christopherby
SatelliteSpeckComment by CLarson557: Greetings From the Critique Club:
Hi Jen,
Your picture has been sitting on my assignment set for a couple of hours. Sorry about that...I just kept getting interrupted and having to start all over again. Anyway, I wanted to share with you that I origionally opened your picture at work and a co-worker of mine saw it and commented "Hey, he's cute! He gets a perfect 10 and my phone number". So, I guess you can say that you might have gotten bonus points for having a good looking model. Now onto the critique....
Challenge: Christopher is definately posed off-center in this picture, so you met the criteria for the challenge.
Composition: This is your greatest strength. To help me with this critique, I went to your portfolio and pulled up other portraits that you have done. Actually, I'm ending up critiquing on the whole set. I hope you don't mind. Anyway, I'm impressed with your ability of being able to have your models pose in such a fashionable way that flatters their features and with pleasing expressions. You have a good eye in that respect. In Christopher's picture, I'm not too crazy about the background. I've noticed that you used the same wrinkled pattern background or at least one similar in your other portraits and they look okay. However, in Christoper's, it just isn't as pleasing...maybe its the way the light hits it.
Technical: The portrait is crisp and clean...in good focus and doesn't contain annoying artifacts. Lighting is your downfall in Christoper's as well as your other portraits. If anything, if portraits interest you and you'll be doing many of them, I would suggest you purchase a light difuser...you know the umbrella lights that you see in portrait photograhy studios. The light you are currently using is harsh and uneven. In Christoper's, you can tell where the light is located...in the top left. The light first hits the top left of the background, overexposing it and then travels to Christopher's left side of face just under his ear where it stops and leaves the right side of the picture dark and underexposed.
In your mother and child portrait the harsh lighting also distracts. In such a tender shot, there should be soft lighting. Currently, all the light is on the baby's back overexposing and leaving the rest in partial darkness.
Out of all of your pictures, I think Leslie's portrait is the best as far as lighting goes. If you notice, the light is even and soft. There are no bright spots or overexposed areas, yet all of her features are portrayed nicely.
You have great talent here. I hope my suggestions help.
Connie
Photographer found comment helpful.
