Carla Deep and Dark

Outdoor impromptu shooting. Main goal was to apply my acting lessons to

get a very intense look from my model.

Any feedback appreciated! :)

Fabian,

She is a pretty girl and her expression does add to the idea of mystery. Her look is quite "intense." I do like the "halo" of light behind her head. It helps to separate her from the background. She has good eye contact with the camera and I can see catchlights in her eyes -- even if they are very tiny and somewhat centered. Perhaps you used the built-in flash on your camera to try to fill in the shadows and to get her catchlights?

Make sure you focus on her eyes. They are not crisply sharp. When possible it is best to always use a tripod.

You have lost detail in the blacks and it is a little "muddy" looking. It is difficult to see her eyes.

I would move (zoom) in a tad closer for a better composition. You have balanced her position in the image with the phallic looking thing (tower?) on the right. Make sure the background goes with and enhances your subject and what you are trying to convey to the viewers. I am assuming you are not trying to convey anything sexual or sensual about your subject. Maybe the tower is supposed to add a feeling of spookiness to the image. If not, it really might be best to move in closer to your subject and get rid of the tower.

Make sure any vertical or horizontal lines in the image are truly vertical or horizontal. The tower thing appears to be leaning slightly to the left.

Nice shot,

Mark

It's not only her acting skills at play here but your own photographic impulses which I think add to the expressiveness of the picture. The dark, brooding nature of this goes well with her expression, the menacing tower in the background, the strong highlight at her head. While her mouth feels a bit too dark, so there's a sense of muddiness about it, the rest seems quite appropriately low key. I don't care much for the re-working above, as it completely seems to lose the mood and tone that's so important to the original. I applaud the way your substance and style seem to harmonize. Your subject seems appropriately placed in an environment and atmosphere.

Dark and moody is what you're going for here.  I like the direct eye contact and  look. I like the bright area in the clouds behind her head. I'd like to see more detail in her eyes. The mostly black eyes remind me of the look they go for in vampire movies or maybe that's what the intent was I don't know. The biggest problem for me is the thing in the background. You obviously framed it that way to include it but for me it's like it's the second figure in the image and competing for attention. I keep looking at it wondering what exactly it is, a chimney a silo or something else. I don't know if others find it distracting or not but for me it should should support the composition and the subject and not compete for attention. That's my take on it.