# Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic...



## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

_ the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that you take the girl's clothes off. 

Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye (Phillip Marlowe series)
_
The second in my series of exploration into film noir.  My "window glass" wasn't big enough, to use on this so I went without. Really want to re-shoot this with a large piece of plexi for the reflections it adds. Got a lot of comments on the first attempt that the shadows weren't dark enough. Took these down a little more. C&C always welcome.




no-image-available-grid.jpg by William Raber, on Flickr


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## tirediron (Sep 11, 2017)

I like this.  A lot, but... it's time to get nit-picky.  The highlight needs to be just a bit lower so that it's actually on your eyes, and I'd like to see just a little more space below your right hand.  I also think your face be a bit brighter overall; not a lot but just enough so that there's some detail in/around your ear and below your hat brim.


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## jcdeboever (Sep 11, 2017)

Shoot, makes me want a drink....


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

tirediron said:


> I like this.  A lot, but... it's time to get nit-picky.  The highlight needs to be just a bit lower so that it's actually on your eyes, and I'd like to see just a little more space below your right hand.  I also think your face be a bit brighter overall; not a lot but just enough so that there's some detail in/around your ear and below your hat brim.



I really appreciate your taking to time to direct me, but I'm starting to feel a little like a ping pong ball in a hurricane, one says darker less detail and one says more!! LOL

Lay it on, I need nit-picky to improve. 


Highlight on the eyes - Couldn't agree more. I was the subject (obviously), trying to be the photographer. I was using zone focusing and had a paper towel wadded up and stuck in the blind to mark my spot. Unfortunately, there wasn't any way to know exactly on the tilt of the head.
Space below the hand- Agree, but I was limited with my space available, that was all i had.
Face brighter - One thing missing in this that was in the other is the plexiglass on the other side of the blind (faux window). Surprisingly it seems to provide a little diffusion to provide better overall light. The other thing missing in this one is the reflector on the floor. I wrongly assumed that the light on the face would increase when I deleted the plexi. However, based on comments from the first one, I did some serious burning on this one.


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> Shoot, makes me want a drink....



JC a good TN sippin whiskey in one hand and camera in the other can do wonders for your creativity.


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## jcdeboever (Sep 11, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > Shoot, makes me want a drink....
> ...


I bet, all bets are off if I do it....


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> I bet, all bets are off if I do it....



JC


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## Dean_Gretsch (Sep 11, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > Shoot, makes me want a drink....
> ...



I bet that is how naked selfies got started!

To be honest, I think I liked the tone in your other post better, but that is a matter of taste of course!


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## tirediron (Sep 11, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> ...I really appreciate your taking to time to direct me, but I'm starting to feel a little like a ping pong ball in a hurricane, one says darker less detail and one says more!! LOL


Fair enough; thing is, this is all personal taste.  My niggle is the pure black areas I've marked.  It doesn't need much; just enough to bring a little detail into the ear, below the brim and collar....  Looking at the image, I think a reflector low and left, near your right elbow to bring some light from the key into the "affected" area would make it perfect for me...


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

Dean_Gretsch said:


> I bet that is how naked selfies got started!
> 
> To be honest, I think I liked the tone in your other post better, but that is a matter of taste of course!



I always make it a point to "limit" the alcohol when a camera is around, don't want to scare people!!!

The Cyanotype process has been around since early 1800's. Course the digital is nothing more than imitation of the real thing, but I felt like the tint added to the other image, and tied it back to the film noir theme. In this one I just didn't think a tint would add anything constructive. Thank you for looking and commenting


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

tirediron said:


> Looking at the image, I think a reflector low and left, near your right elbow to bring some light from the key into the "affected" area would make it perfect for me...



Yup, I have to agree with you. The reflector makes a huge difference. Rather than rework this, I'll likely reshoot it as I've got a couple more ideas to add to the effect. Also have some more stands/modifiers that should be in this week, that will make things a lot easier.

