Another portrait - Ara

[Ockie]

Converted to B&W in PS:CS2 using channel mixer, some minor sharpness / curves edits.

C&C welcome

 

[Peniole]

Love the sharpness in her eyes, and love the pose, however the oof foreground is a bit distracting especially on the right obscuring part of her face.

P.S. you might want to clone out the under arm stubble, not much but better without.

 

[LaFoto]

The foreground IS a bit distracting, in so far as there is too much of it, I feel. I like the idea of her lying in the fallen leaves, though, I like the fact that you and your camera took up the same position, and I certainly like the sparkles and the sharpness in her eyes! They are quite prominent ... or would be if that bright, blurred leaf in the front wouldn't so severely compete with them.

I am not overly fond of another aspect of your composition, though, and that is where here eyes are in all this frame. They are pretty much in the centre, and while I am all in favour of saying "rules and conventions are there to be overcome", I personally feel this photo would have fared better with observing where her eyes will be in the "grid" (the virtual one) of this frame. Too much room on the right, and another disturbing element pushing itself into your frame there, and a bit too much at the top.

Maybe you can crop this differently?

 

[Ockie]

Thanks both for your comments

The foreground IS a bit distracting, in so far as there is too much of it, I feel. I like the idea of her lying in the fallen leaves, though, I like the fact that you and your camera took up the same position, and I certainly like the sparkles and the sharpness in her eyes! They are quite prominent ... or would be if that bright, blurred leaf in the front wouldn't so severely compete with them.

I am not overly fond of another aspect of your composition, though, and that is where here eyes are in all this frame. They are pretty much in the center, and while I am all in favor of saying "rules and conventions are there to be overcome", I personally feel this photo would have fared better with observing where her eyes will be in the "grid" (the virtual one) of this frame. Too much room on the right, and another disturbing element pushing itself into your frame there, and a bit too much at the top.

Maybe you can crop this differently?

I took this shot while sitting up, having the camera on one of my feet, not looking at how I was taking it

I agree about the position of her eyes, but I wanted to zoom in more less there, and since I wasn't looking at where the center point was zooming I didn't move the camera after locking in the zoom

About the foreground:
I personally don't care about the towels in front, actually, I wouldn't have made the shot since there was way too much sand between the grass to make the shot without at least some protection from the sand

And about cropping:

I personally don't like to crop, although I recognize I should do it... probably quite often


Anyways, thanks again for the comment