Portrait for PhD web profile

[JoL]

A friend of mine needed an updated portrait photo for her department's website at the university. She is doing her PhD an I thought a professional yet relaxed attire and facial expression would be suitable. This is the first time I am trying to take a professional-ish looking portrait, so I can't wait to here your comments! Let me know what can be improved so I can look out for it next time.

Thank you all,
Johannes

P2140070 by johanneslutz, on Flickr

 

[tirediron]

Very nicely done. The expression is great, the lighting works very well, and the overall impression is, I think exactly what you set out to achieve. A couple of VERY minor nits: I would try burning in her shirt a bit, especially nearer the collar as the bright white is pulling the eye, and maybe in future, don't turn the body quite so far.

 

[JoL]

Thank you John, I appreciate it and am glad that you like it! I agree on the body position, it's a little extreme. In the end this picture won against another one with a less turned body but with not quite as great of a facial expression. About the shirt my opinion is different every time I look at the picture. I want it bright white but can see why it might be distracting.

 

[pixmedic]

Very nicely done. The expression is great, the lighting works very well, and the overall impression is, I think exactly what you set out to achieve. A couple of VERY minor nits: I would try burning in her shirt a bit, especially nearer the collar as the bright white is pulling the eye, and maybe in future, don't turn the body quite so far.

maybe just drag the highlights down a little all together...
along with the shirt, her face seems a tad bright as well.

overall, it is nicely done.

 

[KmH]

IMO her face is over sharpened.
Her skin doesn't look real and looks over softened.

 

[Derrel]

SOme good comments so far. I agree with KmH--the skin softening on the face looks fake-ish, too extreme, at least when seen at this size. Her teeth look good--not too artificially brightened, as is so often the case. I think the degree of overall contrast is a bit too high, with the darkest parts of her hair almost detail-less, and the white of the shirt a bit extreme. overall, this shot looks a tiny bit overworked to me. However...if this is going to appear on the web, at say, 1 inch wide, then this will look great. A lot of times we need to realize "web" images like profile shot s are often seen a hugely reduced sizes, so more-dramatic, more extreme differences can be hard to spot.

 

[JoL]

Thanks KmH and Derrel for the different point of view. Looking at the picture here, on Flickr, my external monitor, my tablet or phone, my opinion about the skin smoothening varies depending on the photo size and resolution of the device. I guess what I'm learning here is that I have to process the photo with the final size/resolution in mind, which I admit I didn't do.
I might add another version here later with the appropriate layers dialed down a bit for a more natural look.

 

[JoL]

So here is a more subtle post processed portrait from the same session. What are your thoughts on this one? Less glamourish and more appropriate to be called a portrait instead of a fashion magazine shot? If the skin still looks overly smoothened then it's just her awesome skin

P2140047 by johanneslutz, on Flickr

 

[Designer]

The second one is way better.

 

[tirediron]

Agree; that's an excellent head shot.

 

[waday]

The second one is way better.

+1. I like the second better.

 

[JoL]

Thanks everyone. I guess since a normally don't do portraits I tend to go for something more dramatic. I can see why the second picture is a better headshot for technical reasons, but at the same time it makes me yawn because everything is the way it's supposed to be.

 

[Designer]

it makes me yawn because everything is the way it's supposed to be.

Is there anything wrong with it being "the way it's supposed to be"?

 

[waday]

Thanks everyone. I guess since a normally don't do portraits I tend to go for something more dramatic. I can see why the second picture is a better headshot for technical reasons, but at the same time it makes me yawn because everything is the way it's supposed to be.

Isn't it a professional headshot? Are those supposed to be dramatic?

 

[JoL]

Absolutely agree with you. I just got a little carried away on the first one and still like it since I usually don't do professional headshots.
I think the two photos just serve different purposes and the second one surely is better suited for professional use. Just from a subjective point of view I enjoy the playfulness in the first photo.