First try at portraits! Not edited but i could use some advice

[LoganSwearingen]

 

[Derrel]

Well, the first two look pretty orange-y. I might try and lighten her up a bit, but still keep that sun-going-down color to the light. In the second shot, I would use the clone brush to clone out the two small spots to the right of her. #3 needs to be lightened. #4 is pretty tilted, She's really a pretty girl. I would try a re-shjoot if possible.

On #2, here is my edit: I changed the tint a bit; I increased the blue saturation and luminosity; I adjusted the "orange", which was her skin color; I added digital fill light.



THis shot above is with the orange lightened up quite a bit. My first effort still had too much orange in the skintones.

 

[tirediron]

In addition to Derrel's excellent points, I'll add that it's very difficult to pull off this sort of shot without some sort of fill light; even your camera's pop-up flash, if used properly (low output, diffused) would have helped dramatically.

Bear in mind that the human eye is naturally drawn to bright objects vice dark, in #s 3 & 4, the viewer is naturally drawn past the subject to the brighter sun and horizon. Generally speaking, the subject's face should be the brightest object in the image.

Also, avoid posing subjects, especially women, with their shoulders square to the camera ("football shoulders", #3).

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John