I took this picture with

[redtippmann]

Wrong! "Blowouts show unprofessionalism"

This photo is almost perfect. I would select the left edge 3/4 inch or so, feather it about 100 plus and wash it out by increasing brightness. Then it would be perfect photo art. But the highlight by the eye/nose needs to go.

Well that's MHO. Profession photographers (should) have control over their photograph. Yes, you can utilize blowouts to add to an image but here (as others have said) it detracts from the photograph. And again that's MHO.

I would also have to agree with KMH, when saying that there could be a photo here but it would need more than post processing.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I would love to see some examples of somebodies work here.

 

[jonathanmphotography]

yea .. i was just about to write that. somebody please show me an example. I hear alot of different opinions, but have yet to see proof of what someone is talking about. I am not going to learn just by here say. and its funny.. i hear one thing when I post a picture, and then when I do what people say.. and try it out.. I hear the complete opposite.. but please.. someone post something that it should look like.. i want to learn.

 

[jonathanmphotography]

Blowouts show unprofessionalism... It would have been very easy to control here. A simple reflector ($5 white foam core board) and if you shot .raw files you normally get +/- 3 stops of detail that you could bring out during post.

btw.. im not professional.. or claim to be. That is why im in the Beginners section of this forum. Although i do take pictures for people, I am still learning as I go. I have had no formal training on photography. Just trial and error. That is why im on here to find out what I need to do to become better. thank you for your input

 

[sobolik]

That is just your opinion, and your opinion is not the only one that counts.

I think the photo is less than "almost perfect" myself.

That is just your opinion, and your opinion is not the only one that counts. Hmmm don't ya just hate it when people repeat your own words.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

:roll:

 

[gsgary]

Next time keep an eye on your settings, shutter speed is way too slow making the image soft

 

[jonathanmphotography]

Thanks ... but for this instance i was looking for the soft tone on her. Did it come out too soft in your eyes? just wondering. out of the 18 odd posts most of you have found something wrong. so im just getting each angle

 

[jonathanmphotography]

And can somebody.. anybody.. post a picture of what i should be loooking for. lol.. i want to see an example

 

[gsgary]

Thanks ... but for this instance i was looking for the soft tone on her. Did it come out too soft in your eyes? just wondering. out of the 18 odd posts most of you have found something wrong. so im just getting each angle

It's better to get it sharp and soften in post

 

[gsgary]

Here's one with some fill flash, you can use the sun from behind as a hair light

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

To the OP... It looks a bit over expoed to me as well...

Also I feel there is a bit too much empty space on the left (her right).

 

[pgriz]

I think you have the makings of a great image. You have a beautiful subject, and her pose is nice. However… The left side of the image is somewhat blown, and doesn’t help us appreciate the subject. If the goal was to show her in the context of a location, then this too, unfortunately didn’t happen. A portrait orientation would be more appropriate for this shot. The light falling on your subject is primarily from behind your subject, to her right, and a secondary source from her left. Unfortunately the light from in front of her face is limited, resulting in shadows. A reflector or a fill flash would have filled in some of the shadows (not too much however, or you get a flat look). While The shutter speed is a bit low and the depth-of-field is somewhat shallow, these are not the reason why the image is soft. It is clear that you were shooting in the shade and therefore had low light. You were shooting at a focal length of 30mm, and at an approx. distance of 4 feet. At those values, your depth of field is about 5 inches in the front and six inches in the back of the focus point. So had your focus been exactly on her eyes, her face would have been fully in focus – however it is soft, so I’m thinking your focus was actually short. Were you focusing manually, or did you let the camera do the autofocus?

If you were to retake this shot, consider using the flash as fill-in, with a FEC (flash exposure compensation) of -2 to keep it at fill only, or use a reflector to bounce some light to the front of her face. You should try focusing manually, with the primary focus being on her eyes. Change your orientation to portrait, and perhaps align her a bit to left of center of the image (then her head “leans” into the image). The shutter speed of 1/25 is at the lower limit of hand-held without camera shake, so perhaps putting the camera on a tripod will give you more steadiness and composing capability. Oh, and tell her she’s beautiful.

 

[Derrel]

Why oh why would you take this in landscape orientation? I do not get it. The blown out areas kill this for me, and 99% of them could have been avoided by just turning your camera the other way.

My thoughts exactly. Exactly. Had the camera been turned to vertical, you could have included the top of her head, as well as some of her bustline. She's a very attractive young woman,and showing more of her, and less of that blown-out background would have made for a nice photo. The blown out areas are not bad per se--but they are bad because they mean that 65% of the frame is blown out background, and 35% is lovely woman...had the camera been rotated, the composition would have made visual sense. What she's doing with her hair...her summer type top or sundress...the fact that she has a bust...those details are lost, in favor of showing us blown-out grass.

 

[jonathanmphotography]

Thanks for the input.. I will keep this in mind for future shots