My first crack at a woman.... - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

08/06/2004 07:52:29 PM · #1

I thought that thread title might get your attention :P
Seriously though, I tried my hand at shooting a portrait of a friend. This is the first time I've attempted one and I know it's far from perfect. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.... but please be gentle, she was already shy behind the camera and was worried she wasn't pretty enough to shoot.

Dim7

Canon EOS R

08/06/2004 07:57:02 PM · #2

Great shot, shes more than pretty enough!

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

08/06/2004 07:57:55 PM · #3

I think it is wonderful work. Very emotive and candid appearing. I am once again on the horrible work monitor, but maybe the focus is a bit soft towards the lower part of the face? But that is nit-picing . . . truly wonderful.

AND absolutely pretty enough!!!!

Message edited by author 2004-08-06 19:58:21.

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

08/06/2004 08:00:25 PM · #4

I think it's nice shot. Did you dodge the whites of her eyes? Seems a bit overdown/too white. I would crop off some of the excess black bg on the left to make the crop tighter. The extra bg isn't really needed and it would put more focus on your model. Nice job.

kosmikkreeper

Nikon D300s

08/06/2004 08:00:28 PM · #5

She is very attractive and I love the composition.....

The photo seems out of focus. Not sure if you overused NeatImage or smart blur.

One of the keys to good portraiture is sharp eye focus. I would focus on that. :-)

photom

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

08/06/2004 08:01:20 PM · #6

Wow. If she is not pretty enough, I sure don't know who would be. Great lighting and excellent portratit! The only nit pick I have is the white strap of her blouse - it would be a better image with a darker color.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

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

08/06/2004 08:02:19 PM · #7

Yup, what kosmikkreeper said... The first thing I noticed was the lack of detail in the face. Assure her that she is plenty attractive and hopefully you'll have some future opportunities to try again!

wwwavenger

08/06/2004 08:07:44 PM · #8

Whoa! take it easy on the Photoshopping. She's a great model, try a little NeatImage and see how that works. Don't try to make her look like a Maxim girl.

moodville

Nikon D100

08/06/2004 08:15:31 PM · #9

I'm certainly no expert at people portraits but as other people mentioned the first thing I saw was the white eyes - they stand out more than the pupils. If you used the levels method then try lowering the opacity. You may want to try and dodge the pupils too, although using better lighting when you shoot it would help more and add some catchlights. The skin above her eyes looks like it has been excessively blurred too.

She is certainly pretty and I'm sure you'll get plenty of good shots if you continue taking pictures with her.

timj351

Sony DSC-F707

08/06/2004 08:23:42 PM · #10

She is a very pretty subject with great features. I like the way you have the girl posed but I agree that there might be a little too much bg showing. I agree that it appears that you might have dodged the eyes a little too much and there needs to be more overall sharpness, especially in the eyes and face. I don't know if you purposefully applied a slight blur to everything? I would not recommend that way to create a soft focus effect. A true soft focus effect keeps everything fairly sharp but diffuses the lightest areas into a soft blur over the top of the image. It's a two layer effect that still retains important details while effectively smoothing other areas. This can be done easily enough in a good image editor and there probably are many tutorials here and around the net that can explain it. I made myself a couple of Photoshop actions that I use for my work and I would be happy to send you them for $20 (just kidding, there for free). Just PM me if you are interested and you can try them out yourself and see what you think. Nice job.

08/06/2004 08:37:48 PM · #11

Thanks for the helpful feedback folks : )
I defininitely see the shortcomings in my P-shop skills as the biggest shortcoming of this shot. Taking a step back and looking at the shot again, I think the eyes and blur on the face is the most distracting element. Aargh, going through the learning curve on portraits is tough! I took the same photo and used a duplicate layer in photoshop and screened it to create an effect that I feel sort of balances the eyes. The focus is still too off in my opnion, but it's just a trial run. Any thoughts on this version?

AmiYuy

Nikon Coolpix 8700

08/06/2004 08:39:02 PM · #12

Did you sharpen at all? It's still too blurry...

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

08/06/2004 08:40:42 PM · #13

It has lost more definition on my screen, with the forehead looking a bit blown out and the overall picture blurrier than before. Hope it helps.

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

08/06/2004 09:31:27 PM · #14

Second one is too bright. Not enough contrast. Eyes still seem too white.

Can you post the original for us?

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

08/06/2004 10:20:47 PM · #15

Originally posted by ButterflySis:

Second one is too bright. Not enough contrast. Eyes still seem too white.

Can you post the original for us?

Well, I'm a moron and hit the save button instead of save-as so the original is gone now. But my friend has graciously agreed to let me shoot her again. So now I can start from scratch with a whole new set of portraits : ) But again, thanks for everyones input. Some really good advice that I'll take into consideration for my second attempt!

Pedro

Nikon D200

08/06/2004 10:29:57 PM · #16

I see you're getting your inspiration from one of the best ;)

Nice job...looking forward to round two.

P

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/06/2004 10:33:46 PM · #17

Originally posted by Pedro:

I see you're getting your inspiration from one of the best ;)

Nice job...looking forward to round two.

P

That's the EXACT picture I had in mind when I shot this. It's absolutely stunning IMO. Alas, I don't think I could ever replicate that shot nearly as good as Drjones' original work (sigh)

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

08/06/2004 10:40:20 PM · #18

Originally posted by C-town driver:

That's the EXACT picture I had in mind when I shot this. It's absolutely stunning IMO. Alas, I don't think I could ever replicate that shot nearly as good as Drjones' original work (sigh)

Derick remember that DrJones is a Pro working with pro models...

FSCNitro

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/06/2004 10:45:01 PM · #19

I think your friend is very pretty and honestly, I would prefer to see her picture without all the photoshop work (although I appreciate how much work you have put into it).

Then again, I think freckles are sexy, so what do I know? :)

Please post your next session, I would like to see how it turns out!

mrorange002

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

08/06/2004 10:51:12 PM · #20

It's a nice shot, but they eyes are not realistic. If she's really shy, ask her to look down and then up (snap!), doing that seems to relax the face/eyes.

ianmill

Canon EOS-10D

08/07/2004 07:43:05 AM · #21

I agree with a many of the other comments - an attractive model and a great pose, but perhaps too much PS around the eyes and forehead. Did you keep the original?

Ian

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

08/07/2004 07:51:23 AM · #22

The potential with such a model is unending, she has the look and aura for more stunning shots. I agree that the effects have been overdone slightly and with sharp focus on the eyes, the viewers attention would have been drawn straight in. I am no expert on portraits, but I know what I like. Try again if possible and let us see the new results.

Keep going!

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

08/07/2004 09:45:06 AM · #23

That stinks. :-/ I've done that before too. Good luck on your second time around!

Jen

Originally posted by C-town driver:

Originally posted by ButterflySis:
Second one is too bright. Not enough contrast. Eyes still seem too white.

Can you post the original for us?

Well, I'm a moron and hit the save button instead of save-as so the original is gone now. But my friend has graciously agreed to let me shoot her again. So now I can start from scratch with a whole new set of portraits : ) But again, thanks for everyones input. Some really good advice that I'll take into consideration for my second attempt!

wwwavenger

08/07/2004 10:32:04 AM · #24

Originally posted by C-town driver:

Some really good advice that I'll take into consideration for my second attempt!

As an afterthought, if you want to soften her complexion, try moving your light more to the front of her. Side light brings out every little thing.

jenesis

Canon EOS-300D Rebel