How does your avatar look today ?

[Nostoll]

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Playing again with stuff. I need to work on smoothing, and be smarter with light. SL photos are hard!

(Also, I might try take a daylight shot one day? And stop looking winsomely over my shoulder? Oh well, small steps, small steps.)

Thanks to everyone who has had advice, especially Angelina and Sagadin! And please feel free to offer suggestions and critique!

[Panteleeva]

 

[Claireschen Hesten]

[Bebe Bunny]

[MoiraKathleen]

[Talligurl]

[Darcy Kingmaker]

[Angelina String]

2 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Playing again with stuff. I need to work on smoothing, and be smarter with light. SL photos are hard!

(Also, I might try take a daylight shot one day? And stop looking winsomely over my shoulder? Oh well, small steps, small steps.)

Thanks to everyone who has had advice, especially Angelina and Sagadin! And please feel free to offer suggestions and critique!

2

Thank you, Scylla

Here's another quick one - get (if you do not already have) an application that can adjust highlights and shadows separately...
This is no suggestion for improvements to your photo but just an illustration of what highlight/shadow adjustment can do.

You can pickup and lift details from the darker areas, and also sometimes recover information from the very bright parts that might seem blown out.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

3 minutes ago, Angelina String said:

Thank you, Scylla

Here's another quick one - get (if you do not already have) an application that can adjust highlights and shadows separately...
This is no suggestion for improvements to your photo but just an illustration of what highlight/shadow adjustment can do.

You can pickup and lift details from the darker areas, and also sometimes recover information from the very bright parts that might seem blown out.

Thanks, and particularly for taking the time to show the adjustment!!!

Yeah, I'm using Photoshop Elements, which can do that with highlights, mid-tones, and shadows. I tend to wield some of those tools like they were blunt instruments, so I'll learn to take more time over them. I love what the adjustment does to the shadows in my jacket.

(One mistake I made in this was not making sure the light source was clearly coming from the barrel -- and probably tinting it a bit too. There are so many variable in playing with the Phototools in FS that I get sort of flustered and forget things? So, I'm making a checklist of steps to go through. Yes, I AM that kind of person . . .)

[Angelina String]

3 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Thanks, and particularly for taking the time to show the adjustment!!!

Yeah, I'm using Photoshop Elements, which can do that with highlights, mid-tones, and shadows. I tend to wield some of those tools like they were blunt instruments, so I'll learn to take more time over them. I love what the adjustment does to the shadows in my jacket.

(One mistake I made in this was not making sure the light source was clearly coming from the barrel -- and probably tinting it a bit too. There are so many variable in playing with the Phototools in FS that I get sort of flustered and forget things? So, I'm making a checklist of steps to go through. Yes, I AM that kind of person . . .)

Seems like you're fast on your way to become a pro

I, on the other hand, must practice my modeling skills and get some more looks that "dreamily looking into thin air" 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

10 minutes ago, Angelina String said:

Seems like you're fast on your way to become a pro

Meh. Not so much. I have some good Photoshop skills, but not for photos, and certainly for nothing like this. But I take direction well. ?

12 minutes ago, Angelina String said:

I, on the other hand, must practice my modeling skills and get some more looks that "dreamily looking into thin air" 

/me looks over her shoulder to see what Angelina is looking dreamily at . . .

[Angelina String]

Found this not-at-all-scary place to take some pictures of my favorite fall trenchcoat:

Hmmm, what was it I was supposed to do again...

L

There - got it - looking in the right direction

[Skell Dagger]

5 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

And please feel free to offer suggestions and critique!

If I may...?

2 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

One mistake I made in this was not making sure the light source was clearly coming from the barrel -- and probably tinting it a bit too.

Your scene composition here is of your avatar standing in what seems to be a back alley, lit only by a flaming barrel on one side and a sliver of colder light (possibly from reflected moonlight or a white neon sign off-camera) on the other side. Therefore your lighting should reflect that.

It appears to me that you're wearing a general facelight that's in front of your face and casting a complete and full light. It does look a bit more golden, as it should do if a fire is casting light, but there's also that colder white light coming from the left of the shot. I would remove the facelight, place a white light projector close to the wall, angled out toward your avatar and catching your turned-away side a little, and then a warmer projector amid the flames that's angled to your left side. (Also, I know that moonlight would come from above, but the lighting on that left side wall is brighter at the bottom than at the top, so the position of the projector should reflect that.)

