Rebecca Jayne near Lake

[ChrisAdval]

Rebecca Jayne Outdoors 01 by Chris Adval, on Flickr
EXIF Data

EXIF
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T2i/550D

Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1000th)
Aperture f/1.8
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias (Exposure Compensation) 0 EV
Flash: NO
Exposure Program Manual
Exposure Mode Manual
White Balance Manual/Custom
Lens EF50mm f/1.8 II

[oldwolf]

Is there a question?

This might help a bit.

Critique Forum Rules

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

Is there a question?

This might help a bit.

Critique Forum Rules

overall critique, I'm looking for any form of improvements on this photo... such as the face for me isn't sharp enough how can I get that sharper? Better lens or/and higher aperture?

[graciousness]

Your sky is overexposed and more noticeably, she is green.

You needed to expose for the sky first using using high shutter speed (start at maximum flash sync speed) in manual mode to get the desired exposure on the sky, and then use fill flash on your model. Particularly in this case where her fringe (bangs) are a little bit over her eyebrows and creating shadows in her eye area, fill flash would be desired.

Why was your shutter speed so high? 1/1000? And then you had your lens at the widest aperture and with prime lenses, that's not the sharpest number to use. I'd use three stops above the maximum f/stop on your lens (I think) to get more sharpness. Also, at such wide aperture and if you are doing hand held, you will have more difficulties focussing. Your DOF is so narrow and unless you are very confident taking photos handheld and you really need to use maximum aperture on this lens, use a tripod.

I think your focus was around her shoulder area that's why her face /eyes aren't as sharp.

I'd fix that overall green tone on the image, especially on her skin. She is so pale that the green tones make her look ill.

You need to use your external flash (I am assuming you have one) and bring your umbrellas/softboxes with you on location shoots if you want better lighting and pop on your models.

[Niresangwa]

Originally Posted by graciousness

Your sky is overexposed and more noticeably, she is green.

You needed to expose for the sky first using using high shutter speed (start at maximum flash sync speed) in manual mode to get the desired exposure on the sky, and then use fill flash on your model. Particularly in this case where her fringe (bangs) are a little bit over her eyebrows and creating shadows in her eye area, fill flash would be desired.

Why was your shutter speed so high? 1/1000? And then you had your lens at the widest aperture and with prime lenses, that's not the sharpest number to use. I'd use three stops above the maximum f/stop on your lens (I think) to get more sharpness. Also, at such wide aperture and if you are doing hand held, you will have more difficulties focussing. Your DOF is so narrow and unless you are very confident taking photos handheld and you really need to use maximum aperture on this lens, use a tripod.

I think your focus was around her shoulder area that's why her face /eyes aren't as sharp.

I'd fix that overall green tone on the image, especially on her skin. She is so pale that the green tones make her look ill.

You need to use your external flash (I am assuming you have one) and bring your umbrellas/softboxes with you on location shoots if you want better lighting and pop on your models.

+1, great advice.

I'd also add that the pose looks awkward. Be wary of losing a limb behind her body, otherwise she can end up looking like an amputee. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm guessing that's not what you were going for.

In addition, having her look out of frame makes the pose feel forced and overall, it looks stiff. I know you use baby models from MM etc, so maybe this one wasn't too experienced? Idk, just feels rigid and aimless.

[oldwolf]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

overall critique, I'm looking for any form of improvements on this photo... such as the face for me isn't sharp enough how can I get that sharper? Better lens or/and higher aperture?

Hard to tell from a small picture what was in focus. You're f/stop is a bit low for a portrait IMO. That 1.8 is really low and when you recompose whatever you had in focus before isn't going to be in focus because of the low f/stop due to the shallow DoF.

Lens generally aren't their sharpest at their lowest f/stop.

[Superherosmommy]

her skin color is off a bit.

[ChrisAdval]

Thanks a lot guys, I'll play with the white balance in lightroom sometime today. As for the aperture, at the time I took the shot it was only my 3rd or 4th shoot outdoors, not very experienced shooting outdoors so I was attempting to have very silky smooth bokeh I just need to find that medium where its great bokeh and very good sharp levels on the model's faces.

Originally Posted by graciousness

Why was your shutter speed so high? 1/1000?

it was f/16 bright so I had to compensate with the sun and at the time I was inexperienced with outdoor portraits and I was trying to learn making silky smooth bokeh portraits so my focus was just having the lowest possible aperture to get the best possible bokeh. At my next outdoor shoots I'll attempt using f/2.8 instead or when I could afford a 70-200 f/4 L lens then I would shoot in f/4 and focal length at 200mm to compress the foreground.

[graciousness]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

it was f/16 bright so I had to compensate with the sun and at the time I was inexperienced with outdoor portraits and I was trying to learn making silky smooth bokeh portraits so my focus was just having the lowest possible aperture to get the best possible bokeh. At my next outdoor shoots I'll attempt using f/2.8 instead or when I could afford a 70-200 f/4 L lens then I would shoot in f/4 and focal length at 200mm to compress the foreground.

Forget the sunny 16 rules. Learn how to shoot in ambient light by underexposing the sky and then fill flash on your subject. A better lens is not going to help you achieve this, but rather better technique and use of gears.

I wouldn't even think about bokeh in this kind of outdoor shot. Exposure is the key and use of additional lighting if required. You use low f/stops as it is that you are blurring your backgrounds and that's what matters. A better background away from super bright sky or use of shade should be the main concern if you want your photo to work in this outdoor shot.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by graciousness

Forget the sunny 16 rules. Learn how to shoot in ambient light by underexposing the sky and then fill flash on your subject. A better lens is not going to help you achieve this, but rather better technique and use of gears.

I wouldn't even think about bokeh in this kind of outdoor shot. Exposure is the key and use of additional lighting if required. You use low f/stops as it is that you are blurring your backgrounds and that's what matters. A better background away from super bright sky or use of shade should be the main concern if you want your photo to work in this outdoor shot.

at the time and still am trying to only use natural/ambient lighting outdoors to master for day shoots just cause I don't want to jump to many different aspects of lighting without mastering one part like natural lighting only. I'm slowly expanding into other parts of lighting techniques outdoors like my next shoot I'll play around with using my reflector if I have someone with extra hands (or for a headshot have the model hold it). I did play with using flashes on my first outdoors shoot but I think that technique I think should start after mastering the use of natural lighting. Also battery use = cash is stuck in my mind right now so hence the reasoning behind not using flashes anymore outdoors on trade shoots.

As for the shade yea didn't have any with this awesome looking background of the lake, I had full power of the sun going in and out of the spot and when a cloud went over it I went in quick for a few shots that last only 5min.