First "Model"

[24Freak]

Not technically a model, my friend wanted some photos taken and I - eagerly looking for practice of any kind - offered to take them. This was our first photoshoot, and I will say I normally don't like taking pictures of humans but I think I'm hooked. I had a blast and so did she, even though neither of us really knew what we were doing.

Out of the roughly 130 shots taken, a few really stuck out to me. This one was one of my favorites, but I had a hard time choosing which one to post. This is my first time with trying "official" portraits. I'm looking for anything to help me improve. How is the lighting? Could I have changed the angle to make it better? Could the shutter speed or aperture be changed? What do you like about this picture and what do you NOT like? Be brutal, I'd like to improve.


23mm
1/250
f/8
ISO 100
WB: auto
No flash

Thanks!

[lputman]

The main thing that I see is she is under exposed. A slower shutter speed would have upped the exposure overall and I think it would have benefitted from that. Also, using a flash to fill with the existing shutter speed would have exposed her better and the leave the background.

[BigFuzzy]

I think Lori pretty much nailed it on the head with the flash issue. You can barely see her face which isn't great unless you were planning that. The flash would lighten her up and allow you to darken the background as well. Look into the "Strobist" movement if you're interested in pursuing more of these outdoorsy shots www.strobist.com.

It's also clear you shot at a time when the sun was high in the sky. This flattens the colors in the scenery and on your subject. It's why this image feels a bit flat and harsh to me. So try to shoot with the sun much lower in the sky (either earlier or later in the day, ie the 'golden hour')

You're horizon, unless intentional, should be straight. If the shoes aren't an intentional part of the shot, why would you leave them there. And lastly, though not bad, her pose feels a bit forced and posey... not my cup of tea, but also nothing technically wrong with it.

I'm happy you're enjoying it, and despite all i said (you DID say be brutal), it's a good first step. Keep it up and keep posting here so we can see your progress!

Just remember, almost always in portraits, the most important thing is the face.. that's where people go first (as I said 'almost', there are always exceptions).

[tasmo2]

I agree that she is underexposed.. Also, the hair sticking up at the top is distracting to me. The biggest thing I see is that her face/eyes have no light in them. on here you will hear people talking about catchlights, basically a twinkle in the eyes. To get that you will have to direct some light into her eyes probably with a reflector since your outside. I won't try to tell you how to do that because I just got my reflector yesterday.. LOL! I'm new too! LOL! Im sure someone else will be able to do that!

[SusanH1970]

Agreed with the previous posters. I also did want to add that shooting at 23mm is a really wide angle for portraits and tends to add a lot of distortion, making the subject look shorter and heavier than she probably is. I'd have angled her more rather than shooting straight on, as well. Keep shooting and practicing!

[24Freak]

Thanks so much for all the quick feedback!

I didn't even realize the horizon wasn't straight - such a novice mistake. xD But thanks for pointing that out! As for the shoes and the pose, they were both intentional. I will try to focus more on the face next time, that was the only thing I didn't particularly like about the photo. I was disappointed about the lighting, as well as the sky, but thanks for the advice. I'm looking for that "golden light"!

Allison, I don't know too much about reflectors or how to use them, so I'd have to look into that more. Thanks for all the tips and advice!

[autofocus]

I agree with everything that's already been said, but I would also add that a vertical crop (portrait mode) may have worked better..don't think all the stuff on the sides adds that much to the image. I also think a subject position a little further down the track would have been better...that way the tracks would draw the viewer's eye more into the image. right now, they tend to draw my eye out of the image and off to the horizon

[Brian Mullins]

I'll make a couple comments on the posing (the technical was already mentioned and I agree with them).

You obvisouly have a larger model and with your composition, posing and angle, you unfortuantely didn't help her out much. A few tips (and I hope you understand where I am coming from - pretty girl but your posing is highlighting areas she may not want highlighted):

1 - Shooting a heavier person from below adds weight. A high angle would help with slimming her down a bit.
2 - Having the arms up really accentuates the size of the arms and also draws attention to the larger mid-section.
3 - Having her square to the camera adds more weight... with curvy women you can play up those curves by having her push away her hips from the camera location and be at a slight angle. Now, this depends on if she is thicker then she is wide, so just get a feeling for what looks better.
4- Portraits should start with the eyes... unfortunately we can't see them here from the lighting and the hair.

Hope this helps and I do apologize if it seems offensive - it is certainly not meant to be - jus tbeing honest and clear. Hope this helps!

[24Freak]

Oh no, thanks so much for the feedback Brian! I really appreciate it, especially the specific tips. I'll try and keep this all in mind for the next time!

Again, thanks everyone for all the helpful tips and advice!