A shot at a self portrait...c&c please

julia4480

TPF Noob!
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
Location
Arkansas
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
So I decided I am going to try and play with self portraits this evening. Aside from the fact that I used flash on this picture, which made it horribly red and I had to go in and fix a bunch of stuff in pp, and besides the fact that I think it's a little soft, I kind of like it.... I used a dark brown sheet as my back drop and a regular side table lamp as my lighting ( wonderful setup ey? lol)... Comments and critique would be greatly appreciated...

Sepiame2.jpg
 
Well, you're pretty good looking which is always a start, but you missed the focus on your eyes (which is pretty hard with a self portrait) and the little fuzzy hairs the side of your head aren't ideal :)
 
I like it a lot. Excellent expression and composition. Good impact. I am including an edit, not because I think the original needs it, but because you mentioned you felt it was a bit soft. Sometimes when I have a portrait that I feel is too soft, I'll intentionally soften the rest of it (minus the eyes) to give it a dramatic effect.

Sepiame2.jpg
 
Yes... I tried with several shots to get my eyes in focus.... pretty dang hard indeed. Thanks for your comment!!
 
Definitely liking the edit transformed.
 
I like it a lot. Excellent expression and composition. Good impact. I am including an edit, not because I think the original needs it, but because you mentioned you felt it was a bit soft. Sometimes when I have a portrait that I feel is too soft, I'll intentionally soften the rest of it (minus the eyes) to give it a dramatic effect.

Sepiame2.jpg

Wow, I love that! Thanks so much for taking the time in doing so! :) Great tip! And I look 5 years younger. Perfection. HAHA.

Did you use Photoshop? Or a different program? I have GIMP and Photoscape. Do you have any idea how to achieve that result in any of those programs?
 
Lighting is a bit flat for my tastes. The edit makes her look like one of those robots on "I Robot."
 
^It's a personal thing for me, but I don't like softening on photos. I can see covering up a pimple but the airbrushed look bothers me. But the eyes look great in that one transformed, how'd you do that? Just a sharpen?

@julia: It looks like you put some time and thought into the setup and composition of the photo, or you got lucky. I like the tilt/angle & framing.

On the negative side (of the original), looks like the shadows are a bit hard (just the ones from the hand) but it's pretty minor, and probably worth noting that I'm inexperienced.
 
Missed the focus and that edit looks horrendous.
 
^It's a personal thing for me, but I don't like softening on photos. I can see covering up a pimple but the airbrushed look bothers me. But the eyes look great in that one transformed, how'd you do that? Just a sharpen?

@julia: It looks like you put some time and thought into the setup and composition of the photo, or you got lucky. I like the tilt/angle & framing.

On the negative side (of the original), looks like the shadows are a bit hard (just the ones from the hand) but it's pretty minor, and probably worth noting that I'm inexperienced.


Thank you so much for your comment. It's probably a mixture of luck and thought, quite frankly... lol!
 
Missed the focus and that edit looks horrendous.

When you take your own pics... how do you make sure the focus is on the eyes, when you're not behind the camera to actually see it?
 
Use a stand in.
Seriously.
Even if it's a mop.
 
Self portraits are difficult, when you can't AF.
 
Missed the focus and that edit looks horrendous.

When you take your own pics... how do you make sure the focus is on the eyes, when you're not behind the camera to actually see it?

Patience. I usually use a light stand as a stand it for the preliminary setup shots. For every 20 shots ill take about 1 will be in focus

For example:

IN focus

4404905913_093a2fff96.jpg



Out of focus

4404905443_b18e06accd.jpg
 

Most reactions

Back
Top