Pre-ceremony living room portrait

I don't often post images for feedback but thought I'd post this image from earlier today. This was taken at the house

just after the bride had gotten dressed. Thoughts and comments are welcome.

Submission glitch.....here's the image.<div></div>

Its a well posed, fresh, happy look. Well done. your exposure was dead on. Often getting a nice formal shot in a home is difficult. You made it look easy!

I agree that it's a well-lit and expose photo as well. You might consider, however, doing a soft focus application in Photoshop to soften her skin a little. Keep everything else sharp, but soften up the skin a little. You might out the dots on

her left shoulder as well. They can be a little of a distraction. Overall, though, is a very nice portrait. I'm sure the bride will

be very happy with it.

Opps, edited verrsion:

I agree that it's a well-lit and expose photo as well. You might consider, however, doing a soft focus application in

Photoshop to soften up her skin a little. Keep everything else sharp, including her eyes, teeth, hair, and flowers. You might

also clone out the dots on her left shoulder as well. They can be a distraction. Overall, though, this is a very nice portrait.

I'm sure the bride will be very happy with it.

Very nice. I would not soften the skin or remove the "dots" as Bakari suggests, as that is how she is. Many people would take offence at being "over-photoshopped".

Sorry for my opinion, I still learn, but is a good way to learn when I critique; this is a very good portrait, but I want to ask you something what bother me in some of my portraits to and I still have problems to avoid it: the shadow under the chin is not to strong?. Is adding contrast and is put up the face but I still think is a strong contrast there.

I like it and until Simona pointed it out I didn't notice the shadow under the chin and on her arm under the bouquet. With the bouquet so close I might be difficult to get some fill light under there. For my part (did I say I like it), as she appears to be sitting at the end of a couch or chaise I would like to see a similar pose either without flowers, hands touching, or with her left arm following the line of her torso to expose more of the lovely gown.

David, if you like, I'd be happy to download your photo, soften up the skin, and remove the blemishes to show you what

type of improvement it would make on the photo. It is not "over-shopping" the photo. It's doing what good photographers

always do, and that is make your client look appealing without changing who she really is. You can show both versions of

the photo to the client, and I guarantee you she will select the soften version. The technique is one I learned from Scott

Kelby, and it's extremely easy to do.

David, considering you are going to do another five hundred or more pictures and this was done in the living room, I would move

on. It's a nice picture. Her eye makeup could have been a little better as it is dark under the lower lids but that's out of your

purview. I guess it could be corrected in PS but when I start something like that I am never satisfied with what I do. It is a nice

picture and I would do nothing with it. It's very hard to say what a customer will and won't like IMO.

Not good. Could her bouquet of been any bigger? Too close up to my liking, as it doesn't flatter her at all.

> for feedback <

 

Hi David.

 

Having seen some of the work you have posted as samples to embellish your comments, and having read many of your comments - this is something I interpret you would have caught (almost) on the run.

 

The Bride was there and the scene was lit ``quickly``.

 

There is good control over: exposure, framing, pose, rapport, communication and composition - but the lighting is a bit flat and the shadows intrusive - so that`s a technical appraisal.

 

I expect it is one of several and captures and is just simply a moment in time: rather than being a fully controlled Portrait - and also a moment in time.

 

I am not sure what feedback you wanted, but if your consideration is to leave it in or to take it out - if it were mine, I would leave it in - it is a moment in time, and very likely the Bride (or Groom) will like it.

 

***

 

Ah! After writing my comments I just read all the others:

 

Personally, I would not play with the shadows - especially the one under the chin - it gives dimension to the face.

 

The large bouquet doesn`t bother me personally, and moreover, from a sales perspective I have found coverage of Bouquets and the Wedding Gown, very important.

 

And funnily enough, I kinda mimic Dick Arnold`s thoughts :)

 

WW

WW that's because (forgive me) we are old.

No apology necessary -

 

The forgiveness (and the linkage to ``old``) was implicit in the fact I decided to noted we were copying each other`s manuscript !

 

Actually, the (other) hook which I threw out, to David, and I am really interested in the answer to, is:

 

``why`` this particular image for comment?

 

WW

Good question for David.

Thanks to everyone for the feddback and interest in the image. It was one of many portraits taken at the house and I

did take almost 600 more images after this one. I selected the images because I loved the eyes and the general feel

I had with the moment. The lighting and technique was uber-simple, more photos from the event are here:

dwesleyportraits dot smugmug dot com/gallery/6630607_aXr2U#422923600_a2pdU

 

The wedding itself was alot of fun and I experienced a personal first: at the reception I enjoyed the company of 5

couples whose wedding I had the honor of covering. Many of the babies and youngsters were a result of those

marriages. I first shot a portrait of Melissa as a young teenager at the first wedding I covered with this group of

family/friends. Then, used my PS skills to remove an eyebrow piercing and I presented a print of the image to her

parents. I'm probably most pleased with my sequence of images during the "presentation to Mary" near the end of

the ceremony. I'll likely finish with post processing the wedding by tomorrow or Tuesday.

Ah! - ``rapport and communication``

 

WW

It is very difficult to shoot spontaneous portraits well...so you have done a nice job. If you ever want someone to be

second shoot for you, look me up. Regards, Steven

David - really nice, I wouldn't change a thing. I second the 'no problem with the floral' as we've used images like this in conjunction with the florist as sales tools. --Rich

Above her left eye is a line that runs to her forhead.. Is that a stray hair? I would take care of that with PS. Other that that, nice.

Decent.

> I selected the images because I loved the eyes and the general feel I had with the moment. <

 

Well . . . I had to have a squiz:

 

I reckon, that amongst many there with ``the eyes`` and a genuine ``feel of the moment`` - are all the three quarter and full length Bride, in front of the Altar.

 

The second Three Quarter shot, from an infinitesimally lower camera angle, got me.

 

***

 

Yes. I understand your PB, regarding the Presentation to Mary series. And also the earlier removal of the eyebrow piercing.

 

Thanks for sharing - so much.

 

Bravo

 

WW

nice, simple.good job.

Nice pose David. I would have used bounced flash off the ceiling to soften the shadows with a white kicker card to put catchlites in the eyes.Quick and easy to do on the fly.Or an on flash diffuser.Good work I am sure the bride is happy.

Thanks for the additional comments.....Steve, let's have coffee sometime, I'm in the SW burbs.

 

Couple of extra pieces of information: I'm happy the image doesn't appear to be PS'ed, although I didn't soften the skin, I did take care of a few spots/blemishes with the healing brush and cloned some shine off the chin and of course added both an inner & outer sloppy border. The image was taken with a 580EX/omnibounce attached to a Stroboframe canera flip bracket.

 

Also with the two low angle "presentation to Mary" images /dwesleyportraits dot smugmug dot com/gallery/6630607_aXr2U#423040076_DxJK2) I knelt discretely and placed the camera/bracket on the floor and didn't actually shoot while laying on the floor. Mary was located to the far left of the church and the presence of all the pews hid my movements.