Self-Portrait

[miyukisarah]

Hello! I've been gone for a while. I plan to start posting much more often again though. So here is my first piece after my absence. This is a self portrait, of me playing my guitar. (As I'm sure you can tell.) I've been messing around with colors lately. I really like this whole film-feel to my pictures. Kind of makes me think of analogue photography. Anywho. Is the coloring and vignette effective? And I know it isn't completely in focus, but I like the effect it has on it. So a critique on atmosphere and coloring technique would be great. Thanks!

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel t1i
Shutter: 1/15
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO: 1600
Metering: Partial

[sk66]

I wouldn't call it a portrait...
But as for "feel/effect", I think it works/has good potential.

[miyukisarah]

Why wouldn't you call it a portrait?

[MrJones]

it's a great photo and I like it a lot, but it's not a portrait..
"A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant"

no face here...

[miyukisarah]

I would actually disagree that a portrait has to include the face. Like your definition says, it is a representation. This is a representation of who I am. And it is me, even if you can't see my facial features.

[MrJones]

does it really matter how you call it?
It's a great photo, that's the important part!

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by miyukisarah

I would actually disagree that a portrait has to include the face. Like your definition says, it is a representation. This is a representation of who I am. And it is me, even if you can't see my facial features.

I fully agree with this (and it'll be part of PartIII of my recent blogs). To me, a portrait, is a representation of a person, period. Whether or not it has a face matters not to me personally. You can crop in and concentrate on one particular detail or aspect of their personality, and I still think it'd be a "portrait" .. Let's not constrain ourselves with the rules and definitions of what a portrait is as long as the portrait says something about the subject, which I think is the whole point.

Having said that.. and though I love the concept of your image, I don't particularly like it. I feel it's too cropped on the left (your right hand is chopped off) and I don't like the wood thingy at the bottom cutting into the frame. I like that the focus is on your hands, a lot, but I also find the background a bit distracting.
As for the colors.. I for one am all about color manipulation and love crossprocessing, but I feel the colors are a bit strong here.. I would have liked a bit more subtle colors.

In the end, I think it's a great idea and a nice "personality" portrait.. I just wish the composition were a bit better.
Keep thinking outside the box!

[sk66]

While a portrait does not have to include the face, it usually does.
When it does not it places the individual in a setting which gives definition "to the individual"...e.g. an environmental portrait. (what fuzzy was calling a "personality portrait")

In either context the "portrait" gives something defining about the individual in context. The reason I would say this is not "a portrait" is because it is more about playing the guitar and not much "about you". You are largely removed from the image, as is the setting/environment... The context/ relationship is largely broken.

Had the image included the face, even blurred, and more of the setting I would call it an environmental portrait.

[highlydope]

Why is the ISO so high? There's a lot of noise in the photo and I believe that's the culprit.