Is this harsh lighting?

So I'm trying to train my eyes on what to look for in pictures. I've probably been through a thousand different portraits online tonight. My eyes are going bonkers.

I think I have some harsh lighting here. Thoughts?

Yes, needs to be diffused a bit, what is the source?

Yes, it is harsh. And a little too low as well. Bring it up a bit or turn it around and have it bounced on a wall or a large white surface.
Trial and error makes for a well learned lesson.

Ok, thanks! I was thinking that's what it was, but wasn't sure.

It's my first attempt at a portrait.

The source is what I could find laying around the house. Six par 16 halogens spots on the ceiling front and back. A cheap clip on dome thing with a 60w CFL twirly bulb front bottom. And 3 cheap 60w cfl twirly bulbs in a regular lamp on the side.

Ok, I know it's not the best lighting, but I've only had the camera for 1 week now. Gotta get over the sticker shock, then I can start buying umbrellas and stuff.

My original goal for the new camera was to just get better pictures. I've already nailed that one. Time to move on to bigger and better goals! :glee:

Harsh is something of a subjective term.

You're creating a very small light source relative to the subject and it's a hard source. Transitions from highlight to diffuse, diffuse to shadow and shadow to black are rapid. The light source is also positioned much lower than would normally be considered a pleasing height, and that's adding to the drama, or Halloween type lighting that you've created. Even if you find you like the hard quality of light, changing the height and direction of the light source will make a big difference.

Having said that, I rarely see photographs of children with hard light that I like and for the most part, it's not done much at all.

OH! And for it being too low... I took 90 some pictures with the lights in various places... I'll go look for another one.

Robert Mitchell said:

Harsh is something of a subjective term.

You're creating a very small light source relative to the subject and it's a hard source. Transitions from highlight to diffuse, diffuse to shadow and shadow to black are rapid. The light source is also positioned much lower than would normally be considered a pleasing height, and that's adding to the drama, or Halloween type lighting that you've created. Even if you find you like the hard quality of light, changing the height and direction of the light source will make a big difference.

Having said that, I rarely see photographs of children with hard light that I like and for the most part, it's not done much at all.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I know why I grabbed on to that picture now...

I'm a halloween freak. Bucky, my full sized skeleton right behind me, will attest to that.

I went through all the pictures, and they're all about the same. I know where I went wrong now. I'll have to try again next time she's over. She just sat there while I diddled around with the camera and lighting and smiled. Even though she was feeling slightly sick! I can barely get my son to sit still for 3 minutes.

I'll try a different room next time too. This is actually in our home theater, and the walls, ceiling, carpet, drapes, furniture, bookshelves, and everything is a dark color. Designed for no light (or sound) bouncing from the floor up!

Get down to her level or even a bit lower and it will help I think. Light makes the picture good luck!

Not sure what you mean, Jeff. The light is already well below the eye and up-lighting is never flattering. The light needs to go up to eliminate the Halloween lighting.

No I meant the camera sir...he is shooting slightly down at her. (that is what it looks like to me at least)

I totally agree with everyone's comments on the light.

Thought I had the camera level with her. She was sitting on a bar stool, camera on a tripod, I was on my knees.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

I think the eye line is fine. Nothing wrong with it and nothing wrong with moving up slightly but camera position isn't really the issue, in my opinion.

Ok, try try, try again!

Let's start with the cutest one, my cousin's son's daughter.

I took my cell phone and held it in front of the onboard flash to bounce it onto the wall next to that chair. I was getting strange looks from everyone, but I think it worked. I did use Portrait Professional to remove some chocolate on her face that no one saw until I took the photos off the camera.


Next up is my daughter. Same chair, same light bounce off the wall. PP used to brighten her eyes a tad.


The next one of my cousin's daughter came out of the camera really underexposed, but I'm so impressed with what Lightroom can do with raw files, I had to post it. No flash, no extra lighting, no PP here, just Lightroom.



So let me know what I can do different next time! You guys are awesome!

You guys were right, the lighting in the first post here was terrible!

Also, on a side note, my wife walked by me yesterday while I was sitting at the computer and said, why don't you turn the spare bedroom into a photo studio so you can practice more. I looked at her and said, "Who are you, and what did you do with my wife?"

Dear Respected Member,

Not trying to be harsh but the lighting is...



Regards, DG ISI UmarPK

Very good Kias...

Thanks! I may just get this whole photography thing one of these days.

Is cowboy studio lighting good enough? It doesn't seem too cheap, and doesn't seem too over the top, it just seems like the right stuff for what I need and my budget too.

Some of their products (Cowboy Studio) are OK, at best, and some are made like absolute crap.

I'm sure I'll get feedback about this but I don't believe in their products. The warranty is terrible, the support horrible, customer relations atrocious, and the wiring in their lights looks like a bad science project I made in 6th grade.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

No, seriously, how do you feel about them?

Any suggestions on other names I should look at?

They're ok then?

I'm just looking for ok. There seems to be a lot worse out there.

I'll never being doing this for a living, and I already do complicated electronic circuit board things, so fixing wiring for some lightbulbs is no biggy. I'm looking at constant lighting, not flash, so to me, they're just a lightbulb, on a steek. (Not that I know who Jeff Dunham is or anything...)

Got a long way to go before I start throwing flashes in the mix!

When I say something is OK at best, that's really like saying I'd stay far away. Why would you want to buy crap products from a company that has a terrible warranty and bad customer service even if you can fix it yourself. To me, that's a foolish way to approach a purchase. Considering the dozens of choices at reputable retailers like B&H and Adorama that offer full return/exchange refund policy and warranty service as it should be, then to me it's a no-brainer.

I don't know your budget and I'm not suggesting you pay a lot or buy professional quality products but almost anything is better than the junk sold by Cowboy Studio.

If you give me an idea of how much you want to spend I can surely make some recommendations.

Kias...I'd listen to what Robert has to say. He knows what he's talking about. And I totally agree with him about Cowboy Studios stuff. I've heard nothing but horror stories about that company and their gear.