A little cc for a newb? Be kind;)

_jessicalynn_ · Jul 26, 2012

1.

2.

3.

4.

My hubs shot w Nikon d5000 using a 50 1.4 lens. I'm pretty new to photography, as I just got my first dslr for Christmas but I'm in love...]

Montanamyst · Jul 26, 2012

Hi! Looks like you have a nice model. One of the main things I'm noticing is harsh shadows across his face. Especially in #1. You have some hotspots in all of them. I do like your composition though! #2 is my favorite. I'm a noob too, we are all learning!

_jessicalynn_ · Jul 26, 2012

Oh wow, how'd I miss those hotspots, thanks for pointing that out. The shadows were intentional, he really wanted that light and those shadows, the pics will be used for his new album. But the hotspots, yea

MTVision · Jul 26, 2012

_jessicalynn_ said:
Oh wow, how'd I miss those hotspots, thanks for pointing that out. The shadows were intentional, he really wanted that light and those shadows, the pics will be used for his new album. But the hotspots, yea

I know you said he wanted that light and those shadows but I really don't see the reason. In the first one he has a shadow going in a line across his forehead - is there some significance to it that I'm missing?? I also wish he had actually been looking at the camera. The eyes are so important in portraits and in the 1st image he's just staring off. Same for the 3rd and 4th shot. He looks like he is sitting in a car in the 3rd shot - don't know if he is but that's what popped into my head when I saw it.

Even though he isn't looking at the camera in #4 I do like the composition. Definitely better then #3 IMO. You can see his eyes and eyelashes which is nice. His face looks a little blown so it kind of blends into the background.

Is he in a band?

pgriz · Jul 26, 2012

A few comments. Harsh lighting is not flattering. The trick is to get enough light to give some shadows and definition, but not so contrasty as to blow the highlights and bury the shadow detail. If he wanted the light and shadows, then that's fine, but as a photographer, you have to make sure that the light is not too contrasty. The shadow across his forehead in #1 doesn't help. In the other images, I'm trying to see his eyes and can't, partly because of the angle. From the first image, it is clear he has nice eyes and an attractive face, but images 3 and 4 don't really show us that. You got a good model, put him next to a large north-facing window and try different angles to bring out his features.

_jessicalynn_ · Jul 26, 2012

I hate to sound like I am defending myself bc I appreciate the advise, I may not have shown the best photos from our session, I only used photos I had on my phone that he had used on his blog, and he intentionally didn't want to be recognized or have eye contact. Can I log onto this site on my Mac? I only found it as an iPhone app, hence my limited selection of photos.
The following pics are from my blog, of a woman who said she liked the light of my hubs photos... Are these better?

Any better? Generally I shoot kids, lots of babies and kids.. A whole other post

PinkDoor · Jul 26, 2012

I think you are doing all the right things, in terms of angles, focus, editing, etc. . . but you need to get your subjects out of direct sunlight

Look forward to seeing more from you!

MTVision · Jul 26, 2012

_jessicalynn_ said:
I hate to sound like I am defending myself bc I appreciate the advise, I may not have shown the best photos from our session, I only used photos I had on my phone that he had used on his blog, and he intentionally didn't want to be recognized or have eye contact. Can I log onto this site on my Mac? I only found it as an iPhone app, hence my limited selection of photos.
The following pics are from my blog, of a woman who said she liked the light of my hubs photos... Are these better?

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14966"/>

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14967"/>

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14968"/>

Any better? Generally I shoot kids, lots of babies and kids.. A whole other post

Thephotoforum.com

MTVision · Jul 26, 2012

_jessicalynn_ said:
I hate to sound like I am defending myself bc I appreciate the advise, I may not have shown the best photos from our session, I only used photos I had on my phone that he had used on his blog, and he intentionally didn't want to be recognized or have eye contact. Can I log onto this site on my Mac? I only found it as an iPhone app, hence my limited selection of photos.
The following pics are from my blog, of a woman who said she liked the light of my hubs photos... Are these better?

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14966"/>

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14967"/>

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14968"/>

Any better? Generally I shoot kids, lots of babies and kids.. A whole other post

I like these better. Shadows are good but harsh shadows (like the one on your husbands forehead and on this ladies cheek) usually aren't the most flattering/pleasing to look at.