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Amber-Self Portrait


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Portrait

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I am learning more about lighting and portraiture. Any suggestions

or comments are most helpful!

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Will those jerks ever stop giving 3 or less without even saying few words why they dislike the photo?! Especially for someone who's eager of learning taking good photos.

Lighting is excellent. Soft and flattering. Skin colour is spot on too if you ask me.

You may want to include her arms in the photo rather than cutting them as it is now. Also you may want to try different camera angle e.g. from knee level or from a staircase.

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OMG, I didn't notice this is a self portrait till seeing it again the third time. :o)

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notice how often those who give those ratings have no photographs posted? I have often thought that perhaps those who have no photos here should not be able to rate others.

 

Your photograph is very nice Amber. Perhaps a little reflected light to brighten up the shadows in the area around your eyes. Hard to do with a self portrait though.

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I'll agree that this is a nice expression without a smile. Those eyes, I think, are worthy of a closeup that would include some of that beautiful red hair. Very pretty subject and nice pose.
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You know, I have noticed that they no matter what there is always someone who rates a 3 with no photos in their own profile. It's gotten to the point where I don't even care about the ratings, but I do look forward to helpful tips and comments to let me know if I am doing a good job or not. I am an amatuer in photography, with barely a budget. I appreciate your comments, and they do help me alot. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
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I hope you'll be able to overlook the "low-raters-without-their-own-photos" and just pay attention to the helpful feedback and meaningful ratings. I say that as one who cringes and shakes his head every time it happens. Like you, I'm trying to learn. I'm not here as a professional, so I'm mostly eager to pick up some good advice. Your portrait is much better than a few of your raters suggest. You know that and all reasonable observers know that. I hope that helps.
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I like the serene pose and your choice of the black background,....it looks great with the black top,....the skin tones are very nice !!!
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With that camera it don`t seems like a barely budget. I like very much the skin color, and hair. Nice photo
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Very profesional. Great lighting, expression, background, pose, but the hands need to be eithe in or out. They are a bit distracting.
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Nice professional portrait.

 

I do find the shadow of your hair on your face, especially the right side of your face (frame left) to be a bit distrcting. The color is very good and the focus on the eyes is sharp. You could also crop this to a head and shoulders shot removing the hands, but that would make it another photo.

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I think the hands are distracting in this particular shot. I'd either reshoot with the hands out of the frame or crop this tighter (my personal preference) so that there's less empty space on our left and very little of the dark top at the bottom (maybe half-way between the lowest point on the neckline and the botom of the necklace which is not very visible). It's just about right on the top and right (for my tastes).

 

You could use some bounce from a reflector since this is set up and reflectors are fairly inexpensive, but not so much that it flattens the light.

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This is an excellent portrait. It is not "perfect" but it is very well done, especially for a self-portrait. I generally agree with the comments above and would like to offer another...

 

I feel that this would work better with a tad more seperation from the background. Almost any light can be used to light the background since the color is not very important.

 

You are off to a good start in potraiture. Having a beautiful "model" to work with helps ;-))

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Thanks for the helpful tip Dave. I am curious on how to backlight. I had a backlight set up but it was pointing towards me. Should I have pointed it towards the backdrop? Would that have seperated me from the backdrop more?
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You have the idea Amber. Just aim the light at the backdrop in such a way as to place the light in the place and shape that you feel will work. An incandescent light will produce a "warm" effect in most cases.
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i don't get it either. 2s and 3s? i wonder if people do that out of some anger they have, and dump it on someone's photograph?

 

i would say this image is in the 5 range. the colors are good. my only concern is that the hair is covering up some of the facial structure (cheek bones) and the face could be more 'interesting' if more of it was shown. also the hair covers part of an eye.

 

i stopped requesting critiques because i was tired of getting 4, 5-6, with the odd 7, and then 3s or less from people who don't even have any photos listed.

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This is a very nice start that only needs minor adjustments.A few suggestions: subject background contrast,lighting the prime area,hair light,eyes.

The pose is very nice but you could try removing the hands.Being a self portrait it would have been difficult to see that.It can help to add a more third dimensional effect if the background is a half stop or more lighter or darker than the prime subject.See how you have that going on on both sides of your hair,in the background, one side darker one side lighter but not happening in the shoulders.Fading black into black can work in some situations such as Marlon Brando in "Apocalypse Now".The viewer many times will look to the lightest area.In this image it is your throat.It delineates the jaw line nicely due to the contrast but could create a better look if it was like that around the eyes,which the viewer goes to generally,instinctively.

Another portrait style is to have a small light above the subject top lighting the hair.The t.v. series did that regularly on Roma Downey in "Touched by an Angel".Watch some of the classic old black and white motion picture close-ups for lighting tips.Cruise yard sales and thrift stores for lights to buy cheap that have the bulbs in cones or on flexable arms that you can have directional control of.Also find some white card,or cloth to reflect light to add/fill in the areas to shadowed or dark. Have dark card or cloth to block some light to shadow areas to bright.I like to look at Rembrants portraits for lighting ideas too.Check out the contrast ratios on either side of the face for added depth and the direction of the light.Keep shooting and study the masters like Hurrel and go to exibits and gallery shows and museums and intern/assist a pro to learn more.A local class may help too.

Walt Byrnes

 

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