Untitled

Selfportret

A great portrait, tones nicely balanced, the background beautifuly blured, intriguing expression and beautiful face. My respects and best regards.

Very good face expression She looks as if  "This was not what I expected".

This is very interesting, Selina.  Your face is lighted quite differently on each side, and you have masterfully illuminated the dark side (with reflector?)  This reminds me of a photo magazine article of my youth where (using the skills of the time) a photographer propped a mirror up on portraits to show how different each side of a single person's face might be.  He showed how almost everyone has a masculine side and a feminine side to their face.  Hold a piece of cardboard up and look at one side only of your face.  It is like two different individuals.  If you have a pocket mirror without frame it can replace the cardboard and make one-half become two.  Try it.

Jerry

Wow- beautiful portrait! It really looks like she wasn't expecting it and so her expression is really great - one of the most natural looking portraits I have seen in a long time - thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Mark

 

Selina,

This is a very good portrait. It is not easy to do a good self-portrait. Of course, it helps to have a pretty subject to work with. You have focused very well on your eyes. I think what makes the portrait so interesting is your expression and your eye contact with the camera (viewer). The background is nicely neutral and out of focus. You are well separated from the background.

I feel a connection to you, but I am not quite sure what you are saying. I don't want to be negative, but I am getting a feeling of loss and perhaps hopelessness. 

I am afraid the lighting doesn't do much to convey a happy feeling, either. Your fill light is coming from below your eyes. Notice the highlights above your eye sockets and under your nose. You have catchlights on the lower part of your irises. The name for this style of lighting is grotesque lighting. It has been (and still is) used in video and still photography to light vampires, werewolves and bad witches. I'm sure you have seen kids trying to make a scary face by holding a flashlight below their face and shinning it up to illuminate their face. It’s the same idea with this style of lighting. Having your main light coming from above helps to make your portrait not quite so scary.

You have two catchlights in your left eye. One catchlight per eye is preferred -- preferably on the iris, above the center of the pupils. I would like a little more light on your eyes so I could see them better.

Your skin tone is a little on the yellow/orange side. I would cool it down a bit.

The composition is a little right heavy. You want to have more room in front of yourself than behind. This allows you to be facing into the picture, not out of it. You want to compositionally balance the left and right sides of the photograph. The compositional "rule" for this suggests that you position the tip of the subject's nose in the vertical center of the photograph. By positioning the tip of the nose in the vertical center of the photograph you not only have the subject facing into the picture, but you have good left and right compositional balance. This little rule almost always works well. At least it gives you a good starting point from which to subtly adjust your composition to make it visually balanced.

I have cropped your portrait to try for a little better compositional balance. While I really like your hair blowing in the wind, I had to crop it off for better balance to the photograph. I would have preferred to leave your hair showing. I also lightened the shadows a tad and cooled your skin tone.

Nice shot,

Mark

Mark, I do prefer the original version. Regards!

Good lighting and expression.

You are really beautiful

I have a great admiration of your work.I recently visited Belgium. My favorite artist is Rene Magritte.my favorite photographers are also from Belgium Ben Gossens and Patrick Desmet.I seen your portrait, along with being an excellent artist you can be a model.Good luck MB