People Portrait critique

Calioboe · 02-16-2016, 06:49 PM

Hi all. I'm new to portrait photography so I'm just looking for some good CC. Here are some from a senior shoot I did last week, and a few other portraits from the last few months of friends.
Also would love to hear everyone's lens preferences for similar work!
Thanks!

Attached Images

alamo5000 · 02-16-2016, 07:13 PM

I like the very first shot the best. The framing, the shapes, the eyes... they make for a great photo. It draws you right in. Also the idea of a square-ish crop with the round fur is very appealing.

As for ways to improve I would study lighting more and see what ideas you can come up with. Look on the forum at some of the more advanced better shooters and see how they use light to make their pictures 'pop' and stand out more. It's not just light... it's the kind of light... and when and where that kind of light falls and flows. To take it from good to great will be how you manage the light and how you select what kind of light you will use in both the foreground and background.

To add to that the same thing could be said for the potential use of shadows as well.

---------- Post added 02-16-16 at 08:18 PM ----------

On the very last shot of the girl with the cello tell me more about that one. What lens did you use? Did you shoot it holding the camera horizontal or vertical?

That shot has a lot of potential as well, but I want to get more information before I start offering advice.

**robgski** · 02-16-2016, 07:33 PM

Overall, very good. I agree about the lighting helping make the figure pop from the background, some side or backlighting lighting in the last 2 shots would set the subject apart a bit more. The first 3 shots are really good, the hood is a great frame, and each only needs a little reflector to place a little more light on the face, especially the eyes. Reflectors are really sublte, as opposed to flash, I've been experimenting with improvised reflectors and natural light for a while now, I'm ready to purchase a good portable reflector.

**clackers** · 02-16-2016, 07:58 PM

Nice, Calioboe! The soft tones work really well, but for the third you should see what you can do with extra contrast, getting that wall white instead of murky grey.

clicksworth · 02-16-2016, 11:39 PM

Perspective on the second and third. Maybe try further back with a longer lens to fill the frame.

**Tonytee** · 02-16-2016, 11:57 PM

Originally posted by Calioboe

Hi all. I'm new to portrait photography so I'm just looking for some good CC. Here are some from a senior shoot I did last week, and a few other portraits from the last few months of friends.
Also would love to hear everyone's lens preferences for similar work!
Thanks!

They are all very nicely done. My personal favorite is the second to last. I think this lovely lady could have been posed a bit better. Perhaps with her right elbow on the edge of the chair with her right hand supporting the back of her head. A wider smile with a little teeth showing would have added a great deal to the portrait. Also, I would have left out the instrument. To me, portraits are personal and should not have any distractions. Speaking of which, you did a marvelous job shooting in a way that has no shadows. That in of itself is quite an accomplishment. I have no doubt you will be a wonderful photographer and I am looking forward to viewing more of your work.

Thanks,

Tony

Calioboe · 02-17-2016, 07:30 AM

Originally posted by alamo5000

I like the very first shot the best. The framing, the shapes, the eyes... they make for a great photo. It draws you right in. Also the idea of a square-ish crop with the round fur is very appealing.

As for ways to improve I would study lighting more and see what ideas you can come up with. Look on the forum at some of the more advanced better shooters and see how they use light to make their pictures 'pop' and stand out more. It's not just light... it's the kind of light... and when and where that kind of light falls and flows. To take it from good to great will be how you manage the light and how you select what kind of light you will use in both the foreground and background.

To add to that the same thing could be said for the potential use of shadows as well.

---------- Post added 02-16-16 at 08:18 PM ----------

On the very last shot of the girl with the cello tell me more about that one. What lens did you use? Did you shoot it holding the camera horizontal or vertical?

That shot has a lot of potential as well, but I want to get more information before I start offering advice.

Thank you for your comments. And yes I'm definitely still learning about light and have been studying other people's work that I love as much as I have time for!
The 77mm was used for all the images. The last was shot vertically.

alamo5000 · 02-17-2016, 04:45 PM

Originally posted by Calioboe

The 77mm was used for all the images. The last was shot vertically.

While I don't know for sure I would experiment some. A straight forward horizontal shot from the same angle and everything in that last shot might produce even more perception of depth.

K-9 · 02-28-2016, 07:45 AM

In the first two portraits, you see more light on her hood and lower face. As light draws the eye, you don't want someone looking at your photo to look at these spots first. Keep the most light on the eyes.

The 3rd portrait looks like even lighting, but seems a little cold. Watch where people place their arm. In this case, she is pressing the back of her arm too much on the chair, causing her skin to bend and wrinkle. She also looks like she is leaning a little awkwardly into the chair. Have her sitting a little more upright, without resting her weight back on the chair would have benefitted this portrait.

In the 4th outdoor portrait, watch what converging lines in the background go into your model's head. If you used a larger aperture, you could have blurred the building lines a little more, as to not notice the one going directly into the top of her head. Ideally, you'd want her head to be in front of the center of a window, but I know in this shot, it would throw off the symmetry of where she's standing.

