4 Portraits to CC (2nd Set since getting SLR)

[Derek Zoolander]

No editing here yet. Wanted your guys feedback before I dig into it. Unless you guys tell me its not worth digging into. This is the second round of photos since getting my SLR. There was sunlight coming through the sliding door to the right.

 

[tirediron]

Good effort, but a few thoughts. First, there's a reason that the vertical orientation is referred to as 'portrait'. Second, you should be using at least 1/125 as a shutter speed in order to freeze any slight movement by the subject (I'll assume you used a tripod) - supplementary lighting is required for all of these images. Next, your choice of lenses isn't ideal; shorter the focal length the greater the DoF, so even though you've used a large aperture, you still have way too much of the background in focus.

In short, use an off-camera flash, and reflector to improve your lighting, use a longer FL lens and try portrait aspect.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

 

[rdzmzda]

ummm wow..outside...or blank wall...if not just gives them a snap shot feel to me...but man i love the face in the first one....or even try to blur the background would work too...on the third one the babys hand is gonna be a focal point if its in front of the guys face needs to be in focus and sharp....i like the idea though on number two his finger is way to overexposed be careful with strips of light there...second she doesnt seem to have a natural smile there....and one well besides the background i cant say anything bad i like it...good exposure just a kooky face i love it lol
oh but yeah portrait is tall not wide....lol go to print setting and check out protrait and check out landscape...

 

[tsaraleksi]

A photograph of a person is a portrait regardless of which way the photo is framed.

These feel really cramped to me, like you're backed up against the wall with the subjects right in front of you. I can see that you've got lots of room, so move away a little bit-- coming in too close distorts your subjects features.

The biggest thing that you need to pay attention to, however, is the way that light draws the eye. The brightest spots in the photo tend to draw the eye, which means that if you have bright lights in areas that are not the subject, your picture will not come across as strongly, and will not pull in the eye.

 

[Derek Zoolander]

Good effort, but a few thoughts. First, there's a reason that the vertical orientation is referred to as 'portrait'. Second, you should be using at least 1/125 as a shutter speed in order to freeze any slight movement by the subject (I'll assume you used a tripod) - supplementary lighting is required for all of these images. Next, your choice of lenses isn't ideal; shorter the focal length the greater the DoF, so even though you've used a large aperture, you still have way too much of the background in focus.

In short, use an off-camera flash, and reflector to improve your lighting, use a longer FL lens and try portrait aspect.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

So far the only lens I have is the kit lens that came with my Rebel XS. It's a 18-55mm f3.5. I'm getting a 50mm f1.8 here soon. Using the kit lens, what would you have used for zoom and aperture? You're saying I should've zoomed out more and made the aperture number smaller, right? I find that people's faces get rounded when I zoom all the way back to 18mm. How do you guys normally handle this?

A photograph of a person is a portrait regardless of which way the photo is framed.

These feel really cramped to me, like you're backed up against the wall with the subjects right in front of you. I can see that you've got lots of room, so move away a little bit-- coming in too close distorts your subjects features.

The biggest thing that you need to pay attention to, however, is the way that light draws the eye. The brightest spots in the photo tend to draw the eye, which means that if you have bright lights in areas that are not the subject, your picture will not come across as strongly, and will not pull in the eye.

That's what I thought portrait meant. That it was simply a picture of people's faces. Sounds like I need to get some more equipment to get the pictures I want. Again, my mission is to finally get a picture that makes someone say "you must have a better camera than just a point and shoot!" i spent enough on it!

 

[gsgary]

You need to get outside where there is some light, on the first one i can see light coming in from a window and you stood her in the dark, and the last one the background is messy always watch your background

 

[El2]

i agree with the CC. You just have to find a background that isn't so busy. When I shoot in doors I try to have the subject at a big window where natural light is present. I played around with your first photo. I don't have photoshop installed in my computer, if I did I would have blurred out the background so that your eyes doesn't draw you to that blue item on the back.

 

[Early]

So far the only lens I have is the kit lens that came with my Rebel XS. It's a 18-55mm f3.5. I'm getting a 50mm f1.8 here soon. Using the kit lens, what would you have used for zoom and aperture? You're saying I should've zoomed out more and made the aperture number smaller, right? I find that people's faces get rounded when I zoom all the way back to 18mm. How do you guys normally handle this?

You really answered your own question here. Wide angle lenses are very unflattering for portrait shooting. You'd do better at the 55mm end. Just keep the camera steady.

I like the facial colors.:thumbup:

 

[tirediron]

I understand that any picture of a person (or dog, lizard, or snail for that matter) is, strictly-speaking, a portrait however the point that I was gently trying to make is that vertically oriented images are generally more suitable for portraits than horizontally oriented ones.

 

[Tolyk]

I understand that any picture of a person (or dog, lizard, or snail for that matter) is, strictly-speaking, a portrait however the point that I was gently trying to make is that vertically oriented images are generally more suitable for portraits than horizontally oriented ones.

I'll add a bit more to this. Turning the camera sideways, "portrait mode", would've helped on these photos due to a couple factors. You fill the frame more with your subject instead of the background. You fit all of your subject into the frame (in some it's too tight of a crop, you've cut out the top of their head/hair, it makes it lose a bit to me).

Those are the two major points I have.

An aside, I disagree with everyone saying you need to get outdoors. Side lighting from a window (or door as is the case) makes for some interesting light. However, the background isn't blurred out enough, as others are saying. Either blur it out enough that it looks intentional (harder to do with the kit lens than with the 50 1.8 you're getting) or get it all in focus. I've seen some rather interesting portraits indoors with side lighting, for the most part, they've kept everything in focus in order to do it, but it was also interesting rooms, like an old wood cottage, etc.

But, if you just want people to say, "What camera did you take that with?" then you need to learn more about photography. A good photographer can take a good photo with a disposable camera. It's all about the lighting, not about what camera you're using.