Portrait/Fashion: Jade - Self-Critique (C&C appreciated)

[amandalee]

I'm gonna do something crazy and disagree with traveler... I think that the first one is great... I like the lighter version much better The other two just don't seem sturdy lol but GREAT JOB!

 

[Rebekah5280]

It took me a long time to decide, but I think I like Travelers picture better. I like the more natural looking skin tone, and the eyes look more alive, although, its still missing that "spark", but I don't think you can add something like that PP.

 

[ghache]

you totally scrwed it up.

Wow, once I read your incisive analysis, I just had to agree.
It was the depth of thought, the great examples and, of course, your winning way of expressing yourself just convinced me to throw up my hands, get out of photography and go back to being a meat packer, my original occupation.

Oh, and your spelling too - impressive
Perhaps you are not familiar with the word.

 

[jritz]

I'm going to have to agree with Ghache, your edit takes away from the model. Her skin looks way less soft in your edit, and you still didn't lighten up the eyes which is the biggest problem with the original. If you don't want to take the criticism or dislike of your work, feel free not to post it and just hang out in your room and believe you are the best ever in the world. I'm not hating on you, I just think you need to take peoples jokes or criticisms with a grain of salt.

 

[molested_cow]

I appreciate the softness of the first one. I think the model's expression is fine, she looked natural in the shot. The composition is great though, nothing to pick on. I think the eyes need a bit of sharpening and brightness adjustment. I am not sure how much you can bump it up without looking over done. Perhaps you needed strobe to help lighten things up a little.

The second shot can have great potential if you slow the shutter speed and capture the motion. I think it will be a neat one.

Third shot doesn't do it for me.

I think you may start to get a little too technical on yourself. Yes it is great to be aware of your own mistakes for future improvement, but don't take the fun out of your experience either.

 

[Kerbouchard]

I think the photography is fine. Would have made for some great images if the model wasn't hung over.

 

[helenjune]

I would say that #2 the background is a little busy and does nothing to really "enhance" your model (ie no lines or shapes to push the eye towards your model). I'm not sure about the tilt on the windows in #3, if you corrected would it give her too much forward lean? That's all I got.

That's a good point about the background. Once I read your comment, I can see what you mean, it does look a bit busy - the word that comes to mind is "clumsy". I think I have a huge problem with combining background elements to enhance a shot, it's like I need to read a book about design basics or something.


I'm not sure about the tilt in the windows either, but I don't think it bothers me so much because to my eyes, it isn't immediately apparent. One thing I can say I don't like about the windows is simply that they're where they are at all.

The models eyes are so dark, especially in #2 and #3, but even in #1, they still seem too dark, no spark.

I agree, I do think they're pretty dark - I actually tried to make them less dark in #1. They don't bother me so much as her expressions and the general lack of mood or feeling in the pictures. It's like The_Traveler says, they're contrived. I think all of them are - and I agree that there is no spark to her eyes, no life.

Being a bit lost as you said is probably what your problem was. It is a good idea to go in with a plan, have something visual in your head about how you want things to look. You seem to know what you DON'T want it to look like.

Yes, being lost is always my problem in photos. If I'm not lost, I'm being too cheesy and forced with ideas, and it feels that way too while I'm shooting. Going in with an actual idea in mind would be good as well, I feel I'm just a robot taking pictures at the moment.

The way she's posed in 2 and 3 looks odd to me. Definitely like she doesn't know what to do. I would look up poses and have them memorized so you can direct more.

Yes, I'm unsure about my place as a photographer and where I should be directing a model, and to what extent. I think it's a big thing for the model to know what you're after, but usually don't know what I'm after and have just been asking them to experiment with their own looks and such. It's like I want to do this style of photography, planned out and orchestrated, kind of fashiony, but I have no idea what I'm even saying, what I want or if it is exactly the right avenue for me- seeing as I have a problem with being superficial and a lot of fashion photography is about superficiality and being marketable.


