Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: BernardLanguillier on January 18, 2015, 06:45:48 pm

Title: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: BernardLanguillier on January 18, 2015, 06:45:48 pm

Team,

I am reasonably happy about this image, but portrait obviously isn't my main focus. What should I do better?

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/16312234832_3174a51355_o.jpg)

Cheers,
Bernard

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: RSL on January 18, 2015, 07:32:19 pm

Looks as if you aced it. How could you improve it?

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 19, 2015, 12:12:48 am

Fine subject, beautifully seen.

Not bad for a mountain photographer. And I would guess you didn't even have to stitch!  ;)

Cheers,

Eric

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: David Anderson on January 19, 2015, 12:23:21 am

IMHO, seeing more face would make a better 'portrait' though this shot is clearly a beautiful moment.

I like simple, 3/4 or 1/2 length shots - looking straight down the lens - of my own kids because I think they will stand the test of time better than the off the cuff stuff..

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: Iluvmycam on January 19, 2015, 08:43:02 am

Quote from: David Anderson on January 19, 2015, 12:23:21 am

IMHO, seeing more face would make a better 'portrait' though this shot is clearly a beautiful moment.

I like simple, 3/4 or 1/2 length shots - looking straight down the lens - of my own kids because I think they will stand the test of time better than the off the cuff stuff..

Me too.

Just blast off more pix and different angles. Nice work otherwise.

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: PeterAit on January 19, 2015, 09:08:29 am

It's very appealing - but some 80% of the photo is clothing and pillow. What about cutting it off at the left edge of the hand and making it a vertical which emphasizes the face more?

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: AlterEgo on January 19, 2015, 09:33:36 am

eye(s)

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: mbaginy on January 19, 2015, 09:39:47 am

I really like the image!

But I'd crop out the red of the sweater, which I find somewhat distracting.

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: armand on January 19, 2015, 11:59:45 am

If it was my shot I would experiment with some blur brush over the right shoulder to emphasize more the face.
I would not crop it (not more than the red part at most).

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: Bob_B on January 19, 2015, 05:05:25 pm

Lovely image. I like it the way it is. However, if I were to think about changing it, instead of cropping the red, I'd try to change the red to match the blue of the rest of the sweater. That would de-emphasize the left part without cropping. I also like the idea of using a blur brush. But I'll go back to my original comment: I like it the way it is.

   Bob

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: BernardLanguillier on January 19, 2015, 08:58:33 pm

Thank you all very much for your insightful comments, much appreciated!

Cheers,
Bernard

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: Colorado David on January 20, 2015, 10:08:57 pm

Very well done.  A little light in the eye would help.

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: BernardLanguillier on January 20, 2015, 10:24:46 pm

Thanks David, yes, a bit of catch light would have been good indeed.

Cheers,
Bernard

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: brandtb on January 22, 2015, 07:17:04 am

Bernard - didn't catch whether this was "candid" or not...but the face and hand are very nice subjects...and there is nice/good/interesting/etc expression which is perhaps the most important thing in the end.  The issue for me brought up in earlier comment is half of the frame is filled with non-essential/non-important content. The left half of the frame really does nothing to "support" what is going on in right half of frame...only detracts. I would ask yourself why does this need to be left in the "crop". "Pull in"...get the most essential.  /B (as an example in the furthest extreme...look at Penn's portrait of Picasso with hat...pulled in tight...and the power of the "single eye"...there is a lesson here perhaps)

Title: Re: Advice required on natural light portrait
Post by: BernardLanguillier on January 23, 2015, 08:21:49 pm

thanks a lot Brandt!

cheers,
bernard