Shot a Friend This Week

Baaaark · Jul 20, 2009

So not to hijack, but why is it okay for her leg in one photo to be cut off? Is it not an unnatural place to be cut off at (as opposed to putting her whole leg in)?

I'm not trying to be critical, but I seriously don't understand. And I'd make my own thread, but I can't really repost this photo.

tsaraleksi · Jul 20, 2009

The composition / arrangement on the first photo is a bit of a mess. She's center right in the frame, which feels really weird in relation to where she's looking, her leg is cut off awkwardly (as Baark points out) while there is way too much room above her head. The exposure for her seems pretty good, but the background is a bit distracting in the way that it's lit- there's a bright streak to her right, for example.

The second one is ok composition wise, other than that leaf hanging down in front of her forehead-- that's the kind of thing to watch out for when you're shooting. The way that that leaf and some of the others to the right are illuminated are really distracting, and compete with her for the viewer's attention. The lighting is also at issue here in that her face is pretty oddly lit and is underexposed relative to the rest of the image. The background is really dark off to the right, which throws things a bit off balance.

Number three is out-of-focus-- not badly so but soft enough on the eyes that it's distracting. At the same time, it's just... muddy. It's really dark over all, and the background, in particular, is murky and distracting. Her pants are also just a mass of black.

Also, for all of the images she is wearing an identical expression. If the photos are intended for her parents, it might have been good to coax something less somber from her.

My greatest reaction to these photos is that you really need to work on balancing ambient and strobe if you're going to do these kinds of shoots. The interaction between flash and daylight is problematic in every image. It might do you well to back off and start working with just one light, and master it before you expand. You need to work on lots of different things, though if I had to name the first, it should be the fundamentals of composition and exposure.

Sorry to be blunt, but one blunt critique will help you more that 500 positive reviews.

c.cloudwalker · Jul 20, 2009

Baaaark said:
So not to hijack, but why is it okay for her leg in one photo to be cut off? Is it not an unnatural place to be cut off at (as opposed to putting her whole leg in)?

I'm not trying to be critical, but I seriously don't understand. And I'd make my own thread, but I can't really repost this photo.

Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Rules are just rules. You have to know them but it doesn't mean you have to apply them 100% of the time. But usually when I break a rule, it's on purpose, I have a reason to do it.

In the case of #1 the legs being cut off doesn't bother me. Most probably because the missing chunk of legs is large enough. Kind of like if you do a close up portrait. Most of the person is missing but it's not a problem. On the other hand if you have a picture of a person and only a couple toes are missing you are most probably going to wonder why and it can make the photo not work quite as well.

And, of course, it is all very personal, so...

Hope that helps.

musicaleCA · Jul 21, 2009

tsaraleksi said:
Sorry to be blunt, but one blunt critique will help you more that 500 positive reviews.

Hah! Hardly. I'm glad you tore into my photos. I'm interested in improving, not getting "oooh, yay!" So, actually, thanks a lot! It's greatly appreciated!

I agree with the leaves. I actually used some duct tape to get those leaves out of the way, she just really seemed to want them in there. (I would turn around, she'd be putting them back...oi vey.) The odd lighting on the face is in part because I forgot my gobos (well, what I was using as gobos; I made better ones last night) at home (D'OH! Damn rookie mistake, I say). Flash was hitting her from the side (and flaring in the lens too; had to muck with angles to reduce flare). I'm never, ever leaving home without my gobos again. Ever.

About the third shot. You're totally right, the image is soft. I think this has quite a bit to do with noise removal too (the 450D is very far from clean at ISO 800; it's driving me a little crazy sometimes). At 1/15 though and the limit of my camera's okayish ISO (1600 is just plain unusable), would you suggest using a tripod as support, or adding more light? (Perhaps a subtle rim light would be useful in this situation?)

Oh, and just to prove I'm not a complete hack at interacting with people. :lol: