First ever model shot

[Garbz]

Ok so my contribution to this forums usually consists with picture of a red dusk and my cat.

A photo club I recently joined went out to Uni last week to take a few pictures. Amongst the various things we photographed there was a member who offered to casually model for us.

Bearing in mind that this is the first time I've ever done portrait shots, and that the model was casually striking poses so half of it is luck of timing.

Please be as critical as you want. I think I managed to get thorugh a slightly sad/disapointed emotion in one of them but other then that my own personal critique says the photos are reasonably bland. What could I have done to improve?

Also too late now since the filter was at home, but I have a soft focus filter as well. Would this have benefited any of the photos?

 

[aghastpumpkin]

The last one is best, as it uses the rule of thirds more convincingly. She needs to smile in the others, because no matter how I look at them she just seems quite unhappy.
That is why I like the last one best.
Soft focus for the top two would have been an improvement for me. If they are on your computer, you can still do this with photoshop or psp?
Another thing. I know someone who used to model, though a bit differently. The golden rule then was for the light conditions to show her in the best light. For more intimate indoor pictures, a soft focus and darker light was preferred, whilst for the outdoors sunshine was preferred. Indoor bright lighting doesn't fare well, whilst the natural glow fo sunshine will bring out the best features of a model as long as the lgiht is not too harsh. Use a polariser filter to accept light from only one angle.
That is why the top one just doesn't do it for me.
Hope this is of guidance.

 

[DocFrankenstein]

Did her kitty just died or something?

Nice attempt

 

[Meysha]

3rd one is definately my favourite even though it's a little blurry on her face.
I'd bump up the contrast a bit too, I don't like that grey hazy look.

Also were these taken on a digital or a normal camera? (hehe or should I say a normal or a film camera? )
The reason I ask is, whenever I use my digital (nonSLR) I find I tilt my head to see the LCD screen which in turn makes my photos not horizontal. Your first two pictures look slightly rotated clockwise. But good work on the third one.
And I don't think she looks too upset in the first two.

 

[Garbz]

Ok thanks for the remarks.

The model did smile a few times as well, I got there late so I didn't get much of a chance, and because it was mainly luck of timing I only got 3 photos which came out reasonably by my eyes.

No the photos were on a Nikon FE (OLD) film camer. I didn't have much time to line up the shot, I was more worried about getting it in focus before a friend of mine got in my way. Anyway I did make some changes in the order of softfocus on the first 2 (blur and opacy method) and bumped the contrast in the second one, although the film picture has more contrast, my scanner isn't that good :S