I swear I'm not that serious...

[oriolhdz]

Hi everybody:
Well this is my first post after the DPS update, so here it comes.

Objective:
I wanted a self-portrait, front view. Also i was trying to achieve a sharp and detailed photo, specially I was trying to capture the pupil detail which I could not get. Instead I got some big catch lights.
Setup:
This was a little hard because I don't have release cables or remote control so I had to put on timer and pose for it. I had some trouble with focusing. Also I only used natural light. It comes from a window next to my left. You can see that in my eyes.
EXIF data:
Camera: NIKON D40
Exposure: 0.033 sec
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal length: 35mm
ISO: 400
Program: Manual
Post processing:
I adjusted levels and increased contrast with curves. I sightly applied high pass filter for sharpening, and used LAB mode for black and white conversion.
Questions:
1.- How can I improve lightening?
2.- How can I capture or improve detail of my pupil's eyes?
3.- Should I crop it? (Photo has not been cropped down)
4.- Other critiques and comments you may want to add.

Finally, here is the photo in matter.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oriolhdz/2208153190/" title="To serious for me..... by Oriol Hernandez Farre, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2329/2208153190_efe8595307.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="To serious for me....." /></a>


Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Sandie]

Thank you for putting so much thought and time into your post! It makes it much easier to comment. I am not sure how to vote on the poll though :) To smile or not totally depends on you and the final purpose of the photo.

1.- How can I improve lightening? I think if you use a white sheet or tee-shirt like material over your window it will soften the light and not make the side next to the window so harsh. I would also but a mirror or large shiny surface on the side opposite the window to soften the shadows on that side of the face.

2.- How can I capture or improve detail of my pupil's eyes? I hope someone else gives you a good answer here, because other than fill lighting (with reflectors) I am not sure either.

3.- Should I crop it? (Photo has not been cropped down) This depends on what it is for, it is great for an ID photo, acting/modeling head shot, or mug shot ;) , but if it is to give as a gift to mom or significant other for them to frame and hang on the wall, I would loosen the crop.

4.- Other critiques and comments you may want to add. I like the intensity of your eyes, I like the texture of the wall, but the shirt is a distraction the way the photo is cropped. The chair behind you blends into the shirt and makes you look like you have rounded shoulders at first glance. I would get rid of it.

Great post and I really enjoyed critiquing your photo, the questions make a big difference!

[Nicole]

I'll look at the eye question for a minute. If you have dark eyes, it's a problem getting detail in them (a problem I'm familiar with, I often wind up with pure black eyes in photos). What you can do is get more lighting. You said that your light was coming from natural light from the window. If it was a little dark, the pupil of your eye will be larger, so there's less "room" as it were for the iris. Add to that potentially dark eyes and it's even more difficult. If you use more lights in front of you, a desk lamp or two even, then your pupil will be smaller and you'll get more light on the eye. Just a few thoughts :)

Edit: I'm fixing my mistake, ok guys? :p lol

[Photomoto]

Very interesting photo. Great background choice also.

[filemanager]

Honestly, I think you did a great job. When I do self portraits I'm always cut off on one side, or I'm too tiny or too big and I have to crop or re-shoot.

[Digidave]

If it was a little dark, the iris of your eye will be larger, so there's less "room" as it were for the pupil. Add to that potentially dark eyes and it's even more difficult. If you use more lights in front of you, a desk lamp or two even, then your iris will be smaller and you'll get more light on the eye. Just a few thoughts

As much as I hate to critique a critique, I must correct you my dear. The iris of the eye is the colored section & the pupil is the black hole, if you will. So, if you just switch the words around, you would be totally correct. Unless, of course, I'm reading it wrong or I have forgotten my high school anatomy class. It was over 30yrs. ago.:D

[Nicole]

Damn it, I always get those confused ;) lol (serves me right, the one time I fail to Google before I speak)

[Nathan deGargoyle]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b209/IanGM/serious.jpg


All it needs is a WANTED poster round it!

