Alex

Thanks for posting these. I've been wanting a 180mm lens for my RB and this really shows me what I needed to know

Dave101,
Nice, but same comments as before, the hand should be toned down so as not to compete with the face. Great subject matter, play a bit with your lighting before exposing. Sure wish I could models as easy as you do, they all are fantastic. Charlie..................

Thanks for your comments, Charles I took this just before your advice about the 'gobo'. I have a few more friends to sit next week for me and will definately give your advice a try. thanks

I agree with the comments about the hand and would add that perhaps it should be somehow held more in a narrow profile to the lens rather than broadside to it. Broadside as it is now gives it too much prominance and therefore competes strongly with the real subject matter, the face.

Chuck

For what it is worth, An old rule that I was taught a long time ago in a far away place was never to show the back of the hand, as the tight skin creates a a reflector that takes away the attention to the face. With a woman, the same applies to hands and arms. Even a very young ladies upper arm creates the same sort of reflector as it most generally is closer to your main light than the face. A carboard device, "gobo"
properly placed between the main light and out of view of the camera allows for controlling the amount of light hitting the reflective flesh. A "Flag" or "scrim" mounted on a light stand is often used for the same purpose. Also the fingers of a female model should always be "broken" meaning a graceful curve with with the joints just slightly bent. Rules of course are made to be broken, but in my PP of A days, if a 3/4 portrait of a young lady did not observe these simple rules, the portrait did not hang!

Charlie...................

I like the detail in his eyes, and the expression is great, but the first thing that caught my eye was "That's a really big hand". If I may offer my opinion, I think the hand is too dominant, both in tone, and physical size. Maybe that's the intent, I don't know.

Keep posting,

- Thom

I think the hand adds interesting lines to the image, would just burn in a bit as others suggested.