CC Please - I don't own an octa, so I tried thinking outside of the softbox...

[cstewart1977]

Two un-diffused studio strobes facing the direction of camera, bouncing off a white wall and door to camera left and right. I was shooting at 200mm from my bathroom, so the strobes were goboed by the hallway:P I didn't notice my hair light was asleep for the whole chair set:( Oops!

I've tried a few things to fix her shoulder blending into the background on the headshot, but haven't figured out the trick yet. Any suggestions for a PS noob?

I'm also not sure how I feel about my sepia conversion. I like it and hate it at the same time. The real reason I did it at all was to cover up some serious color problems that were created because my bounced light was also hitting laminate flooring..




Thanks!

[texxter]

Chris, love the first image - the lighting really works and creates a perfectly smooth, evenly lit skin, with the eyes bcoming the centerpiece of the photo - she's got some gorgeous eyes you've very skillfully emphasize on this portrait. The composition works for me too, with the mass of her hair balancing her shirt, and an overall soothing symmetry. Really nicely done.

The second one, on the other hand, doesn't have the simple, strong graphic character of the first one - she's unnaturally posed and my eyes wander around too much... especially to the half revealing skirt, I must say. And the sepia seems to flatten the image and reduce its impact

[cstewart1977]

I was hating that chair, but she really wanted it. I spent half the time looking away and asking her to scoot forward and adjust the skirt lol. Eventually, I convinced her that my dining room chair wasn't working out and this is what I got next:

[Saltwater Servitude]

Love #1, but the top doesn't do anything for image. Too dang busy. I played with cropping it at her right cheek, right at her hairline and then down to her chin, adding all the white space to image right. I really love how you've captured her eyes and skin tone in it.

I would love to see her in a full outfit that matched the color of the skirt with equally saturated lip liner and eye shadow, or go with the exact same color of the skirt in the lips and eyes. Just messing around with it in my head.

[tml]

Terrific shot in #1. The beautiful eyes and the pounting lips can be subjects on their own.

Tri

[lenron]

Nice work! Great setup, thinking creatively!