What is wrong with this portrait?

[EchoingWhisper]

Topaz Detail on the sky?

 

[gsgary]

Don't like the pose, the smile looks a bit forced and she still has her top on

 

[Tee]

I just downloaded the free trial. Im going to play around!

I'll put a plug out there for all of the NIK programs. Give them all the free trial. There's lots of neat tools to use. I really like their dynamic skin softener (found in ColorEfex). It's easy-peasy and controllable to avoid the plastic doll look while enhancing the skin. Before I splurged for CS5, I used the NIK bundle with LR3 and I was pretty impressed.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Did you use a wider angle lens again?

 

[kundalini]

What is wrong with this portrait?

Forced sensuality.

Also, you've shot a block, as in, there are no interesting lines created for the viewer to follow.

 

[SabrinaO]

Did you use a wider angle lens again?

I used my 35mm. Can you tell?
I just bought the Tamron 28-75mm this morning...

 

[Robin Usagani]

Yes.. Her head looks big.

Did you use a wider angle lens again?

I used my 35mm. Can you tell? I just bought the Tamron 28-75mm this morning...

 

[SabrinaO]

Yes.. Her head looks big.

Did you use a wider angle lens again?

I used my 35mm. Can you tell? I just bought the Tamron 28-75mm this morning...

Im trying to... but I just don't see it..

 

[Robin Usagani]

If you had shot it with 85mm, her head would be the same size but her legs (farther away) will be bigger. So it won't make her head unporpotional. Does that make sense?

 

[cgipson1]

Perspective.. Wide angles lenses artificially move things farther away and make them smaller. Head is closest.. so it is larger.. legs are farther way (and artificially even farther away then they should be for realism.. WA effect..very minimal but it is noticeable, hence Large Head Syndrome because the legs look smaller than they really are). I think that explanation is understandable??? Tele's have the opposite effect... as Schwettylens mentions about the 85mm.

 

[DiskoJoe]

pose is okay but would have been better with both hands on the ground and tell her to try not to smile.

 

[ababysean]

The pose, the scrunchie on her wrist, her front arm is way brighter and causes me to look there instead of her face....

kind of looks like she is doubled over in pain and then just looked up and gave a sympathy smile..

 

[ababysean]

pose is okay but would have been better with both hands on the ground and tell her to try not to smile.

both hands on the ground? it would look like she is a dog? no, I would have had her sit back on her knees more.

 

[margosoriginals]

I think the position of her body makes her look short and cut off. You can't see the lines of her body very well and the lines you do see aren't good. And the one arm on the leg makes her looked one-armed when you just glance at it. The ocean and sky look great

 

[Dao]

Yes.. Her head looks big.

Did you use a wider angle lens again?

I used my 35mm. Can you tell? I just bought the Tamron 28-75mm this morning...

This is what I going to say when I first saw the photo. I saw another similar example awhile back even with the 50mm prime. I think 85mm will be my choice for shot (or post) similar to this.