Portrait

[monicadraper]

I have a canon 500D, and only have the canon 50mm 1.8 lens until I can afford more. I just want to here what people think of this shot. I just barley started taking pics and need all the advice I can get. Thanks
ISO 100, 50mm, 0 EV, f2.5, 1/200.

[sjlivson]

In general, I like it. My only complaints are that the composition is a bit too tight cutting off the top of his head and that overall the picture is a bit overexposed. I would like it darker.

[monicadraper]

Thanks for that tip. What do you think of the overal composition or sharpness? I feel like my photos aren't crisp enough

[JFSanders]

Overall composition is fine and the part that is in focus is tack sharp. You have nailed his eyes sharp, but the DOF is so shallow at 2.5 that you cannot get his whole head in focus at that distance to subject. So that may be what is causing you to think you are having a problem with focus.

The exposure is spot on to slightly overexposed this is easily changed in post as you have no blown highlights. The image would view better slightly darkened in the midrange of the histogram as it will make the colors more saturated.

Nicely done.

Jim

[monicadraper]

That makes sense. I was playing around with my DOF and got a little carried away. I love blurred backgrounds but I should have backed off a little to make him more sharp thank you.

[DMW0004]

did you do much post? his eyes look really unnatural to me but maybe they are just colored contacts or something.

[roostabunny]

Off hand, I think it's great. Interesting and very charming.

I'll be a little contrary following my fellow critiquers...

Composition:
I'm perfectly OK with cropping out the top of the head, but I'd prefer if he weren't centered in the frame. I even think it could work quite well with a portrait orientation, he just wants to be off-center some. Anyway, you could play around with some off-center crops and see if any grab you.

Focus
I actually don't think you quite nailed the focus. At least, not if you were aiming for perfect focus on the eyes. I think the eyes are a smidge soft while the eyebrows, forehead, and hairline are tack sharp. At 50mm and f/2.5 at this distance (assuming this isn't a crop) it's easy to have that happen. I could be wrong about the eyes - maybe it's the processing that's making them look soft to me, but I think there's some lost detail in the iris and that that awesome catchlight could have a really sharp edge if the focus were nailed on the eyes.

Side note: Nailing focus on the eyes is not easy to do. That 50mm f/1.8 is an astounding lens for the money (I use mine constantly, only swapping in the kit lens when I need a wide angle to capture a whole scene) but the focus is not the quickest or the most accurate. And even at f/2.5 it's very sensitive to your movement (even breathing), the movement of your subject, the phase of the moon, etc. Just saying. I got frustrated, then moved past it. Bottom line, nailing eye focus will take a bit more skill and practice with this lens (especially with the shallow DOF we love for portraits), but the results are worth it, and I think you're really close! IMO, there's no such thing as too shallow DOF for portraits, as long as the eyes are perfect.

Exposure
I'm OK with the bright exposure as an artistic choice because you seem to have detail in all the highlights. Because he's fair and the background is mostly bright, it has an effect much like "high key" photos, which tend to feel upbeat - a very fitting mood to your subject's smile. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing a truer black in some of the shadows, but like I said, if you want it bright, then I think it works.

[monicadraper]

wow thanks for the helpful tips, very insightful and i appreciate it

[PhotoGnat]

Great shot btw, and it looks like everyone else pretty much covered everything else. The only thing I would point out is the eyes, its pretty obvious that they had been touched up, just around the edges of the iris you can see where you didn't color, and it looks like you colored the pupil in too so it looks a little off to me. That's the only thing I can see to add

[millephil]

lots of great advice. i would have placed him slightly more to one side,
not so sure about the vid blue eyes.
bigger f stop, but im going over all the other replys now..........oh, how about black and white and boost contrast..blah blah!!!
Phil