Also need a couple days that I can forego shaving LOL


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## Gary A. (Sep 11, 2017)

With spirits I prefer Scotch.


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

Gary A. said:


> With spirits I prefer Scotch.



That depends on the Scotch. J&B, Johnny Walker, Chivas, Dewars I wouldn't turn down.


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## Gary A. (Sep 11, 2017)

I prefer a single malt, like a Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, Aberlour, Balvenie, et al. I also enjoy a good blend such as Makers Mark, Johnny Walker, Chivas, Sheep Dip and Dewars ... but wine ... wine is just wonderful. In the past ten years, I've tossed more spirits into my cooking than I've dumped down my hatch.


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

@Gary A. My tastes were a lot more expensive when the expense account was tax deductible

Now I find George Dickel #8 and #12 and the old standard Jack to be acceptable substitutes. Although not from TN Evan Williams black label is also occasionally on the list.


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## Derrel (Sep 11, 2017)

For a selfie, simply amazing work. When you can not literally SEE where the light strikes in such a high-ratio setup, this is quite good! Selfie shooting is much more difficult than using a model!

I'm not in agreement that the inner part of ear needs detail; this is light that is supposed to be raking in thru blinds, right? The bit of rim-lighting on the ear is great!

I think the lighting works.

My only suggestion would be to soften/tone down the skin on the back of the hand holding the drink; that area, not any others, not the brow or eyes, that's what I dislike. All the rest? Good as-is, IMHO.


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

@Derrel, Thank you for the kind words. Yes the light was representative of a street light from down below. 

By soften the back of the hand do you mean darken??? Or actually soften the detail? One thing I found was that I was shooting at f/8 to give me enough DOF so a little movement on my part wouldn't show up. I'm wondering if I open up a little to decrease the DOF it would give the effect on the hand you mention?


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## Gary A. (Sep 11, 2017)

With a single source directional light and this environmental type of portrait, often, more contrast, less zones will result in increase drama.


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## Gary A. (Sep 11, 2017)

To my eye the drink is superfluous.  You can crop it squareish, eliminate the hand and drink, and it loses nothing. (You will have to change your title ...)


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## smoke665 (Sep 11, 2017)

Gary A. said:


> With a single source directional light



Actually 2 light setup, and the reflector was unfortunately missing on this one.



Gary A. said:


> To my eye the drink is superfluous.



When I get into these types of staged setups my goal is to tell a story. The title is a line from  Raymond Chandler's detective novel "The Long Goodnight". Chandler wrote this at a bad time in his life, his wife was terminally ill, and he, by that point, was an alcoholic in real life. The mood, the dress, the window, the drink were all parts of  the scene. The man in the darkness of his life, the window representing the opening to the afterlife. The light a glimpse of the beyond, as he passes the "Long Goodnight". 

To much???


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## Gary A. (Sep 11, 2017)

Not too much ... just right.


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## Derrel (Sep 11, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> @Derrel, Thank you for the kind words. Yes the light was representative of a street light from down below.
> 
> By soften the back of the hand do you mean darken??? Or actually soften the detail? One thing I found was that I was shooting at f/8 to give me enough DOF so a little movement on my part wouldn't show up. I'm wondering if I open up a little to decrease the DOF it would give the effect on the hand you mention?



I think the hand just looks too King Kong-ish...needs to be toned down, in some way, however that would be done would be up to you. Too much detail, skin looks too distracting on the back of the hand, the fingrs look okay though...


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## bundleofjoy (Sep 12, 2017)

Thats nice images proper focus on alcohol mug


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## smoke665 (Sep 12, 2017)

Derrel said:


> I think the hand just looks too King Kong-ish...needs to be toned down, in some way, however that would be done would be up to you. Too much detail, skin looks too distracting on the back of the hand, the fingrs look okay though...



It's hard to remember everything from in front of the camera, but if I understand your comment and as I look at the image I suspect that the hand being forward was like holding a small fish out in front of you to make it look bigger. When I reshoot I need to bring the hand back and down more into the shadows.


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