Too green?

ORourkeK

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I did a shoot this weekend and I have looked at this photo for so long that I no longer know what I want from it. There was so much green in this photo, from the ground and moss on the trees, that it has affected the WB. With that said, I am not sure I dislike it? Would you brush the green down a bit, or keep it?

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More than just that, do you see (or not see?) other issues with it?

I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to do, but it's so light it looks washed out. And what's the haze to the left?

Longer hair tends to move as the subject moves and her hair needed to be out from under the collar, which also needed to be arranged. The large eyelets along the top unfortunately make for visual distractions (cute top, just maybe not the best choice for a portrait or at least thought needed to be given to posing, vantage point, etc.). Lovely face but I can't figure out why she's looking up or what she's looking at.

There are different standards and expectations for someone who's just taking pictures of family holidays and vacations etc. and someone who aspires to do portraits and professional photography, so the critique is usually going to be different.

Get out, just you and your camera, before trying to do more shoots with people, and learn how to get proper exposures, etc. It's necessary to learn to 'see' everything in the viewfinder, not just look at it but actually see it, and make adjustments before you release the shutter. Then maybe you could practice with F&F to set up, check hair, clothing, backgrounds, etc. and just do test shots. If you get something good you could always offer them a complimentary print and/or photo sized appropriately for social media use in exchange for their time.
 
What was said ^^^

Maybe if you posted the original without edits someone can give you a hand with some of the edits but most of the things mentioned above can't be fixed.
 
Wow, I didn't realize how much I had edited that picture until I went back in today. I have been taking a course that I think is a bit more harmful than good. They tend to only expose and edit for the person. I knew posting here would snap me out of it haha. Below is SOOC.


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Longer hair tends to move as the subject moves and her hair needed to be out from under the collar, which also needed to be arranged. The large eyelets along the top unfortunately make for visual distractions (cute top, just maybe not the best choice for a portrait or at least thought needed to be given to posing, vantage point, etc.). Lovely face but I can't figure out why she's looking up or what she's looking at.

I agree with what you said about the top. Unfortunately, this was just a friend helping me out with trying to get a portfolio together and I still am uncomfortable with trying to guide people with what they should and shouldn't wear. I feel like a fake photographer right now so I think to myself "who am I to say what they should wear?". And her looking up is just a pose. There is nothing up there, which I think you know already :)

There are different standards and expectations for someone who's just taking pictures of family holidays and vacations etc. and someone who aspires to do portraits and professional photography, so the critique is usually going to be different.

Trust me, I appreciate the brutal C&C. You have been a great help with that XD

Get out, just you and your camera, before trying to do more shoots with people, and learn how to get proper exposures, etc. It's necessary to learn to 'see' everything in the viewfinder, not just look at it but actually see it, and make adjustments before you release the shutter. Then maybe you could practice with F&F to set up, check hair, clothing, backgrounds, etc. and just do test shots. If you get something good you could always offer them a complimentary print and/or photo sized appropriately for social media use in exchange for their time.

With my original edit that I posted, I can see why you are saying that haha.
 
They tend to only expose and edit for the person.

Not sure what you mean by this?

First off, are you saving your files as RAW? If not you need to in order to be able to edit WB later. Also, if you're not going out to shoot with one of these around your neck VelloWhite Balance Card Set (Medium) you're making your life difficult for no reason. Set your camera to AWB, then every time the light changes hold your arm out, fan these out and shoot it. Lr gives you the ability to use the eye dropper tool to sample these cards, and set your WB, then all you have to do is sync all your others in the set to that setting. Most other software has similar approaches to setting WB. Also, be aware that I have been in heavily wooded areas where I swear even the air was green, so sometimes you just have issues.

Posing is something I struggle with constantly. I know what I'm looking for but getting that over to the subject is another matter. Course most of my subjects are kids, with the attention span of a gnat, so you don't get much chance to actually pose them. One thing on posing to remember is that everything closest to the camera looks bigger, and full figured women don't necessarily look their best squared off to the camera. Take the time to research poses, pick out a few you like and practice with them until you have them fully imprinted in your brain. That way giving instructions becomes second nature. There is a wealth of information out there on the internet, as to poses, and how they look to the camera.

I did a little editing on your image, but the resolution is to low to do much, and some of the items already mentioned can't really be corrected. In any case another approach to your image.
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"Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the soup."
 