If this leaves the central part of your face in too much shadow, then add a very very faint warmer light projector more directly in front of you, but it should only be enough to ensure that your face comes out of the darkness a little. If you can't rez at the location you can still set up the projectors and wear them. I have a set that I made and wear, which is almost identical to the hellishly expensive ones you can buy on Marketplace. They do the job perfectly well for my needs

One thing I'll strongly suggest (only if you have the cash, obviously) is to find the L$300 to join the Weekend Ruiner group and pick up the big 'absolutely everything' box that's currently in group notices. Inside it you'll find hundreds of backdrops and other things that are perfect for photoshoots, many of which have projected lighting that will either inspire new ideas or encourage you to try new things with Windlight and your own projectors.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

8 minutes ago, Skell Dagger said:

If I may...? 

OMG, Skell. Yes, you most certainly may! THANK YOU. This is amazing!!!

I've actually got a three point lighting and projector system that works pretty well, and is not difficult to use: I think I just need to learn how to use it properly, and effectively.

I am beyond admiration for the way that you've analyzed the composition and worked out the lighting. It took me maybe a half an hour to set up and take this shot: that will get faster as I become more practiced, but I'm actually pretty excited by the process that you've outlined here! And I'll check out the Weekend Ruiner group (great name!).

Thank you (and Angelina, again!) for taking so much time and thought over this!

(This is waaaaaay too much fun. I'm in serious trouble.)

[Skell Dagger]

Welcome! I'll admit that, more often than not, I'm a lazy git and I let Windlight do the heavy lifting with regard to lighting for my shoots. But when I do take the time to set up more complex and detailed lighting I always get better results.

[MirandaBowers]

Wow! That was a very helpful in-depth analysis on how to correct the lighting. *takes notes*

[Rhonda Huntress]

[Skell Dagger]

I just went up to my photo platform to whip up (ooer!) a quick demo. This is how I set out a simple lighting rig. It's just two cylinders with the projector on the inner faces: white light to Skell's right (and slightly behind him) and orange light to his left (and slightly in front). View Transparent is obviously enabled, so you can see the invisible lighting:

And this is what it looks like on his face:

Obviously, the Windlight being used would have an effect on the end result (I'm using Fallout - 12PM, which is a Firestorm preset). That's just a quick 5-minute demo. Normally I'd spend more time getting the colours just right, etc.

[MirandaBowers]

@Skell Dagger Are the lighting cylinders usually placed at a distance like that or do you sometimes bring them in closer? (dependent on the shot of course)

[Skell Dagger]

28 minutes ago, MirandaBowers said:

@Skell Dagger Are the lighting cylinders usually placed at a distance like that or do you sometimes bring them in closer? (dependent on the shot of course)

Entirely dependant on what's needed for the shot. It doesn't have to be cylinders, either. You can use spheres as well (these are better for worn projectors closer to the body). With projected lighting you have various parameters you can set, which will determine how sharp- or soft-edged the lighting is (perfect for actual spotlight effects). I've done a quick little video here showing some of them. And, of course, moving the prims themselves around will add to the effect, depending on distance - and rotation, with regard to cylinders etc. Rotation, especially, is great for lighting from angles.

Basically, the closer the light is, the sharper and brighter it is. That's why I prefer distant lights, for a softer effect, although sometimes sharp and bright is what you want.

My usual lighting setup is about 6-10m away from me, unless I really need to focus on the light itself as part of the image (eg: if I'm standing next to a pink neon sign I'll make sure I have a close pink light on that side of my face). I like to play with Windlight a lot, and do a lot of post-processing, which means that I'm very aware of how my preferred filters will affect the lighting on the original image. While I can tweak that before I start applying the filters, I try to get it as good as I can while inworld.

For added fun, try adding textures to the projector. A nice bokeh image can create really interesting effects.

I may remove one or two of them, but this is what I usually use when I'm on my photo platform (I'd be standing where the box is at the back) and then I adjust the position of the projectors according to the Windlight I'm using:

(Sorry for taking up so much of this thread with a lighting tutorial!)

Edited October 29, 2018 by Skell Dagger

[Prisqua Newall]

Bought this cute outfit from Apple May Design ages ago and never worn it until now.

 

[LittleMe Jewell]

39 minutes ago, Skell Dagger said:

(Sorry for taking up so much of this thread with a lighting tutorial!)

No apologies needed - at least not from my point of view.  I'm always glad to get pointers on photo stuff.

[Parhelion Palou]

I enjoy using projector lighting as well, but very rarely have it pointed toward myself. I made an exception for this thread ... the right Windlight and a properly set up projector light works wonders.

By the way, make your own filters and you can shape the light as needed for a nice effect. I recommend fading at the edges; this particular one doesn't.

[TatianaNikolay]

I agree, I can always use pointers. I rely a lot on the windlights and then photo editing and need to play around with the lights/projectors.

Little photoshoot for a new pose from Lyrium.