portrait of a Danish girl

Sharkbait · Sep 11, 2004

As a snapshot, it's fine, but as a true portrait, I see a number of areas that could be improved...

*The crop is way too tight on the right, to the point of cutting into the subject.
*Focus is off (might just be the scan though)
*The pose is natural, but the backpack needs to go.
*Facial expression is lacking--she's not smiling, she's not not-smiling. It's like she was caught off guard.
*Some blown-out areas on side of face, tops of arms, etc.
*I think the shot is meant ot show the grandeur of the setting, but it's too tight to do that. We don't have the top of the waterfall, we don't have the bottom of the lake, etc.

Corry · Sep 11, 2004

What he said.

JonMikal · Sep 11, 2004

what he and he said.

Nagala · Sep 11, 2004

Jonmikal pretty much summed it up for me.

vonnagy · Sep 11, 2004

hi tsien,

I think the scan quality probably ruins this shot, I am sure the original looks better. I agree with shark on most of points he said there.

Don't think you need to lose the backpack though, it kinds adds the story of the picture to me. For me the crop bothers me most, as shark said its a tad to tight on the right, but for me I would like see her legs, perhaps propped up on the rock in front of her.

Depending on what you want to do there is alot you do to try to make it a bit different.

1. try playing around with the geometry a bit, you can make some interesting connections with the white water fall and the white stripe on her trousers. Have her unpin her long hair and let flow out, sorta to go with the flowing of waterfall.

2. Different poses, course you would need to have a model willing to put with this

I would have her body facing toward the waterfall instead of towards the camera.

hope that helps

Sharkbait · Sep 12, 2004

I think this shot would be cool with a fisheye lens--something that could have the model be large in the frame, yet still encompass all that nature surrounding her.