Portrait (ISO1600)

[cloudless]

http://cloudless.net/gallery/albums/2004_11_21_Pie/IMG_3090.jpg
http://cloudless.net/gallery/albums/2004_11_21_Pie/IMG_2982.jpg
http://cloudless.net/gallery/albums/2004_11_21_Pie/IMG_3006.jpg
More in my gallery:
http://cloudless.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=68

[Don Ellis]

The more I process photographs, the more I process photographs -- meaning that the longer I do photo enhancement, the more attention I pay to removing those details that might take the viewer's eye away from my subject. (Although it's always best to eliminate what you can before pressing the shutter.)

In all three of your photographs, there are things that distract me from your focus.

In the first photo, it's the hole above her head. And the bright lights along the left. I think this one could be improved by cloning out the hole, brushing the entire left side to black, and recropping... beginning in the lower-right corner and moving the crop up until the lower-left corner is where the railing starts along the baseline. That might also eliminate that spot of light at the top of the railing.

In the second photo, the blurry thing captures all my attention. I want to know what it is and why it's there. It overwhelms the girl..

In the third photo, the mirror effect isn't great enough to pull my attention away from trying to figure out what the upside-down writing is on the barrel.

The good news is that I'm sure you can do better. You have a nice subject, good equipment and a flair for different shots. Please also realize that it's just one man's opinion.

Cheers,

Don

[cloudless]

Hi Don, thanks very much for your comment. You're right about the distractions in my photos, I will try to avoid those things in the future.

In the second photo, the blurry thing captures all my attention. I want to know what it is and why it's there.

That picture was actually taken behind a door with some vertical bars. I guess it would help if I increase the DOF. I'm in the process of learning how to include more foreground and background objects into a portrait, to make use of the environment to tell more about the subject.

[Don Ellis]

Hi Don, thanks very much for your comment. You're right about the distractions in my photos, I will try to avoid those things in the future.

Hi again... I tried that "black" suggestion I made on the third photograph and it was awful. :shock: Ignore that suggestion. But the tighter cropping and cloning out of the hole above her head worked well enough.

I think another thing that would help is having the model look a little more relaxed, more natural, instead of mysterious and alluring and posed. The third photo benefits greatly from that look.

Good luck.

Don