Critique Welcomed Riveted

[Paul Lange]

I keep finding myself drawn to this photo and can't decide if it's because it is any good or whether I iam just being sentimental. She is a little poppet (actually I call her a widget).

 

[Kev Pugh]

Paul I really like this and for me I would crop the left so the majority of the background was lost making it a more close crop then for me purrfick

 

[Ralph Thornton]

I also like the image. It's a fresh pose of a nice subject. I'd agree with Kev about cropping the left. Since her head is cropped at the top it would be fine IMHO to crop into her has on the left.

 

[Lesley Jones]

Oh, it's good. It's very good indeed! I rarely suggest cropping and I wouldn't here. The only thing I might suggest is to darken the brightest part of her clothing. It seems to draw my eye out of the frame

 

[Paul Lange]

Thanks for the comments, you have given me something to think about. The clothing is a bit to far blown out to recover so I might have to try blending in some clothing texture from another image. I will give the crop a go and re-post later so you can see the result.

 

[Pete Askew]

I would also consider a LH crop Paul but maybe first try a little selective blur on her hair. It has quite a few highlights in and is rather sharp and I find it draws the eye. What do you think? But the wrapped up expression I really like and can see why you are drawn to it - I certainly don't find it too sentimental.

 

[Paul Lange]

OK Here's take two. I have thought about the comments and come up with this. What do you think?

 

[Pete Askew]

I think this works Paul although I miss the aspect ratio of the original as I think that suited the direction of her look better. What about trimming a touch from the top to get it back?

 

[Paul Lange]

OK here's the next version. I've had a load of trouble with this image, there seemed to be some corruption with the image so I hit the revert button and started again. I was getting all sorts of strange behavior from LR. The original was edited in the free version of OnOne Photo Tools that I was trying out. This one is all LR. The highlights are toned down a bit and this has kept some texture in the clothing on the left.

This is one of the images that I like but need to not look at for a while I think. I recent started to look at some photos I took a few years ago now. I kept them as at the time I thought they were OK and might be used for something. Now I think they are great and wondered why I didn't think much of them at the time!

 

[Pete Askew]

I like that Paul. It has lost a touch of sharpness in the eyes but I guess that can be added back if you wanted. The hair looks more natural now I think.

 

[Paul Lange]

Cheers Pete, The highlights were pumped up a bit in the others and this sharpened the whites of the eyes a bit. I was a bit worried that I had overdone the eyes and they looked a bit unnatural but maybe not.

 

[Pete Askew]

No, I think they looked good.

 

[Ronald Atchley]

I like this last version very much. To me , the highlights are much
better and don't pull me away from those wonderful eyes. I really
like the feeling
Like Pete mentioned above , I would be interested to hear your thoughts
on the sharpness of the eyes.
You have a treasure here.
Ron

 

[Paul Lange]

Thank you Pete & Ron. I will leave it for a few hours and return to it tonight and see if I can bring the eyes out a little more.

 

[Brian Moore]

Its interesting to see the suggestions of others. Very good ones at that. But cropping and highlights and whatever just didn't occur to me as I was just captivated by the wild hair, the look in the eye, the pinched lip--what's going on in her mind I'm wondering? Excellent portrait Paul.