robertfarnham Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Please tell me if you can infer something about this woman's character from this portrait. If yes, take a guess - that way I know if I've been successful or not! Thanks. Rob<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photobyalan.com Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 She's reasonably comfortable having her photograph made. Sorry, that's about all I can glean from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oofoto Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 She's a Supermum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yance_marti Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Not much to go on Bob. From the half-smirk, I would say she has a slight sense of humor but is not necessarily an entirely fun person because of the crossing of the arms. Maybe she is sadistic in a way? Crossed arms is a pose typically associated with moms just before they tell you to go to your room because you were bad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_macdonald Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 She's a female executive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hans_beckert Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I agree with Bob, that she is some kind of no-nonsense businesswoman... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I would suggest raising both the camera & key light in the future,both seem a bit low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina_looney Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Confident, straight-forward, happy but not giddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_dewberry Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 She turns her wrist to the inside to check the time on her watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_strong3 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 She has a self-confident look to me. I'd guess she handles quite a bit of responsibilty on the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary evans Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Seriously, when you ask character questions, I think "Would she pay for that item if there was no one tending to the store?" To me, that is a test of character, and this implies nothing to me. I like the photo, but I don't know what you want us to infer about her character... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth_prince Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Don't know what her character is like, but I can read her mind. She's thinking, "Damn, that guy Seth Prince is one fine, young stud. I'd like to take him for a romp in the hay." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twmeyer Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 "Can you guess what she's like? "... yes I can <i>guess</i>, but that would reveal nothing about her and a lot about me... and <i>you</i> for even asking this question in the first place. And my odds of being right would probably be as good if I didn't even look at the photograph.<p>I think I can surmise more about you from this exercise (and I'll certainly have more fun): you're hetero sexual, possibly married or recently seperated from a serious committed relationship. You like and respect women but put them on a bit of a pedestal and are intimidated by their beauty, you'd like to be a professional photographer doing editorial or corporate photography and you have some interest in figurative and fashion photography, but haven't yet developed the confidence, or the skills to actually look for these jobs, or to ask women to sit for figurative work... but you soon will. They will love your photographs, and you'll keep your hands on the camera. You will marry a beautiful woman (again?), who will refuse to be photographed. You won't care... t (I used to write for a fortune cookie company and J.Peterman) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twmeyer Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 and your monitor needs calibrating... t<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertfarnham Posted February 4, 2004 Author Share Posted February 4, 2004 Thanks for all for the interesting comments. I asked the question because I recently had a discussion with someone about what key ingredients are required to make a good portrait vs simply make a good photo. The topic of identifiable character or personality came up, naturally. I was testing this particular photo for the sheer hell of it. To Steve Levine - I wish I could raise the key light - this is an unfortunate side effect of my low basement ceiling. My wife wouldn't appreciate migrating my makeshift studio to the upper reaches of our house. Yes, Tom, I am married. Yes, she doesn't particularly enjoy being photographed, as you can tell from the look on her face here: http://www.photo.net/photo/1414154 The other inferences you make about me are close: pedestal? - yes it's true I love women...guilty as charged; intimidated? - I think I'll need to be around far more beautiful women to truly test this one out - I'll get back to you; wanna be a pro? - well don't a lot of people who haunt this site?; confidence? - I'd love to have more but I don't know if I could handle the responsibility; skills? - working on 'em - and your additions to this site have helped quite a bit thank you very much. I won't tell you anything at all about Karolyn. More fun that way :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Robert,its a good portrait.The low key light has the catchlights a bit low(2 or 10 O'clock is typically used).Also the low camera,shows a little too much "under chin". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
._._z Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I'm guessing she can tell time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsbc Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Rob: yes your monitor needs calibration. Tom's rendition is a HUGE improvement for those with profiled monitors. I have just calibrated mine using the Eye-one and the result is shocking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twmeyer Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Robert, re: CW... I know that look well. Much of my "guessing" about you is just describing components of me, and a fairly standard profile of "a man with a camera". We are as transparent as film... t<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige_buddy Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 well Robert, if it helps you take more pics of your wife, tell her some guy on photo.net reckons she scrubs up rather well! (colour by Tom of course) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil r calgary ab canada Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 hi other then correcting the colours, i love creating black and white photos noworries about colour balancing, but on that question whether I can tell what her character is like? can only tell from what's she's wearing, a plain black shirt, maybe an actor even, what her expression on her face is usually telling, confident, dunno about stud thoughts, maybe more a neutral gaze of no-comment, definately has an air about her of being all about time is money and dead honest stare relaxed enough do a casual photo, maybe a reflection is cast of the photographer in all our portraits, confident but low key in whatever mood we happen to be at the moment, energy is felt by the model and vice versa, just a thought, who knows where thoughts come from they just appear:) cheers phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falvarez Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 She laughs a lot, and is (would make) a great mother and wife. GOod sense of humour, and a lotta luv. felipe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandonhamilton Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 The crop is too tight on the top. Just a tad bit of her hair is chopped off... thats the only real distracting thing I can see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 Robert, I like your shot. I could easily see it in a corporate annual report where the company was trying to convey approachability while retaining some decorum. I like this woman's face a lot. She appears intelligent to me and subtly witty which makes her quite appealing and adds dimension to her beauty. The other poster may be right in that reveals more about me than her. But, the photo isn't about me it's about her, so you have to take it on face value (no pun intended). The blue cast to your shot may be somewhat the result of spill from the background as well as your need to calibrate your monitor. Nice shot because it shows some character in the face rather the emptiness often seen in portraits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertfarnham Posted February 11, 2004 Author Share Posted February 11, 2004 Just bought myself a Colorvision Spyder and have calibrated my monitor. I think the problem was two-fold...the color temperature was set incorrectly and my eye isn't trained enough to recognize when the colors are off. Getting there slowly, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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