02-16-2016, 06:49 PM	#1
Calioboe New Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 6	Portrait critique Lens: Pentax 77mm limited Camera: K3ii Hi all. I'm new to portrait photography so I'm just looking for some good CC. Here are some from a senior shoot I did last week, and a few other portraits from the last few months of friends. Also would love to hear everyone's lens preferences for similar work! Thanks! Attached Images

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02-16-2016, 07:13 PM	#2
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	I like the very first shot the best. The framing, the shapes, the eyes... they make for a great photo. It draws you right in. Also the idea of a square-ish crop with the round fur is very appealing. As for ways to improve I would study lighting more and see what ideas you can come up with. Look on the forum at some of the more advanced better shooters and see how they use light to make their pictures 'pop' and stand out more. It's not just light... it's the kind of light... and when and where that kind of light falls and flows. To take it from good to great will be how you manage the light and how you select what kind of light you will use in both the foreground and background. To add to that the same thing could be said for the potential use of shadows as well. ---------- Post added 02-16-16 at 08:18 PM ---------- On the very last shot of the girl with the cello tell me more about that one. What lens did you use? Did you shoot it holding the camera horizontal or vertical? That shot has a lot of potential as well, but I want to get more information before I start offering advice.

02-16-2016, 07:33 PM	#3
robgski Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,796	Overall, very good. I agree about the lighting helping make the figure pop from the background, some side or backlighting lighting in the last 2 shots would set the subject apart a bit more. The first 3 shots are really good, the hood is a great frame, and each only needs a little reflector to place a little more light on the face, especially the eyes. Reflectors are really sublte, as opposed to flash, I've been experimenting with improvised reflectors and natural light for a while now, I'm ready to purchase a good portable reflector.

02-16-2016, 07:58 PM	#4
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Nice, Calioboe! The soft tones work really well, but for the third you should see what you can do with extra contrast, getting that wall white instead of murky grey.

02-16-2016, 11:39 PM	#5
clicksworth Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 150	Perspective on the second and third. Maybe try further back with a longer lens to fill the frame.

02-16-2016, 11:57 PM	#6
Tonytee Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 21,455	Originally posted by Calioboe Hi all. I'm new to portrait photography so I'm just looking for some good CC. Here are some from a senior shoot I did last week, and a few other portraits from the last few months of friends. Also would love to hear everyone's lens preferences for similar work! Thanks! They are all very nicely done. My personal favorite is the second to last. I think this lovely lady could have been posed a bit better. Perhaps with her right elbow on the edge of the chair with her right hand supporting the back of her head. A wider smile with a little teeth showing would have added a great deal to the portrait. Also, I would have left out the instrument. To me, portraits are personal and should not have any distractions. Speaking of which, you did a marvelous job shooting in a way that has no shadows. That in of itself is quite an accomplishment. I have no doubt you will be a wonderful photographer and I am looking forward to viewing more of your work. Thanks, Tony

02-17-2016, 07:30 AM	#7
Calioboe New Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Originally posted by alamo5000 I like the very first shot the best. The framing, the shapes, the eyes... they make for a great photo. It draws you right in. Also the idea of a square-ish crop with the round fur is very appealing. As for ways to improve I would study lighting more and see what ideas you can come up with. Look on the forum at some of the more advanced better shooters and see how they use light to make their pictures 'pop' and stand out more. It's not just light... it's the kind of light... and when and where that kind of light falls and flows. To take it from good to great will be how you manage the light and how you select what kind of light you will use in both the foreground and background. To add to that the same thing could be said for the potential use of shadows as well. ---------- Post added 02-16-16 at 08:18 PM ---------- On the very last shot of the girl with the cello tell me more about that one. What lens did you use? Did you shoot it holding the camera horizontal or vertical? That shot has a lot of potential as well, but I want to get more information before I start offering advice. Thank you for your comments. And yes I'm definitely still learning about light and have been studying other people's work that I love as much as I have time for! The 77mm was used for all the images. The last was shot vertically.

02-17-2016, 04:45 PM	#8
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	Originally posted by Calioboe The 77mm was used for all the images. The last was shot vertically. While I don't know for sure I would experiment some. A straight forward horizontal shot from the same angle and everything in that last shot might produce even more perception of depth.

02-28-2016, 07:45 AM	#9
K-9 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,971	In the first two portraits, you see more light on her hood and lower face. As light draws the eye, you don't want someone looking at your photo to look at these spots first. Keep the most light on the eyes. The 3rd portrait looks like even lighting, but seems a little cold. Watch where people place their arm. In this case, she is pressing the back of her arm too much on the chair, causing her skin to bend and wrinkle. She also looks like she is leaning a little awkwardly into the chair. Have her sitting a little more upright, without resting her weight back on the chair would have benefitted this portrait. In the 4th outdoor portrait, watch what converging lines in the background go into your model's head. If you used a larger aperture, you could have blurred the building lines a little more, as to not notice the one going directly into the top of her head. Ideally, you'd want her head to be in front of the center of a window, but I know in this shot, it would throw off the symmetry of where she's standing.