TOTAL critique please.. Don't hold back.

[Peter O'Connor]

SO, What do you think of this low saturated pp?

and composition, style, everything...

I'm not a big portrait shooter so this is my first shoot like this...

So be brutal if you see fit..

Ta,

Pete.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I want to like the first one, but it doesn't quite fit! I'm not sure the personality suits the framing if that makes sense and the lighting is a bit dull!
It also feels a little posed, forced and not as relaxed as I think it wants to be ...

The second one on the other hand is very nice!
It makes you interested in the subject and you feel almost as though the subject is interested in you! I think that's quite an achievement, and possibly one of the most important things in portraiture where there is eye contact; a bit of 2 way communication ... Even though that's not technically possible... Does that make sense?
The lightness also suits the pp better!
It feels less contrived an more relaxed than the first one too

So yeah, one sorta fail, and one big win for me!

 

[Peter O'Connor]

Funny You say that,
Falls right back into the realm of what we spoke of before.
The first shot was at the start of the session, the second nearer the end when both Steph and I had relaxed more into the shoot.
I'll brighten up the first, see what's occurin'
The desaturated processing came as a result of not being happy with white balance,
Stephs' peroxide hair was clashing heavily with the colour range of whatever foundation she was using...
Get the skin looking natural, hair looks yellow and vice versa.
I also noticed the angle of the iris to the camera plane hugely affects the refraction andso therefore the vibrancy of her blue eyes..
I've been sending out invites for a 'FREE!!!' portrait session so I can study this more...
Steph's the only taker so far!!!
Maybe because it's Winter and people are snug in front of the tele.
It doesn't bode well for when I'd like to charge for this service!!
Or maybe it's because people think I'm a nob....
I guess I'll never know.

 

[Peter O'Connor]

Yep, that's an improvement.
I shot it dark though I recall looking at the data..
So couldn't really push it any higher without degrading.
I'm not yet hot on arithmetically working with the strobe so alot of chimping was goin on.

I like this style of lighting when it suits..

I went through a fair bit 'o' gig that day.

Loved it..

 

[Hamish Gill]

Was the peroxide foundation issue there without the camera? Outside is the vast place for that sort of issue I think, flash/indoor lights, and that range of yellows and oranges is always gonna be an issue

As for free portraits, I did see that on your Facebook!
If you want to get people interested for the sake of portfolio, appeal to thier ego and ask people directly! I've found this, people feel nervouse about being a guinea pig, but of you pick on people specifically it makes them feel special! Portraiture is a hard game I think, especially individuals... Family's, kids, pets is where the cash is!

I always feel like im trying to tell you how to do things ... Sorry if it sounds that way! :/

Anyway... Wuts wrong wit chimping?? They put them screens there for a reason

I Like those two, although I still prefer the second one, it's all that personality in it, just shines through!
They do make a nice selection of images that should appeal broadly eh?

 

[Peter O'Connor]

Ha, no worries Hamish... It's (normally) great advice that you dish out.. all taken with a pinch of salt of course.
Yep, I like the range of shots from the day also. B+W conversions on alot of them look pimp. Steph got 20 final jpgs in colour + b/w. She's stoked, I've learnt a bit,, all good.
When the rain clears I'm getting out canvasing for the 'interiors' market too. All the b+b's, hotels, guest houses get renovated this time of year in Cornwall, I'm hoping there'll be those wanting images for improving websites et al..
Surely a safer market than weddings, I've got a big dose of eebie jeebies about looking too hard for Wedding work and the increased potential of properly upsetting someones life with a bad day at work on my behalf...
Interiors can be reshot.
When I first started gigging a seasoned pro told me that 'you have to crash and burn a few times before you can say you know where you're at on a stage'
Realistically, I need to cut a few more photography teeth before promising a Bride a product... crash and burn in safer environs.
I've managed to 'pull it out of the hat' on the weddings I have shot so far but .... A little seed of doubt has sprouted from somewhere.
A good spring clean may sort that out though!

 

[Hamish Gill]

Mate that seed doubt is a fecker to get rid of!
I learnt a few things about interior photography off a chap here called Darren Bradley... If you can get close to his stuff your doing well!
Have a look in the tutorials section in fetures on the home page, he did a architecture tutorial that's pretty bang on!
Keep them verticals vertical...
I'm doing it again aren't I

Crash and burn ... Not so sure, I do enough mental crashing and burning of my self confidence to need anything to actually go wrong!

 

[Peter O'Connor]

perfect,
Kettle's on, a nice Monday night chill with architechtural tutorials...
Just what the boy needs.

 

[Laurence Cremetti]

Pete,
I'm no portrait expert, and I wouldn't shoot weddings for any amount of money... Too stressful. However, can I suggest you join "Model Mayhem?" I've used model services from there on a you-can-have-free-prints basis, and all has been well.
Also, another free avenue is your local "Strobist" group, (if you have one), there's plenty to do there too.
Here's a snap from a Strobist session about 4 years ago.....

 

[Hamish Gill]

Laurence, that would be a great shot if it weren't for the visible reflector to the right of the frame!

 

[Laurence Cremetti]

Oh how embarrassingly hilarious!!! I've posted the wrong version!
Here then, is an accidental lesson. Look before you post!!!

 

[Hamish Gill]

haha, yeah, I guessed as much

 

[Peter O'Connor]

The amount of times I've written a reply of worth and then hit the BIG BLACK reply to thread button instead of the little white post quick reply button is unnerving..
so.
all I'm gonna rehash is thanks for your input.. it's been listened to.

 

[Hamish Gill]

look out for the "restore auto-saved content" at the bottom left of the text entry box if you loose it ... that will restore it!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

#1 she looks unsettled - a little nervous or even scared

#2 you have an implied message in the expression and the biting of the thumb - the eye contact is so strong that as Hamish said, it's like she's looking just at you - excellent.

I'd do a little photoshop re-touch on the circles under the eyes - it would improve her look on 'film' - and should be something to look out for and correct with makeup on future shoots if possible - although you can always catch it in PP afterwards.

Here's a quick PP on the small jpg image - I used the clone tool set on 32% opacity, and copied a lighter skin tone from lower on the cheek to cover each under-eye ring. It takes 2-3 passes to blend the dark rings out, but you have more control using a low opacity.

Before

After

Retouching under the eyes removes years from any female model's face, and is easy to do - skilled makeup artists use lighter makeup or concealer to get the same effect in 'real life'.

I also did a touch of Unsharp Mask on the final image to really make the eyes pop.

Doing all of this on the original large file will yield even better results.

 

[Darren Bradley]

I like what Chris did to them. But to me, to be honest, the desaturated look with her skin tone and hair color makes her look a bit too washed out - while emphasizing the dark roots in her hair.