Post your Portrait shots!

[spb_stan]

Here is a shot taken in a crowded English style pub. The only time I ever see TV is occasionally in a pub since I gave up allowing one in the house almost 30 years ago. We were 1/2 watching the women's international gymnastics championships, floor exercises when a young woman came and started explaining what the significance of some movements in the scoring. As we chatted I took a photo of her using the little Z6 with 24-70 f/4 lens. Set manual exposure and AF-C , set ISO to 400 and slow shutter of 1/20(yes pretty dark place) and let the rear curtain bounce flash fill in the missing 3 stops. We both liked the shot because it captured her rich auburn hair. Here knowledge of gymnastics was impressive and when asked how she became so knowledgeable she replied she was in the 2008 Summer Olympics in China in Gymnastics, she was with her team but was injured in the first day so could not compete in the second day.
Nothing surprises me here, I meet the most interesting accomplished people daily. By the way, a girl from this city placed 3rd in the event we were watching, but I would have placed her as number 1 for her very feminine beauty alone, a stunner. Ksenia, my new acquaintance in the photo mow teaches gymnastics now that she retired from competition 10 years ago. Such a slow shutter allows more ambient and any movement would be 3 stops under exposed and the flash going off at the end of the exposure time would freeze and shake. I could have gotten this shot with much slower shutter using this technique called "Dragging the Shutter".

 

[spb_stan]

Here is a shot taken just strolling down the main street of St Petersburg, on a cool fall evening, a girl walking the opposite way lost in thoughts.
This was a 120mm from a 70-200 2.8 on a Z6 with the only light being the store window behind me. 1/100, ISO 2000

 

[Robin W]

I am just getting started with portraiture. These are some of my first photos of people outside of family. I was trying to get some of the classic poses. The first one is my favorite.

 

[Robin W]

 

[Lautermilch]

Paula with my D90 and 50mm

 

[Robin W]

Then I played around in Photoshop. I think it turned out pretty good.

 

[Danno_RIP]

Photos for my niece. She wanted me to do some of her senior photos. Had to take one with the sisters as well.

 

[spb_stan]

Here is are a few from an after brunch walk along the canals of the city center of this city, that is composed of 44 islands and hundreds of bridges. It was a cool autumn afternoon and already the light was fading as winter daylight is very short 500 miles from the Arctic Circle. In the summer, just the opposite with May and June being called White Nights with the sun setting, barely around midnight and fully light by 0400 but never getting very dark. We live about 2km from this spot in over several smaller canals bridges. It was dark by the time we got home in just 30 minutes after these were taken.
Z6, 24-70 f/4 kit lens.

 

[Robin W]

My battery died on one of my flashes in the middle of the shoot. ( I now have a back up battery) So I finished the shoot with one flash. I actually like the photos with one flash better than the ones with two. I am having trouble recognizing when my back light is to light or to dark. I bought a light meter and I am still trying to learn to read it. Today I bought a flash that has a modeling light that should help some but not with the back light. I will post the ones I liked first and then the ones where I am having trouble with the back light. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Robin W]

 

[Dangerspouse]

My battery died on one of my flashes in the middle of the shoot. ( I now have a back up battery) So I finished the shoot with one flash. I actually like the photos with one flash better than the ones with two. I am having trouble recognizing when my back light is to light or to dark. I bought a light meter and I am still trying to learn to read it. Today I bought a flash that has a modeling light that should help some but not with the back light. I will post the ones I liked first and then the ones where I am having trouble with the back light. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I think those one-light portrait shots are terrific. Well done adapting on the fly! The only thing I could offer, if you're really looking for suggestions: in the face-on shots a white reflector held in the lap, pointing up, might reduce the under-chin shadows (to approximate the look of those excellent pictures you took of your grandson early in the year). But I'm certainly no expert, and that's really nitpicking.

And, um, well...if you're using Lightroom I believe they have a "Teeth Whiten" option in the Effects tab. Not to suggest anything indecorous here, but that might be something you perhaps would want to consider in the open smile shots just for aesthetic purposes.

