Romance Novel Cover

[Kyp]

I took this picture as a request for a Romance Novel Cover style picture. From that sense I mostly like it, but do you think the sun is overexposed, or does it fit with the picture style? Could the posing or position of the people be better in the frame? I just got my camera in June and didn't have much experience before that, so any feedback is appreciated.



Model: Canon EOS REBEL T2i
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: 2.0
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash Used: No

[snowfalldesigns]

You've got some nice movement going on but his hand looks very strange, almost like it is broken. It may also be her size, but the corset looks buckled and ill-fitting. Maybe not something in your control, but it bugs me (I'm also a costumer so I may be a little picky when it comes to an ill-fitting corset)

[Eastree]

Overall, I think it's a fairly decent photograph.

The first thing that really jumped out at me is the man's arm. Is he bracing it aganst her lower stomach? It's just odd to me. It would probably be better if he had put his hand on her back or waist. I know that's what he's doing with the other to hold her up, but it would give a more emotional element to the pose than it currently has. It could also be used to restrain her corset (something I didn't notice until snowfalldesigns spotted it).

Also, the half-tucked looking shirt is a bit odd. The belt is visible at his back, but then his shirt flops over his waist the rest of the way. but then, it may be caused by the fit of his shirt.

Their bend is also a bit extreme, and that may (partially?) explain the odd position of his hand and shirt. Then again, it *is* imitating a romance novel cover, which may justify the bend!

Otherwise, I think the sun is good enough. If you had exposed it less, the people would have been silhouettes in stead of exposed, and I think either it would have taken a strong color filter on the flash, or a lot of work in post, to get the same color cast, which works very well in the image.

[Kyp]

His hand is actually deformed (his arms are only the length of most people's arms to their elbows) and he only has 3 fingers... and you're right, the corset didn't fit her at all. I actually had to fill in some of it in post because her back was showing. Could I maybe have posed it better to hide his arms more? Or would that have been just as weird?

[Eastree]

I didn't realize his arm is deformed. My only suggestion, if you wished to hide that, would be to have faced both people the other way ... but then, the bend away from the sun is really complimentary to the scene, I think. Turning them would have possibly made things a little odd (compositionally).

[sk66]

Are both arms deformed? Was it shown "intentionally" i.e. to make a point or show "who he is"?
If no, then I would have had them move 180*.....Not to hide the arm, but an arm wrapped around the woman's waist conveys sensuality/closeness/desire.

I think the image is good in concept and not bad in execution. To me it's a bit underexposed overall and the sun is a bit too much...might be able to adjust that in post.

I don't particularly like the building behind them nor the pole coming from the top of his head...

[scubajen]

Ditto to everything sk66 said.

[jpel3500]

No where near a profresional here, but..... what I see is a kiss during a nuclear explosion....Don't mean that in a bad way at all, cause I love the shot. Wonder if you cropped down just a little past her elbow and then removed said pole from male's head.....Just a thought. But I love alot of the things going on in this picture.

JDPelfrey

[highlydope]

Love the look of her hair. I'd crop it tighter to the subject killing the intensity of the sun on the right and correct the exposure. Some fill light might help tremendously. Also, in general, these types of shots typically put their heads right in front of the sun to get that great hair halo and also blot out the sun intensity. If you get the oppty to shoot the scene again, dont include the barn if possible, just get them in front of the sunset.

[Niresangwa]

the sun, tone and flare work well. i constantly seek out shots that are backlit with dramatic skies like this...

...however, they dont work if they leave the subject severely underexposed like this. without access to lighting, preferably off camera so it can be controlled, at the very least judicious use of reflectors (though that would be so hard to do with such powerful sunlight i would never try it), its going to end up looking like it does.

in PP your best bet is to use layers and masks to try and better expose the subjects. if you pump up the exposure to make it work, you're going to lose the sunset. either way when you do it through PP you're introducing a great many more problems to fix than if you had just lit the shot correctly in the first place.

+1 on the arm. no matter the deformity, the photographers job is to bite the bullet and raise the issue and solve it. the guy knows his arm is deformed, he's not going to be as awkward as you might think about it.