It's high key flash without that extra 'pop' people bring to it. It's usually used in fashion photography and can be either ethereal or full of energy depending on how overpowering it is. It's a white room so the flash light is bouncing around but it's still not strong enough to give an edge to the model. It's very soft and a tad dull which works in some cases but it's not working too much here. They aren't bad, though! I just think a brighter ethereal look would have made her relaxed poses work better. Maybe try bouncing the light at higher power at a different side of the wall? It seems the flash is hitting from the front judging by the catchlights.
I had the flash pointed up at the ceiling but also had a reflector leaning up against something nearby. My apartment is like a shoebox so it's hard to set much up, I'll take your suggestions and hit her with more light next time. She wanted it brighter anyway, her skin is too dark she says. Chinese girls always want to look super white lol. Thanks man.
Also, love those two self portraits of yours down there! Great dynamic stuff.
Pretty. I'm thinking with the first 3 were you bouncing your flash off the ceiling?
Doing that has given you big flattering light, very clean, but it is kind of flat? Like her pose and gaze is sweet / soft, but the flat, white straight down light feels a bit ...office?
I think the lack of shadow might be working against her
Like maybe you could have used the direction of the light, or just the daylight, to give her some shadow to sink into. Use the wall to the side, or behind you, rather than the straight down angle from the ceiling.
Or maybe lighting it as you have, get her to angle her face more up to it, and having her much further away from the white wall, so it starts to drop off.
Some part of the frame more gloomy, bedroomy to draw you in? if that makes sense.
I think prefer the last, just because the light is a bit more.. dynamic? I think your flash was lower, and further away, and you have some vignetting happening.
Not meaning to be critical, you know i love your stuff. Just thinking out loud what i'd be doing there.
Don't worry, I posted it to be torn apart. I know taking posed portraits is not really my strong point as a photographer. I've got lots of other cool shots I could have shared but instead showed these and asked for advice. So I'm glad you guys are all giving it.
My apartment is a definitely a sterile white "modern" box so it's no surprise it's officy and clean and flat lol. We didn't exactly plan a shoot, we were just chilling before she was going out to a bar with her friends. I'm kind of a minimalist so we didn't have any prop laying around to use.
I don't tend to find posed studio "glamour" portraits very interesting, especially of girls, no matter how pretty they might be. I wanted her to show some skin (easy way to make things more interesting) but she wasn't comfortable with that so it was just her and the wall and a couple different shirts.
Those aren't excuses for why the shots suck though, I know someone more creative and talented me could have done something better which is why I am asking!
The last shot was no flash, I like it too. Next time I'll try to play with some shadows more to give it some depth and texture.
At first I often ask them to tell about their day or something else and explain with their hands, so they get comfortable and I see in what position I like them to be.
I talk to the models, often nonsense to make them smile, laugh or look puzzling.
Props are good, because it gives them something to do so they don't have to wonder what to do with their hands and it's easier to get focused look.
Look my hand here, here and finally where I really want them to look to get the look more natural.
If the model doesn't understand how and what position I want by explaining, I go and put them in that by hand.
I show the pictures I like and ask them to do that again with the adjustments I want.
And finally, music. Let them choose the music they like, it makes it a more fun shoot for them and relaxed.
Those things sometimes work for me.
Her english is non-existent so I gotta show her what I want basically, but she's pretty natural with her angles and hands so it works well enough. I am just not good enough is the problem. I definitely talk to and joke around with the models when I can. Music is good, especially if you want some movement. Thanks for the advice!
Yeah this is why I put mine on a light stand. I used to mess around with gels but everybody on here told me it was a bad look so I stopped.
I think it was just that time the girl looked super orange right? Don't stop though, keep practicing so you improve.
Hah nooo gels are fun. I say use them if you enjoy them
Kinda off topic, but I think with any public photography forum (at least ones I'm familiar with), is... in general people try to push you back to 'average'.
Not a knock against people in this thread, there are a whole bunch of photographers here much more talented than me, making fun things... but just i feel like, in general people are attracted to normal.
If you are feeling gels, play with gels. Find cool photographers that use them, and then steal all their ideas ahah
This guy i've been checking out recently. I think his work is spectacular.
I find that when people actually talk about their own images, as well as give and receive advice as opposed to just throwing their pictures up and hoping for "likes" or their equivalent, then it's a great and useful thing and pushes you from "average" to places that you never thought you could go. When it's just sharing your work and people saying "nice" or liking it then it brings you down to average because you get complacent and think you know everything, imo.
I've seen that image you shared before, not sure where, but yea it's a great shot.