 

[Robin W]

Thanks, I did not know about the "Teeth Whiten" option. I will try that.

The face on shots I did of my grandson I did not use the reflector, I just accidentally got the lights right. I have thought about using the reflector. I guess I need to play around with it some more. It's just hard to find willing models when you are a newbie. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Fred Kingston_RIP]

 

[spb_stan]

Tonight was a fairly clean night so my GF asked for photos from the roof of the art center next door. I took 2 flash, 2 bodies and several lens and headed off. To help the 5 story art center they charge a little over $2 a person for roof access. In the summer the roof is used for concerts or just relaxing. It was about +5C degrees but there were still a number of people taking photos, mostly with smart photos. I ended up using 1 flash set for 2 stop under exposed as a fill to balance the back lighting sunset.

Then later when she was getting cold we went down a big chill out room that is fitted with about 20 adult swings

 

[wev]

 

[Dangerspouse]

View attachment 324192

I think I know this chick!

 

[spb_stan]

We had a Halloween get together with friends at a small neighborhood club 10 days ago and took some photos of my friends. The next day a I tripped over an amplifier while carrying out another one and ended up heading head first into a large mixing console on the floor and poking 5 holes in my head that in 10 minutes dumped 1/3rd of my blood covering floor for 7 sq meters. An ambulance doctor arrived in 5minutes and made attempts to stop the blood gushing pretty effectively. I was released from the hospital the next day and in bed since, trying to rebuild my blood after plasma transfusion. Feeling pretty good and get the stitches out tomorrow. So I was a day late in looking light a real blood soaked Halloween ghoul.
Here is Julia in her most Ghoulish. She looks too cute to a ghoul however, her cuteness shines through the makeup

 

[Marilynne]

We had a Halloween get together with friends at a small neighborhood club 10 days ago and took some photos of my friends. The next day a I tripped over an amplifier while carrying out another one and ended up heading head first into a large mixing console on the floor and poking 5 holes in my head that in 10 minutes dumped 1/3rd of my blood covering floor for 7 sq meters. An ambulance doctor arrived in 5minutes and made attempts to stop the blood gushing pretty effectively. I was released from the hospital the next day and in bed since, trying to rebuild my blood after plasma transfusion. Feeling pretty good and get the stitches out tomorrow. So I was a day late in looking light a real blood soaked Halloween ghoul.
Here is Julia in her most Ghoulish. She looks too cute to a ghoul however, her cuteness shines through the makeup
View attachment 324889

That was pretty scary. Glad to hear you're feeling better.

 

[Danno_RIP]

We had a Halloween get together with friends at a small neighborhood club 10 days ago and took some photos of my friends. The next day a I tripped over an amplifier while carrying out another one and ended up heading head first into a large mixing console on the floor and poking 5 holes in my head that in 10 minutes dumped 1/3rd of my blood covering floor for 7 sq meters. An ambulance doctor arrived in 5minutes and made attempts to stop the blood gushing pretty effectively. I was released from the hospital the next day and in bed since, trying to rebuild my blood after plasma transfusion. Feeling pretty good and get the stitches out tomorrow. So I was a day late in looking light a real blood soaked Halloween ghoul.
Here is Julia in her most Ghoulish. She looks too cute to a ghoul however, her cuteness shines through the makeup
View attachment 324889

My goodness that is quite an ordeal. So glad you are doing better.

 

[spb_stan]

To recover I visited a camera store and treated myself to a 85 1.8S. Here, they are $1000 but worth it. I have used them before but being able to do my ow testing in various light and comparing to my 85 1.4G and 1.8G in the same light conditions had me talking to myself.."wow...Woooow!. The out of focus rendering is fantastic, the way it handles strong backlit subjects proves this lens is better than any Nikon short telephoto. If someone has the Z6/7 and does portraits without the 85 1.8 S, they are not serious.