2 Portraits

These are in natural light. Both shot with the 24-70. First one was taken at 1/40 f7.1 ISO 1600 Exposure Comp -2/3 43mm. Second was at 1/640 f4.5 ISO 100 50mm. Both are not edited. Please let me know what I could have done better. Thank you.

Adam

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I like the second picture better. Probably because of the lighting I guess. Indoor lighting seems too fake in a normal room even thought she does have some nice shadows.

The young lady has near perfect lighting. The angle of the light coming from above and to one side gives the best depth of facial contours and best 3 dimensionality. The exposure is a little low - could be just a bit brighter overall.

I also acknowledge the excellent control over the background - it is unobtrusive and harmonious in color, and best of all there are no tonal merges with the hair line.

Swinging around to the left a little and having her head follow the camera would put just a little more light into the eyes and perhaps provide a catch light in the eyes.

She is beautiful and is perfectly posed.

The only thing wrong with the light is that it is too harsh. That is, it is producing some small hot spots on her right forehead, cheek and nose ridge. Those hot spots would not be quite so hot if the light were from a northern exposure. I suspect that this was direct or near direct sunlight coming through a window.

I really like this excellent portrait better than the one to the right.

The sailor is in direct sunlight, which is much, much too harsh (contrasty) - it even makes him squint. Far better would be to find open shade for outdoor portraits. There is always open shade available somewhere - you just have to consciously look for it.

You will find open shade on the north side of a building. The idea is to be shaded from the direct rays of the sun but have bright open sky above your subject. This gives the softest lighting and eliminates the deep black shadows (like those seen on his left cheek and neck.

Thank you for your inputs. The first one was taken on a cloudy day outside in a bus-stop-like booth in a park. The lasger version actually has quite a bit of noise. Going to have to get some noise reduction software soon...

I really like the lighting on #1. As Robert mentioned, #2 is lit too harshly.

BTW - There are several free noise reduction packages available. I use Neat Image.

Thanks. I'll look up Neat Image.

Another free one that I have found to work equally well is
Noiseware Community Edition by Imagenomic

Thanks Bob.

Both are good. A little fill flash in #1 would've put nice catchlights in her eye. I like photos of people looking more at the camera, but that's personal taste.

Prefer the first one, more character. The sailor guy looks bored.

BTW, isnt that Cuba Gooding Jr.?

Thanks again everyone. I can't learn fast enough.

Although the first pic is technically better, i'd say the second had more potential to be a great shot.

If you had used a portable reflector to fill in the shadows a little on the sailor and captured a slightly better facial expression it could have had a depth that the first one, being a standard indoor portrait, is missing.

Good point. Thank you.