First self-portrait, C&C please.

[FITBMX]

This is the first time I have taken a self-portrait, and the first portraits I've ever really taken.
I was in the living room, and the only lights were those in the on the ceiling.
Taken on my T3i, with a old 135mm 2.8f lens, on a 10 second timer.

I would love some good C&C and to know which you think is the best of the set, I know I post too many photos, just post C&C on the one.

 

[FITBMX]

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6 I know I messed up the DOF on Harvey (the dog ) he was walking passed and I just picked him up and didn't change the camera.

#7

 

[snowbear]

Out of my comfort zone and experience but overall, I think you did fine.
#1 has a bit of "deer in the headlights" feel,I think.
#2 is comical (not a bad thing) and #5 & #7 are really the same.

I like #3 and #6, DOF aside.

Sorry I really can't make any suggestions.

 

[FITBMX]

Out of my comfort zone and experience but overall, I think you did fine.
#1 has a bit of "deer in the headlights" feel,I think.
#2 is comical (not a bad thing) and #5 & #7 are really the same.

I like #3 and #6, DOF aside.

Sorry I really can't make any suggestions.

I also should have said, I am not good at having my photo taken even by me! LOL

I had a hard time getting a sharp focus, since I was working with the timer.
I knew #5 and #7 are really close, I am trying to find out which one is better.
Thanks for the C&C!

 

[snowbear]

The one time I did this digitally (an assignment) I located the spot to sit in the viewfinder then used the Nikon remote release, which activates the AF. Not sure if there's an equivalent Canon product.

I trashed the photo after the assignment was over.

 

[Donde]

I would have liked a different backdrop with a color more distinct from the colors of your face and hair. That said those are some of the best male portraits, self or non self that I have seen on this site so far. My motive for saying so is that unlike most other such portraits here you look like a "real" person and not some sort of portrait studio invention.

 

[FITBMX]

The one time I did this digitally (an assignment) I located the spot to sit in the viewfinder then used the Nikon remote release, which activates the AF. Not sure if there's an equivalent Canon product.

I trashed the photo after the assignment was over.

The lens I was using doesn't have AF. So I put a piece of tape on the floor, and stoop a tripod in that spot. I then focused my camera on that, move the tripod, pushed the shutter button and ran to the spot on the floor before the 10sec was up. It is a pain in the neck! LOL

 

[FITBMX]

I would have liked a different backdrop with a color more distinct from the colors of your face and hair. That said those are some of the best male portraits, self or non self that I have seen on this site so far. My motive for saying so is that unlike most other such portraits here you look like a "real" person and not some sort of portrait studio invention.

Wow! Big thank you for that!!!

The backdrop is the living room curtains, and is all I have. I am planing on building a back drop setup soon, because you're right, and I don't like it much either.

 

[vfotog]

Out of my comfort zone and experience but overall, I think you did fine.
#1 has a bit of "deer in the headlights" feel,I think.
#2 is comical (not a bad thing) and #5 & #7 are really the same.

I like #3 and #6, DOF aside.

Sorry I really can't make any suggestions.

I also should have said, I am not good at having my photo taken even by me! LOL

I had a hard time getting a sharp focus, since I was working with the timer.
I knew #5 and #7 are really close, I am trying to find out which one is better.
Thanks for the C&C!

#5 and #7 are close but not quite the same. In #7 your face is turned slightly more towards the camera so in #5, your left side is a bit darker, particularly the eye. Your left eye in #5 looks a bit redder, so to me, #7 is more flattering. That's my favorite of all the images.

 

[limr]

Yup, all of that^^^ Well, almost all. #7 is the best one overall of the more "classically" posed portraits. But the one I like best is the one with Harvey. You look so much more natural. Your smile is much more relaxed in that one than in #3, and there's a bit more life to the eyes as well. For me, that's the real job of the portrait - to show the person inside, not just the face.

