Portrait Shots Outside

[D80MAN]

Shot w/ D80 .. 35mm 1:2.8 iso=160 1/50 sec

 

[oldnavy170]

This portrait is really good. I love her outfit and the marble looking stairs for the background. Great shot!

 

[The Phototron]

Looks like she's about to kick ass, but her mouth look unnatural and uncertain. But if you're going for insecurity, then good job. Still though she shouldn't be posing then. Just have her standing with her nervous look.

Also the contrast is poor, but it's just my taste.

Edit: See it really might be just me, but then again I'm a psych major I'm crazy about interpreting the smallest facial expressions in portrait. After all it's what portraits should offer, a dose of personality.

 

[elsaspet]

You have a wonderful exposure here.
The trouble I see is the left hand. It looks like it's growing out of her boob.
That's pretty much all the problem I see here. Otherwise it's really good.

 

[skieur]

Your pose and lighting/exposure are the main problems with this shot. The position of her right arm visually splits her body in two, makes her look round shouldered and causes her hair to obscure her eye and her left hand.

The exposure is also very uneven. You can see it in her jeans that blend into the background in some areas, as well as in the lack of detail in the black hair. The shadow areas on her face are too dark and the area around her eyes needs brightening too.

skieur

 

[elsaspet]

Your pose and lighting/exposure are the main problems with this shot. The position of her right arm visually splits her body in two, makes her look round shouldered and causes her hair to obscure her eye and her left hand.

The exposure is also very uneven. You can see it in her jeans that blend into the background in some areas, as well as in the lack of detail in the black hair. The shadow areas on her face are too dark and the area around her eyes needs brightening too.

skieur

What about the exposure do you not like? It's dead on perfect, IMO, and not an easy deal in the shade......
And this is the trouble I find with lots of these critiques...
There is NOT too much blend, as there is still definition. The shadows on her face are natural and would be expected. That is unless you want to shoot this at a studio.
This is an enviornmental photo, and it's really really good except for the hand.
(Did you ever see the Sienfeld episode of "Man Hands"? She's got those. freaky!
Anyhoo, I just simply 100 percent pretty much disagree with everything said above.

 

[skieur]

Even the default from a photo editor shows that the original exposure was far from being "right on".

 

[skieur]

The difference between a snapshot taker and a photographer is that a photographer knows that almost everything is under his/her control and when working with models certainly light\exposure, colour, composition, and posing. Shadows may be natural but they are also controlable through exposure, use of a reflector, fill flash, or postprocessing.

Portrait work is also attention to the smallest detail and having the eye to notice them. If you don't notice the details that make a portrait weak, then your work will never improve.

skieur