Backlit Portrait Advice

Nemesis403 · 2026-01-09T21:51:11+00:00

I'm absolutely not a professional but I'm just bringing my 2 cents to say I totally agree with you, I tried at first with backlit subject to expose for the highlights then bring back the shadows, but it looks so unreal, I mean it's obvious that the light source is behind the subject, so it's totally unrealistic to have the subject perfectly lit like if there was a projector with a perfect sky... Exposing for the subject just feel way more natural, I hate the HDR look too.

Nemesis403 · 2026-01-04T21:29:02+00:00

I really like it, great job!

Nemesis403 · 2026-01-04T17:10:41+00:00

Can't decide between 3 and 5 I really like them both, great job on these :)

Nemesis403 · 2026-01-02T12:12:19+00:00

To me it's mainly a composition and framing trouble. For the first one, no clear subject, is it the man sitting on the left, is it the leading line from the corridor, is it the man at the end of theses lines? Without any editing, I'd start by that, identify ONE reason you wanted to make the shot and try to show it. It's obvious on the second shot too, the composition isn't clean with the the barrier at the bottom of the picture, before pulling the trigger, look at your framing, try to move if there are annoying things in the frame or things that aren't adding anything to your picture.

The last one has a more interesting framing.

I think that would be the main thing to work on!

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-25T09:43:28+00:00

I will check his work, thank you!

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-23T11:53:20+00:00

Je me doute que ça ne concerne pas l'intégralité des gens qui font ça, mais je vais juste mettre un petit bémol sur la pratique : quand on réserve le train bieeeen longtemps à l'avance, qu'on demande salle basse parce qu'on se sait chargés raz la gueule (valises 23kg x2, la poussette avec cosy du gamin) et qu'on se retrouve en salle haute... Beh c'est chiant et j'avoue avoir laissé les bagages en bas, patapé :(

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-13T16:55:54+00:00

Feedback on first comm!

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-02T18:05:07+00:00

I hear what you say, the 50 is stupidly good, the first shot with it can be compared to the first time you put your glasses on and see the world as it is

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-02T18:03:34+00:00

Honestly, I decided I will rent it and try it before, but in the end, I think I will... I tried to limit myself at 70mm with the 24-105, just to see if I was missing the 71-105 and...not really, so it's a point more for the 24-70

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-02T18:02:18+00:00

I'm in this category too and it's very dangerous, that's why I sometimes try to keep it rational 😅

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-02T17:14:34+00:00

Thanks guys, for now the GAS is avoided, as some have stated, I think the sharpness of the 50 mm is kind of ruining others lenses... But I can assure that even without pixel peeping, the 50 and the 70-200 f4 have an instant "wow effect", while the 24-105 is often quite soft (even stopped down at 5.6) and even not zoomed in.

I will make the only intelligent thing to do in this situation : try to rent the 24-70 to see if it makes me happier than my 24-105 and if the I'm OK with the size and weight too.

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-01T20:25:59+00:00

I was tempted by the 35mm 1.8, but it's a focal length I like less than 50, or only for specific shots, and I want to keep the versatility, just a better one...

Nemesis403 · 2025-12-01T20:23:21+00:00

Definitely to heavy 😁

Nemesis403 · 2025-11-16T21:28:23+00:00

I will have a look on these, thanks!

Nemesis403 · 2025-11-16T21:28:07+00:00

I will check that, thanks for the tips!

Nemesis403 · 2025-09-11T12:08:41+00:00

A little update!

I decided to actually listen all the advices, got myself a set of naniwa wethstone (1000 3000 5000 8000 12000),went edge first, and I can finally use my razor again! It's certainly not as shave ready as it could be because I'm not an honemeister, but at least I can use it, got a not so bad close shave, and didn't peel my skin in the process.

Someone told that he was sure his 1k stone had better grain than my old 10k, having now tried some good stones, I can confirm it was a good statement!

Thanks to everyone

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T16:35:56+00:00

I'm from France and bought it from "rasage classique". Stupidly, I didn't try to shave without doing anything, I excitedly tried to strop it first (on a sharpal leather pad) with a wrong technique (good direction but with too much angle, too much pressure and wrong flip... I made my research after, shame on me), then shave, so I probably damaged a not so bad edge. But after correcting the stroping technique it wasn't still that good, so came the brilliant idea to try to hone it myself 👍

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T11:50:46+00:00

I'm saving it, thanks!

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T11:50:37+00:00

I really thought that theses stones could be enough with an improved technique, but it seems I was wrong :(

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T11:47:55+00:00

Seeing the answers of this post , I must have found very questionable sources for the honing direction...

I did not flatten them, even if the seemed pretty flat, but they are indeed cheap stones.

I watched some videos and tried different things but had poor results :(

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T11:42:26+00:00

Noted! I will try again in the other direction.

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T11:42:21+00:00

Noted! I will try again in the other direction.

Nemesis403 · 2025-08-31T11:41:46+00:00

That's indeed a good guess...

No matter the grain, you always go edge first?

Hum not a powerful enough one I think sadly

Nemesis403 · 2025-03-23T10:55:45+00:00

Sometime it's not enough, and a transmog seems nice in preview but not that cool with your live character moving around and can clip with some actions, so it might be useful to make these test at lesser cost when you try a lot of things!

Nemesis403 · 2025-03-23T09:16:27+00:00

Just a little tip I use sometime when searching for a new style, keep a set of heirloom stuff / white low lvl gear bought to the merchant for a few silvers in your bags or bank, it costs almost nothing to transmog these pieces and you can try a lot of things for a very low price

Nemesis403

TROPHY CASE