please critique

sean300 · Oct 17, 2006

Please let me know what you think of these. Thanks

Original:

Version 2:

Version 3:

Big Mike · Oct 17, 2006

#1 is good.

#2 is OK...but the flowers are stealing attention away from the girl.

#3 is way too much.

rmh159 · Oct 17, 2006

Big Mike said:
#1 is good.

#2 is OK...but the flowers are stealing attention away from the girl.

#3 is way too much.

I agree with Mike. 1 is good... but in 2 and 3 the color pulls your attention and redefines the subject of the shot. If you really like the color / B&W affect my suggestion would be to do it with the girl and keep her in color with the flower... or something along those lines. I wouldn't abandon her though in the affect.

mysteryscribe · Oct 17, 2006

I'm gonna agree with the others but add this. I used to have this same criticism of my son in law so it's not unique to you. You model does not appear natural way to stiff and posed.

That is my only critique of #1

Point-N-Shoot · Oct 18, 2006

The color and composition of picture #1 is lovely...however, I must agree with mysteryscribe, your model's pose looks forced. Her right arm looks awkward in that position...perhaps both hands on the flower or her right hand on the front of her right thigh(?)...and I definitely would have had her close her eyes.

As far as the other two, I'm not a big fan of spot color. If I were, I would have only colored the petals and left the stem gray.

Number three is a bit over-saturated...the red in her dress is blooming (at least on my monitor, which is a color calibrated CRT).

Over all its a very nice picture, the model is adorable!!

sean300 · Oct 18, 2006

thanks for the great advices.. i think version 3 is over saturated too, especially on my computer at work. at home it looks fine. i think i may need to get a color correction thing for my LCDs. any suggestions on which to get?

as for the model, she was very tough to work with. kids seem to be very hard to pose, most times i just let them run around and do whatever they want and i take candid shots.

mysteryscribe · Oct 18, 2006

Try this on the model thing.

Stand her where you want her, then say, "Now honey bend over and smell the flower...." then just take what she gives you. Models usually (not always) do a thing naturally, it's when we tell them how to do it that we get in trouble.

The exception was my daughter. She never knew how to smile that didn't look cheezy.

mitake · Oct 18, 2006

I think if you make a completely b/w version and put them in a row: b/w, #2, #3, you'll get a cool pop-art composition...

sean300 · Oct 18, 2006

i tried what you said mitake.. if you are wondering what the H means, it's my logo. H is the initial of my name (Hien). would something else go better there?

original uploaded version at http://images19.fotki.com/v26/filedD4y/370d0/6/61902/3977863/amia.jpg

mitake · Oct 18, 2006

Don't know... I thought of Andy Warhol's [FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Marilyn Monroe picture... I would remove borders and extra space and logo. IMHO.
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JenniferLynn84 · Oct 19, 2006

Agreed, the logo is so big, you don't see the pictures anymore.

Adorable model, but I agree, very stiff. It's like I can see it in her eyes, she's trying to see what you're doing in her peripheral vision. I've taken portraits of kids for two years, so I know as much as anyone that sometimes you get what you get, and it's sometimes not as relaxed as you'd like.

I personally love color accents, but it should be pale and blended, not overpowering. Keep practicing with it!

Efergoh · Oct 19, 2006

I still think the 3rd one is overdone. If you want more color or color on the girl, why not just color the ribbon in her hair to match the rose?

sean300 · Oct 19, 2006

JenniferLynn84 said:
Agreed, the logo is so big, you don't see the pictures anymore.

Adorable model, but I agree, very stiff. It's like I can see it in her eyes, she's trying to see what you're doing in her peripheral vision. I've taken portraits of kids for two years, so I know as much as anyone that sometimes you get what you get, and it's sometimes not as relaxed as you'd like. I personally love color accents, but it should be pale and blended, not overpowering. Keep practicing with it!

i agree with making it more pale, last night when i was working on it, i noticed that but im not sure why at the time i didnt keep it pale instead of making it so bright.. i will have to give it another try today. the girl does seem very unnatural but for some reason i just like this picture.

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