Ashleighby
trainComment by KaDi: *Greetings from the Critique Club*
Portraiture is not my forte...but I'll do my best.
First Impressions: Lovely subject! Beautfiul tones! Nice expression! What unusual red hair! I like the way she's looking at "me"!
Then my critical side kicked in...I wondered first about the heavy chain--it doesn't seem to fit the mood of the portrait or the character being expressed of your daughter. The stray strap draws attention next. These two elements seem to fight for attention with the rest of the image. I like the proportion of the image, but cropping some from the bottom would eliminate these seemingly contradictory elements.
The image is high key without deep shadows. I think that's good. But something about it seems odd--it's as if there were a shadow behind her that was lightened bringing the rest of the picture up in tone. Perhaps the background doesn't recede enough--could be caused by the subject being placed too close to the background or small aperature setting.
I like to see a single well-defined catch light in each eye. Multiple reflections just seem to steal some of the magic of the eyes. Otherwise the lighting is very pleasing.
Your commenters were contradictory--some like it soft, some like it not. Some find it delicate, some find it blah. Her expression is nice, her expression is tentative. I don't disagree. =o By that, I mean, I can see that the viewer wants you to come down on one side or the other of these choices...without being overtly obvious, of course. If you made the edges of the image a little softer, for example, the viewer would believe the intention without wondering if it's just slightly OOF--that doesn't mean that the viewer would like it better. If you had chosen a slightly different moment to capture her expression her lips would express less of a smile or more of one--it would take away the uncertain expression.
Overall, I think you have a very nice portrait of your daughter. There are technical things I and others have hinted at that could help you take the image in a slightly different direction if you want. You have captured her beauty and sweetness...though her deeper personality seems to be a bit hidden yet. A lovely image for the yearbook or family "wall-of-fame"...not yet "high art" but maybe it doesn't need to be.
(I see you have the approval of "graphicfunk," an artist whose work I admire for his ability to see people so well. If he thinks it has a touch of delicacy, how can I argue otherwise?)
Looking forward to seeing more of your portraits!
--Kadi
Photographer found comment helpful.
