B&W Portrait Shot

cc welcome ... thanks for looking

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well for starters I can't imagine her eyes are completely black..

Shadow on the Door wrote in post #13662610
well for starters I can't imagine her eyes are completely black..

not as dark as they look in this shot - but she does have very dark eyes - i tried lightening up her eyes just a bit - but not pleased with that result - thanks for the comment ...

why not brighten them in post then? it's really taking away from the shot.

Shadow on the Door wrote in post #13662754
why not brighten them in post then? it's really taking away from the shot.

good advice - thoughts on the edit?
thx

looks better, wish she was smiling though, kind of has a depressing mood to it.

Her expression is that of depression or contempt. The composition is not bad, however there's a bit too much contrast between her hair and her face. The contrast in her hair is not bad, a bit harsh, but it's okay. The contrast in her face is nonexistent. It all blends.

As far as the eyes go, the black pupils don't bother me, it's the white of her eyes. It is the whitest/brightest spot of the whole picture. I get the idea that it does draw in the viewer into the eyes, but you're breaking the picture.

I'm not looking to rip into the picture, but offer honest criticism. When processing a picture, don't loose yourself with one area of a picture. Step back, take a break, come back and take another look and see if what you're doing is working.

Also, step away from vignetting. If you really must do it, do it lightly.

***Edit***

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1114718

Check out her work. Look at the way she uses her darks and lights. It's universal and by that I mean that nothing jumps or feels out of place. It's like a beautiful landscape that gradually peaks and valleys.

ratempa wrote in post #13665326
Her expression is that of depression or contempt. The composition is not bad, however there's a bit too much contrast between her hair and her face. The contrast in her hair is not bad, a bit harsh, but it's okay. The contrast in her face is nonexistent. It all blends.

As far as the eyes go, the black pupils don't bother me, it's the white of her eyes. It is the whitest/brightest spot of the whole picture. I get the idea that it does draw in the viewer into the eyes, but you're breaking the picture.

I'm not looking to rip into the picture, but offer honest criticism. When processing a picture, don't loose yourself with one area of a picture. Step back, take a break, come back and take another look and see if what you're doing is working.

Also, step away from vignetting. If you really must do it, do it lightly.

***Edit***

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1114718

Check out her work. Look at the way she uses her darks and lights. It's universal and by that I mean that nothing jumps or feels out of place. It's like a beautiful landscape that gradually peaks and valleys.

Thank you - love the feedback - it's how we improve ourselves - you nailed it - I was going for contempt - ...
The style is a copy of a picture taken 35 years ago of her mother - the white of the eyes were the same in that shot - the eyes were extremely dark (darker than the edit) ...
Thanks again for your excellent feedback ...
Phil