Afghan Smile

[rjackjames]

A portrait picture I took....plz C&C

 

[spiffybeth]

the area around his eyes is really dark and it looks as though he's squinting

 

[johngpt]

Sorry about the lateness of this feedback. I've only recently come across your posts, and I'm working my way through the threads you've started.

My apologies if in the time since you've posted this and Beth responded, you've already learned what I'm about to write.

The position which you posed your subject is superb, in relation to the sun, and in relation to your camera's position. See how there's some sunlight on your subject's right cheek? That's classic portrait lighting, regarding the 'main light.'

When Beth mentioned that it's dark around your subject's eyes, she's referring to the amount of contrast between the sunlit portions of his face, and the harsher shadows on his face.

Usually, portrait photographers try to use some fill light, to decrease that contrast, and have more shadow detail. This can be accomplished using fill flash, or a reflector which would bounce light toward the shadowed side of the subject's face.

Regarding squinting. It's sunny. It's Afghanistan. For a female subject, squinting wouldn't be very flattering. For a male, maybe not so important.

Hope this isn't too late to be helpful.