Low light hand shots, C&C please.

[Raincheck]

Hi,

Maybe it's only me because it's my GF that likes these photo's, that's why I ask for some C&C



Thanks in avance,
Rain

 

[Heather Koch]

The second one is the better out of the two, I think the first one would be ten times better and more inspiring if you got closer to the eyes and made the focus on the tear drop. Maybe some black&white, that'd be cool.

 

[Designer]

Oh, gee, you're not making it easy.

#1; horizontal frame and vertical subject. needs better/different light. I don't get the "tear". Questionable pose on a a pillow. Hair not optimum.

#2; better frame and light, but shoulder and foreground arm are not helping. Also entire composition seems off balance with background light and hair askew.

 

[weepete]

The hair in the second doesn't bother me, actually it makes it a bit more real and believe able to me, no one has great hair in bed but the first looks a bit weird. The tears are fine imo, adds a bit of emotion and a question. The depth of field seems too shallow in the first, both look like they could handle a bit more noise reduction. Portrait orientation in the first seems a strange choice, adding nothing to the image.

The light in the second image bugs me but other than that they are nice images

 

[KmH]

I think the first photo would be a way stronger if her nose and lips had been in focus by having a bit deeper DoF.
I also think #1 needs a bit more exposure or some local dodging.

I added +0.5 EV of exposure (global) using ACR's Basic panel and that panels Exposure slider.
I selected her eye whites (sclera) and using a hue Saturation adjustment layer I de-saturated the sclera by moving the Saturation slider all the way to the left and moved the Lightness slider to the right +5.
I cloned out the catchlights on the camera right side of her iris'.