Heather at Lawrencetown Beach

[Iguanasan]

I want to get better at portraits and so I'm curious what you think of this one.

12010

[Lorey]

Very nice Iggy. Pretty girl, your daughter I suppose. I'm not to knowledgeable on giving critiques but the only thing I see is it would have been nice to get the sunlight off her nose and left side of lower face and adding a little more on the bottom of the picture. Otherwise I like it real well.

[Matt K.]

Lighting is definitely the area that might benefit from some additional work. A fill flash would have illuminated the face more equally, with the side light highlighting the hair. Or even just a reflector on the right would have enhanced the job. From a composition and expression this is really nice, though.

[Bambi]

Very nice Iggy. Pretty girl, your daughter I suppose. I'm not to knowledgeable on giving critiques but the only thing I see is it would have been nice to get the sunlight off her nose and left side of lower face and adding a little more on the bottom of the picture. Otherwise I like it real well.

I would agree with this. Heather has the most beautiful eyes.

[mellowinman]

I like it. I'm huge on having some shadow, and natural lighting, but I work with my wife, and she is all about making things more "mainsream." I made some very, VERY tiny alterations in photoshop to please the "more even lighting" crowd, without (hopefully) taking away from the artistic vision of the original, which I like just fine WITHOUT any alterations. I only did this because of your "Feel Free to Edit" tag. I will delete it if you ask me to.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g123/mellowinman1/IMG_7569_editeda.jpg

[Iguanasan]

Very nice Iggy. Pretty girl, your daughter I suppose. I'm not to knowledgeable on giving critiques but the only thing I see is it would have been nice to get the sunlight off her nose and left side of lower face and adding a little more on the bottom of the picture. Otherwise I like it real well.

Thanks, Lorey. I'm a little confused about how to get the light to be part of the shoot but not overpower the image.


Lighting is definitely the area that might benefit from some additional work. A fill flash would have illuminated the face more equally, with the side light highlighting the hair. Or even just a reflector on the right would have enhanced the job. From a composition and expression this is really nice, though.

Thanks, Matt. I hadn't actually gone out with the idea of shooting any portraits so I never thought to take anything I could use as a reflector. I guess it's not very visible but I actually used my on-camera flash as fill flash.


I would agree with this. Heather has the most beautiful eyes.

Thanks, Bambi.


I like it. I'm huge on having some shadow, and natural lighting, but I work with my wife, and she is all about making things more "mainsream." I made some very, VERY tiny alterations in photoshop to please the "more even lighting" crowd, without (hopefully) taking away from the artistic vision of the original, which I like just fine WITHOUT any alterations. I only did this because of your "Feel Free to Edit" tag. I will delete it if you ask me to.

Nope, that's exactly why that feature is there, I'm always open to editing any of my shots within the site for educational purposes. Nicely done, I like your results! I just don't have those kind of skills which is why I have to work a little harder to get it right in camera ;)

[Lorey]

Iggy, I have ran into this same situation before. Sometimes I can fix it and sometimes not. I would have tried having her turn her head maybe just enough to where the light didn't hit her face. But that may have taken away the lighting effect on her hair too much. If the light is low enough, and it looked like it might have been here, and I have some one else there I have them stand just in the right place out of the frame to block the sun where needed or hold a hand or something up to block the light. I once had someone hold up a jacket to block harsh light in the subject's face. Course I wasn't there and maybe none of those things were possible or would have worked. Just some ideas and suggestions you might use if possible in the future. But i do like mellowinman's fix.

[mellowinman]

Iggy, I have ran into this same situation before. Sometimes I can fix it and sometimes not. I would have tried having her turn her head maybe just enough to where the light didn't hit her face. But that may have taken away the lighting effect on her hair too much. If the light is low enough, and it looked like it might have been here, and I have some one else there I have them stand just in the right place out of the frame to block the sun where needed or hold a hand or something up to block the light. I once had someone hold up a jacket to block harsh light in the subject's face. Course I wasn't there and maybe none of those things were possible or would have worked. Just some ideas and suggestions you might use if possible in the future. But i do like mellowinman's fix.

It's the lazy way. When we do outdoor portraits, my wife always brings along a big reflector/diffuser. You can have someone hold the reflector so that it brings some light into the face. That can be uncomfortable for the subject, making them squint a bit. My favorite is to have someone hold the diffuser so that it casts a shadow onto the face, taking out all dappling. The shadow is not as dark as a true shadow, as some light is getting through. Then you use a "big" flash, (something higher than the normal camera flash, to fill it in a bit.

Of course, when I shoot by myself, I just shoot away; try to get my subject into shady areas when I can, fix it up with photoshop, or do black and white with tons of dappling, as if I meant to do it.

I am a very unconventional photographer by nature, but when they're paying you, you might want to be a bit more conventional. I try to mix it up. Sometimes the "worst" shots are the ones they like best.

