Re: [Leica]Ted's Portrait Class Room

["Ted Grant" <tedgrant@home.com>]

Steve LeHuray wrote:

> Ted,
>
> Maybe we can get away for a minute from some of the daily let's beat up
> Leica foo-fu-ra that is going on.
>
> I have never done much portraiture and recently took this portrait of
> Stephanie Antosca, Producer for the NBC series 'West Wing.'
>
> I used the M2 with a Summilux 50/1.4 shot at 1.4 and I think 125. You can
> see the shallow depth of field at 1.4. It is backlit from the window in
her
> office. The scan is from a 8x10 on a cheap scanner which does not do the
> print justice.
>
> Any critique welcome. go to http://www.streetphoto.net/images/im3.jpg<<<<

Hi Steve,
OK old buddy hang onto your hat or seat! ;-)

First of all it appears that the light is all coming from an overhead
florescent lighting of some sort . The appearance of "back lighting?"  has
hardly registered at all. And I'd say your mainlight scource is the overhead
light of the office.

Which leads me to believe your idea that the "back lighting was the main
light" occurred due to your eyes while in the room and not that which
obviously didn't register on the film.

You may have seen the back lighting and thought it was registering on the
film but obviously there is very little back light occurring in the frame
you've sent. What's happened here is you saw the backlight but ended up
using an exposure which basically eliminated the "back lit" effect.

To improve this shot as it stands: I'd have had her turn in her chair to the
left (her left) so that her body were about 45 degree angle to the camera
and had her bring her head back around to you

In this manner you "might have" caught a bit of a Rembrandt lighting effect,
but with the light nearly all top heavy it might have been difficult for the
full effect.

And the heavy eye shadow sockets would need some fill, not much, but just
enough to keep them open.  This could be done with a, heaven forbid I should
admit this... a slight pop of flash!"  A miniscule amount to put a catch
light in the eyes and soften the eye shadow caused by the over head
lighting.

Or you could use a white or light coloured card to throw whatever amount of
light could be reflected forward to the subject from the overhead lighting.

So there you are my friend, let's hear whatever happens.
ted