Self Portrait

[isaimtz]

This is my self-portrait tell me what you think I'm new on at this. Thanks

 

[Gavjenks]

This is not a self portrait, because the subject of this photo is an oxford button down shirt, and shirts don't take photos.

(Don't do selective color unless the thing you're coloring is far and away the most important thing in the photo. Even then, I suggest you not do selective color.)



Also welcome to TPF!

 

[isaimtz]

Thanks for your suggestion, I appreciate it. And will do next time.

 

[Gavjenks]

It's a pretty common thing people start out doing, no worries.

In general, I think a good tip for photography of any sort is that you should think about it in part just like an abstract painting. Think about how your retina and low level visual system see it, before you assign any meaning. The meaningful content matter (like "oh that's a person and a camera and a wall!") is at one level, but at another level it's just shapes, and edges, and contrast, and "lightest thing in the scene" and "darkest thing in the scene" and color etc.

The best photos will use all or many of those low level, sub-meaningful visual elements as tools, intentionally, to draw the viewer's eye to whatever meaningful thing they want the viewer to be paying most attention to, before they even know what it is their eye is being drawn toward.

Not only is this simply visually powerful and compelling, but it's also efficient in getting you to see the point of the photo in what might be very limited time (glancing over an advertisement or flipping through a bunch of photos)

So usually, in a portrait, this would mean that the person's eyes or at least face should be:
* comparatively bright, and/or
* comparatively high contrast, and/or
* have lines pointing toward them, and/or
* be color neutral or color-interesting in the photo, and/or
* Be the most in-focus thing in the image,
etc.

 

[cynicaster]

I was going to post IBSCB* but I can see I didn't make it in time.

* in before selective color bashing

Welcome, OP.

 

[Designer]

This is my self-portrait tell me what you think I'm new on at this. Thanks

Hi, isaimtz, and welcome!

More like an avatar photo, which is fine, but it seems underexposed to me.

 

[mmaria]

also, try to pay attention to your background. there's no particular reason for that painting to be there, light switches and that "candle"thing.

If you want to include those in your background then pay attention to lines and shapes and where will you fit in the scene

 

[Derrel]

also, try to pay attention to your background. there's no particular reason for that painting to be there, light switches and that "candle"thing.

If you want to include those in your background then pay attention to lines and shapes and where will you fit in the scene

I agree with the above comments. The candle thing is usually called a candle sconce. I made a candle sconce in metal shop in high school. Until then I had never heard the word "sconce".

candle sconce - Google Search

 

[Designer]

Looking askance at your sconce.

 

[EIngerson]

It's also a bit under exposed. Meter for your face.

 

[Scoody]

Dude! Your camera has a timer on it. If you are going to post a taken in front of a mirror selfie, do it for Facebook

 

[Ysarex89 83]

Welcome to TPF.

Yep, you've got an exposure problem -- way under exposed (too dark) and very flat. The EXIF data for the photo says you had the camera set to manual. There's also ACR data attached which suggests this was either a raw file or that you opened it to process in ACR.

Recommend you consider using the camera in P, Tv or Av modes. If you tell us more about what you're doing we can also help with processing.

The underexposure was too severe to correct, but here's an idea of what normal exposure and contrast should look like:



Oh yeah, next time use a reversing mirror so the words won't be turned inside out.

Joe

 

[mmaria]

The candle thing is usually called a candle sconce. I made a candle sconce in metal shop in high school. Until then I had never heard the word "sconce".

candle sconce - Google Search

Thanks Derrel!

There are some very nice sconces there

 

[NedM]

Adding watermarks to your photo isn't going to do much either. Your photo is copyrighted the moment you click the shutter, but even then, experienced users can easily remove that watermark without a trace of it ever being there. Besides, it's a common self portrait, and nobody will plan on stealing/using your photo. I suppose it's free advertisement.

Unless your photo somehow goes viral, I would suggest registering the photo for copyrights.