Sometimes NOT.
:)

[mellowinman]

Nope, that's exactly why that feature is there, I'm always open to editing any of my shots within the site for educational purposes. Nicely done, I like your results! I just don't have those kind of skills which is why I have to work a little harder to get it right in camera ;)

Photoshop is the only processing program I use these days. I selected your subject's face, and did a "replace color." Then I used the eyedrop to make the paint color the same as her dominant skin tone, and used the paintbrush to take away some shadows and puffiness from beneath the eyes. I overdid it a bit, and then selected the entire image, and pasted it over your original. Then I chose the percentage of transparency just by using my eye. I tried to find that compromise between a little "better" lighting, and the nice, natural look you had. I think it took out too many freckles, though. I have a bad back, so I can only work on the computer for a limited time; otherwise, I would put hours and hour into it, until it looked "just right."

[Iguanasan]

I'm certainly glad you didn't put hours and hours into it. I appreciate the view of the changed image from an educational standpoint but it would be unlikely that I would end up using it anywhere but here so the time would have been wasted.

Thanks for the tips. I don't actually have anyone paying me for my images so I can really just play. In this case my daughter and I were out shooting together when I suggested I take a couple of shots of her. I wanted to get her out of direct sunlight to avoid having her squint but I also wanted that light to light up her face as much as possible. Combine that with being on the beach -- no trees! -- and not having a either a diffuser or reflector or anyone or anything to hold one if I did have one we see the result.

I've often wondered though at the idea of getting rid of all the harsh light and maintaining "perfect" lighting on the face. It just doesn't seem real to me and I wonder if people are trying to be too perfect. Just thinking out loud....what do I know??

[mellowinman]

I'm certainly glad you didn't put hours and hours into it. I appreciate the view of the changed image from an educational standpoint but it would be unlikely that I would end up using it anywhere but here so the time would have been wasted.

Thanks for the tips. I don't actually have anyone paying me for my images so I can really just play. In this case my daughter and I were out shooting together when I suggested I take a couple of shots of her. I wanted to get her out of direct sunlight to avoid having her squint but I also wanted that light to light up her face as much as possible. Combine that with being on the beach -- no trees! -- and not having a either a diffuser or reflector or anyone or anything to hold one if I did have one we see the result.

I've often wondered though at the idea of getting rid of all the harsh light and maintaining "perfect" lighting on the face. It just doesn't seem real to me and I wonder if people are trying to be too perfect. Just thinking out loud....what do I know??

I agree with you. I like imperfection in photography, just like real life. The only thought I have about shadow in photos is that the human eye compensates for them; the camera lens does not. So these are two divurgent ways of thinking; neither more correct than the other. I think we need balance in our work, and yes, all art is subjective, so people with more knowledge and skill than I can critique me, and still be WRONG. Still, they are always worth listening to, in case they open my mind to something I wouldn't have thought of myself.

Your original photo is lovely, and so is your daughter.

[Mad Aussie]

No time to read through all the others comments so forgive me repeating anything said before.

Nice choice of background but I would have had the horizon away from her face ... so either cutting through her shoulder or neck, OR, up high in her forehead.

If you're serious about better portraits (maybe you just meant snapshot type portraits?) then little things like wayward hairs are worth dealing with. Mostly those that protrude down into her face and eye areas.

It looks like some fill flash was used but don't be shy Iggy ... fire that sucker up and try some strong fill as well. You might be surprised at the result in a case like this where strong shadows are present.
Turning her slightly more to HER left might have shaded her face entirely from the sun and created some back/side light through her hair too.

Apart from that, maybe go for a specific emotion or feel. Coy, happy, sad, sexy, whatever, anything other than ... well ... not much at all if you get my drift.

[BzdegaPhotography]

Here's my version, I know you liked the color but her eyes are stunning for BW/Sepia tones and it was much easier to soften the skin tones so that the shadow across the nose was not so distinct. Beautiful photo your way as well.
a reflector would have been all you needed, even a white coat if your stuck?

12015

[Iguanasan]

I agree with you. I like imperfection in photography, just like real life. The only thought I have about shadow in photos is that the human eye compensates for them; the camera lens does not. So these are two divurgent ways of thinking; neither more correct than the other. I think we need balance in our work, and yes, all art is subjective, so people with more knowledge and skill than I can critique me, and still be WRONG. Still, they are always worth listening to, in case they open my mind to something I wouldn't have thought of myself.

Your original photo is lovely, and so is your daughter.

Thanks and thanks... some things to think about.


No time to read through all the others comments so forgive me repeating anything said before.

Nice choice of background but I would have had the horizon away from her face ... so either cutting through her shoulder or neck, OR, up high in her forehead.

If you're serious about better portraits (maybe you just meant snapshot type portraits?) then little things like wayward hairs are worth dealing with. Mostly those that protrude down into her face and eye areas.

It looks like some fill flash was used but don't be shy Iggy ... fire that sucker up and try some strong fill as well. You might be surprised at the result in a case like this where strong shadows are present.
Turning her slightly more to HER left might have shaded her face entirely from the sun and created some back/side light through her hair too.

Apart from that, maybe go for a specific emotion or feel. Coy, happy, sad, sexy, whatever, anything other than ... well ... not much at all if you get my drift

I am serious, though admittedly, this one was kind of spur of the moment and not a lot of thought put into it. These are great suggestions for the next time.


Here's my version, I know you liked the color but her eyes are stunning for BW/Sepia tones and it was much easier to soften the skin tones so that the shadow across the nose was not so distinct. Beautiful photo your way as well.
a reflector would have been all you needed, even a white coat if your stuck?

Thanks! B&W is an interesting take on it.