Hayley.

Messing around...teaching myself portraiture

Comments?

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Nice one Mat.
Just a couple of items in the nitpicking department: contrast (punch it up a tad) and background (a different one or blurred out one).

Cheers from up north!

I agree - some more blurred background would be nice and there's a lot of dead space on the left, right and top - a different, tighter crop will put her larger in the frame which I think would look better

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good portrait.. nice work

I agree that a tighter crop would work better. Too much dead space on top IMO

First a diffusion panel camera left to knock down those harsh highlights on the chin nose cheek etc.
As said above crop tighter your subject is the young lady.
On your reflector from camera right get it up higher so that it does not create that harsh shadow to the camera left of her nose, it makes her nose look bigger than it is.
Have the model sit up straight, (arch her back). Pick a more neutral color for a shirt and nothng with a logo on it.

Open up your f number to blow out the background as best you can, and focus on the eyes. Her shoulder angle to the camera (and head too) are OK but experiment some.

Also watch her smile if it gets too big her eyes will disappear. While we are at it m(sorry not trying to be mean) get her eyebrows done and some basic make-up would help immensely. Nothing heavy is needed just enough to knock down the shine and even out her color.

I hope this helps,

Les Baldwin

Thanks Guys! (makeup was not an option...it was kinda...spur of the moment )

Looks like you took this with your super wide, right? Portraits usually are not take with wide angle lenses - at least not single person close up shots.

Wrong actually..it was with the 75-300...at...80...ish?

Cybnew wrote in post #2183524
Wrong actually..it was with the 75-300...at...80...ish?

Then it's just the branches in the background curving that gave the effect. The background is too busy and cluttered. Try a simplier back drop.

everyone's got the advice covered... so all i can say is i agree with them?

haha, nice going.

...and crop it a bit