Playing with fire
by aKiwi

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image to try to figure out what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

while i find your flame to be a bit harsh, it does work nicely with how well you've lit and composed the rest of the image. my eye makes a full circle within the frame, from the flame to your eyes to your ear, then around the collar back to the flame. the high contrast between you and the background are strong, leaving the range of tonalities in your face to bring out your character. you really have captured your personal intensity within your eyes. this is a solid effort. thanks for sharing! good luck!

It's 38 degrees Fahrenheit, it's raining and I'm not wearing a coat.
by milo655321

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image to try to figure out what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

this image speaks volumes, even without the title. if the art of portraiture is to capture the essence of a person, i believe you have succeeded. you seem to see yourself as a smaller part of the world around you, where you would rather capture the mundane and make it interesting than focus on yourself. this has an almost ok-i-did-what-you-asked-can-we-get-back-to-work-now feel to it. this is something that is so hard to do, to be able to draw the personality out of anything. the composition and ranges are great, and the expression is perfect. this is a nice, solid effort, and i hope it does well for you!

Cecelia
by ccasey

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image to try to figure out what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

what a bold, beautiful image. those eyes are just killer. to me, this is what i consider a foundation-level image, one that can either stand alone as it is, or be offered up in any number of presentations. you could crop a 5x7 from your face, and have an equally stunning headshot; in fact, any number of crops could be pulled from this. excellent work with the lighting, choice of background, and focus. the expression is perfect, and the triangular composition is well-found. great job, and good luck! 8 from me.

Kid at Heart
by Yellowpeep

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image to try to figure out what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

how much fun you must have had doing this! as a moment, very well caught. the soft focus, though, is leaving me grasping for details. visually, i'm having a hard time reconciling the far right--i can't get a feel for just what your hair is doing. i think the lighting is also washing out the range of tonalities and character that might be found in your face. but, all the same, i like the essence of whimsy that you've captured. good luck!

Flash
by ace flyman

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image to try to figure out what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

great take on the challenge! love the '30's p.i. feel this has. when i think of portraiture being an effort to capture the essence of an individual, i think this most definitely hits the mark. great work! good luck!

...Growl...
by doctornick

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image as a guinnea pig as to what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

what a great shot! the colors, composition, expression, focus, lighting--all the elements come together. the one thing i can't tell is just what that expression means? is it a "you're kidding me" look, or a "hold still and i'll whack you" look? good job keeping it all under control, especially shooting at this time of day. good luck!

The good / bad / ugly ???
by RUEDISCHMUTZ

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image as a guinnea pig as to what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

my first reaction is that the lighting is a bit off, but the more i look at it, the more the image settles in. i like the cropping and composition. this definitely has more of a real-life feel than a studio shot. i does seem that it could benefit from a bit more lighting on the dark side of the face: there just seems to be a bit more character in there that is lost in the shadows. good luck!

Not Rockwell
by graphicfunk

Comment:
as always, excellent work. as i don't know squat about portraiture, i'm just going through the images, looking for what works and what doesn't. the lighting and composition are perfect, and the treatment is very well-suited. do hope you'll share your lighting set up with this is over. good luck!

Frozen me.
by docpjv

Comment:
i don't know anything about portraiture, so i'm using your image as a guinnea pig as to what i think i would or wouldn't do in this situation, as well as what i notice and get out of your image.

great lighting and composition. overall, nicely captured. love the range of colors. all in all, everything works very well here. really goes to show what is possible in the middle of the day, if you know what you're doing. good luck!

Bass Lover
by Nazgul

Comment:
nice composition and control over the lighting. my guess is that this is running hit-or-miss on the appeal factor, but that you really don't care--you have a killer image that captured exactly what you were after. good luck!