Haley and Lexi

[Marie Hass]

Back at it with my 2 favorite muses. I am back to shooting manual mode for a class.




Shutter speed 1/125, f4, 105mm, ISO 800.



Shutter speed 1/100, f4, 100mm, IS) 800

Please look and comment. I always struggle with portraits.

You critique is welcome.

Marie

[rpcrowe]

Marie, both are neat images but, I really like the expression in image #2...

[Donald]

I always struggle with portraits.

I do too, to the extent that I keep away from them (which just shows what a coward I am).

Irrespective of the technical qualities - lighting etc - upon which others are more qualified to comment, I wondered if teh framing on the first one was maybe too tight? Maybe a bit more space around the face?

[Marie Hass]

Good Morning, Donald and anyone else looking at this thread. Here is the "less cramped" version of Haley. I had uploaded this one also. Is it any better?

Well, actually it is good evening to you!

Thanks for looking and commenting,

Marie

[Loose Canon]

Good morning Marie!

First let me compliment you on your shots and especially your choice of Muses. I can see why they are your faves!

I have been watching your thread hoping some of the portrait wizards would comment. Admittedly, so I could learn a little something from your thread.

Could be your shots are so good that they need no comment. And certainly none from me. But it seems that if I am to learn anything about portraiture, I need to get into some kind of analyzing process. Up front, I am not very comfortable doing this.

So I’ll make you a deal! I’ll give it a go and say what I think I see with these lovely shots if you’ll take it with a grain of sand and c&c my c&c!

I am guessing that you shot these by a window. On the camera right side of both there seems to be some blown areas. Around the camera right side of the noses, and Miss Lexi’s hair and arm on that same side. A spot on Miss Haley’s neck.

It could be my tired old eyes, or my display (SpyderPro is reminding me to spend some time with it!), but it seems to me that there is a slight color cast on both. Miss Lexi maybe a little more than Miss Haley. And the specular on Miss Haley’s lower lip might be a bit prominent.

When I first saw these, one of the things I thought was that the shadow area on Miss Haley was a bit too dark, but I changed my feeble mind on that one after looking at them some more. I also wondered if you added the catch lights to Miss Lexi’s beautiful eyes, but I also see one in Miss Haley’s camera left eye so could be a reflector? Either way, it looks good to me! If these were my shots, I might be tempted to clone out the spectral on Miss Haley’s camera left eye white and see if I liked it better that way. I might try to dodge a bit under Miss Lexi’s camera left eye to lighten the shadow under it.

Marie, I would have been happy to have taken these shots. Both are beautiful shots of a couple of beautiful young ladies. Both have great expressions. I also like either crop for Miss Haley.

So, there is a little bit of comment. Please keep in mind that I suck at portraiture and will continue to do so until I don’t anymore! Which is one reason I am responding! And these comments could be waaaay off the mark! But I sure do appreciate the opportunity Marie.

Let me know if you think I am full of bull! Most people do so you would be in the vast majority!

Thank you and again, nice work.

[ddp4me]

Marie,

I am not the expert on portraits, either. Where is Colin when you need him?

I will give you my opinion. I like the natural lighting myself and the shadows that are created as that is how I would see them if I were sitting there looking at them.

I also like the tighter crop of #1 better than #3 because it makes her beautiful eyes really stand out. Her eyes make the portrait in my opinion. Next her freckles. She probably doesn't like them but they add so much to the first photo and I can't see them as defined in the less cropped version.

I do see what Terry said about the blown areas but it didn't bother me until I looked again. Maybe a slight filtering of the direct light next time? I think it's not needed though.

The second is great again in my opinion. The look is so real. The only slight "gripe" I could give is the reflected pink color on the right side of her face from the pink in her shirt. Perhaps blurring the background more?

I really like them. Great work and thanks for sharing your 2 favorite muses with us.

Darlene

[Marie Hass]

Thank you everyone for responding. Terry and Darlene, I used my histogram in raw to check the images for blown areas, and yes, the only areas were in #2. Terry spotted them. The rest of the highlight areas fell somewhere around 244 at the most. I did not use a reflector or add catchlights...wait! I sat them by the front door, which reflected...light grey. Light was late afternoon, hence the "warm" cast to the images.
Children are hard for me to do. Thank you both for commenting.

Marie

[speedneeder]

Hi Marie,
I think the first one the light on the girl's face is good, perhaps a little over exposed, though somehow there seems to be a lack of contrast overall? I don't usually do this, but I made a quick edit to your photo, just a small curves adjustment and an unsharp mask. I like the wider crop. The second one doesn't have enough light in the eyes for my taste.