One for CC

[eilla05]

Since I posted a few questions on the other thread I thought I would post one for CC. I am still no where near where I want to be but I am getting there!!

I have no idea if that is too small or not...lol

 

[laynea24]

What look were you going for? His eyes kind of scare me. I think it's because they're overcooked. But with the red, scary works well if that was your intention.

 

[Designer]

Yes, even full size it could still be a little bigger.

Your use of color is jarring. Usually, when we see pink or shades of red we think of the female, not the male. Also, high key is probably not the best light for men, either. Furthermore, this shot should be oriented vertically, since there is no particular reason to hold the camera in landscape position. Now that I look more, I think the pose is wrong too.

The best way to fix this shot is to substitute a woman in the picture, and take a different shot entirely of this man. Better pose, low key, portrait format, and definitely a different color.

 

[eilla05]

What look were you going for? His eyes kind of scare me. I think it's because they're overcooked. But with the red, scary works well if that was your intention.

Eeekkkk no that was not it at all and I didn't do anything to his eyes in PP. Just applied an action adjusted curves, and a little skin smoothing and that was it. His eyes are light light in color and white right around his pupil.

 

[eilla05]

Yes, even full size it could still be a little bigger.

Your use of color is jarring. Usually, when we see pink or shades of red we think of the female, not the male. Also, high key is probably not the best light for men, either. Furthermore, this shot should be oriented vertically, since there is no particular reason to hold the camera in landscape position. Now that I look more, I think the pose is wrong too.

The best way to fix this shot is to substitute a woman in the picture, and take a different shot entirely of this man. Better pose, low key, portrait format, and definitely a different color.

He choose the location and that is a red barn behind him (he is a country boy). I personally don't say oh you can't use red in your picture because it might be to female if the client chooses that. I will adjust it down a bit and I like the positioning actually. I am not cookie cutter and not afraid to fill the frame but thanks for the feedback I will play the color!

 

[manaheim]

Yes, even full size it could still be a little bigger.

Your use of color is jarring. Usually, when we see pink or shades of red we think of the female, not the male. Also, high key is probably not the best light for men, either. Furthermore, this shot should be oriented vertically, since there is no particular reason to hold the camera in landscape position. Now that I look more, I think the pose is wrong too.

The best way to fix this shot is to substitute a woman in the picture, and take a different shot entirely of this man. Better pose, low key, portrait format, and definitely a different color.

I'm not a portrait photographer, but I don't agree.

Yeah, it is a little unnerving, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing if that's what you wanted. It's an interesting shot.

I also think the landscape orientation is fine.

 

[laynea24]

Looking at it again, I know what's bothering me about his eyes. The whites look kinda pink or red. Maybe try fixing the color balance? Maybe it's just my phone. I'll get up and look on my computer.

 

[laynea24]

Color balance and levels adjustment. It doesn't scare me this way!

 

[eilla05]

View attachment 17117 Color balance and levels adjustment. It doesn't scare me this way!

Okay before you did that I didn't see the pinky tinge...lol now I do!! I will fix that and thanks for helping me see that! I think my eyeballs need sleep...

 

[Derrel]

The contrast seems a bit over the top...the bridge of his nose and his T-shirts are the absolutely BRIGHTEST things in the entire shot, and that's "stealing from him" as the old saying goes. His gaze is direct, confrontational, frank, open, jarring--whatever...yeah, we get that. BUT that black hole under his hat brim, and then the nearly blown-out whites make the image look kind of cheezy, kind of "artificially juiced". There is too high a degree of contrast...the black, detail-less forehead looks bad. I'm sure if I opened that up in PS< that the variations command would show the shadows are too dark, and the saturation is also too high. I think dialing the sliders back from MAX in three separate areas would make this shot sing!

Your degree of contrast is so high that, especially in the second version, it looks like he is wearing eyeliner...there is a SOLID BLACK line around each eye...this kind of thing can happen when a guy sits at the computer and works on an image too long...the image starts to look "okay" even if it's adjusted pretty over-the-top.

 

[Jaemie]

I think with that 35mm prime you should have stepped back to avoid much of the distortion in this photo, unless that was your intention. Oh, and I'd lose the vignette. I just don't like artificial vignettes - 95% of the time they only detract.

The expression is somewhat unsettling, but I rather like that aspect of this image. Nice.

 

[eilla05]

The contrast seems a bit over the top...the bridge of his nose and his T-shirts are the absolutely BRIGHTEST things in the entire shot, and that's "stealing from him" as the old saying goes. His gaze is direct, confrontational, frank, open, jarring--whatever...yeah, we get that. BUT that black hole under his hat brim, and then the nearly blown-out whites make the image look kind of cheezy, kind of "artificially juiced". There is too high a degree of contrast...the black, detail-less forehead looks bad. I'm sure if I opened that up in PS< that the variations command would show the shadows are too dark, and the saturation is also too high. I think dialing the sliders back from MAX in three separate areas would make this shot sing!

Your degree of contrast is so high that, especially in the second version, it looks like he is wearing eyeliner...there is a SOLID BLACK line around each eye...this kind of thing can happen when a guy sits at the computer and works on an image too long...the image starts to look "okay" even if it's adjusted pretty over-the-top.

Thanks for those tips! Fresh go at it in the morning . It was an action that I used and that second shot wasn't done by me (with black line around eye) it was an edit by someone else on here . I asked him to remove his hat but he said he wore it everyday and would prefer to wear it to feel more like himself. Any tips on how to avoid the blackness when guys are wearing hats?

 

[eilla05]

I think with that 35mm prime you should have stepped back to avoid much of the distortion in this photo, unless that was your intention. Oh, and I'd lose the vignette. I just don't like artificial vignettes - 95% of the time they only detract.

The expression is somewhat unsettling, but I rather like that aspect of this image. Nice.

. That was his expression all day..never smiled said he didn't want to/wasn't him and every time he did smile/laugh he would turn his head!!! I tried to catch him talking with him etc he was hard. Thanks for the feedback. I am thinking I should scrap the PS action in the morning and go at it again when I don't have tired eyes...lol

 

[Jaemie]

That was his expression all day..never smiled said he didn't want to/wasn't him and every time he did smile/laugh he would turn his head!!!

Scary. :neutral:

 

[jowensphoto]

I think with that 35mm prime you should have stepped back to avoid much of the distortion in this photo, unless that was your intention. Oh, and I'd lose the vignette. I just don't like artificial vignettes - 95% of the time they only detract.

The expression is somewhat unsettling, but I rather like that aspect of this image. Nice.

. That was his expression all day..never smiled said he didn't want to/wasn't him and every time he did smile/laugh he would turn his head!!! I tried to catch him talking with him etc he was hard. Thanks for the feedback. I am thinking I should scrap the PS action in the morning and go at it again when I don't have tired eyes...lol

So get the side laugh/smile shots. Those make for great candids!