But I don't feel like that's what fashion should be, and the ideas/thoughts in my head are difficult to access in terms of this. I keep drawing mental blanks but I know they're there somewhere.

If you're new to photography, you're doing great.

And what if I'm not that new? I've actually been trying to do photography since I was 16, but have been with it very on and off - as in I would try it for a few months, and then put down the camera and not pick it up for a year. All in all I've been doing it more consistently since I was 21, but still have quite large gaps in between taking photos.


I stopped taking photos at the end of last year for instance, and then started again near the start of last month.

Like mentionned, pay attention to makeup and the eyes, when shooting natural light without any reflectors or fill light , have your models wear a more peachy/nude makeup style instaid of smokey eyes because she will end up looking like a racoon . They are not too bad and ive seen and done worse myself. hahaha

Thanks for the advice - I've never shot a person with so much makeup on their face before. I wasn't sure about making her eyes lighter, because the makeup artist intentionally made them very dark and I thought it might be rude to take away from her work by over-editing it or something? I will definitely try to keep it in mind for next time though, to think more about the light in relation to what type of makeup is on the models face, because I really didn't think of it.

Close examination makes me think you might have had slightly nicer-looking shots by stopping the lens down to f/3.5 or so...

Yes, for some reason I really favour shooting in high apertures - but I think you have to be quite experienced to use those higher apertures just right, which I'm not.


I'm not really a beginning shooter, but I would say I'm mostly self taught, so even though I feel like I've been doing it for ages, the learning/improvement is slow, especially since I don't pick up the camera regularly enough.

every one of these shots the subject is centered, would be nice to see some variation in placement. and a smile once in a while! especially powerful in say image #2. she doesnt seem to change expressions at all, but i think that part is something for you to direct her in. she doesnt seem like she is in her element per se, but the possibility is there. great photos really, just some minor changes that i think really could effect the moods of the photos.

I completely agree with all of your points, I definitely have a habit centring all of my shots and have been critiqued on it multiple times, still something I am working on shaking off. I think I need to go back to the basics of composition and shoot at a slower, more thoughtful pace. I'm learning how to direct models, and I'm starting to realise that working with amateurs isn't really going to help me in that department - I feel it would be good to work with a more experienced model so that I can learn from them.

2 & 3 just look awkward and contrived to me. The background is at odds with her.


#1 is very nice but, as said before, the background is annoying.
I think it is over-exposed quite a bit.
She doesn't look luscious, she looks bleached out.
There are really blanched areas on her nose and forehead.

I totally agree about the awkward/contrived comment, they simply are.
I think the skin does look a bit washed out and the background is over-exposed in my edit, now that I compare it to yours. Maybe I'm having more trouble with post processing than I realise and am over-editing the originals?

EDIT: I uploaded an original that was automatically adjusted in photoshop and I didn't realise. This is the real original, no adjustments whatsoever, straight off the camera.

I have a question for the OP: what application are you using to create your JPEG images?? I pulled the images from the web into two different image viewers,and both show incorrect parameters for the image height; other applications, like Photoshop, seem to recognize the proper image height.

I am using photoshop, but I am sizing my images weirdly- I don't think I really know what I'm doing when it comes to resizing my images in general. I'll look into it

The posing issues I see in #2 and #3 seem to be the result of off-balanced footing and improper weight distribution. If the feet are not set correctly, it translates throughout the entire pose, even if you're doing a head and shoulder shot.

That's quite interesting, maybe I should take some modelling classes to get a better understanding of modelling or something? She does look unstable in #2, but I don't exactly see it in #3, most probably because I don't know enough or have good sensibilities about such things just yet.

I think the eyes need a bit of sharpening and brightness adjustment. I am not sure how much you can bump it up without looking over done. Perhaps you needed strobe to help lighten things up a little.


The second shot can have great potential if you slow the shutter speed and capture the motion. I think it will be a neat one.

