Bridal Pictorial

[scorpio_e]

http://www.lehighvalleyphotography.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/untitled-18552.jpg

What do you think?

[JAS_Photo]

I think it is quite lovely. :)

[Chantelle]

I love it! excellent job! :highfive:

[tirediron]

Very nice picture, but since it's in the critique section, a couple of nitpicks: (1) The background has to go. It really does not do this picture justice, and (2) It's just a bit high-key; the highlights in the chest area are blown/nearly blown. I would say that dialing back the exposure 1/3 - 2/3 stop would have nailed it.

[scorpio_e]

Thanks for the compliments and comments. The highlight a bit blown and I lost some detail in the gown. Not sure what I could do about the background as it was taken outdoors.

[casil403]

Can you clone out some of the black shadows on either side of her in the middleof the image? They look like bits of reeds or grass. I find them a bit distracting but other than that I like the background.
I do think the whites are a smidge too bright white though.
Other than that, it's a beauty! :)

[tirediron]

Thanks for the compliments and comments. The highlight a bit blown and I lost some detail in the gown. Not sure what I could do about the background as it was taken outdoors.

I would bin the background. Perhaps just replace it with all black, a dark gradient, or composite her onto a totally different scene.

[Mad Aussie]

This is nice.
I really don't mind the background at all to be honest. Playing with it might yield some interesting results though.

[scorpio_e]

Thanks MA...I'll give it a go.. It certainly need some cleaning up. I was looking at the RAW file and did not see the blown out highlights. The image here was brought into LR3 beta and exported. I wonder if that has something to do with it.
Thanks for all of the comments and recommendations:)

[Jason]

Really nice shot! Other than the pure white in the chest area, I can't think of anything wrong with this shot. I actually really like the background.

[Marko]

I quite like this one. The background doesn't bother me at all.
For me the points for improvement are the exposure; bride looks about 1/2 stop too bright as T.I. mentioned.

Also the hands are way too dark and draw attention to themselves. Composition is a bit conventional here, sometimes that's good and the bride will love it. But for us photo people...I think it's a bit dry. I would have liked to have seen this shot in a landscape orientation with the bride on one of the thirds. Hope that helps and just my :twocents:

Marko

[scorpio_e]

Yeah I agree 100 % those hand are WAY to dark. I had two lights. One camera left and one camera right. I think a reflector could have brought in more light. I 'll have to try it next time.

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions.

[F8&Bthere]

I realize I'm late here once again, I don't regularly visit the critiques forum. But glad I did today because I really like this shot- composition, pose, and lighting, AND I really like the background. There's nothing much I could say other than it might be a good example of what I learned in a Scott Kelby book a while back where he said that the colour punch and exposure of the bouquet was stealing focus from the bride, which launched him into a post technique to desaturate the flowers slightly (if I remember correctly). But those flowers are so beautiful I don't know if I'd want to touch them at all... Oh and I agree about the hands needing some dodging.

[jlabel]

Excellent image!

[Iguanasan]

I think everyone has covered the technical bits so I won't repeat that but I do have one other comment. Maybe it's just me so take it for what it's worth. With the background behind her head being so dark and her expression so solemn I don't get the feeling of the joy of a wedding.

[AcadieLibre]

I lke it, but it has a sort of vintage look to it from my take. Works for me.

[Mars Observer]

Very nice! I quite like it, though I also like it as a 'bust shot' (cropped just above the flowers). To me, the bride's (very beautiful) face/expression draws me in, and the (bright) flowers takes me away from that just a little. But the full (un-cropped) image is very nice too!!