First portrait attempts

[joyride]

I finally got a chance to shoot a real person! Day started out really cloudy, which was no good, but then got sunny. Also, there wasnt much of a background to work with around. I just tried what I could. I must say I love the 50 1.8 lens though!

Any criticism would be appreciated, as I want to improve. Fell free to tear me apart (there is no way you guys can be worse than what I hear in my classes!) Also, are some too dark? I think I need to calibrate my monitor.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

A few of them are indeed a little dark. They'll print darker too.

Overall, I think these are good, 5 is the best, the way her legs cross and her body curves makes the tilt work.

 

[Big Mike]

Day started out really cloudy, which was no good, but then got sunny.

Your thinking is backward on this. Cloudy days provide much better light for portraits. In all but the first shot, the light is quite harsh. She has dark shadows on her face, especially in her eyes. Also, the bright light may be causing her to squint, we don't have a clear view of her eyes in any of the shots.

Besides that, I really like the images you have here. Good sharp shots with nice control of DOF. Interesting poses and composition.

In future, don't be afraid of cloudy days...it's mother nature's softbox. If it's sunny, look for shady spots. Failing that, use flash or reflectors to light up the shadows caused by the harsh sunlight.

 

[EOS_JD]

Mike is right. Clouds act like a large softbox and soften the harsh sunlight providing a nice soft light to work with. Softer shadows too.

When shooting on a bright day like this fill flash will lighten the harsh shadows you see in the eyes.

Also better to shoot so your subject does not look into the bright light. You may need to add some exposure compensation if your subject is backlit too.

 

[AprilRamone]

I was just about to comment on how I LOVE cloudy days when I'm going out to shoot, but two others have already mentioned why. I think #4 would have been really nice if the sun had been hiding behind a cloud when you took it. I like #1 too, but I think the tree takes up too much of the picture.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

I was going to say the same about the squinting but only because I just spent two hours the other day on portraits of my mother and she has shadows under her eyes on all of them. I learned the hard way. Mine are not as nice as yours - they're under people and pets, titled 'yes I know' and they suck haha.
But anyhow, at the risk of sounding rude I know one of the things people like for me to d oto their pics is to make tummies look a little flatter. It sometimes just makes people really enjoy looking at pictures of themselves. :blushing:

But I think you did an excellent job!

 

[ADELICATEIMAGE]

I Recommend Fixing Facial Complextions. But The Poses Are Great.

a great little program w/ free trial

http://www.portraitprofessional.com/

 

[neea]

But anyhow, at the risk of sounding rude I know one of the things people like for me to d oto their pics is to make tummies look a little flatter. It sometimes just makes people really enjoy looking at pictures of themselves.

I was thinking the same sort of thing but didn't know how to say it.. so Thank you.
An example is #2. I think it's how she's sitting. Sometimes this tends to... push stuff outwards.

I really like #5. She stands out nicely from the dull background. The pose and composition are great. It has a very nice feel to it.

Excellent job for your first attempt:thumbup:. I've made many attempts and they've never turned out this well.

 

[Parago]

I like them, too.. my only problem with almost all of them: Cut off fingers, hads and even half arms.

 

[NJMAN]

I would stay out of the sunlight unless you have a fill flash. Also, if you are in the shade, then you could really make use of the fill flash. You could also increase a saturation in PS a bit to make the colors pop out a little more.