Yes, a strobe. I am waiting for the triggers I ordered for a strobe I bought, so I can learn how to use one. Slower shutter speed to capture the motion - I'll try that definitely. I think I need to make more decisions about what I want the shot to look like first, it always seems to come back to that and that's not a surprising thing by any means

I think you may start to get a little too technical on yourself. Yes it is great to be aware of your own mistakes for future improvement, but don't take the fun out of your experience either.

I think I need to take a break from photography for a while to be honest.

I think the photography is fine. Would have made for some great images if the model wasn't hung over.

Well she was an hour and 10 minutes late to the shoot so she might have been!


I really appreciate all of you guys taking the time to give me your advice and opinions so far, you've all given me much to think about!

 

[shortpants]

Well I still think you're doing great. And I know what you mean about not being able to get in the photograph what you have in your head, or being able to explain to the model. Just keep practicing.
If you're feeling like you're in a funk, go to an art gallery to decompress. I mean it. I had a teacher that used to send us off to look at paintings and other artwork, not necessarily photography. It's just a way to to get the creative juices flowing. I've been meaning to do this myself.

 

[ghache]

I'm gonna do something crazy and disagree with traveler... I think that the first one is great... I like the lighter version much better The other two just don't seem sturdy lol but GREAT JOB!

there is nothing crazy about disagreeing with "The_Traveler" lol. IMO he turned her into a racoon more than before and underexposed the picture too much + he doesnt like when we disagree with him. Watch out he might go postal.

 

[vtimagemaker]

The first shot is by far the best. Lighten the eyes by dodging some, then add a rectangular vignette to push the background back a bit. Shooting at 1.8 makes it very difficult if not impossible to keep a face in focus especially if it's not a straight on shot. Try shooting at 5.6 or so. Your background will still be out of focus when shooting a tight head shot like that. Like you and others have mentioned, the model just looks like she's inexperienced and is lacking direction...and confidence. That will come to you both in time. Very nice work, just keep shooting. You'll get there.

Steve

 

[The_Traveler]

he doesnt like when we disagree with him. Watch out he might go postal.

I don't mind when people disagree, lots of people do. But I do like people to make some sense and say why they think something, rather than just tossing a rock and running.

 

[christian.rudman]

ghache and kerbouchard both seem to have nothing constructive to say in almost every post ive seen. i still dont understand why they are posting hatemail in a friendly critique forum. even though i agree you ruined the lovely tones of the op's photo.

and to the OP, you have looked into or been made aware of the rule of 3rds im guessing, just use the absolute **** out of that technique. even if you center the shot, which is often a great way to say something in an image, keep those rules in mind. you dont really need models you are paying for, just find someone that both you and the model are comfortable working together. harmony is amazing.

and from your profile pic it looks like you could be your own model for some shots

 

[Derrel]

I see it more like a CD-cover type of shot, square in aspect ratio. This scene WOULD have made a fantastic vertical composition, since she is standing against a light-colored wall, and is upright, and a vertical camera orientation would have shown more of her, and less of the plain c ream-colored wall, and just about enough of the OOF building on the right to give an urban feel. I cropped the horizontal original, so that there were some points of interest more or less on the rule of thirds points. Here's kind of how I see this shot, with a little bit more contrast added, and an sRGB profile added for web display, so it'll look good for Windoze users.

 

[molested_cow]

I think I need to take a break from photography for a while to be honest.[/COLOR]

No I don't think you need to put down your camera. You just need to learn to unthink.

 

[Kerbouchard]

ghache and kerbouchard both seem to have nothing constructive to say in almost every post ive seen. i still dont understand why they are posting hatemail in a friendly critique forum. even though i agree you ruined the lovely tones of the op's photo.

Where the hell did that come from? I didn't say anything hateful in this thread. As a matter of fact, I said the photographer did a good job considering the circumstances. Leave me out of your rants...and comb your hair.