Indian Girl Portrait

Took this photo at a Cultural Festival of India. Posted it in People section but not many comments so am looking for C&C...

I think you should brighten her eyes and it will make this photo really pop. Lovely girl.

Ok, so you used the flash on this one, and did a nice job of fill lighting it. My only issue is I (as usual) don't like the background, and so pumping up the flash so you can drop out the background more would have been my preference. There is so much detail in her eyes, and her costume, it all gets into a competition with the stuff in back. She would pop ever so much more if you could have diffused the light and gotten up yet another stop or two brighter then than background, it may have given her more separation from the stuff in back.

Then again - I could be completely wrong on this one.

Croasdail wrote in post #14721656
...pumping up the flash so you can drop out the background... She would pop ever so much more if you could have diffused the light and gotten up yet another stop or two brighter then than background...

Thanks for the suggestions. Question, how would I achieve what you mentioned? Is it by making use of more flash power? If I did that the wouldn't her skin look too blown out?

You would raise the flash power but lower overall exposure by the same amount so that the exposure on your subject remains (theoretically) constant but the background becomes darker by however many stops. I suppose that using one of those aftermarket flash diffusers could help to prevent hot spots.

You also could have increased your shutter speed, and gone to HSS. That will help do away with/reduce the ambient (background).

I thing the background is fine. It's blurred enough for good separation. But as I said, the eyes need more pop. How's this?

Qbx wrote in post #14722246
I thing the background is fine. It's blurred enough for good separation. But as I said, the eyes need more pop. How's this?

Nice one! I like the eyes much better now. I will have to do this with my copy. Thanks.

Blur is not the only, nor often the main factor for distracting ones attention away from a subject. You can have bright blurred object that causes visual confusion just as easy, or sometime even more so because it is blurred.

Now this is just me, but I think for this type of portrait, the DoF is almost too narrow here. He shoulder is out of focus as well as her pearls. Anyway.... 6 or half dozen... matter of preference.

I wouldn't have changed the ratio unless I could get the flash off camera. I like the lighting as it is.

Interesting perspectives and preferences. Not to undermine anyones comments here - I do prefer the photo as I posted (plus eyes brightened). Again, it just *my* preference.

The suggestions that have been made to brighten up the subject and blurring the background more are great ones; I will keep those in mind and attempt next time I get an opportunities.