So I've had an AB400 and a 50x50 softbox sitting around collecting dust for a few years, and finally decided to pull it out and play around. These are nothing fancy, in fact she's in her pajamas in the first 2 and they were taken on my bedroom floor with my bedroom wall as a 'backdrop' but I just wanted to see if I could figure out my settings and get the light right. I still consider them keepers because I am in love with her sweet, happy face. I'd love CC on my lighting or any tips on how to improve it! Thank you!
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4 Throwing these two in also because they're cute - these were done in my garage with natural light. Sylvie is modeling some more clothing for the Feltman Brothers.
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6 Have to add these also. These are natural light again of my two youngest. They have the sweetest bond. He was the first to get a huge laugh out of her. He wanted me to take his picture with his baby sister.
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8 Sylvie & Elliott - her brothers adore her!
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10 Calista and Damien helped me get an updated photo of Sylvie and I today also.
Gorgeous, as always, Lisa. AND WOW your garage gets a TON of light! I'm in love with her eyes! They're mindblowingly awesome! It sucks that you've had to do it, but I can understand why you've had to prove her eyes aren't photoshopped. They're so incredibly unique :-)
Thanks Jonathan! I think I've figured out part of what is throwing people off - her eyes are really sensitive to light and her pupils get so teeny tiny in the garage. They are much bigger in the studio shots so don't look quite as crazy. People are really rude about it though.
Lisa I thing they are all great.As for the pupils I think they are fine. If one looks close at her brothers pupils they are the about the same size.If he had been facing the light source and had lighter color eyes I think the outcome would have been the same.
These are gorgeous Lisa. Many people don't realize how pure and bright the eyes of a young person are. I used to marvel at how the whites of my daughter's eyes were so white. This can often be mistaken for over processing. They are all precious, but I love the last one. You did quite well with the lighting. Thanks for sharing.
Ed
I had an amazing sister and we were as close as siblings can be until she died 12 years ago from cancer (she was 50 and I was 49). Looking at the superb images of your two youngest I can only imagine that one day in the distant future when they're adults with families of their own, they will treasure those images and be grateful that their talented mom kept such a record of their lives together right from the start.
First, as always, these are all lovely and amazing. The two with the bunny are almost cuteness overload.
The 50x50 softbox gives a lovely soft light.
You asked about C&C. I feel just a bit awkward because your general portraiture skills are way above mine... Nonetheless, you asked. In 8 and 9, the brother's face seems to not be as well lit. It is visible to a lesser degree in #10 as well. One way to fix it would be to move your light source closer to the camera so that a bit more light gets onto the boy's face. An alternative would be to use a second light. I've found a second light provides a lot of flexibility over a single. Using a reflector would be another way to get light where you need it without the expense of a second strobe.
Yes Lisa, you "tried" studio lighting and, of course you nailed it. Goes to show you it's not the gear or the set up, it's the artist behind the camera that creates a beautiful image.
Your children are absolutely beautiful little buggers and finally getting to see a photo of you it's easy to see where they get it.
As to Sylvie's eyes, I think they're remarkably similar to yours. You both have a darker outer "ring" on your iris with lighter "ring" inside. Even the details of the shape of the darker ring are very similar. I bet if you played with photoshop on a photo of your own eyes and made them the color of Sylvie's, they would look very much alike. Just a hunch.
As usual, gorgeous photos!
These are all phenomenal to my rookie eye. Curious if the softbox reflection in the eyes should be photoshopped out or is it standard to leave it as is?
I take some macro shots of reptiles and often remove the flash.
Thank you all!! I should clarify that only the first 3 images are studio lighting - the rest are my usual natural light. RE Sylvie's eyes - her pupils get super tiny in bright light, my garage included, which is where I do my natural light/studio shots. I really don't do much post processing to the eyes at all as a general rule, but with her's, even less because they already look 'Photoshopped' for lack of a better word. She has very light and vibrant blue irises and a very thick, dark limbal ring. That, combined with how little her pupil gets in some of the images leads to people thinking I Photoshopped them to death, when in fact, I really didn't.
This is a cell phone pic of her from outside, you can really see what her eyes do in bright natural light. Unedited obviously...
I'd love CC on my lighting or any tips on how to improve it! Thank you!
