By the Window Light

Any thoughts? Thanks.

I've been doing a lot of window shots recently so appreciate the difficulties and compromises this task entails. Your shot is lovely. The composition is spot on but a few things don't work for me. Whenever I ask an amateur to pose they nearly always tense their hands, as the model does here. It's because they simply don't know what to do with them and need direction. On my monitor the woman's face is slightly soft. This may be an intended effect but I think it detracts from the overal quality. I think the blank sky also detracts. Sorry to sound negative. If the image wasn't so appealing I wouldn't say anything at all, but there is a fine quality about this piece which makes it worth commenting on. I played with it briefly, adding shadow, darkening the sky to counteract the whiteness and also adding a touch of grain for good measure. I hope some of these suggestions are of help to you and also hope you take my criticism in the friendly manner it is given. Darrell M

Hi Charo. Darrell makes some good points. What makes this shot interesting to me is the shadow of the girl on the wall, which really makes it graphically very strong. I might even be tempted to crop just above her wrist and on the right eliminate the door frame. That would make it a very different shot, however.

Fant᳴ico retrato Charito. El arreglo que te ha hecho Darrell le ha quitado toda la suavidad, ha eliminado esa atmosfera eterea que tiene la foto. Quizas un poquitin mas de exposicion en el cielo, si me gustaria, pero algo muy suave, porque la otra version la encuentro desnivelada en cuanto a luces. Lo reflejo de la ventana es bestial, y el gesto de Beatriz, espontaneo. Lo importante en mi opinion es que el retrato funciona a todos los niveles: estetico, composicion, momento y "ambiente".

La composicion es interesante. Pero la pose no la acabo de aceptar. Demasiada tension en su expresion manual. Parece que la sesion ha durado mucho y la modelo le urge ir al ...

Undeniable medium format richness.

Darrel, first of all let me tell you that your comment does not sound negative at all, but full of positive criticism... it is really nice to read a detailed comment like yours... so thanks for it. I am used to portraiting people I know... but I had just met her an hour before, and did not know her very well, for me it takes some time... too much I am afraid..

 

You are right, all of you, the sky is overexposed, some more detail would be desirable, but Darrel, I think that in your version, you?ve gone too far burning that area. I also see her face not very well focused as you have commented, but since is not lighted, but in the shadows I did not consider it a big deal (maybe I am wrong). As Steve points out, her reflection on the window is a plus of this photo.

 

Steve, I would not crop as you suggest, I would not like to miss her hand, though this hand shows a lot of tension, with the so well defined veins... which I wish they were not as visible as they are...

 

However, though it has many flaws, I still think that there is something in this image worth showing...

 

Thank you all...

a mi este tipo de retratos me encanta. tal vez un poco mas de luz en la cara hubiera estado mejor, no obstante.