Gorgeous!

[Skoropada]

well, that's what I'd like you to say, as this is my self portrait



Camera: Sony A200
Focal Lenght: 50 mm
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/160 s
ISO 100

I took this picture while playing around with my flash, trying to achieve differente looks.
I'm OK with the lighting, but I'm sure it can be improved.

I know that many of you may say "loose the glasses" but I took it past midnight so the glasses make the picture a little more flatering.

Anyhow, what I'd like you to critique is the pose and the crop of the picture. As you can see, I'm not skinny in any way, so any tips on how to pose and get a better look will be appreciated.

Also, any other thing that you find worth pointing out, please, do so.

Thanks!

[o.pulido]

It looks too dark for my taste, especially around the head/hair -the detail is completely lost. As for the crop, well, I personally would have included a little more of the left shoulder/arm (your left), because the way it is seems a bit akward. And don't forget to smile, it'll liven up your appearance.
Keep in mind these are my personal observations (I'm in no way an experienced photogrpher), but I hope this helps a bit. Hopefully, you'll get more experienced tips here soon.

[deck]

If you're aiming for a flattering picture then I agree with O.pulido about smiling, it would definitely make a difference!

What I would comment is this, unless you're going for the scary mood, don't light from below... always try to emulate the sun, by lighting sideways or a bit highter

I suggest you study on a few things about lighting setups like broad lighting or short lighting

[Skoropada]

Thanks for your comments!

I tried to improve my self-portrait, and this is what I got:



Camera: Sony A200
Focal Lenght: 50 mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/160 s
ISO 200

Is it any better?

[deck]

Big improvement from the first one
Good Job!

[Skoropada]

Originally Posted by deck

Big improvement from the first one
Good Job!

Thanks Deck!

I've never been much of a people person, so portrait photography is particularly tough for me.
I know that I can further improve the last picture by chosing a beter wardrobe, tweaking the lighting and probably changing the background.

But I'm almost totaly clueless in regards of posing and attitude. Do you know of some book, web site or any other material that can improve that knowledge?

Besides, and specifically about this last picture, why do you think that it works better than the first one? Is it because of the lighting, because of the lack of glasses, because of the pose?

I'm eager to know!

Thanks in advance!

[deck]

You have to be a people person to do portrait photography, good thing it's something you can learn.
Yes you can improve the photos by lighting, background, clothing, posing and emotions. But not limited to those
There are a lot of articles in DPS about posing and making subjects comfortable, try to do a search.

Correct lighting made the second photo more pleasant looking. The pose is kind of awkward though, you should try to work on that.