Headshot

[Ondrej Vranka]

Hello there.

first things first: I'm a noob. I've got my DSLR in Nov. 2011 and since than I'm "tryin'".

the picture:



the story:

"Darling, could you take a picture of her, she's so cute. But we are in a hurry!"

hardware: nikon 5100, nikkor 50mm 1:1.8G AF-S,
lens settings: f1.8, 1/250, ISO 200.

reason for ISO 200: as kids do not react to "hold" by design i wanted to have a crisp image. therefore faster shutter vs. grain. which is barely noticeable even in original size. I'm happy with that.

the workflow:

I used a window for lighting and asked my wife to hold a white card from the opposite site. Maybe that card wasn't in the right position, because after a try I gave up answers on "what's that? and "for what?".

It was a little overcast day, in that moment sun was there though and lit the room. the room has a wooden floor which made the image too "warm". focus is on the front eye. I shoot in RAW and corrected the warm tint in aperture.

I cropped the image a little to get the eyes above the centerline (could be more) and the face more to the formats1/3. I should step a little backwards, but unaware of the "traps" the kids decorated behind me, which might have some destructive effect, I didn't.

no other retouching.

here's the untouched image scaled down only, jpg direct form the camera:



Unfortunately I didn't make her smile. a little tiny something. jokes about the "Boss" didn't work... and just forget something like "chin down, head foreward, shoulder something..." no... not with a kid in a hurry

ORIGINAL IMAGE

what did I miss? or on what shall I focus more next time?

I'm very gratefull for any advice.

[markgozz]

I think you've done a great job here , the focus is spot on and her pose is beautiful .
Personally I prefer the original crop but that is just my personal opinion , the only advice that I can give is to keep on shooting because you certainly seem to have a great gift for it .

Lovely portrait

Mark

[Ondrej Vranka]

thx for the kudos.

but I've got a hint to go from f1.8 to f2.3. unfortunately without an explanation. What would be the effect? les DOF? the whole face would become sharper?

Am I right, that I would have to lift the ISO or shoot with 1/80?

[markgozz]

Yes closing down the aperture from f/1.8 to f/2.8 would mean that more of the subject will be in focus but it is never as simple as that because it will also depend on the distance from you to the subject , the further away from the subject that you get the deeper the DOF gets at the same f/stop and lens focal length so just by taking a couple of steps back you will increase the DOF .
You are also correct in that if you close down the aperture you will need to increase the ISO to keep the same shutter speed if the lighting is unchanged , the only other reason that I can think of for closing down the aperture is that all lenses work better ( sharper ) if you close down by a stop or two of aperture .

Mark

[Ondrej Vranka]

i took this image at the same spot, but without the reflector card. the camera is in aperture priority mode. the aperture is f2.2 and the ISO 320. unfortunately in respect to the patience of the "model" I didn't test more, but the shutter dropped to 1/40 - so its all blury...

the only adjustment is white point and a little crop.



the only solution I can imagine would be:

a) reflector, which stops leaking light into the room
b) higher ISO
c) tripod or a "model" with no chocolate before...

ORIGNAL SIZE

[markgozz]

The last thing that I would turn up is the ISO , for a good portrait I would set the ISO to the lowest standard setting mount the camera on a tripod or other stable platform and try to introduce some extra soft light to keep the shutter speed to a manageable figure and oh yes only feed your model chocolate after the shoot .

All the best

Mark

PS Keep an eye on the background for distracting objects .

[amk1977]

Hi Ondrej,

I can only echo Marks comments. The focus of the first shot is absolutely spot on and you have done well as the lens was wide open at f/1.8, making focus critical at that aperture. I rarely shoot below f/3.2 on my 50mm, as the depth of field can sometimes be too shallow for what I want. f/3.2 is also the optimum sharpness of the f/1.8D too, so its a win win for me.

I like the crop too of the first image and the model has a nice pose and expression. As Mark mentions, make sure you pay attention not just to your subject but also the background. Cluttered backdrops can really detract from an image, so if you can reposition yourself, objects in the background or move your subject to another location, then do so. Noticing things like this can be easier said than done, as you can quickly become engrossed in your subject and what they are doing, rather than concentrating on other elements, like light/shadow and background. The more you make a conscious effort to perform a checklist before you shoot, the better your results will be and its a good habit to get into.