Feedback requested on a portrait

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/10/2004 01:23:08 AM · #1

Greetings all,

I would highly appreciate some honest opinions
on this shot. It was a candid, and really does
something for me.

Roberta

PLEASE don't spare my feelings - looking for honesty here.
I may have a different viewpoint on it as she was
my "daughter" for about 9 years (though her Mom & I
never were married). More in the details section

groggyfroggy

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

09/10/2004 01:28:37 AM · #2

Hey BradP~
I really like the photo, I like the contrast between her and the dark background. The lighting is really nice. She is a very beautiful girl. I would love to see it in color.(I love red hair:o))

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/10/2004 01:40:39 AM · #3

Hi Roni,

Thanks for the feedback.

I didn't even have an edited color version, as I went straight to B & W.
Had run over to my photo~~lab~~shop (VBG) and 5 minutes later, voila!

kiwiness

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

09/10/2004 01:50:56 AM · #4

Nice portrait Brad, you captured a very natural expression there. At the moment I am looking around for a model with lots of freckles for a portrait and Roberta would be ideal. Can you send her over for a couple of hours :)

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/10/2004 01:58:16 AM · #5

Lighting and Skin tones are awesome Brad. On the b/w the mid tones of the hair seem a smidgen contrasty to me. I ran a spyder on my monitor for the first time the other day maybe I didn't get it totally right?

Nice Pic, great relationship you have with your daughter.

groggyfroggy

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/10/2004 01:59:38 AM · #6

Very nice Brad...I think I like the b/w better not that there is that much of a difference...great job.

KevinRiggs

Canon EOS-1Ds

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/10/2004 07:08:13 AM · #7

Hey Brad,

I think this is a great family shot. I like the composition and the use of negative space. Your lighting here works well with her complexion, providing good exposure without blowing highlights in her skintone. The shadows around the subject's nose and right hand provide a sense of atmosphere that I would expect to see in real life. I like the tilt of the head, too. Your angle of approach to this shot is nice; you might want to try raising or lowering the camera, too, just to see if any other elements suddenly spring to the forefront of the composition.

Just a couple of things strike me. In the color version the blue shirt doesn't match up well with the black background but once you threw the shot to b&w or sepia you took care of that and having a lighter shirt helped to separate the subject from the background and keep her from just being a floating head and hands. I like the sepia version best as I feel it captures the mid-tones of the skin better so most of my comments are based on reviewing that version. The pose looks kind of expressive, I'm just not sure what the expression is. The eyes and mouth of a subject usually convey the most about their expression. In this photo Roberta's eyes are more closed. If I look at only her eyes I could believe that she's smiling except that at the outside edges of her eyes her fingers push her cheeks up into the smile creases. You might have gotten more connection for the viewer if Roberta's eyes were slightly more open and available. Sometimes I find that reminding someone to open their eyes just a little wider doesn't affect their overall expression, sometimes it does. Roberta's mouth here is a defining element for me in this shot. Her mouth is slightly open but it looks almost relaxed. I think a smile or frown partially hidden behind those hands might have made for a more provocative (in the sense of compelling) composition.

Overall I like the shot. I think your execution is very good and if I knew Roberta I would be happy to have this shot of her.

Kev

09/10/2004 11:35:30 AM · #8

Kevin,
What can I say but thank you for taking the time to indentify each area, note the pros & cons and help me learn what works & doesn't, relating to portrait shots. I won't have the opportunity to redo this, nor would I have reason to really. Roberta & her Mom moved out of state a couple weeks ago.
I was being really annoying with my camera that night, and was trying to get her to relax and just ignore the fact that I had all this gear out.
There is something about this shot that really represents her personality too - it IS her, and one of the reasons I was asking for an opinion. My own opinion is partial.
This is a shot I will have on my wall at home.

Thanks again Kevin,

09/10/2004 11:37:03 AM · #9

Originally posted by kiwiness:

No problem Andy, I have drop by when it's convenient.
LOL
Thanks for the feedback.