NikonGear'23

Images => Critique => Topic started by: BW on October 20, 2016, 22:17:29

Title: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 20, 2016, 22:17:29
Tonight I had the dubious pleasure of taking a picture for a band poster. I had ten minutes to get it done and took the total amount of 9 pictures. Three of them where the flash didnt go off, two where one of them blinked. Out of four pictures two were ok and I gave them a quick tour thru the "grinder". This gave me two different looks and I would like your opinion on which one of the two has the most  potensial. Its just a local band with decent musicians :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Jakov Minić on October 20, 2016, 22:35:56
The first one is probably better, but I don't like the reflection on the glasses.
So post process the 2nd one similarly to the first :)
And brighten it up a bit :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Andrea B. on October 20, 2016, 22:54:41
I like the 2nd one. The logs in the background are weird and wonderful. And the light on the musicians' faces is interesting. In the 2nd photo all the guys seem to be "engaged" with the viewer. That would be a nice thing for a poster.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Erik Lund on October 20, 2016, 22:59:57
I would remove the fingers at the bottom they look a little too creepy

The reflections in the glasses and eyes are a bit distracting.

Love the overall look and feel
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 20, 2016, 23:06:51
Thanks for the feedback! I'll post a new version tomorrow. Now, off to bed :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Akira on October 21, 2016, 04:04:23
I like the idea of combining the suggestions of Jakov and Erik.

I do like the pattern of the stacked firewood as the background per se, but frankly it doesn't seem to work the way it appears in the image.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 21, 2016, 09:13:21
Luckily I asked him to take off the glasses and I made a new version. The picture was taken in a dark barn after sunset, hence the black backdrop. It's nice to get some invaluable feedback from you guys :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Bent Hjarbo on October 21, 2016, 09:22:28
Now it is very good, facial expressions on this image are good, and the black background, gives a great "Band" like picture.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: tommiejeep on October 21, 2016, 09:28:26
Børge, I agree with Bent.  I actually prefer the 2nd image but this image is better for the purpose.  The stacked wood actually detracts from the Band members.  So the question arises of which the band prefers  :) .
I just hate it when I get a good image spoiled by someone closes their eyes  (and I rarely use flash).   My wife is the biggest offender  :(
Tom
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Erik Lund on October 21, 2016, 09:28:47
That is it - This one works! But I still think I would copy paste and blend in some of the firewood in the back ground, just to give the image a slight feeling of depth, not bright but subtle,,,
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Jakov Minić on October 21, 2016, 09:35:05
That's what I am talking about :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Erik Lund on October 21, 2016, 09:38:25
......
I just hate it when I get a good image spoiled by someone closes their eyes  (and I rarely use flash). .....Tom

That is the much hated pre flashes that these modern DSLR and Speedlight's emit before making the exposure. The DSLR measure the light off the shutterblades the guesing how much light should the main flash contain,,, The sensor is too shiny to make a reading off,,,

In the good old film days we used to have proper TTL on the cameras,,,

Fast reacting people react to these pre flashes and manage to close their eyes quickly enough to avoid the main flash, impressive actually, especially young people are quick ;)

Only way to make sure this is not an issue is to use full 'M' Manual or use the good old 'A' Automatic where the flash itself, a small sensor on the front of the flash, turns off the flash output when enough light has been received back from the scene, the larger Nikon speedlight's have this feature.

I use it also on my Leica M9 with a Nikon SB800 in A works impressively well!
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: elsa hoffmann on October 21, 2016, 09:59:40
I understand your constrains with using flash - however - I would bring out detail in the hair - its too dark for me.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 21, 2016, 10:53:46
I have used a manual flash (no pre-flash) with a fairly large (80 cm) soft box in front of the band. I was positioned in a ladder behind and over the flash. The original idea was just to light their faces, but the stacked wood made me try it as backdrop. It´s very norwegian :) So I have tried to incorporate all your well thought thru ideas into a different version. I probably should have added some rim light to accentuate their hair and soften the shadows, but guys at this age really dont want to highlight their receding hairline Elsa ;) And as I said I had to pull it thru very quickly. The version with the black backdrop and foreground tries to make room for some text on the poster, but maybe I should make it a tad lighter. I will store all your comments on my "internal hard drive" until next time.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Jakov Minić on October 21, 2016, 11:02:05
I like the chopped wood in the background even more.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Almass on October 21, 2016, 11:02:20
I would take the first image with a black B/G and the last image with the B/G and clone the face of the guy with the specs from the last image without specs to the first image as everybody else expression is nicer with the first image.

On second thought, I would clone only his eyes on the first image and keep his specs......


Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: elsa hoffmann on October 21, 2016, 11:05:32
but guys at this age really dont want to highlight their receding hairline Elsa ;)

I am referring to the back of the heads - would give some separation :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 21, 2016, 11:11:51
We will see what version they prefer. Hopefully they will like it too :)

I understand Elsa. I appreciate your professional opinion :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: elsa hoffmann on October 21, 2016, 11:15:48
As said - higndsign is 20/20 and shooting with flash is very challenging (for me anyway) I wouldn't have done better. But I have photoshop :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 21, 2016, 17:06:43
Hindsight is the only true science 8)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Andrea B. on October 21, 2016, 17:45:33
Perhaps move the left-most person a bit closer to the others? And maybe the right-most guy also?
Left guy looks like he's about to float off the edge of the foto??
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: MFloyd on October 21, 2016, 20:39:00
But the two lower persons are cut in the middle...
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 21, 2016, 21:27:38
I would take the first image with a black B/G and the last image with the B/G and clone the face of the guy with the specs from the last image without specs to the first image as everybody else expression is nicer with the first image.

On second thought, I would clone only his eyes on the first image and keep his specs......
Unfortunately, the prosedure you are proposing are out of my league, Almass. Way too technical and too time consuming. In other words, I am too lazy :)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: BW on October 21, 2016, 21:30:23
But the two lower persons are cut in the middle...
I can assure you that both of them are alive and kicking ;)
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Akira on October 22, 2016, 17:21:41
Like the last version.  The background works nice in B&W to me.
Title: Re: Band poster
Post by: Erik Lund on November 02, 2016, 12:42:40
So what did they say about the images?