Is this a complete fail as well? It seems like most on this site like darker images (Smokes edit). I am definitely on the lighter side. Besides the stick going horizontal from the left side, I like this photo a lot. I liked all of them from this session and was extremely happy with them until I posted that first one on here. Was a big snap back to reality. I am hoping the whole series isn't a waste. My main goal during this shoot was being able to get sharp images at 1.4. Just to see if I understood the depth of field. Looking back at a few of the images, the compression at this aperture was a bit funky. So I will definitely know to look out for that next time. One thing I dislike hearing though is that bigger figures must be positioned in a specific way. I get that this may be "proper" in photography, but we went out and had a blast, and my friend was extremely happy with the images. To me, that is what it is all about. Don't get me wrong, I want to nail the technical aspects of photography, I just think some people on here get overly caught up in what the absolute "proper" method is every time they see a photo. Which I am not saying is wrong, there just seem to be a lot of textbook analyzers on here. Man, what a boring world that would be if we all shot the same? Now, I hope everyone understands what I am trying to say here and doesn't think I am trying to say I know more than anyone. I really do appreciate all the input, because I learn a lot every time I post on here.


 
They tend to only expose and edit for the person.

Not sure what you mean by this?

They don't care what they sky or background look like as long as the subject is exposed properly. Which by properly I mean overexposed, in most of their cases.

First off, are you saving your files as RAW? If not you need to in order to be able to edit WB later. Also, if you're not going out to shoot with one of these around your neck VelloWhite Balance Card Set (Medium) you're making your life difficult for no reason. Set your camera to AWB, then every time the light changes hold your arm out, fan these out and shoot it. Lr gives you the ability to use the eye dropper tool to sample these cards, and set your WB, then all you have to do is sync all your others in the set to that setting. Most other software has similar approaches to setting WB. Also, be aware that I have been in heavily wooded areas where I swear even the air was green, so sometimes you just have issues.

Yes, I save all of my images as RAW. Appreciate the advice for WB.

I did a little editing on your image, but the resolution is to low to do much, and some of the items already mentioned can't really be corrected. In any case another approach to your image.
View attachment 169444

I appreciate your time, and it looks nice for being a JPEG edit. You definitely have a darker style than I do. I need to learn how to have a lighter style while keeping a proper exposure. I definitely struggle with exposure in post. Even if I feel like I nailed exposure SOOC, I tend to lighten it for a more "airy" feel. Trying to rework my brain after all the years of browsing Instagram.
 
Is this a complete fail as well? It seems like most on this site like darker images (Smokes edit). I am definitely on the lighter side

There are certain universally accepted technical issues, but beyond that the correct choice of composition, posing, processing, etc. Is generally considered to be up to the the one behind the lens. That's why when you ask for critique on those things you'll get a lot of different views. Doesn't mean they are right, just another's view point on a subjective question. That's why I was careful to label my edit as "Another approach". I believe as artists we evolve by experience, and can sometimes get tunnel vision. Critique on TPF can be a humbling experience but without truthful feedback you don't grow in skills, and you might as well post on social media with all its mindless "likes" and "comments".
 
Oh, it is absolutely humbling, and why I post on here. Everything I see on FB where people say they love it, I think to myself, "You would get crushed with this photo on TPF". I really do appreciate all of the input on here. I was looking at that first picture for way too long and over processed it. Posting on here made me realize that. I would be interested to know what the flaws are on the second image, besides the choice of clothes and hair in the face, oh and the tree I already pointed out.
 
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Your second image is much better her face don't look washed out as in the first edit.
 
hey don't care what they sky or background look like as long as the subject is exposed properly. Which by properly I mean overexposed, in most of their cases

So you're letting someone dictate your vision? The original I downloaded showed a decent histogram, but your first edit showed everything pushed off the right. Don't let anyone force you into downgrading your image so you can imitate someone.

As to the image, "High Key" is a style or genre just like "Low Key", and is a decision that is made before the shutter clicks. Not all subjects/scenes lend themselves to a particular style, so you as the photographer need to know what works where and when, rather than trying to force your image to conform to a style after the fact. Read/study what others have to say about the style there's a ton of information out there on the internet that can help you, then think how you want to apply that to an actual shot. Plan the shot before you click the shutter. That's what VS was trying to tell you above. Learn to see everything in the scene, move around, look it over, think about it.

"High Key" is a style of lighting that results in an exposure with little to no shadow based on the amount of light received or a 1:1 ratio of light. It does not mean overexposed! Anytime you push your exposure off the right you loose data in the file. By it's very nature, "High Key" results in very low contrast and soft transitions in the shadows, but a properly exposed "High Key" will have a true RGB white of 255 and a true black of 000. One of my pet peeves are lazy photographers who blow the whites intentionally, overexposed images won't show a true black. Sometimes despite your best efforts it isn't possible, and then it becomes a matter of which is the lesser of two evils. It's not as easy as it looks, maybe a case of do as I say, not as do. Here's one close, but not quite.
Black Eyed Susan05282017_269.jpg

Both "High Key" and "Low Key" requires a careful consideration of the clothing worn by the subject. If you're shooting for light and airy, why would you want your subject in darker colors, instead of lighter colors, it's self defeating. The same holds true for the background, stay away from the dark trees and shadows.
 
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