a bit underexposed.

No particular reason; I wanted more depth since I wanted some more detail in the surroundings -- sort of playing off the fedora and the urban feel. I didn't make any sort of real calculation. This was one of those sets where I didn't have the time to really play and try a bunch of things out (we were running late for having her at a friends house), but see did let me get a couple of series off. I haven't really used this lens much (28-105 f/4), so these were experimental.

Is the crop on #2 okay? I know that the general wisdom is looking into the frame, but that didn't seem to work right for this pose. I didn't want to lose her whole arm and setting it landscape to have her way to the right didn't seem to really serve any purpose. So is this one of those cases where breaking the rule is the right thing to do?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by adbsgicom No particular reason. I wanted some more detail in the surroundings -- sort of playing off the fedora and the urban feel. This was one of those sets where I didn't have the time to really play and try a bunch of things out (we were running late for having her at a friends house), but see did let me get a couple of series off. I haven't really used this lens much (28-105 f/4), so these were experimental.

Fair enough.

Originally Posted by adbsgicom Is the crop on #2 okay? I know that the general wisdom is looking into the frame, but that didn't seem to work right for this pose. I didn't want to lose her whole arm and setting it landscape to have her way to the right didn't seem to really serve any purpose. So is this one of those cases where breaking the rule is the right thing to do?

I would, personally, like to see a little more on the left of the frame. Although I don't necessarily think a subject should be "looking into the frame" all the time, I do think looking out of the frame should imply that there is something of interest over there. That broken "rule" is likely easier, or more appropriate, to pull off in street or documentary photography rather than posed portraiture.

Did you consdier a square crop so that she's face into the frame while no lost on the far right?

1x1 works well. My stylus just broke, so I didn't clean a couple things (like the stray hair on her face), but here's what 1x1 looks like. Thanks for the reminder....

Removed attachment: updated 1x1 in post below.

Funny, after compression and reducing the image size to 800 pixels, the stray hair is gone.....

Originally Posted by adbsgicom 1x1 works well. My stylus just broke, so I didn't clean a couple things (like the stray hair on her face), but here's what 1x1 looks like. Thanks for the reminder....

Indeed. I think she fits into that frame much better. Square format is my favorite.

Originally Posted by adbsgicom Funny, after compression and reducing the image size to 800 pixels, the stray hair is gone.....

Loss of resoution saved the day!

Final (until I play with it again) edit. Smoothed some skin shadows and sharpened the image. Thanks for the input, Travis & Caroline.

Caroline, how does the brightness feel now. I bumped the fill light level in LR2 a bit.

Originally Posted by adbsgicom Final (until I play with it again) edit. Smoothed some skin shadows and sharpened the image. Thanks for the input, Travis & Caroline. Caroline, how does the brightness feel now. I bumped the fill light level in LR2 a bit.

It's certainly getting there, Andrew!

Did you set the white and black points on this image and all that jazz? I'm no pro but I've been playing with this tutorial and I think it can add some extra necessary zing to this image. Well done, though!

I had trouble setting the white/black points in CS4 so I'll have to do some research there. Using LR2, I was able to emulate the flow a bit by using the exposure/recovery/fill/black controls with the highlight/lowlight warning lights as a guide. I had to back out some of the orange luminance as her face seemed to wash out in that process. I then dinked with the contrast curve steepness with the tool adjusting near the light/dark transitions on her face. I think her eyes are now a bit over-white...

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by adbsgicom I had trouble setting the white/black points in CS4 so I'll have to do some research there. Using LR2, I was able to emulate the flow a bit by using the exposure/recovery/fill/black controls with the highlight/lowlight warning lights as a guide. I had to back out some of the orange luminance as her face seemed to wash out in that process. I then dinked with the contrast curve steepness with the tool adjusting near the light/dark transitions on her face. I think her eyes are now a bit over-white...

I use CS3 so I don't know if there is a reason that tutorial shouldn't work on CS4. I can't imagine the two are that much different but you never know.

The image has a lot more pop after your adjustments, though. It's certainly come a long way from the first image you posted. Well done!

Originally Posted by thoth I use CS3 so I don't know if there is a reason that tutorial shouldn't work on CS4. I can't imagine the two are that much different but you never know. The image has a lot more pop after your adjustments, though. It's certainly come a long way from the first image you posted. Well done!

Thank you. Now to get the SOOC image a bit closer to AFWLRACS (after futzing with lightroom and cs)....