Please criticize this portrait

aussiearef · Dec 9, 2012

Hi,

I've been practising portrait photography for a few month now. I think it's good to share one of my recent works and ask you guys to criticize it. Please let me know how can I improve my work.

The second question that I have is that: I always use off-camera flash for outdoor portraits. Wireless trigger does not trigger the flash if shutter speed is higher than 1/200. Sometimes the background is too bright so I need to use a high shutter speed , say 1/400, but then the flash won't go off. Is there any solution for this?

Thanks heaps

Bitter Jeweler · Dec 9, 2012

Neutral Density filter would do the trick to get your shutter speed down.

e.rose · Dec 9, 2012

I think your white balance is a little cool.

As far as your bright background issue is concerned... smaller aperture and higher flash power setting... :sillysmi:

e.rose · Dec 9, 2012

Bitter Jeweler said:
Neutral Density filter would do the trick to get your shutter speed down.

^^^ That too. :lol:

TheKenTurner · Dec 9, 2012

I'm not a big fan of when people cut off the tops of heads like that. Other than that, it looks great

-Ken Turner

Sirashley · Dec 9, 2012

I hope you don't mind, but since it says your photos are okay to edit, I took a quick stab at this one. The top of the head cut off was an issue that really can't be fixed in PP, but I cropped it a little closer, adjusted the light levels, also adjusted the levels and curves. I ran an unsharpen mask, and added a little saturation. I then ran a gradient overlay to brighten up her face and add a very... very slight vignette effect. My edit may be too bright and saturated, as I'm editing on my crappy laptop and the monitor is often times way off, but I think you can see where I was going with it... Overall, other than the top of the head issue, I think it's a pretty good shot, and a very lovely natural pose

Edit

and Original View attachment 28019

texkam · Dec 10, 2012

Cropped heads are a matter of taste. It's done all the time. The quick edit above is on the right track.

TATTRAT · Dec 10, 2012

unless it's my monitor, she looks pale blue. . . perhaps throw some lighting her direction if you are using off camera flash. As for lighting v. shutter speed, that is all controllable within your settings.

Brandon Hill · Dec 10, 2012

Great smile, great hair.

Kill that green, so green. Lasso select that background, change your yellow hues and make it a fall day to match her hair. 100% improved.

Brandon Hill · Dec 10, 2012

Also, keep photographing attractive people like her. That's the secret to fantastic portrait photography that the pros don't talk about.

The_Traveler · Dec 10, 2012

Flash way too bright, removing all the surface texture.
Whites of eyes toooo clean

pgriz · Dec 10, 2012

If you use Canon equipment, there's a mode called HSS (High-speed synch) which changes the way the flash fires in ETTL-II mode. This allows the use of shutter speeds above the normal sync speed. However, you need to be using a flash like the 430EX or the 580EX, or a fully-compatible flash to be able to use this technique - as it relies on the flash and camera working together. I believe Nikon has a similar system with their cameras/flashes. Don't know about the other brands, but I seem to recall that Canon "borrowed" this technique from Olympus.

Edit: This technique relies on the flash and camera working together, so to use it off-camera you'll need a extension cable that carries all the signals from the five pins. I have such a cable, but the maximum reach is about two feet. Bower E-TTL Flash Extension Cord (4.5', 1.4 m) SFCCAN B&H Photo shows a cable that can be extended to 4.5 ft.
Strobist published a hack that extended that even further: The Strobist Corner - Extending Your TTL Flash Cord | DIYPhotography.net. There is a limit to how far the cable can go before the distance starts to interfere with the flash timing due to the time it takes for the signals to travel down the wires, but it appears to be greater than 50 ft. if the strobist article is correct.

Edit 2: you have a beautiful model, and I really like Lew's edit.

Edsport · Dec 10, 2012

10 meter cord for less than $26.00 and free shipping - flash cord in Flashes & Flash Accessories | eBay

Solarflare · Dec 10, 2012

aussiearef said:
Please let me know how can I improve my work.

Well, as already mentioned: sloppy framing, i.e. you cut off parts of the subject that should absolutely be in the frame. This makes it look like a snapshot, not like a carefully taken photograph.

Besides, you actually CAN cut off parts of the head. This is in fact a popular, "modern" style of photographing. But not if you show large parts of the rest of the body. It needs to look intentional, not accidential or sloppy.

aussiearef said:
The second question that I have is that: I always use off-camera flash for outdoor portraits. Wireless trigger does not trigger the flash if shutter speed is higher than 1/200. Sometimes the background is too bright so I need to use a high shutter speed , say 1/400, but then the flash won't go off. Is there any solution for this?

Yes, better cameras with HSS (High Speed Sync).

Or the aforementioned Grayfilters(*), though I find them too clumsy. I too often have the situation that light situations are changing drastically in a short time, so thats just not practicable. Also, thats another item thats so easy to lose. Like lenscaps, lenshoods, remote controls, etc.

(*) Officially called neutral density filters, but thats a mouthful.

aussiearef · Dec 17, 2012

Hi Sirashley
Thanks for the edit and the time you spent on teaching me something new. It proved that I have to improve my PP skills dramatically. Do you know a tutorial through which I can learn those things you applied on my photo? I never get that sharpness in my photos. I am going a 10-day Christmas holiday so if you know an on-line course or something for that time it would be awesome.
Thanks again