Take your best shot (First Photo Post)

[FiveD]

OK, I am a tough critic so don't you hold back. I am looking for honest feedback. I am a serious armature not really inspiring to be professional, but rather to produce the best I can through this media. Obviously I put effort into Photoshop as well as the capture. I would appreciate critique for both disciplines.

Thank you

[Dante King]

Hey! Welcome to POTN. Here it is.

From your post it does not look like the eyes are in focus and the highlights under the eyes accentuate this fact.

Lose the selective color. Hokey IMHO.

Whats with the name on the print. Is like cowboys belt buckles? Hokey IMHO.

Has this shot been run over with a painting program? Left hand looks really funky.

Composition is nice.

Contrast is nice.

Pose is nice.

I would like to see the original. Think you need to up the post size to 800 on the long end. this makes critique much easier.

[COKE CAN]

Hey! Welcome to POTN. Here it is.

From your post it does not look like the eyes are in focus and the highlights under the eyes accentuate this fact.

Lose the selective color. Hokey IMHO.

Whats with the name on the print. Is like cowboys belt buckles? Hokey IMHO.

Has this shot been run over with a painting program? Left hand looks really funky.

Composition is nice.

Contrast is nice.

Pose is nice.

I would like to see the original. Think you need to up the post size to 800 on the long end. this makes critique much easier.

Ok Dante, watch what you say about Hokies! lol

Sorry I'm a VA Tech fan ;)

To the OP, I really think Dante covere everything. The most important being the resolution. It's hard for us to really see the details with such a small picture. If it's a matter of limitations on file size of attachments, please check out www.imageshack.us

[jra]

Pic is really nice but focus may be a bit off (it's often tough to tell in a scaled down pic). The selective color of the violin doesn't seem to work real well here either, it doesn't seem to have a purpose. Selective color draws strong attention to one particular part of a photo and I don't feel that the violin should be drawing the attention in this photo. Otherwise, it is a great photo...I really like the pose, the angle and the lighting.

[NatsRoses]

I actually like the selective color if it highlights something special for the young man. If it's just a prop then lose it. I would not color the eyes though. I totally agree with Dante regarding the front hand, it looks very strange. I would like to see the original prior to PP. Nice pic though!

[Rumrunner]

Overall, I like the photo more than I don't. A couple things I don't like is the selective coloring here, and the contrast between the subject and background.

I think selctive coloring is more for an abstract kind of photo; usually when the subject is not looking into the camera and it's not meant to be a portrait.

The contrast is very high between the subject and background which can be fine if there is strong lighting involved.. But, here there is not very much contrast on the subject itself which means that strong lighting does not exist here. There is strong contrast here, but not the right kind, the contrast you have here is more of a white to black from a color perspective. Good contrast comes from lighting, not taking a flat image an deceasing the range between white and black. If you look close at it, I think you'll see what I mean. Because of the overprocessing, it almost looks like the image was cropped and pasted into a different background.

I did a quick pp, I hope you don't mind...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rrrr/Zach.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rrrr/Zachcopy.jpg

[FiveD]

Howdy Ya all,

Yep! I was born in good ole So. Calif.

I am at work and just wanted to check in on the feedback, you are all too cool and I take bits and pieces from each and everyone of you. Thank you.

Correct, the hand is funky. The violin is really part of the main subject, "Zach" for Zachary just graduated from musical arts and it was my gift to him and his family. The soft focus is an effect from a cross hatch layer in Photoshop. I do need to upscale the original for your future critiques.

More later, back to the job that pays :cool:

Thank you all,

Soon, Steve

[txdude35]

Welcome to the forum, first of all.
Second, if the soft focus is a layer effect you might want to erase the effect around the eyes, as others have pointed out. Looks like you have some kind of painting effect as well on the bottom half of the picture that makes the hands and the bottom of the shirt look a bit off. I'm certainly no pp wizard, but it just looks off to me.
No fan of selective color here, but that's just my opinion. If the family likes it, keep it.

Keep posting, looking forward to seeing more from you.

[D. Craig Flory]

Ok, my take on your image:

#1 The background is out of key with the shirt. It should have been a hi-key or pastel background. (or a deeper shirt)

#2 I would have liked seeing him playing the violin instead of such a static pose.

#3 I like his name on it ... senior portrait ?

#4 The lighting is way off. Next time try using a black reflector to make one side of his face darker to get a good ratio. I would have liked seeing a 3:1 ratio.

I'd like to see a pose like this with my points taken into account.

D. Craig Flory PPA Certified, Cr.Photog., ASP
floryphotog@mindspring.com

[FiveD]

Craig,

Thanks for the tips (especially with the reflector ratio comment)

Although this is my first photo post, I see alot of value in all your comments which will benifit my growth. Thank you.

Hey Txdude,
I am in process of moving my family to Austin. My only concern has to do with the beauty I find here in the Sierras (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, etc).
Any tips on landscape in the Austin region? I am now really stretching and thinking of a strong telephoto and some rodeo action? (Seriously)

Steve