[peeperita]

you presented this image beautifully.....although the rules have been tightened a bit here in dps this week......if you visit other photo forums you'll see standards even stricter than ours......i applaud you on a very well thought out presentation for critique

male portraits are typically lit with more drama.....and straight off to the side is a good choice for that hard light...i would suggest that you should have exposed for the skin on the side by the window, but, with the post work.....i'm not so sure that you didn't in the first place.....if that's the case, you could rework your post to have the lit side detailed and throw the shadows into more.....well...shadow.....

it is my opinion that the catchlights can be improved in this set up by simply partially closing the drapes or whatever it is you have on your window to make them appear smaller in the eye.....also, your gear is reflecting too.....perhaps a black drape over it?....

as far as retrieving iris detail.....possibly going back to your background layer you could mask out the eye and duplicate it......raising the depth of shadow detail into something that pleases you.....keeping it separate as you apply your conrast and desat, and sharpening to the rest of your photo.....then matching the eye layer with it's own post work.....

if this is the original framing of your image, then i would be content with the crop as is.....

thank you for posting....

peeper

[oriolhdz]

Thanks all for your comments. I'm glad most of you liked the photo and bring me nice tips to work with the photo.

Sandie:
Thanks for your comments. I will try to close up a little bit the curtains (there are two, one of them is semi transparent). About the chair you mentioned, it's not a chair, it's my shirt. If folded in a strange way Lol.

Nicole:
Yup...I always too end with dark eyes, so that's why I wanted a little more detail. I definitely try with a lamp in front of me to see If I can get closed my pupil and get more detail in the iris. Thanks for the biology lesson Digidave, I tend to get confused too hehehe.

I'm glad both of you, Photomoto and filemanager, liked the photo. I had to take some too to get my face in the frame.

Nathan deGargoyle:
Nice edit. I like the way shadows and highlights contrast in each side of the face. I will search for the wanted poster ....

peeperita:
Thanks for your comments and tips. I will look forward on taking care of reflections, in this case the camera. Also will try to do the layering you said in photoshop and see what I get. Did not thought about doing that. By your question, the answer is yes. This is the original photo, so it has not been cropped.

Thanks again to all for the tips.

[Ewie]

As much as I hate to critique a critique, I must correct you my dear. The iris of the eye is the colored section & the pupil is the black hole, if you will. So, if you just switch the words around, you would be totally correct. Unless, of course, I'm reading it wrong or I have forgotten my high school anatomy class. It was over 30yrs. ago.:D

Damn!! You beat me to it Dave.. I'm a lighting designer, have been for 20+ years and have tutored on lighting theory, a BIG part of which is the way the human eye works and how we actually see.....

Sorry Nicole but Dave's bang on! The coloured part of the eye is the IRIS, whereas the hole is the PUPIL. Would love to start a thread on this but it's probably not appropriate :D

[RussHeath]

Oriolhdz -- Awesome post, don't know why I'm just noticing it. You've been given a lot of good information above, I only have a couple of things to add:

-- Go buy one of these (http://www.adorama.com/NKMLL3.html?searchinfo=nikon%20remote&item_no=31). Best $17 I ever spent for doing these types of shots. It will work with your camera and simplify your shooting.

-- Models at photo shoots actually have someone shine a bright light into their eyes right before they start to pose to constrict their pupils and make their iris as big as possible. You can do the same thing with a couple of bright flashlights. Shine one into each eye for about 10 seconds, then put them down and hit the shutter on that new remote you just bought. (If you can tell where to look through all the flashing spots . . . :D)

Great picture you got there.

[Nicole]

Sorry Nicole but Dave's bang on! The coloured part of the eye is the IRIS, whereas the hole is the PUPIL. Would love to start a thread on this but it's probably not appropriate :D

lol I'm not too proud to admit mistakes, besides, I already said so a few posts up ;) Man... makes me wanna use my Super Mod powers for evil I tell you ;)

[jiminyClickit]

Nicole,

Think of model students being "bright pupils." When your model's eyes respond to bright light, it's the pupil that responds. Had the same problem last year myself.

[oriolhdz]

Oriolhdz --

-- Go buy one of these (http://www.adorama.com/NKMLL3.html?searchinfo=nikon%20remote&item_no=31). Best $17 I ever spent for doing these types of shots. It will work with your camera and simplify your shooting.



Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you liked the photo. I will look for that remote control. Hope I get at good price here in Mexico. I will try to use the flashlights you mentioned. Hope my eyes support it.
Thanks again for the tips!