How can I improve this portrait...Suggestions?

[mermaidshells]

Hey everyone! This is my first post (*cherry pop!*) and I'm curious as to what you all might have to say about this portrait. I'm an exceedingly green photographer but having a blast at it. However, I'd really like to improve, and what better way than a critique. So my dears what I'm asking for here when I say critique is this: Nit pick. Tell me exactly what's wrong. Tell me exactly what's right. Be as sugary-sweet or bloodcurdlingly brutal as you wish! So without further ado LAY IT ON ME



And THANK YOU to those of you who even take the time to look at my photo! Cheers to you!

[Benji]

You will find most people who comment on these images use their grandmother's advice of "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all" so they say "nice job" and think they have done you a service and they have made a friend. Granted everyone likes comments like "nice job" or "great shot" or "wish I could shoot that good" and if the image is all of those wonderful! However, an amateur getting a near perfect portrait is like an amateur golfer getting a hole-in-one the first time out.

Critique. First of all good focus and white balance! However, the image is almost two stops underexposed. His shoulders are turned so far away from the camera that there is not a solid base for his head to rest on. The lighting is from overhead skylight which leaves dark shadows in the eyesockets (Raccoon eyes) but highlights his nose. The camera position was rather low as we can see up his nostrils.

All of these points are from a professional standpoint and one would not expect you to even know most of these things.

Benji

[kelticsol]

Originally Posted by Benji

Critique. First of all good focus and white balance! However, the image is almost two stops underexposed. Benji

How do you tell that the image is underexposed rather than the WB being off just by looking at the photo? I know about the histogram. Just wondering if there are some tips an experienced pro might have. Is this an experience thing. Because to me it looks like the image has a tint to it.
I'm at work and can't play around with it right now either. Just trying to learn from your experience.

[mermaidshells]

Critique. First of all good focus and white balance! However, the image is almost two stops underexposed. His shoulders are turned so far away from the camera that there is not a solid base for his head to rest on. The lighting is from overhead skylight which leaves dark shadows in the eyesockets (Raccoon eyes) but highlights his nose. The camera position was rather low as we can see up his nostrils.

All of these points are from a professional standpoint and one would not expect you to even know most of these things.

Holy WOW! Benji Thank you so much for telling me all this! I'm glad that my white balance and focus is good (because I've been a bit worried about it being 'off'), it's a relief to know I'm getting better at it!

Like kelticsol, I do have to wonder how do you know if something is underexposed? Is there a way you can tell or possibly a way to check it before you take the image? I know these are probably really green questions but they're something I've been a little stumped by to begin with. Any input on that would be lovely

For lighting on the go (aside from the obvious flash) what do you suggest?

Thank you so much again Benji - I really appriciate the thought, time and effort you put into this crit <3 !

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by mermaidshells

Like kelticsol, I do have to wonder how do you know if something is underexposed? Is there a way you can tell or possibly a way to check it before you take the image? I know these are probably really green questions but they're something I've been a little stumped by to begin with. Any input on that would be lovely

That's what your in-camera's meter is for.

As you're looking through the viewfinder, when you press the shutter halfway, you'll see a bunch of numbers/etc. Look for this:




Adjust your ISO, shutter speed and aperture till it lines up at zero.

Don't worry about "green" questions - we all learn something new every day! Hope this helps. You got a pretty good critique from Benji, too.

[mermaidshells]

OMIGOSH!! SusanH1970 thank you so much for this! I feel a little sheepish admitting this but I had no earthly clue what those numbers were for (and the little instruction book was just confusing)! I had no idea that exposure check was what those numbers were used for! Thank you so much!! You can bet I'll be checking that from now on!

YAY Learning!!!!

[SandeeWig]

Good critique from Benji ...which is exactly what I would've told you had I seen your post first (okay not exactly...I don't have even a 1/10th of the experience he does, and probably would've missed a few of those things, but anyway, I digress) ...and ditto what Susan said on using your exposure meter.

The one thing I did want to add was, for portraits, you may want to widen your aperture a little (smaller f-number) to decrease the depth of field and create a more creamy, bokeh background. This would also help with your exposure.

And also, when asking for critique, please be sure to include your exif data (which I retrieved from the flickr file), per the critique forum rules. Thanks!!

[Benji]

Originally Posted by kelticsol

How do you tell that the image is underexposed rather than the WB being off just by looking at the photo? I know about the histogram. Just wondering if there are some tips an experienced pro might have. Is this an experience thing. Because to me it looks like the image has a tint to it.
I'm at work and can't play around with it right now either. Just trying to learn from your experience.

Fisrt of all you can't tell if the image has a "tint" to it unless your CRTs screen has been calibrated in the last 30 days. Mine was calibrated about six months ago!

OK, how to judge exposure. Fisrt of all you must have one of the more expensive versions of Photoshop. I have CS4, so assuming you have one here we go.

1. Right click on the posted image and save it to your computer. I save them to my Web Image file.
2. Open the image, then take the Eyedropper from the Tool Bar at left, then go up to the top of the page and click on "Window" then "Info" then hover the Eyedropper over the brightest area of skin on the subject while looking at the pop up box. You want to read the "R" reading. If the portrait is properly exposed the brightest area of skin should read between 236 and 240, and the darkest area in which you want detail should read between 32 and 60. Each stop has a value of 32. In the above image, his nose is the brightest area of skin and it reads about 200. His hair reads 0. Had the exposure been about 1 and 1/3rd stops more it would have been properly exposed.

I shoot exclusively in Raw so I can play with the exposure later, but I also use a hand held meter and most of mine are within 1/3rd of a stop of being properly exposed.

Benji

[SandeeWig]

Originally Posted by Benji

.... If the portrait is properly exposed the brightest area of skin should read between 236 and 240...
Benji

Is this true of all skin tones?

[kelticsol]

That's exactly what I was looking for Benji. THank you.

I was just curious how to read it from a photo you are looking at on the web. A handheld meter is next on my list. Thanks for all the good info everyone.