My wife

[Axel]

A simple and not so arty pic! However I'd like to know what you think about it.

 

[2Stupid2Duck]

I dunno - she just looks kinda tired. I am not convinced she would find this her most flattering shot. I'd work with a different emotion - although that's just me mate.

 

[Axel]

I appreciate your opinion. However, I would like some critique about the picture per se, no matter how she looks...

 

[Picksure]

I am not an expert, but I'll give it a go.

I find the darker right side a tad distracting.

That lack of contrast in the rest of the photo leaves it kind of plain. The background, couch and her face having the same sort of tones( if that came out right at all )

For someone who has become very interested in b&w(me) I think its a good start.

 

[tmpadmin]

Technically it is okay. Low contrast but there isn't really much in the photo for contrast. Personally it's kind of dull as far as subject matter. I'm not really looking for what she is thinking or actually care since her expression is somewhat blank - maybe a little disgust but not much. (Bet she is used to you sticking the camera in her face)

She really does look tired.

That's just me

 

[Alison]

For me, the couch to the right is distracting. Perhaps the same shot with nothing in the background would give a different, more desolate feel.

As a portrait photographer I look for emotion in photos and can't identify what she is feeling here which leaves me feeling "off" about this one.

I also find the shadows to bit a bit too harsh on the right as well.

 

[isheahan]

the couch on the right is distracting. but the offset of her in the picture is great. perhaps she is positioned a bit low on the photograph. moving her head higher toward the top of the pic would allow two things; one, the neg. space above her, i.e., the wall, would be gone giving you more opportunity to take advantage of adjusting contrast levels. two, a more dramatic pose on her part could be considered as it'd share more of her as the subject in the pic and give more emotion as you 'look up from below' so to speak.

 

[Bokeh]

It needs more Bokeh!

 

[Fullpower]

crop to a vertical format, and try a sepia tone, just for grins, see what that does for the composition.

 

[Axel]

Thank y'all for your input!

 

[Axel]

For me, the couch to the right is distracting. Perhaps the same shot with nothing in the background would give a different, more desolate feel.

As a portrait photographer I look for emotion in photos and can't identify what she is feeling here which leaves me feeling "off" about this one.

I also find the shadows to bit a bit too harsh on the right as well.

Isn't it pretty cool though that no emotion is shown? LOL!

Anyway, how do I get rid of the shadows? How do you do that? I mean, where there is light, there must be shadows... :?

 

[Alison]

Anyway, how do I get rid of the shadows? How do you do that? I mean, where there is light, there must be shadows... :?

Right you are, where is there light there are shadows. Trick is to get a good balance between the two. In this case, you can use something on the right had side as a reflector, even just some white posterboard will do. It helps to bounce some light back onto her face.

 

[Axel]

Wouldn't a posterboard be very annoying on the picture?

 

[walter23]

Anyway, how do I get rid of the shadows? How do you do that? I mean, where there is light, there must be shadows... :?

Reflections, diffuse sources of light, flashes further away from the camera.. lots of tricks you can use. People often bounce flashes off the ceiling to avoid things like the little pinprick-sized on-camera-flash reflections in the eyes, and the shadows.. There are lots of tutorials on flash photography and lighting for portraits, but the first step is to realize that except for fill flash outdoors and that kind of thing the on-camera strobe is almost useless.

 

[walter23]

Wouldn't a posterboard be very annoying on the picture?

You keep it out of frame. With a separate flash you could do something like point it at the ceiling so that the light comes down more naturally. Think of it this way - flash photography is the only time that the source of light on someone you're looking at is coming straight from your own head It doesn't look natural, it looks like a flash photograph. Anything you can do to change this will usually be an improvement.

Here's a tutorial on indoor flash photography:
http://www.bhwebphotoschool.com/lessons/e1lDportrait/index.html

Here's one on outdoor stuff:
http://www.bhwebphotoschool.com/lessons/e1cinematicLighting/index.html

Ignore all the stuff where they tell you to buy product XYZ from B&H Photo, because if you understand what's going on you can probably improvise with whatever you have available (or at least buy a cheaper flash than they might recommend)