I really need critiques on this one.

[Ramy]

I know the lighting on this picture isn't any good but I tried. Critiques and comments please! I need to improve, and you can help.

 

[LaFoto]

Well, you made use of your on-camera flash as fill flash.
That was a good decision.
You will soon find out, however, that the on-camera flashes are weak, and if you went into pro portrait photography, light would soon become the absolute key element to it (that is what I feel is the case, I am not on my way there myself, but I feel that I still have to learn HEAPS about light myself, too!!!!)

You ought to have waited for that other person to disappear before you pushed the shutter release ... he is quite a bit distracting, particularly since he carries this bright-coloured something.

The location is nice, so was the time of day ... now I don't know if you took this handheld in low light with a weak flash, or if it is from the compression, but it is quite soft. Could it be camera shake?

Despite the flash used, any detail in the man's black clothing has got totally lost ... don't know if the lasso tool and some selective highlighting can still do much, but it could be worth a try. Needs to be done with care, though, as not to give them a halo.

 

[Ramy]

I actually used a hotshoe flash...thanks for the critique though. I need practice.

 

[EOS_JD]

I actually used a hotshoe flash...thanks for the critique though. I need practice.

Most recomment that you use that hotshoe flash - off camera - or on a bracket.

I'm investigating use of a bracket at the moment.

 

[The_Traveler]

Facing into the sun (even a murky one), the flash was just too weak at that distance to provide enough fill light.
The amount of light decreases according to the square of the distance so if you are 10 feet away rather than 5 feet the light is not one half but one quarter.

I think this can be improved some in the post processing.
1) made a dup layer.
2) used shadow/highlight tool at about 60% on the darks
3) cloned out the bather
4) cropped and added border
5) added drop shadow

However next time, don't fight the sun.
Let it come over your shoulder to light the scene.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Everyone agress you needed a lot more light. The fill light is absolutely dead on, but what do you do if you don't have it when you hit that nude beach? Zoom in on the face of your subject and lock the exposure there. Zoom back out to the frame you want and shoot your picture you are then exposed for the shadow not the sunlight. That is good advice on any subject even houses. If you can't zoom enough to exclude the sunlight walk up to them set the exposure on the darkest part then walk back and shoot it.

If you can't preset your exposure and you dont have a strong flash, change you angle so that they are not standing in their own shadow.

By the way the basic composition was very good, so you have a huge part of the key to good photograpy right there.

 

[elsaspet]

Nice job Traveler!

 

[The_Traveler]

Nice job Traveler!

thanks but this was all PS and took all of about 3 minutes, max.

 

[DRodgers]

I agree with the lighting suggestions also,but felt I needed to pp this for you.
using shadow highlight i darkened the background and lightened the subjects a tad to help them come out of the image a bit then lightened the whole image

 

[Ramy]

Thanks a lot guys. That really helped me.