Dea Sumin

Aivar,

There is no question that Dea is a very pretty girl with a lovely shape. You have focused well on her eyes. Her skin tone is very good.

It looks like you used the flash on your camera as your main light. The lighting is very flat.

While her overall skin tone is very nice, her hands look very red and rough (dishpan hands?).

It is too bad that the background wasn't a little lighter or you had a hair or backlight available to help separate her hair from the background.

The background is very cluttered with people, objects, shapes and various colored and white lights. They are all distracting to your subject -- especially the girl just behind her.

The very bright red/orange (bow?) on her breasts draws the viewer's attention away from her face. I'm not really sure you had much say in her wardrobe for this shot. There may not have been much you could have done about it. It may very well be that your only other option, if you really want to display this shot, would be to change it to black and white or change the color of the bow in an editing program.

You have tilted your camera. Neither Dea nor the background is straight.

Your left and right compositional balance is left heavy. Dea needs to be place more to the right. You want to have more space in front of her than behind her so that she is facing into the picture rather than out of it.

The fingers on her left hand are bent under. This is the same as cropping at a joint. It makes your subject appear that she could be an amputee.

Avoid having the back (or palm) of the hand towards the camera. The edge (side) of the hand towards the camera is thinning, feminine and graceful.

It is quite appropriate to place your name on a mat surrounding your photograph so that it doesn't draw attention away from your subject. Of course, Photo.net displays your name right under your picture.

Nice shot,

Mark

very good photo "6", in spontaneouos, interesting situation. Mark is looking for the perfect photo. Never happpens.

PDE

I have to agree with Meir. I like everything about it. Her smile, killer smile. I like the dynamic tilt, which includes part of her girl friend, as well as the soft colors and atmosphere of the background lighting. Flash fill is right on the money. And her bowtie. Love her bowtie.

I think Mark makes some valid points. I just don't think, in this candid situation, you have that level of control. No time for the Irving Penn Studio approach with meticulous attemtion to detail. Particularly the hands, the hands are always problematic. And there would seem to be no time to direct her like a model, with a stylist, make up artist, hair dresser and art director standing by.

Well done, Aivar.

Regards, Bill

PS Did you use a soft box on your flash?