High Contrast Portrait

[KagoGrl]

Hi,

This is an indoor, hand-held, candid portrait that I shot a while back. I'm fond of her eyes, and the softness of her face. I also find her expression interesting - can't quite tell what she's thinking.

Please offer any suggestions you may have to either improve upon this shot, or to be aware of for next time. Thanks!

[sana]

It's a beautiful portrait! I would only like to see some shadow on her face, some light-shadow interaction. Maybe you could experiment with other sources of light from different sides of a model. I am planing to start exploring that too.. Photographers often say - light is everything! Anyway, this is really amazing, I would say that you are talented in photographing people.

[KagoGrl]

Thank you! People is what I prefer to capture... sadly I can't afford proper studio lighting so my options are limited right now. Perhaps in the coming years I'll be able to experiment more. For now an external flash will have to do.

Thanks again for your kind words.

[jiminyClickit]

KagoGrl,

If I had looked just once, this wouldn't have gotten my attention. Sometimes it's the little things . . . tangents I believe they're called. Where the cap crosses and touches the eyebrow is one. The left side (right side in photo) of the jaw as it lines up with necklace (?) forms another.

Not so much in this photo, it can cause the eye to sense "something" is off, or just register as discomfort. One of those things to watch for in portraits. Kudos on expression and cropping.

[KagoGrl]

Thank you for pointing out the right side, just below the chin - I hadn't noticed that before. But I'm confused as to the issue with the hat - is it that it's touching the eyebrow?

I appreciate these comments - every one helps!

[Digidave]

For me, the one minor thing that bothers me, is her left eye(right eye as you look at it) is a touch darker than the other. Minor, but I can't help but to keep looking at it.

[jiminyClickit]

KagoGrl,

The eyebrow may be insignificant; it would not keep you from winning a prize. It's a concept in graphics and advertising that given a choice, lines that cross or abut are interesting; parallel or tangential, not as much, especially in a face.

Her left eyebrow - abuts cap, disappears, interesting. Right eyebrow - halfway under cap, not covered, not fully showing, worrisome. If you look for it in a portrait thread or in bulk photo groups (flickr), you may find jarring examples (yours is not jarring; if I had not looked at it a dozen times, never would have mentioned it).

It's more an awareness thing, those things you don't have to think about (let this one go there) because it's part of that "photographer's eye" thing. Just do as you have done; I can't recall a photo you've posted that was not interesting, well-shot.

[Triglav]

Nice comments..and a great portrait. I like it very much

[KagoGrl]

Thank you everyone. These have been very helpful. As I said, portraits are my prefered medium and I will take every comment into consideration next time I shoot/edit. Thanks!