Portraitd C&C

My girlfriend allowed me to take some photos today as I am trying to get some practice in portraiture. All comments and criticisms (of my technique! [and not my girlfriend - who is a mod on boards]) are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks!

Shiny

Is that a wedding ring?

Shiny

Shiny wrote: »

Is that a wedding ring?

Most definitely not!

AnimalRights

#1 doesn't work for many reasons.
#5 is stunning, the pose and the eye capture highlights.
#4 is a better version of #3

Why not number 1 may I ask?

I have no real objectvity when it comes to these so all C&C welcome.

mrmac

# 3 & # 4 are great. Really natural looking, and easy to look at
See the reflection of the photographer in the subjects eyes, in # 4, I know that some folk try to reduce or remove this, but I like it.

AnimalRights

Deleted User wrote: »

Why not number 1 may I ask?

I have no real objectvity when it comes to these so all C&C welcome.

-She is too central, I'd have her more to the right.
-It also look's like you're telling her to pose that way, which while you probably were it doesn't come across good.
-Picture looks a wee bit under exposed too, this shows especially in the tree.
-Picture would probably be better in colour too, capture the scenery better.

mrmac

AnimalRights wrote: »

-She is too central, I'd have her more to the right.
-It also look's like you're telling her to pose that way, which while you probably were it doesn't come across good.
-Picture looks a wee bit under exposed too, this shows especially in the tree.
-Picture would probably be better in colour too, capture the scenery better.

If I may add to that?
I've found that this type of shot looks better if you can engage the viewer, by showing exactly what the subject is looking at.
So - as AnimalRights suggests - if she was more to the right, with her head facing the boats, I feel would work a bit better.

It didn't hold my interest and I quickly moved passed it, as you're other shots where more expressive.

mehfesto2

All I can suggest is more contrast. Lots of B&W shots can be saved - or even as I have found out personally, be greatly improved by a bit of a punchier contrast to them. There are lots of flat B&W portraits around. They're quite unflattering, in my opinion.

Your pics are nice, but I just feel if you tweaked the levels and added a High Pass Filter, particularly to say #4, you could have at least one fantastic picture.

Give it a shot and see what you think. There's some great youtube vids on High Pass Filters for PS if you need 'em. Helped me out no end!

Good luck with it all!

quilmore

contrast and lighting of #2 is ahead of the rest
composition of #1 could have been better... all the rest seemed dull and flat
a b&w conversion as the #2 will do great to them

AnCatDubh

I like this set generally. I love b/w's as they can be so emotive - something that you can lose in colour renditions or at least it doesn't appear to be so strong with colour. Having said that you need to be careful going to black and white and the mechanism you use. If you simply go 'greyscale' or desaturate the colours, you may be left with particularly grey washed out images. If you are not already doing it, try going for the colour channel decomposition within your PP software and try a mix of channel's (RGB) - I have found it to be amazing what a difference it will make. My preference tends to be along the red channel which I find brings out a milky skin tone where its appropriate - of course that depends if that is the look you are seeking. It works really well with high contrast as well.

#1 - nice idea. subject would benefit from being further to the right in the frame or camera more to the left. While its a nice idea, you might have gotten more character with the camera more to the left as you may have been able to pick up on more of her identity. It could have been anyone I guess is what i'm saying rather than any statement that this is a sensitive scene and this IS my girlfriend (eh.. your words if ya get me???)

#2 - I'm not gone on the composition. Again you are not seeing very much of her. I haven't really seen such an idea working thus far but i'm open to being wrong here. Perhaps a little more context would have improved the composition - the crop top and bottom of head doesn't really work imho.

#3 is gorgeous. a lovely sensitive pose. looking off camera. Great depth of field, Great bokeh, nice focus. Perhaps a little too central in the frame. This is the thing about the crop see #2 above. Crop of the top of head works ok here but crop of top and bottom in #2 doesn't (i think).

#4 is equally great - this time for different reasons. You've got the shift of subject more off center and i think it works in spades. again great depth of field, bokeh, and docus. I like the photographer in the eyes too.

#5 - again not working for me. Similar to #2 - the angle having changed. Not sure what you were going for here.

#6 isn't bad but i think the crop top and bottom of head is what distracts me on it. Weaker than the others that i've highlighted, although the idea of facing back towards camera should yield a nice portrait.

You definately need to add contrast across the set (or should i say if it were me). But I also think in adding contrast you are going to need some brightness added in for good measure or a bit of selective dodge applied strategically.

Anyway, that's just a few thoughts which are purely personal interpretations and should be taken as a pinch of salt i.e. lightly.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: Oh - also meant to say that as a set the lighting is inconsistent which would give a problem if presenting them together as a series (i would expect)

Cheers guys - my photoshop skills are pretty basic so I'll play about with them a bit.

I've never done this kind of shooting before so thanks for the C&C. This was a spur of the moment thing as well. Are there some things I should be looking out for when I do this again? I see how I mucked up number 1 a bit but in terms of where the model should be looking etc, are there any 'standard' rules I should be aware of for this?

Tallon

#2 is very good, has something about it, the rest I think are a bit dark