Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by violinist123:
The interesting bits are the hair and eyes, and they can't compete against the ocean of bland facial areas dominating the shot. Face looks a bit flat also, might try changing your lighting so one side or the other isn't so bright.

Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by zeuszen:
In response to your forum request for comments regarding your score:

I think it fetched a fairly decent score.

It's technically apt, IMO, complete with catch lights and a reasonably shallow dof.
It's awfully close though, which makes for intimate viewing.
For a portrait, this could be a mixed blessing, since the proximity evokes a definite relationship between subject and viewer.

The other challenge is to frame (order) such a close-up. You can either centre your subject or offset it so that it feels correctly weighted. The centred composition you've chosen is discernibly compromised. As a result, you've lost symmetry, which is usually the point of a centred composition.

Among the things I look for in a photograph are energy, range and story. By energy, with a portrait like this one, I mean emotional energy, by range something like to how many walks of life this image should be of interest and how long such an interest would likely be sustained. By story I mean is there anything beyond the visual givens that's stirred by the shot?

In order to answer these questions, we need to consider what particular facts of the face shown here are given or most prominent. If the emphasis falls on character, temperament and the like, how telling, moving or educational would this be? If the emphasis is on skin tone, features and other aesthetics, how moving or pleasurable an experience? You see where I'm going?

Message edited by author 2008-05-08 17:08:15.

Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by aliqui:

Originally posted by trevytrev: This is a nice shot and the eyes are well done. Compositionally i feel the eyes are too far up in the frame which I feel results in making the nose the focus in the photo when it should be the beautfil eyes. I will agree that the think borders on the sides don't do much for this shot either and if you were going to use a border I might have used a thick one on top and bottom to give this a more cinamatic feel. I didn't vote but I would have given this a 6 or 7.

Very good point about the eyes being high up in the frame and the nose being centered.

Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by aliqui:
I'm not sure why you finished in the 200's with this shot. My shot of a bird at the aquarium finished 163. He had awesome bird hair though, heh.

To me your shot looks pretty sound technically. Maybe it's just too in your face? It feels pretty cramped.

Someone mentioned that the image looked "flat." The edited eyes do a great job of drawing focus, but the rest of the photo does seem flat across the cheeks and nose. This may have something to do with the age of the person? Maybe there's a technique to photographing people that still have a bit of that baby fat softness. Maybe a more dramatic angle of light. Hopefully someone chimes in with how you could have improved your lighting, because I think that's where you're wanting more feedback.

People are really tough on portraits. I think your shot is great. I wouldn't be discouraged if I were you.

Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by trevytrev:
This is a nice shot and the eyes are well done. Compositionally i feel the eyes are too far up in the frame which I feel results in making the nose the focus in the photo when it should be the beautfil eyes. I will agree that the think borders on the sides don't do much for this shot either and if you were going to use a border I might have used a thick one on top and bottom to give this a more cinamatic feel. I didn't vote but I would have given this a 6 or 7.

Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by riversong:
Beautiful eyes! Somehow this is a bit flat, but maybe it's just my monitor.

It won't bite...
by LanndonKane

Comment by jgrieco:
Whetting the appetite scale: 6

looks a little overexposed but that might the effect you intended?

It won't bite...
by LanndonKane

Comment by ganne:
I see too much of light ( & white). IMHO this one on black background makes more impact

Prospects
by LanndonKane

Comment by sulamk:
you must be careful editing, the shadows on her face actually look like dirt smudges

It won't bite...
by LanndonKane

Comment by crik:
Very nice concept and shot.