High Key Self Portrait

[PixelRabbit]

Ok deeeeep breath, I've been meaning to do a new self portrait for a while now partly as people practice and partly because I only have a couple "good" pictures of me. I wavered back and forth on sharing this here, self conscious and all that but I'm doing it.

I chose high key to minimize some of the effects of....aging... gracefully (hence the grey hairsssss). One thing it didn't eliminate and that I wanted so badly to "fix" in post but resisted is the bit of a double chin I earned losing 40lbs a few years back. It is a double edged sword, I am proud of my accomplishment and that is a "mark" that I wear because of it but ... I wonder perhaps a reflector down low would have taken that shadow out?

Looking forward to your thoughts (I think lol... no I am... really...)
Thanks for taking a look!

 

[dxqcanada1]

Hmm, I don't like it.
It looks more washed out than high key ... you still need darks/shadows
... you could also angle/position your head to reduce the double chin ... and it may be better to connect to the viewer by looking at them (instead of away).

Oh, and I will have to say that I don't do portraits ... so my opinion is just as an observer.

 

[Gavjenks]

I'm confused. This is a human being.

 

[jenko]

Love your haircut! I have been wanting layers lately. I go to the hairdresser on Wed

That angle is not very flattering for almost anyone. I might try a very slight downward angle. Not "facebook profile pic" down, lol, more subtle than that, but just enough to make your eyes stand out more.

 

[Gavjenks]

Okay anyway, this is way too low contrast. It just looks faded.
Kinda hard to work without the original (I don't have enough data on the white side to do what I want), but an edit attempt:


1) Raised the black point to black
2) Higher contrast, on the dark side (darker darks but same lights to avoid blowout since you already had them so close)
3) High pass filter on your hair and eyes but not your remaining face
4) Extra contrast on your eyes.
5) A very slight anti-vignette (whiter halo moving out from face)
6) Added faux-fill light to your neck, with maintained shadow but thinner. Which would look better if it were an actual light (you mentioned this re: reflector. I agree with your assessment). If you're self conscious about your chin and such, then you don't have to edit it if you feel dishonest or whatever (I'm all for that), but definitely choose the best lighting at least for what you want. Which in this case is more light.


You are very pretty! I think your best feature is your eyes, which is convenient because that's what everybody expects you to accentuate in portraits anyway. So it would be really easy for you to make those peepers pop with some very shallow DOF and jacked up contrast and appropriate lighting, and I suggest doing so in a future attempt.

 

[JacaRanda]

I think you are gorgeous so stop it . I like what Gav has done and even though it's high key, would still like camera right side of face not so much high key.

 

[Derrel]

That **is** a great hairstyle you have!

On to the image: I think it would look better processed and shown with a fuller range of tones. What I would do with an image like this is to process it with its full,maximum tonal range, from black to whitest whites, then in Photoshop I would create a duplicate layer, and on that layer apply a Gaussian blur anywhere from 45 to 75 pixels, then do a Screen blending mode tweak, then adjusts the opactiy of the blur layer using the curves tool; the end result would be a high-key effect, but it would have a little bit more density in the blacks, yet not look too dark, nor too washed out.

 

[PixelRabbit]

THANK YOU ALL! Great feedback and thank you for your kind words :hugs:

Thank you for the edit Gav, I think it touches on what most were saying with more contrast, it's in the raw, this was all me and my processing, I have a TON to learn.
I like where you took it Gav, you are all spot on! I will definitely carry the posing suggestions forward, I'm honestly just stabbing in the dark here.

As for my haircut, thanks! I cut it myself

As for an "eyes" shot, I did do one and want to play more with the idea...

 

[JacaRanda]

You remind me of someone famous and it's driving me crazy because I can not think of her name. I want to say a sportscaster or maybe even a soap opera star. Yes I used to watch MY SOAPS

 

[robbins.photo]

You remind me of someone famous and it's driving me crazy because I can not think of her name. I want to say a sportscaster or maybe even a soap opera star. Yes I used to watch MY SOAPS

Well it put me in mind of a much younger and pretty kathy bates but as usual it could just be me.

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[dxqcanada1]

Naw, not Kathy Bates ... Pixel's not holding a sledge hammer.

 

[Derrel]

No, I get the younger Kathy Bates, yes, in a way, sort of-- but I still think PixelRabbit looks more like Stockard Channing looked in the 1990's.

Stockard Channing + 1990's photos - Google Search

 

[Rosy]

THANK YOU ALL! Great feedback and thank you for your kind words :hugs:

Thank you for the edit Gav, I think it touches on what most were saying with more contrast, it's in the raw, this was all me and my processing, I have a TON to learn.
I like where you took it Gav, you are all spot on! I will definitely carry the posing suggestions forward, I'm honestly just stabbing in the dark here.

As for my haircut, thanks! I cut it myself

As for an "eyes" shot, I did do one and want to play more with the idea...

OK - gimmee your address, you are cutting MEEE hair!!

I love this one - I would like to see it with more contrast, especially around the eyes

 

[Rosy]

You remind me of someone famous and it's driving me crazy because I can not think of her name. I want to say a sportscaster or maybe even a soap opera star. Yes I used to watch MY SOAPS

are you thinking of someone from General Hospital?? - use to speak with a British accent?

 

[JacaRanda]

You remind me of someone famous and it's driving me crazy because I can not think of her name. I want to say a sportscaster or maybe even a soap opera star. Yes I used to watch MY SOAPS

are you thinking of someone from General Hospital?? - use to speak with a British accent?

That could be.


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