A couple's portraits, feedback welcome.

julianliu

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Hi, got another portrait of a couple. Please advise for lighting and color and anything else. Appreciate your comments.
$Megan 07-critic.jpg
 
It's a great photo, good lighting, and the couple seems very comfortable!

Although, I feel like the background is a bit too distracting from the subject.
Sure it tells a story and gives your audience a sense of perspective but maybe if you cropped a but off the right that might do some good!
 
I like the lighting on it, but I agree with Ned on this one as far as the background. I find my eyes being less drawn to the couple, and more down the back. Specifically to that plant over her right shoulder. That dark wooden paneling draws your eyes right down that instead of to her. Cropping some of it off would make it less distracting.
 
Yeah, you would need to reshoot this with either a much wider aperture, OR a much simpler background (like that beach which seems to conveniently be over to the left! Even if they were sitting inside but with the beach behind them much less distractingly)

That guy's suit also looks way too big.

Expressions and pose and focus and lighting on the people seem nice (although lighting in general is another tool you can use to help separate out the background and make them pop)
 
Does anyone else see that enormous ball behind their heads!? That's the only ting I see in the bg
 
The lighting on the couple is really excellent. Just super!!! I would try and composite them onto a different background however. The background is very busy, and the exposure on that scene does not match the lighting on them.
 
Nice picture. I think it would be better if:
- you avoid shooting with the big globe directly behind them. also there are a lot of lines (see the ceiling) that distract attention from them
- the suit seems very large for the guy - loose it
- are they standing or sitting on something? You cropped above the knee .. I think a crop under his arms would look better :)
Cheers!
 
IMHO its way to busy and the ball got to go. I also think it's to sharp that there hair looks like hay straw I think. The lighting is nice and they have great smiles. I think a vertical would have been better away from the ball.
 
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Agree with the others; the lighting is top-notch, but the background is less than ideal. That said, I like the setting, but you will need to 'make' it work. First and foremost get them away from that huge ceiling fixture, and then find a composition that makes use of those great leading lines in the ceiling, walls, and floor, and, also as mentioned, shoot with a much larger aperture. Lastly, recalculate your lighting so that the background is at least 1/2 - 2/3 stop darker than the couple.
 
Well unless the OP moved or Oklahoma suddenly got an ocean I'd say the BG was photoshopped in.
 
Thanks for the comments.
This photo is indeed a composite. However, I am still looking for critics on lighting and color etc. so I can improve it.
I noticed the big globe but did not realize it was such a big distraction, as well as the overall busy background, the sharpness contrast between the subject and background. But anyway, it's really good to hear such constructive critics from you guys so I can pay attention to all next time.

Julian
 
Well unless the OP moved or Oklahoma suddenly got an ocean I'd say the BG was photoshopped in.

It looks photoshopped to me as well, almost looks like it was created in Bryce or something. The table behind them is not lined up naturally to the way they are sitting. I am on a cell phone screen so that may be affecting my view as well though.
 
Thanks for the comments.
This photo is indeed a composite. However, I am still looking for critics on lighting and color etc. so I can improve it.
I noticed the big globe but did not realize it was such a big distraction, as well as the overall busy background, the sharpness contrast between the subject and background. But anyway, it's really good to hear such constructive critics from you guys so I can pay attention to all next time.

Julian


Well thats good news. I'd add a radial blur to simulate a dof and isolate the subjects more.
 
Runnah,

I tried to blend the subject into the background rather than seperate from it, I will give it a shot.
I noticed you are nature lover, nice profile by the way.

Julian
 
I wouldn't do radial blur. Yes it would help, but why bandaid the problem, when you already apparently have the layers completely separated and can just completely solve it instead with entirely different content?
 

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