Window light portrait

[Mike McCarty]

I took these photos of a friend the other day. We were in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton hotel using there nice window treatments and furniture, so I couldn't carry a lot of equipment or linger too long.

I used the auto ISO feature on my Nikon D70 for the first time and I don't think I like it, at least under these circumstances.

[Mischa Milosevic]

Mike, I think that it looks good for a painting from life. I'm not sure if you would be able to guess the brilliance, using a photo, that this person in pose reflects. I am sure you saw it when there, on location, as per your comment on ISO.

This shot would be excellent for a charcoal drawing with some minor value adjustments.

I love your idea of composition the chair, the hands, drapery, window. I think, I would prefer that there was no wall behind her rather extended wall along window side.

One thing that I've noticed is that when working with people with high cheek structure I must pose carefully. When painting or drawing from life I usually pose the person slightly turned being careful not to over state the cheek. If I must use a photo then I would trim the cheek unless it is a elderly figure and this part of the face compliments the look I am attempting to achieve.

Please excuse me for being free to share what I think. I do think that you have a excellent shot here.

[Mike McCarty]

Mischa,

Thanks for the reply. I think I might agree about the wall behind, she looks a little boxed in from three sides as it is. She needs an escape route.

About the high cheek bones ... Are you saying that they catch too much light?

About that auto ISO ... The way I've always operated was to first set my ISO to the lowest setting - 200, then meter the scene, and through the view finder I will check my shutter speed. If the shutter would drop to around 1/30 to 1/60 then I knew I'd have to start bumping up my ISO. By doing this I was always aware of my quality (ISO) setting. When the ISO got around the 500+ mark I knew I had to make another plan because the quality began to sink at those ISO levels.

When you use auto ISO you pick the minimum shutter speed that you will tolerate (1/60 in this case) and the camera adjusts the ISO up to what ever it needs to be in order to achieve the minimum shutter speed. But what it doesn't show you in the view finder is what that selected ISO is. So I was going merrily along and when I did think to look it was once over 1000. At these levels the color begins to de-saturate and things begin to get noticeably poor. All this of course is operator error. You get excited with the creative and forget the technical.

If your outside I don't think the auto setting would affect much (then why use it at all?) but I don't think I'll do it like this again for marginal lighting. I knew that I was poaching the scene in the hotel and really didn't want to carry my tripod, which would have drawn more attention.

The good thing about these outings with friends is that you can experiment with these matters and not have the weighty pressure to get it perfect.

Here's an outside shot done about 9:00 AM with the sun to our left. I don't like the pose but it does show off her pretty face.

[Mischa Milosevic]

Mike, she is quite stunning!

Thank you for explaining the approach to the technical side of a good photo. I still need some lessons in how to operate my camera. I tried to take a accurate value and hue of a recent Bouguereau copy and still did not get it. True I did not have good lighting but I hope to change these issues soon.

As for the cheek it is catching light but it is a rim lit pose. I do not think it is to much. In the outside pose, excellent face shot, her face is facing the viewer more than in the inside pose. Slight difference but what a difference it makes. I would use the outside pose for the inside lighting, if that makes any sense. The outside face angle combined with the inside pose would make for an excellent portrait.

Now as for the background now that I had a chance to think and look more hmm? The drapery the gold frills I like even the angle but the straight dark spears at her head I do not like much. The window would go as well. To distracting, to bright just does not fit.

[Mike McCarty]

The outside face angle combined with the inside pose would make for an excellent portrait.

I can remember turning her face until I got the suggestion of light on the off side. Had I had my handy foam core reflector I could have easily bounced more light to the shadow side. Then I could have turned her head more as you suggest.

And, yes, the window is too big a bright hole. I also took this same pose with her sister (you heard me) and managed to reduce the bright window. I do like these nice architecturally detailed windows, but just the frames, not the bright light.

As is often the case, you take your first turn with the location, light, subject, clothing, and you gain a lot of knowledge. I think I could go back with my tripod and reflector and have this done before Mr. Ritz or Mr. Carlton knew what hit them.

Still, you could do a couple of head and shoulders from these - in a pinch.