Portrait

[earldean2020]

Hi everyone! How can I improve this portrait? I don't know what's missing or my composition is totally bad? Thanks in advance!

[Palachandra]

Please find below article by Nicole on how to post pictures:

Posting Pictures from Photo Sharing Sites (A visual guide)

[earldean2020]

thanks for the info!

[subrataofkris]

The background with sun rays coming in through the blinds is too bright, your camera has not been able to ajust to the difference in contrast, so the face has become underexposed. I think you used a fill flash (looking at the hotspots in the eyes), but still the fill flash light was not sufficient. The left top is burnt out without any details. I will suggest you to move away from the blinds and use the camera meter to expose the mid tones in the skin.

[Palachandra]

The idea is good and if you experiment positioning your subject you could get amazing results, especially the lights play.

Try exposing on brighter area and position your subject so that the slatted light pattern falls on subjects face and body.

[wulf]

Take it back a step. What is your aim in taking the portrait? Are you being artistic and trying to convey who the subject is or simply trying to take a shot that makes people say "nice picture"? If the former, who is he? What is he like? What choices did you make in setting up the shot and why?

Wulf

[earldean2020]

@ subrataofkris - yeah the photo is underexposed. didn't noticed it until now. im still new at this and making mistakes and learning from it. thanks for the advice!

@ Palachandra - actually, i have a shoot of that one. i'll post it and ur comments will be very much appreciated! thanks!

@ wulf - my aim was play with the light. how it looks like when the light hits on the subject at a certain angle. well, on the subject... can't tell much about him other than it's me. thanks for the advice!

[eugman]

You probably should give some more time to making sure you say everything you want so you don't need to make a quadruple post.

[jiminyClickit]

earldean2020, Welcome

If you can take this photo again in the same pose, composition, framing, and use some of the suggestions for lighting, it will be a very good personal portrait. It's almost very good as you posted it, just some unfortunate lighting problems have taken away full appreciation of its good points. Take many more using different locations and times of day and you'll soon have a winner.

[earldean2020]

jiminy, thanks for the encouragement! taking photographs at different time of the day and weather will help me improve my skills for this portrait shots! i'll be posting them soon and hope you can still give me suggestions and comments how to improve. thanks again!