Portrait: Amy - C&C Appreciated

helenjune · Jun 6, 2011

One of my first times photographing someone who actually wanted to be in front of the camera! I've been booking shoots with some amateur models on a Time For Print basis, and this was the third model that I worked with, though what she really wants is to be an actress. For the backstory, we were attempting to do photo shoot with a kind of "romantic" feel to it, or what was supposed to be one - I don't think I really got to where I was meaning to go. And anyway, the overall concept ended up being a little too shallow for my liking.

I'm submitting this particular photo because I believe it to be one of the better ones I have taken recently and right now, nothing particularly negative sticks out to me just yet. Edit: Note: It's not intended to portray the "romantic" feeling I was talking about, I consider this one an "outtake".

Critiques of any kind would be appreciated.

Robin Usagani · Jun 6, 2011

she looks soft on my screen.

mwcfarms · Jun 6, 2011

Love the set up, love the lighting, beautiful girl but her expression kills the potential for me. If she could have just been a bit less extreme in it. I can't describe it better than that.

helenjune · Jun 6, 2011

Schwettylens, you see it too? I thought she looked a bit soft to me as well, and then I asked my friend who does photography as well and is fanatic about things being sharp, sharp, sharp - and he was reassuring me that this was a sharp picture.

But I did think she looks soft in the face and body. So maybe it's not just me. Thanks!

helenjune · Jun 6, 2011

Love the set up, love the lighting, beautiful girl but her expression kills the potential for me. If she could have just been a bit less extreme in it. I can't describe it better than that.

Hahaha, I think I understand your feeling. I think I chose this one over one of her less extreme ones because

a) It was one of the better framed ones to my eye.
b) It had the most energy out of all the pictures I took, which I think makes it a tad more interesting. Not that I consider this a particularly interesting picture, I just don't think it's bad.

Which means that

c) All of the other pictures were boring to me

But I certainly understand if it comes off to someone else as a bit extreme in mood.

Thanks for your input.

Bitter Jeweler · Jun 6, 2011

I love the framing of her by the background.
It looks soft to me as well.
I love the expression, but it doesn't come off as romantic, more giddy.
My biggest problem is that she is too low in the frame. her head is just about centered. She needs to be up higher in the same frame, and it might be nice to see some leg.
She seems like she is dropping out of the scene, and is leaning towards being insignificant.

Big Mike · Jun 6, 2011

I agree with Mr Jeweler. While I love the natural framing, she is such a small part of the overall image that she is in danger of becoming insignificant.

Robin Usagani · Jun 6, 2011

Bitter Jeweler said:
I love the framing of her by the background.
It looks soft to me as well.
I love the expression, but it doesn't come off as romantic, more giddy.
My biggest problem is that she is too low in the frame. her head is just about centered. She needs to be up higher in the same frame, and it might be nice to see some leg.
She seems like she is dropping out of the scene, and is leaning towards being insignificant.

What you are describing sir is the middle focus point syndrome. I get this disease a lot.

Bitter Jeweler · Jun 6, 2011

Dude! Shake it off!

helenjune · Jun 6, 2011

It looks soft to me as well.

Okay, that's 3 against one. I officially accept that this a soft picture.

I love the expression, but it doesn't come off as romantic, more giddy.

Yeah, the backstory I expressed does not relate to this picture, I just wanted to share the backstory. I consider this one to be an "outtake"

My biggest problem is that she is too low in the frame. her head is just about centered. She needs to be up higher in the same frame, and it might be nice to see some leg.
She seems like she is dropping out of the scene, and is leaning towards being insignificant.

I agree with Mr Jeweler. While I love the natural framing, she is such a small part of the overall image that she is in danger of becoming insignificant.

I really appreciate you pointing this out, that's very helpful because something (multiple somethings, even) about it has been niggling at me but I couldn't consciously put my finger on it. Thank you very much, Bitter and Big Mike.

Derrel · Jun 6, 2011

A few things. Her hair on top is blown out. In the lower right hand corner, there is some weird highlight bokeh that looks like light entering through slats in a fence, or being diffracted by chicken wire or something man-made, like lattice with a diagonal pattern. NOrmally, not an issue, especially seen small at 800x pixels, but the diagonal nature of it, and it being light against dark, makes the background control in the lower right hand corner not up to snuff. I LOVE the way the sun is included at the top of the frame...but she's so,so far down in it, and her hands form a rather strong focal point (because she is looking away from us) that really "pulls her down" in the frame...she seems to be dropping right out of the frame. Her expression seems a bit goofy--giddy--giggly--girlish...hard to describe her expression, but the really,really strong eye cut just does not work. ALso, her body is very square to the camera,so she has squared-up shoulders, and appears to have zero bustline. She has beautiful, chestnut-colored hair, great teeth, and good features, but the pose with her squared up to the camera just is not feminine, nor romantic. The problem with this photo is that there is a lot of "pull" between the sunburst at the top edge, and her hands so close to the bottom edge. Objects placed near the edge of the frame can cause a lot of tension, and this photo has "pull" or "tension" at the top, and the bottom. That big gap above her head just isn't working.

helenjune · Jun 6, 2011

Derrel,

A lot of things to pour over and think about, I'm quite thrilled by your comprehensive critique! I've never been part of a photo forum before and the last proper critique I received was in high school. This all feels oddly exciting and energising to read. ^.^

All of the things you point out make sense to me, especially the part about there being a lot of "pull" between the top and bottom and how she's being dragged down in the picture because of her pose.Mmm, I'm going to sit here and make more room for this information to be absorbed by my brain.

About the hair being blown out - I haven't really seen this as an issue and I put her in that particular place because the sun was giving the rim light to the back of her head and providing some separation from the background. But the amount of the blown out bit at the top of her head - I do now see that there is just a little bit too much of it.

I think I'm also starting to realise that the greens in the background and overall contrast of the background, appear to me to be far too bright and extreme, the greens are pretty much fluorescent. That's entirely from my photoshopping of the image, the RAW file is much better in terms of the contrast in the background and the green-ness. Weird that I didn't register that before, but it's entirely apparent to me now.

ALSO, I think I figured out why it is soft. I don't think it's the focus of the lens, I think the f-stop was too high at 1.6 - I wasn't paying enough attention. I definitely should have brought that down considering how far away I am from her.

iRay808 · Jun 6, 2011

I love her expression...makes me feel a little happier when i look at this picture. Exposure is on key and the bokeh gives it a nice touch. She does look a little bit soft, but in my opinion i think it makes it a little more sensual especially if you're trying to convey the feeling of "romance". Overall, its a GREAT portrait for me

gsgary · Jun 6, 2011

Shooting at F1.6 you have to be spot on, i would have used F4 and still had a blurred background

helenjune · Jun 6, 2011

I love her expression...makes me feel a little happier when i look at this picture.

Yes, her expression and also the light are why I consider it to be one of the better ones I have taken. I used the think the composition was okay, and I'm in love with sunbursts so that's why I just had to include it in the picture, but now that I know the exact things that are bringing it down in this area, I don't think I should have.

Thanks for your input iRay808