Couple of Portraits: C&C

JackRabbit · May 10, 2010

This is from a shoot I did for Catherine because she needed new Facebook pictures and I really needed to shoot because I hadn't in a while. Also, I need your help. Does anyone know where I can find a field of yellow flowers in Southern California? Preferably no more than maybe an hour or so from San Diego? (If you know where Temecula is then as close to there as possible)

C&C is requested. Thank you!

Strobist:
Canon 430EZ through softbox, camera right, 1/4 power

ghache · May 11, 2010

i like them,

i have one question
people really do shoot to have new facebook pictures?

thanks facebook for giving us business!

JackRabbit · May 11, 2010

Well, she is my sister so it is a little different because she lives with me hahah. But yeah I've heard of people doing shoots for people for Facebook.

robertwsimpson · May 11, 2010

I don't like the white balance in the second one. makes her look ghoulish... good photos though.

Early · May 11, 2010

I'd really like that second one except for the sleepy eyes and the brush covering her face.

skieur · May 11, 2010

I am not sure that you want the pro/picky critique, but that is my approach.

Among many portrait photographers, the first shot is described in a negative way as "brain surgery"....as in you cut off the top of her head.
In terms of overall look, the simple "clean" hair style does not match the overly "cluttered" and visually distracting fancy white top. The hair would look better by the way combed more over the front of her long forehead.
The skin of the face could also use either a little make-up or a little work in postprocessing. The position of the fingers is awkward and distracts the viewer from the eyes of the subject. It also cuts the profile line of the face and adds attention to the long forehead. The white reflection on the end of the nose should be eliminated in postprocessing as well as the crease in the neck under the jaw. The expression on her face could also be a little more "neutral" with the lips less turned down. The path\road in the background leads into the picture but not toward your subject. I would be inclined to try and work out some change there as well.

The technical aspects are handled very well, but there are one heck of a lot of compositional elements when working with people and portraits.

skieur

bigtwinky · May 11, 2010

I prefer the first over the second as they are posted.
I find the first has her head cut a bit too low, which leaves the overall composition a bit off. Maybe if she had turned and looked at you, and her head was a bit more to the left?

I dont like the second one due to the zombie look. I dont mind the sleepy eyes, they are interesting, I really dont like the skin tones. The overall composition though is really nice.

Why didn't you go for the porcelain doll look and over process the skin? Wouldn't that work? :lol:

Fraginator3000 · May 11, 2010

I think the second shot is amazing, really good job! :thumbup:

JackRabbit · May 11, 2010

I agree with you, skieur, that the first one needs a bit of work on the skin. My sister wears very minimal makeup so when her skin isn't perfect it shows. I don't have Portraiture installed on my computer yet because I just recently upgraded to CS5 and I didn't feel like doing the skin work manually (Portraiture has made me lazy hahah). I'll probably go back in and re-do that. As for her hair, her forehead is one of her most self-conscious features (as is mine. We got the same forehead haha) and she usually wears her hair the way you suggested but it was windy that day and her hair wouldn't stay so she just put it up.

The look and feel that was created in the second picture was completely intentional. I wanted a "as I lay here dying" sort of feel (I feel like that is the name of a song or something hahah). The plants in front of the face were also intentional. I'll go back through and re-process that color because I have been getting that people don't like the skin color a lot.