DF-005

respectfully, what is new for you ?

b.

@Balthazar

This is new for me since the model is actually an accomplished photographer who wanted to gain the model's perspective. She designed everything about the shoot including the "story". It was new in the sense that I have never taken that approach to a creating an image (or set of images). It was quite eye opening and educational to see her approach.

Clemson,

There is no question that she is a very pretty girl. You have focused very well on her eyes. She has excellent skin tone and color saturation. You have very good catch lights and she has good eye contact with the camera (viewer). Her expression is quite interesting. She looks a little puzzled about something? The neutral and warm colors all work together very well. Her make-up looks good. Her attire works well with the setting.

The background is very busy and mostly in focus. It distracts from the girl's face. I would not have her rest her elbow on her knee so that you have a straight line from her foot to her head. This makes for a very boring line. Her left arm is much more interesting the way she has it bent at her elbow -- no straight line and no 90 degree angle -- much more graceful looking.

Your main light is coming from below her eye level. It is casting the shadow from her nose up her face. It has given her catch lights below the center of her eyes. You do not want to do this. You want her catch lights at around the 10 or 2 o'clock position on her irises.

Her hair is so near the color of the background that it fades into the background. She needs a different color background or some lighting on her hair to help separate it from the background.

Please notice her left knee.Be careful of foreshortening. Watch for anything closer to the camera than the body. If nearer the camera than her body her feet, knees, hands, elbows and shoulders will look out of proportion to the rest of the body -- larger than normal -- foreshortened.

Even though her left hand is in shadow, it looks rather limp. It is just hanging there. I would have her do something with it or at least pose it in a more interesting way. It would also be better seen at an angle. Avoid having the flat of the hand towards the camera. The edge (side) of the hand towards the camera is thinning, feminine and graceful. I realize her hand is in shadow, but it might be a good idea not to have it between her legs.

This is a somewhat personal opinion, but I do not find this well compositionally balanced as to the right and left sides. To me it is very left heavy. I would move her quite a bit to her left. The Rule of Thirds does not always apply to portraits. There is a compositional "rule" that suggests that it is best to position the tip of the subject's nose in the vertical center of the photograph. If this "rule" were to be followed you would either have to crop much of her left side off or back up (zoom out) to include much more of what's to her right side. You could, of course, repose her.

There is a rather sensual feel to her pose and her braless shirt. She has a dreamy feel to her expression and slightly parted lips often imply an air of sexual or sensual feelings. I don't find the high contrast lighting very consistent with this mood. A softer lighting would be more appropriate. Her blue earrings do not work well with the nice warm tones in the rest of the photograph. They draw attention away from her face.

It would be good to do a little retouching around her forehead and chin. You want to soften or remove any facial imperfections. When you have her bend her right leg that much you get pudgy areas under her knee area and under her thigh. You never want a bent knee towards the camera (her left leg). She has just a tad too much head room and her right foot is awfully close to the bottom of the frame. Her left knee area is too close to the right side.

Nice shot,

Mark