Jen in the Botanical Gardens

[katia]

I have been having quite a lot of fun lately with taking portraits. I feel I'm improving and hope that keeps happening, especially as spring comes around!

I just wanted to know what you all thought about this portrait I did



How is the exposure and WB? I know the branches are not ideal, but I don't think I'm skilled enough in cloning to get rid of them without it being glaringly obvious.

Any other comments and critiques are welcomed!

The rest of my favorites from this shoot can be seen here.

Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture f/2.8
Focal Length 105 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV

[Naala]

I really like it, Im no professional but I think the exposure is great.
I would try framing it a little off center, to the right. And I dont know about bottom crop, I would frame it a bit lower and then crop up if it didnt work.
But the light is really wonderful and I like it a lot

[IABoomer]

I'd also like to see her a bit to the right and with the composition angled down a bit to get rid of a little headroom and make the crop at her right knee not so awkward.

The exposure and skin tones are great, though. The depth of field is well done where she pops from the background, yet she's fully in focus from her boot in front all the way to the back of her head that the viewer can see.

[EmyB]

I'm not a professional but I actually don't mind the leaves at all. I think they add interest and colour and are blurred enough not to look like they're coming out of her head!

I really like the look of the frosty background.

[litenphrame]

The WB is good. Skin tone is very nice. Her hair is the proper color, not toned strangely yellow or bluish. She has a very appealing smile! I'd crop a slight amount from the top half and some from the right, as others have stated. Her hands are not in awkward positions, but pleasantly placed. The branches are not a problem for me just too much space above her head. It is a very nice shot with a pleasing subject, thanks.

[cyber3d]

Katia, I think you did a great job also. Yet, I believe just about any photograph can be improved. Understanding what i mean as "improved" is subjective of course.

With that in mind I want to show you an edit I did of your pic. Please don't be offended. But, I think it could be improved with a bit of warming, vignette, a touch of blur on the background, and a few other small edits. IMO of course.

Edited: yeah, don't warm it up. Photo edit removed. It's nice as it is!

.

[zona5101]

the catchlights eye whites were the first thing I noticed and not in a good way. Other elements as others have mentioned are very nice.

[spazoid1965]

I have to agree with the masses on having the subject a little more to the right. The limbs don't bother me at all. But you can grop a little tigher on the top to reduce the amout of leaves in the photo. The exposure and WB look great. Please don't try to WARM the photo. The colors are fine as they are.

In the warmer edited photo that someone posted the teeth and eyes look too dingy. and the water looks very muddy and the bokeh highlights seem to fade into the water. IMO.

[katia]

Originally Posted by zona5101

the catchlights eye whites were the first thing I noticed and not in a good way. Other elements as others have mentioned are very nice.

thanks everybody! i was thinking of cropping some off the right & top, but i liked some of the strange patterns made in the bokeh :P

i see most everyone agrees it needs to go though.

funny you shoudl say that about the eye whites, they're SooC. i did add the catchlights though.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by katia

funny you shoudl say that about the eye whites, they're SooC. i did add the catchlights though.

either way, it's noticeable that the eyes were manipulated. You'll get better at it and look back on these edits and cringe. We've had a bit of this conversation before... but to expand... I used to paint with white on a separate layer then reduce the opacity till it looked good... but even then it wasn't really natural. Now (and I am no expert, and like you, learning as I go) My first choice is to dodge the highlight that is there naturally using a small brush to follow the shape as closely as possible. If there aren't any catchlights, I use one of the catchlight brushes that I linked to previously on a new layer for each eye and reduce the opacity in the teens. The write up that went along with it was poor w/ poor examples but the brushes work.