Kara in a field

[just x joey]

Took this in 08, just processed it now. Looking for constructive criticism. Thanks! :hugs:

 

[robertwsimpson]

crop feels slightly awkward, and the eyes are too dark. great color and clarity though.

 

[PhotoXopher]

Shadow seems pretty harsh over her face and upper chest, other than that I like it.

 

[robertwsimpson]

Shadow seems pretty harsh over her face and upper chest, other than that I like it.

agreed. The spot where the sun is hitting her chin looks very strange.

 

[Derrel]

I really think this photo would have look much better and more complete if the camera had been oriented in the "tall" or "portrait" orientation, so that her other hand and her waist could have been included. The contrast of the shot is also too high, with the whites burning out: I think the shot needs some Minus Exposure compensation in the raw converter, and then a very careful bit of Highlight Recovery, and a very careful adjustment of the Tone Curve.

This type of sweet, angled sidelighting is difficult to show the beauty of without a little bit of reflector or flash fill-in....it's lovely light, but challenging exposure-wise in its natural form, without any fill to lower the contrast ratio.

 

[just x joey]

How is this edit?

 

[PhotoXopher]

Better, but the same.

 

[Jacki]

The distracting light on her chin is still there, but it is still a great improvement. How did you get the shadow off of her face, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[PhotoXopher]

It's still there, it's just lighter.

 

[just x joey]

The distracting light on her chin is still there, but it is still a great improvement. How did you get the shadow off of her face, if you don't mind me asking?

I used photo shop and different layers, and I changed the exposure on the different layers. Then i erased most of the different layers, so I basically had separate control control of the exposure of the separate layers of different separate sections of the face.

 

[jackieclayton]

It's not a bad pic...pretty girl, pretty setting... the lighting is just too harsh... a couple of reflectors to bounce the light and also to fill the shadows would have done you well. I had the same problem before in several shots... the warm sunset gives a very nice tone so its ideal to shoot this time of day, but its also very bright and direct. next time try using some light modifiers.

Also (and this is just way too picky on details but its driving me nuts...) have her take off that pony tail holder on her wrist... its distracting because it looks cheap... makes a portrait look like a snapshot. try a nice bracelet or watch if she wants to have an accessory on her arm.

This may just be me, but what lens did you use? The bokeh in the trees in the background is distracting... its not smooth and creamy like the grass... its disrupting on the flow of the DOF...

 

[robertwsimpson]

it looks like the bokeh could be a victim of sharpening. Nothing a little blur tool wouldn't fix.

 

[jackieclayton]

good idea, thanks for sharing the tip

 

[just x joey]

it looks like the bokeh could be a victim of sharpening. Nothing a little blur tool wouldn't fix.

I didn't sharpen it at all...

I was using a d80 with 50mm 1.8, probably at f/1.8.

 

[robertwsimpson]

oh ok my mistake. it's just crappy bokeh.