Before the Storm
by rwaudio

Comment:
I've seen clouds like that before but I have never been able the drama like you have here.

Sunrise, Bosque del Apache
by jemison

Comment:
Wonderful layering in this image!!

Sarah
by whiteroom

Comment:
I always scan for the portaits first and was thrilled to find this one. Interesting composition, nice lighting, wonderful detail in the eyes and an endearing expresison from your subject. I really wish the top edge of her left eye wasn't in such a dark shadow, but that's very minor. 8

Moonlight
by gisli

Comment:
Amazing shot.... I looks like a cold scene to photograph. The lighting is wonderful, but I have been wondering if the warm colored shore in the bottom left corner helps the overall image or draw attention away from the main subject. 8

Flawless
by nephoto

Comment:
Very interesting twist on the standard beauty shot. Wonderful detail in the eyes and texture in the skin. Lighting is great! The waves create a nice background. Only technical questions would be:
- could you have covered a bit more of the dark lines under her eyes. They are not strong, but you would expect perfection in a shot like this.
- The area or her chest that is not covered by water draws a lot of attention, but I'm not sure why. It could be the strong line created by the edge of the water... but regardless of the reason it draws my eye more than it should.

Great despite by very minor questions... 8

Exposed
by Travis99

Comment:
When I first saw this in thumbnail size I was expecting an almost cliche glamour shot. I was pleasantly surprised to find that your interpretation had much more depth. The pose is provides a nice shape without be exagerated. The subjects head being down adds a sense of mystery... not who is she, but what or who is she thinking about. The detail in the hands and highlights on the hair are nice touches.

My only artistic question would be why lower part of her left leg completely lost in the shadow? Just enough separation between leg and wall to provide a shape/line through the bottom of the frame would have helped to balance against her right leg. Very minor really, but it's the only thing question I had.

Timeworn
by Brin

Comment:
Absolutely wonderful shot! In fact it is so good that I can be picky about the details. The contrast in the sky almost seems to strong because some of the lighter tones are starting to blow out. This could have happened in conversion or simply be a matter of differences in montiors. I know from experience that B&W images with wonderful tones are challenging because of how they change between monitors. I think there could be a little more separation between the left corner of the house and the clouds in the background. These are very minor points of discussion. 8-10 (still debating score)

Exquisite Gaze
by librodo

Comment:
Excellent portrait. Rich colors from the blue background to orange scarf, and then into her face. The gesture with the had suggests she is pulling the scarf up, perhaps because she is she... wornderful!

eye contact
by hopper

Comment:
Very nice portrait, I like the overall composition and the close personal feeling it creates. There are a couple of details I would ask about:
- I'm usually ok with mulitple catchlights in the eyes, but it this case they are so distintive that I find them a little distracting.
- Just a little more fill or the left side of her face (right of frame) might have brought her left eye out of the shadows enough to add some depth to her face.
- This is very minor, but she has some hair that is going up and over her shoulder to the left of the frame. Lines are a strong element of composition and in this case I find the lines, created by the hair, drawing my attention to the bright area in the top left corner of the frame.

CRW_8132
by Nusbaum

Comment:

Originally posted by CalliopeKel: I love your portraits. Where was the reflector in this particular shot? Was it gold or silver?

I was holding the reflector in one hand, against the right side of my body, while shooting. It's a lastolite starfire which is someplace between gold and silver.