First Portait - Need serious critique...

[Peniole]

Hey thanks for all the input. I thought this thread was dead. Yup I'm still learning and appreciate all the points of view. I've gotten better since then (I hope) at portrait photography. I now ask for a specific look and pose (the pose above was all her), going for a more central look, and got a new tripod so I can use a longer zoom for better Bokeh and keep the subject sharp.

 

[xfloggingkylex]

the eyes are the killer for me. If she isn't going to be looking at the camera you might want to try having her at least look straight ahead, following her nose.

The edit looks much nicer and the contrast bump really warmed the image up. :thumbup:

 

[aammoore]

I like it cropped and blurred.

 

[skieur]

Well since I have done them over thirty years, I'm not going to object to it. Other than not bluring the background what did you do differently. The blurred out background is a matter of taste really, not any special technique for beginners or experienced pros.

Gee, I am impressed that you didn't notice. I must have done something right. :thumbup:

skieur

 

[Peniole]

Thanks to all for helping me learn, here's a link to my second attempt...
http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83703