It's not to say that you have to have a dog in all of your self-portraits but clearly Harvey relaxes you and there's a spark there that isn't in the other portraits. If you're working on more self-portraits, keep Harvey nearby, either physically or mentally. It will relax you, and that makes for a better portrait no matter what else is going on. And I'd say if you are doing portraits of someone else, try to find that thing, whatever it is, that lights up their eyes and makes them more animated and comfortable.

Finally, major kudos to you for putting yourself in front of the camera. I have a reeeeeeaaaaaally hard time with it and still don't have the guts to do it like you did

 

[frommrstomommy]

I'm going to have to agree that #7 is the winner here. #2 is certainly comical and while I think anyone can appreciate a nice smile, #3 is slightly TOO happy/forced feeling.. and either you have the whitest teeth I have ever seen in my life or you need to tone that back a bit and/or get the eyewhites whiter to make it feel more balanced maybe? I don't know. But yes, kudos for even stepping in front of the camera.. I have done a few self portraits and it is always SO AWKWARD. lol

 

[FITBMX]

#5 and #7 are close but not quite the same. In #7 your face is turned slightly more towards the camera so in #5, your left side is a bit darker, particularly the eye. Your left eye in #5 looks a bit redder, so to me, #7 is more flattering. That's my favorite of all the images.

Thanks, #7 does seem like the better.

Yup, all of that^^^ Well, almost all. #7 is the best one overall of the more "classically" posed portraits. But the one I like best is the one with Harvey. You look so much more natural. Your smile is much more relaxed in that one than in #3, and there's a bit more life to the eyes as well. For me, that's the real job of the portrait - to show the person inside, not just the face.

It's not to say that you have to have a dog in all of your self-portraits but clearly Harvey relaxes you and there's a spark there that isn't in the other portraits. If you're working on more self-portraits, keep Harvey nearby, either physically or mentally. It will relax you, and that makes for a better portrait no matter what else is going on. And I'd say if you are doing portraits of someone else, try to find that thing, whatever it is, that lights up their eyes and makes them more animated and comfortable.

Finally, major kudos to you for putting yourself in front of the camera. I have a reeeeeeaaaaaally hard time with it and still don't have the guts to do it like you did

That sounds like a a good idea to me.
I'm not much of "take my picture" person, so I finally said to myself "you're being stupid, just do it" And I did. And I lived!!!!

I'm going to have to agree that #7 is the winner here. #2 is certainly comical and while I think anyone can appreciate a nice smile, #3 is slightly TOO happy/forced feeling.. and either you have the whitest teeth I have ever seen in my life or you need to tone that back a bit and/or get the eyewhites whiter to make it feel more balanced maybe? I don't know. But yes, kudos for even stepping in front of the camera.. I have done a few self portraits and it is always SO AWKWARD. lol

I felt the same way on that one, I knew I forced it to much. I will correct the teeth, the lights made them look really yellow so I whitened them and I over did it.
You are right, it does feel awkward.

 

[FITBMX]

How are the photos other than me being a poor model, the stuff like editing, lighting, DOF, that stuff?

 

[mmaria]

- there's not enough light... noisy photos, but that can be ok if you figure out how to use noise to your advantage
- there are more problems with light also, go try natural light outside
- wb is completely off and it's difficult to fix it because you don't have anything white to place white point on. I tried with the black point and it's better but not that good
- why not to convert the photo in bw? I did that with #7 and it looks fine. It's better then everything else I tried
- your teeth are really nice I envy you, perfectly shaped (not talking about color because even the whitest teeth in this conditions would be yellow - I select teeth, put them in their own layer, desaturate yellow and mask the rest out, that way you get the teeth look more naturally )
- Idk why but I thought you were a skinny small boy with black short hair
- #2 and 7 are my favorites
- it's nice to see you, to put the face behind the words
- we have similar hair quality
- selfportraits are difficult, I'm trying to gather the courage to post a picture of me but still can't do it .. maybe I will do it in a few days...anyway, these are very good for the first try and nice to meet you!

 

[pixmedic]

definitely needed some lighting (or more/better lighting) on these.
I would also bring the red channel down just a hair as well.
1, 3, and 7 work best for me.