warm summer day

[lyndajean]

This picture of my friend was taken when i was still learning how to use my camera. i had it on the "portrait" setting on the camera - so the f stop and etc were chosen by the camera, not by me manually.

i can see now that the pic isnt as sharp and her eyes are a tad lost.. but is there anything i can do to make this picture go from an ok snapshot to a good portrait? i tried diff. crops and converted to B&W and sepia, which is ok but i'm interested in what all you pros have to say!


Nikon D5000
34mm
F/10
ISO400
1/200 sec
No flash - outdoors, natural light

Original: http://flickr.com/gp/50757238@N04/RD38Pc

B&W Crop: http://flickr.com/gp/50757238@N04/33vYs0

Sepia Crop: http://flickr.com/gp/50757238@N04/d4r33d

[NicolaB]

Hi there. Not a pro - just a v new beginner, so choose to do as you wish with this!

The first lesson my posting taught me, was to look at the background so that things do not appear out of my subjects head (i had a table protruding!).

I haven't got much further than that to give qualified advice. So for what it is worth.... If you know how to shoot in manual (?) or are daring enough to try, a larger aperture would give more background blur and draw the focus to the subject. I prefer the crops.

Pretty girl

[MrJones]

ok, a few things:
1. as Nicola suggested - keep the background in mind, it's still a part of the photo.
2. composition - don't put object straight in the middle of the photo. read this section and get a good idea of what's interesting and what's not: Composition Tips
3. again, like Nicola suggested - a larger aperture would blur the background and get you more focus on the model.
4. it looks like you have a nice bench there, I would have included it in the photo..

sorry if I'm harsh but I know I like to get as much input as possible for my photos, the only way to learn

[wal]

I agree on the composition tips and background object. Just want to add, the aperture is too small, and 34mm is not natural for portraits.. try using 50 or above. focus sharp on the eyes and follow the rules of third when framing as a starter..