High Key Portraits

[KevinBarrett]

I took some shots last night with the a700 and 50/1.7, marking my first intentional foray into high key portraits. My wife actually took the second one here (the one I shot of myself isn't lined up quite as well ). Feel free to share your own!

[aster]

Looking nice and bright Kevin.

I like how a few freckles are subtly showing in your wife's portrait. Your portrait misses on the blurred framing making you look literally too-real..

What kind of lighting did you use. Even 50/1.7 may not produce such brightness at night or did you post-process excessively?

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[KevinBarrett]

Three clear 60 watt light bulbs on the other side of a cream-colored bed-sheet. The exposure was f/2, 1/20 second, ISO 1600, +2 EV. In IDC I used the Tungsten white balance shifted all the way to the cool side. In post-processing a I pushed the levels half-way to clipping, and cloned a couple of pimples off my cheek. I didn't have to do anything to my wife's. However, with your input I think I'll go back and remove the levels adjustment from mine because it is significantly darker than the other. My wife did a good job on that shot and I don't need to spoil it.

[aster]

Oh, I didn't mean my comments to suggest that your photo was not good in any way. I hope that's understood. I just sort of thought that maybe you were seeking a matching photo in the posing and post-processing.
Now that I look at them again, I think that a similar pose from you, with your right eye in sharp focus and you looking into the lens, would of made quite the match. You can even print them to a size of desire and hang them on a wall...

Yildiz

[Juanito200]

Great shots Kevin- I like the lighting on your wife's portrait. It renders a very angelic quality to the image.. I see what aster is saying about yours... It looks so much more real. BTW I like your ISO 1600 more than mine!

[KevinBarrett]

Thanks, John! The a700 has so much highlight range and the noise is all in the shadows anyway--overexposing isn't a problem, it's a habit. As for the angelic rendering of my wife, she is flattered. I considered using the peripheral illumination tool to brighten it at the edges and enhance the appearance it has naturally, but I like how it looks un-fiddled-with.

[Winston]

Very nice, Kevin.
Thanks for sharing these.