single photo for C & C

[Heitz]

Hi everyone. I've been practicing. This is a photo of my wife I took at a park. I altered the white balance/tint, changed to vivid, and put on a little sharpening in ViewNX. Then I did a small crop to remove something. What do you think? How might I improve? Does the color balance seem correct? Thanks!


1.

 

[redessa]

The photo is nice and sharp and the white balance looks good on my screen (but that's not saying much). The pose seems awkward though and the background is distracting. My eyes keep wandering up to the light coming through the trees. I'm wondering why it's so choppy looking.

I don't know what your photos looked like when you started out, but I'd say you're on the right track!

 

[Heitz]

Yea you know it does look kind of choppy. Must have been some strange effect with the trees. But I kind of like the pose. I thought the way she turned her feet inward gave it a kind of pensive feel. Thanks!!

 

[C_mo]

to me the pose looks forced and awkward (to each their own). I'm not one to judge on white balance but I would say that the colors look really good! I agree about the trees being distracting though... even though she is in focus I'm not looking at her

 

[Shadowbox]

I think the colors look great, I want to brighten her up just a bit though. I would crop in closer so you don't have as much of the trees if you can. I like the pose actually. I can also see one of her with her legs up on the edge and her profile to you then she slightly turns her head toward the camera and one where her legs are stretched out in front her of her and her arms behind her leaning back with her head up looking at you and with her head back and hair falling behind her, that would be good for behind her too! Good shot!

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

The pose looks awkward, that's probably the biggest issue with it. I would also try to clone out the bright light on the building in the background camera right. I find it distracting but that could just be me. Also, it bugs me that there is more space on her left than her right. You are close enough to centered that it feels like it should be centered to me. Color looks good.

 

[KmH]

Thank you for only posting 1 photo for C&C.

Most often the most compelling issue with amateur photos is the use of light. Your composition is OK. I would suggest you should have gotten a bit closer.

For most people pictures having light in the eyes (window to the soul) is paramount. In this photo the eyes are dark, and most viewers will have trouble making a connection to the person.

The issue with the background is that the lens used produces a CoC that has a somewhat large diameter limit, which gives the quality of the background blur a grating, jittery, drag your fingernails across the blackboard, kind of feel.

Had strobed light been used to light the subject, the shutter speed could have been used to make the background darker making the strobe lit subject 'pop' from the background. The strobed light would have also added light to the eyes solidifying the likelyhood that viewers will connect with the subject.

I have done an edit to simulate what might have been possible had you used strobed light as I describe above. I have gotten closer (cropped t0 7:5 aspect ratio), darkened the background, added light to her from on the lens axis (like from a popup flah set to lower than full power), and added some higher quality lens blur to the background and got rid of some of the background distractions. Since it's a quick edit it is only intended to illustrate what may have been possible, not as a ready to print edit.

1.

 

[Heitz]

KmH - thanks for this. I have a question though. WHen you say 'higher quality lens blur', is this something I would get with a f/1.4 @ 1.4? I was using a 50 f/1.8 @ 1.8 I believe. Or is this something generally done in post? I want to mimic that effect for real! Thanks KmH.

Thank you for only posting 1 photo for C&C.

Most often the most compelling issue with amateur photos is the use of light. Your composition is OK. I would suggest you should have gotten a bit closer.

For most people pictures having light in the eyes (window to the soul) is paramount. In this photo the eyes are dark, and most viewers will have trouble making a connection to the person.

The issue with the background is that the lens used produces a CoC that has a somewhat large diameter limit, which gives the quality of the background blur a grating, jittery, drag your fingernails across the blackboard, kind of feel.

Had strobed light been used to light the subject, the shutter speed could have been used to make the background darker making the strobe lit subject 'pop' from the background. The strobed light would have also added light to the eyes solidifying the likelyhood that viewers will connect with the subject.

I have done an edit to simulate what might have been possible had you used strobed light as I describe above. I have gotten closer (cropped t0 7:5 aspect ratio), darkened the background, added light to her from on the lens axis (like from a popup flah set to lower than full power), and added some higher quality lens blur to the background and got rid of some of the background distractions. Since it's a quick edit it is only intended to illustrate what may have been possible, not as a ready to print edit.

1.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

I like it. Nice shot. What if you were to change the crop slightly?

Kinda like...