[bertwert]

Perhaps Yuri Leo could elaborate and share some tips on how the OP could improve, if not this shot, then the next.

Here's a quick screen grab where I cropped out (roughly) what I felt were some extraneous bits. What do you think?

I quite like that crop, thanks for sharing your ideas!

[JHfwp]

I quite like that crop, thanks for sharing your ideas!

Thanks. I deleted it when I saw that Yuri had expanded on his thoughts. Glad you found it helpful!

[Yuri Leo]

@Yuri Leo;

Your comments are not helpful in any way shape or form, you might as well have said "This picture is trash". I post in this section to receive constructive criticism, notice the word 'constructive'. Constructive criticism, as opposed to just criticism, helps the author (in this case me) to improve there image with recommendations. Plainly negative comments with no suggestions do not help me improve my photography, I'm here to learn. Mike's comments are wholly welcome as he is trying to improve this community and explain to you how to help others. I suggest you read these posts here before commenting further in this section of the forum: About the Photo Critique Section - PentaxForums.com and Example Guidelines for Critiquing - PentaxForums.com

Yes, I already understood that criticism here is perceived extremely negatively. I hope for your progress in portrait photography, since my remarks do not interest you.
Regards

[bertwert]

Yes, I already understood that criticism here is perceived extremely negatively. I hope for your progress in portrait photography, since my remarks do not interest you.
Regards

It is not that your remarks do not interest me, it was the fact that they were not helpful for my improvement. In fact, your next set of remarks (about the photo) come in as a great help to a learning photographer, which is the constructive criticism myself and others are looking for.
Cheers.

[BigMackCam]

Yes, I already understood that criticism here is perceived extremely negatively. I hope for your progress in portrait photography, since my remarks do not interest you.
Regards

Yuri - your constructive, helpful critique is most certainly welcome here, and you obviously have photographic skills that can be very helpful to others if you care to share them. Flat criticism offered without any help (which is how your initial reply came across) is indeed viewed negatively. That's the difference, and your constructive critique was, I'm sure, helpful not just to Bert but to others reading this thread

[RGlasel]

looking forward to feedback.

I'm also not a portrait master but I do like that you captured an interesting expression on your friend's face and having him turned slightly to one side with the railing behind him is actually pretty good technique for taking a portrait. My suggestions would be to increase the exposure a bit, maybe half a stop and to crop off the top of the canyon bank to have him fill more of the frame. You will end up with about a 4:3 image, but that's still good for a portrait.

How long was your stay in Whitehorse?

[bertwert]

I'm also not a portrait master but I do like that you captured an interesting expression on your friend's face and having him turned slightly to one side with the railing behind him is actually pretty good technique for taking a portrait. My suggestions would be to increase the exposure a bit, maybe half a stop and to crop off the top of the canyon bank to have him fill more of the frame. You will end up with about a 4:3 image, but that's still good for a portrait.

How long was your stay in Whitehorse?

Thanks for the suggestion.

I was there for 7 weeks but didn't get to leave the town, working at the Whitehorse Cadet Training Centre.

[Schraubstock]

A portrait of a friend, looking forward to feedback.

I just say it the way I see it without wishing to provoke anybody's ire.
There is not much wrong with this picture and there is not much right with it either. With this diplomatic gobbledegook out of the way I would like to offer the following observation.

First and foremost I see it as a snapshot and not a portrait, the kind of which is taken countless time every day around the world. Think of Chinese tourists (and other nationalities of course) who with outstretched arms holding mysterious devices in their hands as if in prayer.

Taking photos in this frame of mind (frame was not meant as a pun) offers very little in the way of creativity. It is a picture which most likely means nothing to anybody else except for the person who took it or the person in the photograph. I must say I have taken snapshots where not even the person in the picture cared and rather see it deleted. That doesn't say much of the photographer, does it.

Having said all that I have to offer one little bit of advise.
There is too much headroom and not enough of the person. That is not to say that there has to be more of the person but the distribution of space and object is not quite right. A good way to explain it would be; if you were to frame this image and hang it on the wall it would very much look like and give you the feeling the person in the picture is slowly sliding south out of the frame.


I do hope I have not been controversial, annoying or rude.


Cheers

[bertwert]

I just say it the way I see it without wishing to provoke anybody's ire.
There is not much wrong with this picture and there is not much right with it either. With this diplomatic gobbledegook out of the way I would like to offer the following observation.

First and foremost I see it as a snapshot and not a portrait, the kind of which is taken countless time every day around the world. Think of Chinese tourists (and other nationalities of course) who with outstretched arms holding mysterious devices in their hands as if in prayer.

Taking photos in this frame of mind (frame was not meant as a pun) offers very little in the way of creativity. It is a picture which most likely means nothing to anybody else except for the person who took it or the person in the photograph. I must say I have taken snapshots where not even the person in the picture cared and rather see it deleted. That doesn't say much of the photographer, does it.

Having said all that I have to offer one little bit of advise.
There is too much headroom and not enough of the person. That is not to say that there has to be more of the person but the distribution of space and object is not quite right. A good way to explain it would be; if you were to frame this image and hang it on the wall it would very much look like and give you the feeling the person in the picture is slowly sliding south out of the frame.


I do hope I have not been controversial, annoying or rude.


Cheers

I see your points, and this is helpful.

Cheers )

[Schraubstock]

I see your points, and this is helpful.

Thanks

[ChristianRock]

Regarding the composition, I think that for a snapshot, it should have included more of the ambience (step back a bit) and have the background more in focus. For a portrait, it's not quite close enough - I would have tried to get a bit closer to your friend to take the picture - which would also isolate the background further.

You did one thing I have to watch mysellf not to do: use the center focus point, focus on the subject (in this case your friend's eyes) leaving it dead in the center. I've done it plenty of times and I usually go over my pictures hoping I had recomposed after focusing!

I'm sure it works very well as a memory of the trip though

[aT0Mx]

A portrait of a friend, looking forward to feedback.
F2.8, 1/400s, ISO 200.

Not bad on the colour. Maybe pay more attention to the "rule" of thirds.

One other thing, if you go that low you want to not try to cut his hands off. Google "photograph where to cut off"

[bertwert]

Regarding the composition, I think that for a snapshot, it should have included more of the ambience (step back a bit) and have the background more in focus. For a portrait, it's not quite close enough - I would have tried to get a bit closer to your friend to take the picture - which would also isolate the background further.

You did one thing I have to watch mysellf not to do: use the center focus point, focus on the subject (in this case your friend's eyes) leaving it dead in the center. I've done it plenty of times and I usually go over my pictures hoping I had recomposed after focusing!

I'm sure it works very well as a memory of the trip though

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'll have to remind myself of that as well, recompose after focusing

[bertwert]

Not bad on the colour. Maybe pay more attention to the "rule" of thirds.

One other thing, if you go that low you want to not try to cut his hands off. Google "photograph where to cut off"

Thanks for the pointers!

[Outlander]

if was my shot , I would have had the subject turned more to the left , his left not mine , and would have placed his left arm on the railing while looking off into the distance , I like that it was shot on an overcast day for no harsh shadows on the subjects face , with the river in the background I would have made it a Landscape shot to put more of the river in the shot , but that's me , Smart looking young man I'm assuming from the crest on his jacket he's a Cadet ! hope this helps, still leaning the Art of portrait myself !! Cheers Alan