Fun at Angel Falls

I don't have permission from the person in this shot so I'm posting a photo that doesn't show her face. Any suggestions for shooting portraits at waterfalls anyone? This isn't the best quality since I need to reduce the quality for the web.

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Shooting portraits at waterfalls has much the same requirements as regular portraits. Get the eyes and face in focus, grab a compelling moment. This looks like it could be a compelling moment, but you're missing the face/eyes. Was there a reason why you couldn't call to her and ask her if you could take her picture? Give her your card and offer to send her a snapshot. The other aspect of watery portraits is to get the water so that it doesn't quite hide the face, but adds a nice distortion/masking effect so as to convey a strong impression of place.

The shot is slightly overexposed. You have little detail in the water at her feet due to this.

My suggestion would be: Don't crop in so tightly...I would like to see more of the falls and surrounding area.

I agree, to bad her head wasn't titled a little more upward, and perhaps not as close a crop..

Nicely done.

joedlh wrote in post #15117439
Shooting portraits at waterfalls has much the same requirements as regular portraits. Get the eyes and face in focus, grab a compelling moment. This looks like it could be a compelling moment, but you're missing the face/eyes. Was there a reason why you couldn't call to her and ask her if you could take her picture? Give her your card and offer to send her a snapshot. The other aspect of watery portraits is to get the water so that it doesn't quite hide the face, but adds a nice distortion/masking effect so as to convey a strong impression of place.

The shot is slightly overexposed. You have little detail in the water at her feet due to this.

Thank you Joe, she knows that I was taking her picture but I need to ask permission before I post a photo with her face on here. I will see what I can do about the exposure. Thanks so much for your feedback.

rrblint wrote in post #15117467
My suggestion would be: Don't crop in so tightly...I would like to see more of the falls and surrounding area.

Thank you rrblint, I thought that since this shot was about her then I should zoom in more on her than the surrounding area. I think I have a shot that includes more of the falls.

Bianchi wrote in post #15117753
I agree, to bad her head wasn't titled a little more upward, and perhaps not as close a crop..

Nicely done.

Thanks for your CC Bianchi. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

Lonestarlady61 wrote in post #15120594
she knows that I was taking her picture but I need to ask permission before I post a photo with her face on here.

Is that POTN thing? or a personal agreement between you and her?

get a model contract make everyone sign you can....I had my whole family sign one....then post away...regardless if its free or not....

I'm actually going to disagree with the consensus on this one. Oddly all the "rules" you broke, to me make this a more compelling photo! I LOVE THE HAT! I don't need to see her face, to me this image isn't about her so much as a simple reminder of how powerful nature really is and that we can merely hang on and try to endure it. The drastic red vs the subtle greens, the sharp outline of her upper body vs the blur of the steaming water -- I like it all.

I think you could have tried closing down the aperture and extending the shutter time to smooth out the water more, or contrastingly sped things up to freeze time. This shot, which again for whatever reason I really like, feels like you just took a picture with little thought into framing or exposure. It's kind of in the "middle".

I do have a strange urge to watch Indiana Jones now though...:p

KirkS518 wrote in post #15123158
Is that POTN thing? or a personal agreement between you and her?

We didn't agree on anything KirkS518 but out of consideration for her I don't think I should post anything showing her face without her consent. I have since talked to her and she said it's ok.

stanclark wrote in post #15123586
get a model contract make everyone sign you can....I had my whole family sign one....then post away...regardless if its free or not....

I don't usually shoot portraits Stanclark but she asked me to shoot a few of her. So that's why I don't have model contracts and wouldn't even know where to get one.

Bassun wrote in post #15125976
I'm actually going to disagree with the consensus on this one. Oddly all the "rules" you broke, to me make this a more compelling photo! I LOVE THE HAT! I don't need to see her face, to me this image isn't about her so much as a simple reminder of how powerful nature really is and that we can merely hang on and try to endure it. The drastic red vs the subtle greens, the sharp outline of her upper body vs the blur of the steaming water -- I like it all.

I think you could have tried closing down the aperture and extending the shutter time to smooth out the water more, or contrastingly sped things up to freeze time. This shot, which again for whatever reason I really like, feels like you just took a picture with little thought into framing or exposure. It's kind of in the "middle".

I do have a strange urge to watch Indiana Jones now though...:p

I really like this photo too Bassun for some reason. I think mainly because I caught her in an unguarded moment. I have very little experience with portraits and she was having trouble staying still for the time it took to get a long exposure. So I was shooting and hoping that at least a few turned out. I didn't realize that she wanted me to take some photos of her until we got there. So I wasn't prepared for that. The area I was in is very muddy and slick with very little room to move. If you go too far you end up in mud up to your knees or falling over the edge.