[molotschna]

So I posted these images a few hours ago and after exploring this part of the forums realized that I had broken nearly every rule for posting images. So I deleted that post and have started this one to better conform to the rules.

I've attached my favorite three images from my first portrait shoot, which I did earlier today (or yesterday now). I'm looking for advice on what I did right and wrong.


I'll also include a link to the full set of usable images from the shoot right here, although in conformance with the rules the album isn't for critiquing, only for context.

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[Rees]

For portraiture, the subject should be the main point of interest.
In photographs one and the three, the light source is clearly from the right and is not balanced. If the subject cannot be moved, the use of a reflector to the left of the subject would eliminate the shadowing on the left of the subjects face.
The depth of field should be adjusted to blur the background more and make the subject the point of interest.
Photograph two is the most natural of the three poses, however the background is far too cluttered. The use of a backdrop would have made the point of focus on the subject, or better use of the depth of field by making the fussy background more blurred.
For portrait's of people, try to encourage the subjects to fully open their eyes and for the photographer to make the point of focus on the eyes of the model.
Hope this was of some help to you.

[molotschna]

Thank your for your comments, Rees, any help is greatly appreciated. Your points about depth of field are all well-taken. I was using a homemade reflector to bounce light back in front of the subject in the first and third shot -- would I have been better off moving the reflector to the left (from our perspective)? Wouldn't that have added shadow to the right?

I'll say, while I agree that the lighting might use a good moving (and the background could definitely be blurrier), I'm less concerned about the lighting as I am separating the luminosity between the subject and the background. While balance has always been a hangup for me, is that coming into play here? What can I do to work at fixing that?

[slackercruster]

Purdy girl, nice colors and contrast!

[Rockinghorse Winner]

For portraiture, the subject should be the main point of interest.
In photographs one and the three, the light source is clearly from the right and is not balanced. If the subject cannot be moved, the use of a reflector to the left of the subject would eliminate the shadowing on the left of the subjects face.
The depth of field should be adjusted to blur the background more and make the subject the point of interest.
Photograph two is the most natural of the three poses, however the background is far too cluttered. The use of a backdrop would have made the point of focus on the subject, or better use of the depth of field by making the fussy background more blurred.
For portrait's of people, try to encourage the subjects to fully open their eyes and for the photographer to make the point of focus on the eyes of the model.
Hope this was of some help to you.

I love your suggestions; I am taking notes!

[Ash]

She is a willing model.
I agree with Rees and suggest that you have enough physical separation between the subject and any background matter to make the portrait more effective. Also consider your composition as #1 looks like it's an intended slant on the subject, but the axis of the subject could have been even more along a diagonal in the frame rather than just off centre. Also bear in mind your point of focus. It must be right on the eyes to be most effective, but at times this causes the tip of the nose to be out of focus if your depth of field is shallow. Try to ensure enough DoF to maintain sharpness throughout the subject matter but not enough to render the complementary background too sharply if it only serves to provide a non-distracting backdrop.

[molotschna]

Thanks Ash. I seem to be having some real trouble getting things in focus -- almost everything in this shoot seemed at least a little out of focus. For some it made sense as I was using a manual lens, but others were shot with my Pentax 18-55mm 1/3.5-5.6 which is auto focus. It seems to me that based on relative clarity of the background (which has already been noted as a problem) the depth of field isn't too narrow, it's just not encompassing my desired point of focus. Am I correct in thinking this? What should I do to correct it?