self portrait c&c

[Ecas32]

so i wasnt very happy with how this turned out, but i cant figure out what i was doing wrong and what i could do to make it better. comments would be much appreciated.



shot at 1/200 f14 iso100


thanks
-ethan

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[matt62485]

something with the lighting and the shadows on your face from your hair are killing this.

some of the more knowledgable people can chime in on what to do about this. maybe a reflector or fill light?

[Ecas32]

i used a fill light,, i guess i just didnt have it strong enough?

[matt62485]

ahh i dunno man. something with the lighting needs some adjusting though is all i know.

[transformed]

Hi Ethan,

It looks like maybe you were in direct sunlight that was right above you? It tends to create those harsh shadows. Maybe choose a location that is in the shade and then use fill flash for some additional light.

[milesy]

also get your head up further in the frame......all the picture above your head is just meaningless dead space

[Ecas32]

alright ill remember that next time
thanks guys

[freybear3]

the lighting is what is throwing it off, was the sun right above you? it looks like it. the best times for outdoor photography, without fill lighting, is at sunrise and sunset

[manaheim]

You overwhelmed the sun with the flash, which is potentially fine if you do it right, but I suspect you actually went too far with it this time. Lighting outdoors is really tricky and I am by NO means the master, but what I can tell you is this... shadows add drama. You do want SOME shadows, but how intense they are and where they are has a significant effect on how deeply we feel the impact of the image. In this case, the lighting is pretty flat/consistent across the front of your face, the tree, etc.

I would try turning the flash down and moving it more to the side (if you can). I suspect your flash is on-camera, pointed right at you. You should also diffuse it.

I would also try just shooting using natural light. As long as you're not totally squinty eyed with skin glowing back at the camera, sometimes this gives you a wonderful result. Just depends on what you want.

BTW, I thnk you could also crop quite a bit out of this image... too much tree and dead space over your head for my liking for a shot of this type.

[Ecas32]

mmkay so i didnt reeshoot yet, but i tryed to doctor it in photoshop best i can to get rid of some of that shadow

[Dominantly]

Looks good to me.

[manaheim]

My point was that you needed MORE shadow... not less.

Doctoring it isn't the best bet here, IMO.

[Annamas]

Looks better with the crop.

Shadows can give depth. The extra shadow in the background draws the eye away from the subject. Shadow on your face would add character (IMO), though the shadow caused by your hair was distracting.