Thoughtfulby
srugoloComment by CEJ: Hello from the Critique Club!
I have been studying your image for a while now, leaving it on the screen and coming back to it now and again and just looking at all the aspects and qualities. First - I love the image. It is simply a beautiful portrait. Nice job - very well done!
Perspective/composition - I like that this was taken on her eye level. It gives it a feel as though you - the viewer - is her brother/sister standing next to her. I don't mind the elbow being out of the picture, but would have liked it if the top of her head was also in the picture. The crop seems a little tight on the right side as well. Perhaps this was done to keep her feom being too centerd in the shot. However, I don't think it would have hurt this image in the least.
Lighting - well done. Her eyes are clear and not showing any bright reflections either from your lighting or ambient lighting. The face shows clear definition of all features without any glare as well. Her shirt seems a little bright on the shoulder area and along the front of the bicep. You can see the tops of the waves in the fabric but they begin to get lost as you move down and to the left just above the elbow. Her left cheek is a little bright, however the grain helps to negate the effect and keeps it from being a distraction or detractor.
Color - the overall tonality of the image is very nice. The sepia shades are well done and certainly not overdone. In my opinion this was the perfect choice for the shot. It helps bring out the overall mood and set of the scene while not adding dark shadows that hide detail. The skin tone remaining is just enough.
Challenge requirements - there is no doubt your addition of grain/noise meets the challenge. I think you added just enough to let it help the feel of your image and not too much to hide the rest of your processing or become a negative aspect.
Overall/my opinion - this is an excellent demonstration of many techniques both with the camera and with the post processing. Your subject could not have been better - she is a very cute little girl - lucky you! The combination of your chosen title and the image is an extremely well made connection and also adds to the overall quality of the image. Very well done!
Photographer found comment helpful.
