First Person Session - A few for C&C - thanks so much !!!

doubleoh7 · Jun 17, 2011

Please c&c as I am trying to get better at these. Thanks

1.

2.

3.

Rebekah5280 · Jun 17, 2011

IMO -

#2 - OK, except I would left a little bit more room behind the gentleman

#3 - The picture is cut in half by the horizon line, and the guys neck is being decapitated from that same horizon line. I would change that, perhaps a different angle? Personal preference maybe? I'd crop so the sky is in the top 1/3 of the photo (cut the sky in half). But that just me.

I don't offer advice on anything other than composition and/or posing because I'm still trying to get everything else right too!!

Buckster · Jun 17, 2011

My suggestions: Work on DOF, concentrating it on your model and throwing the BG OOF to better isolate the subject.

Be sure your focus is on the subject. It appears to be off in #1 especially.

Get more control over your light with strobes and/or reflectors. Slightly underexpose to darken the background relative to your subject, and then use the lights and/or reflectors to bring the subject back up to proper exposure. When your subject is the brightest part of the composition, the eyes are naturally drawn to it.

Be sure to get the subject's eyes lit, as they are the window into the personality. They allow the viewer to 'connect' with the subject. The 'raccoon eyes' in #1 aren't flattering to the subject. A simple reflector can work wonders here. White foam board can be had for next to nothing at Walmart, and works well on a budget.

Straighten horizons, and be conscious that you don't let them slice through your subject at critical body parts. Try to put the horizons at the upper or lower 'thirds' line of the composition.

doubleoh7 · Jun 17, 2011

Thank you both for the time it took to send such informative feedback. Rebekah - is there a reason you didn't comment on photo 1 ? Buckster, how would you position the white foam board to use it correctly? Thanks -

Buckster · Jun 17, 2011

doubleoh7 said:
Thank you both for the time it took to send such informative feedback. Rebekah - is there a reason you didn't comment on photo 1 ? Buckster, how would you position the white foam board to use it correctly? Thanks -

You're very welcome. While light source is a consideration to figure out how best to position a reflector of any kind, I'd say that for #1, it would be positioned in front of his feet, just out of frame, tilted to reflect up into his eye sockets. For #'s 2 and 3, to his left, again just out of frame.

Rebekah5280 · Jun 17, 2011

I couldn't put my finger on #1.

I think I like my subjects on the left hand side of a photo or in the middle. But that just may be me, so I decided not to comment on it.

Guy is really cute though... single?

StuckInParadise · Jun 17, 2011

I agree with the above posts. I spent most of the time looking at the super bright, in focus background of #1, and not at the subject with the dark eyes and cocky pose.

What kind of water feature is that? oh, its man-made. thats why the rocks look weird. wonder if the photo was taken at a golf course or hotel or something...

#2 and #3 have a much better, more natural feel to them (making him way more attractive :sexywink:

). $9 white foam poster board will do the trick for the reflector you need.

doubleoh7 · Jun 18, 2011

Rebekah5280 said:
I couldn't put my finger on #1.I think I like my subjects on the left hand side of a photo or in the middle. But that just may be me, so I decided not to comment on it. Guy is really cute though... single?

He is single just broke up with his ex girlfriend last week