Topanga Canyon
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by DefyTime:
Step back alittle bit please...great view though

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by enasniog:
I like the compositon, but the shadow on her foot is a little distracting. Also I would have liked to have seen more worry on her face.

Topanga Canyon
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by ericwoo:
Very nice idea, but I think that she gets lost on the magnitude of the scene around her. You lighting is terrific and focus is super-crisp, but I'd like to see a little more of her in the frame. I really like the concept of the beautiful, well-dressed lady up in the rugged mountains. Very nice.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by eschelar:
Man, I could have sworn I saw a picture with this girl in a canyon somewhere recently... I think she was standing at the entrance to a canyon or something. I honestly preferred the other one. This one is a bit too close and makes her look awkward.

As to her pose, I think it might have looked more natural if she had her back to the 'hard place' and her hands pushing on the rock, but that would have required her to get a little more in the space, probably at the cost of your light... Indeed the picture itself suffers from a bit of of the very cliche in the title.

Nice skirt.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by fotomann_forever:
Oh nevermind...*deleting obvios joke*

Shot works well. I think some fill flash would have given it a little more pop for ya though

Topanga Canyon
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by glad2badad:
And the young lady is there for added context? You know, size, scale - that sort of thing? ;^)

Untitled
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by TooCool:
Your lighting is a little flat. Otherwise a very nice shot.TC

Untitled
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by Azrifel:
The light is a bit blah (it looks underexposed) and the model too centered. I like the wind in the hair effect.

Untitled
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by xianart:
nice colour and image, but a little flat. the background looks like it wants to be white, but is just a little under exposed. perhaps levels could have fixed this? are the eyes slightly out of focus?

Untitled
by hopelessoptimist

Comment by wavelength:
Try this: in Photoshop, copy main layer to a new layer, gaussian blur at about 5-10 or so (I'd need to play with it full size to know for sure) set layer blending to Soft Light. Pick the eraser, delete the eyes of the second layer to let the eyes from the original layer show through.

Sharpen the first layer at 100%/.5pixels/0 threshold, or to taste. This will make the eyes pop out. Crop the picture to portrait with the face in a thirds position, upper right. If you don't know what thirds is, go to photoinf.com.

Go to Layer/new adjustment layer/levels. Pring the rightmost slider over until it's at the bottom of the curve just into the black to brighten the background away from gray.

[url]//www.brizfoto.com/321901edit.jpg [/url]

Just trying to help, hope that's how you take it. Also, you may need to check your monitor calibration, this looked really dark to me.