My Self Portrait - Please Critique!

AverageJoe · Aug 3, 2008

Shot with:
40D, 50mm 1.4 EF

Shot specs from camera:
Mode: Aperature Priority
Shutter: 1/100 sec.
Aperature: 1.8F
ISO: Locked at 400
Metering: Pattern with center weight
No exposure compensation
10 second self timer

Post Processing:
Lots of play with the levels as the original is dark. Surface blur over most of my skin on a new level and then dropped that level's fill to 50% to find a happy medium. No cropping, this is the full image.

Process:
Hardest part of this was finding the correct focus, and I'm not 100% sure I nailed it. I took an older tripod, placed it where I guessed my head would be, focused then switched my lens to manual focus, replaced the tripod with myself and pressed the button.

Questions for you:
How does this look technically?
What settings would you have switched to produce a better image?
What would you do differently with post processing?
Any ideas on how to set the focus other than my method?
Do you like it from an asthetic point?
Black and white?
Should I Not have looked into the lens?
Is the arms crossed too dramatic?
Should I have ironed my shirt? Teasing...

Let me know if I should post the original from the card, unaltered.

PS: that would be my bathroom I'm standing in.

motorshooter · Aug 3, 2008

You have to look at a SP as if you were going to publish it to draw in business for yourself.

That image is just not it. The door frame, the hinge, the bar through the back of your head and the door knob in your side are all distractions. The focus is off a bit on your face.

Lighting is good, but you need a simple background.

kundalini · Aug 3, 2008

The first two thoughts that came to me were that you have a silver bar impaling your head. Secondly, the straight on to camera pose does not benefit you. Okay, tertiary, leaning against a toilet door with arms folded doesn't seem a natural position. (I want to get the hell outta there myself.)

As motoshooter mentioned, the focus point seems to be on your right forearm, rather than your eyes. Aperture at f/1.8 is very difficult to hit with portraits, especially with a SP. Stop down a bit to increase your odds..... maybe f/4.