first portrait post

[clarkkaiz25]

im new to the dslr photography and ive been really reluctant to post or even take portrait of somebody because i always tend to mess up how people look....let me know what am i doing wrong if anything....comments and suggestions are really appreciated!!!

[RLucas]

Hi, and don't be reluctant to post. Nobody on here bites. Hard anyway!
First, you may want to read http://digital-photography-school.co...rum-rules.html
We will need your EXIF, and only one image per thread to critique.

First off, on your composition. When composing shots such as this, you really want to decide what your subject is. For both of these, I can't decide if your subject is the lady, or the blossoms. New photographers, including me, tend to try and get "everything" in. More is not usually better. Since this is a portrait, you will want to crop the image to just above her head. You will still have plenty of the blossoms in the frame to be able to show the environment as well.

On to the lighting. The sun was at her back, and to your left. From the looks of the hot spot on the back of her jacket, it still looks like it was fairly high in the sky, which was still pretty harsh. This created some pretty strong contrast across her face, which is undesirable in portraiture. This type of lighting is really tough to shoot in, and most people will recommend shooting more in the shade, where the light is more diffuse, and softer.

Another thing. The eyes are a major element in portraiture as well. Although I like the glasses, as it shows a little attitude, I would like to see more eyes.

I took the liberty and adjusted the one where she is looking more in to the camera to give you an idea of what I am talking about. I will take it down of you wish.
Keep on shooting! You are doing a good job for a start!

[zona5101]

Luke - well done critique.

[clarkkaiz25]

Originally Posted by RLucas

Hi, and don't be reluctant to post. Nobody on here bites. Hard anyway!
First, you may want to read http://digital-photography-school.co...rum-rules.html
We will need your EXIF, and only one image per thread to critique.

First off, on your composition. When composing shots such as this, you really want to decide what your subject is. For both of these, I can't decide if your subject is the lady, or the blossoms. New photographers, including me, tend to try and get "everything" in. More is not usually better. Since this is a portrait, you will want to crop the image to just above her head. You will still have plenty of the blossoms in the frame to be able to show the environment as well.

On to the lighting. The sun was at her back, and to your left. From the looks of the hot spot on the back of her jacket, it still looks like it was fairly high in the sky, which was still pretty harsh. This created some pretty strong contrast across her face, which is undesirable in portraiture. This type of lighting is really tough to shoot in, and most people will recommend shooting more in the shade, where the light is more diffuse, and softer.

Another thing. The eyes are a major element in portraiture as well. Although I like the glasses, as it shows a little attitude, I would like to see more eyes.

I took the liberty and adjusted the one where she is looking more in to the camera to give you an idea of what I am talking about. I will take it down of you wish.
Keep on shooting! You are doing a good job for a start!

thank you for the really good critique....im starting to build my arsenal of gadgets like flashes and reflectors to capture good photos....i just need to learn how to use them properly....thanks