A few "portraits", beginner here

[bambino]

Hi all!

Hope you devote some time to criticise these "portraits", don't be shy to be harsh with me, I have a thick skin and I think this is the way to learn. I took these portraits with entry level Canon DSLR and kit lens, no flash, no reflectors, no post-processing, no filters, no shades, nothing (well, just cropping them here and there). Models are my friends who asked me to take them photos on the run and with little thinking/planning. Mostly candid photos (specially the ones from the wedding). I took these photos some time ago and as I keep learning, I realize how many wrongs and mistakes are in them. What Im most interested is about composition. Some are defocused, some need fill light, some are overexposed, some have the wrong DOF, etc, etc but what about composition, idea? Thanks all

 

[jenko]

My small opinion on composition is that it is irrelevant without supporting technical aspects, like lighting, DOF, and basic geometry--all of the elements that hold the image together to form a unit. It is really difficult to just critique composition when technical aspects are so far off because with a different technical set of elements, the same composition may work in some cases.

Having said that, and given what you mentioned about lack of planning and processing, well I can tell. They look like snapshots taken by a friend with a camera. My suggestion is to do all of the things you did not do with these images: plan, process, bring additional equipment unless you are sure you can get by without it, don't shoot candids unless the occasion calls for it. In essence, have as much control over every element as you possibly can. That way you can measure your choices and how well they worked.

I think shooting still life is a great way to learn. It does not move, you can put it wherever you want, it doesn't get tired, sidetracked, or complain. You can write down every detail while you are shooting it. It can also be very creative and fun and force you to think outside the box, especially if you photograph the same object for a few months. You want to learn about composition? Grab a random object in your house and photograph it every day for a few months. Make each photo different. Make it exciting, funny, scary, sad, whimsical, quirky, serious, and everything in between.

Hope that helps.

 

[bambino]

Hello Jenko!

Thanks a lot for your input. They are exactly that, photos taken by a friend with a camera! Ok, I have no additional equipment but a speedlight 430 EX II so far. When I took those photos I only had camera and kit lens. Thanks!

 

[hirejn]

You saw interesting light, but you didn't capture it. That comes first. Loosely speaking, compositions for 1 and 7 in the order they appear are OK, so even from a composition standpoint you have a lot to work on. But I suggest light, exposure and expression are more important than composition. If you have a great composition but don't expose for the light or there is no light, nobody will care.

 

[jaguaraz]

Each of these has a different set of composition and technical details that require different critique. Especially when you are beginning, you may want to limit your postings for critique to one or two images so that you can get more specific and detailed comments about posing, lighting, etc. For example in #1 there are issues with the white balance, lens flair, and lighting etc. (that you already recognized and commented on in your original post) but also the pose is very awkward and unflattering for this particular lady. Although I'm sure she is very attractive, the slit in the side of her dress is doing the wrong thing in this picture- looking more like a trap door than an alluring style. Her arm held in that way emphasizes the looser skin on the bottom; again a feature you don't want to capture.
Believe me, I am in the middle of exactly the same kinds of posing and lighting problems myself and it gets easier with targeting one or two types of portraits and really nailing them after much repetition.