Couple

[Evertking]

[selig1656]

I wonder what is the main subject ? The window is cool , but the couple almost seems that they are not the almost secondary.

[Shadowman]

Nicely processed and good work on the complicated lighting.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Mike,

If mine, I'd rotate so the right hand edge of the window is vertical (as it's near center of frame).

More musings ...

It is more an environmental picture than portrait, given, as Raymond has said, their relative sizes and brightness.

I kinda feel I want to see their feet too.

Anyone got any thoughts on the light rays?
My gut feeling is they shouldn't be spreading that wide (to left edge) if they were real.

Hope that's helpful,
Dave

[Manfred M]

Is this a portrait of primarily the shot of a window? In a portrait, the subjects of the portrait should be the main focus of attention.

In this shot, our eyes are drawn to the large, bright window. This is definitely not what we want.

Even in an environmental portrait, the focus remains on the subject and the environment has a clear link to the subjects. Here this link is not obvious. A battlefield or military base would seem more appropriate for this flag and fatigue wearing couple.

This leads me to another point; the uniform and flag are important elements in your composition and colours are an important feature of both of these, so why B&W?

My plastic skin criticism still applies. This is clearly visible when viewed in the Lightbox...

[Geoff F]

This looks a lot better with the Lightbox view. Yes, I would prefer the window to be truly vertical and with the outside elements selectively darkened so as not to cause so much distraction.

But overall, I rather like the composition.

[William W]

A few points you might consider –

> re read Dave’s comments – all of Dave’s comments resonated with me

> if you’re going to shoot Portraits at FL = 28mm (or at ANY Wide Angle) then you really need to control the platter that the W/A lens paints. The window really does require correction - but returning to tors - 'technically': you are too close to the Subject and too high above the Subject to be shooting a Duo-Portrait at FL = 28mm, even if you want it to be an "Environmental Portrait" - both these technical 'mistakes' ensured that you tilted the camera downward - hence the issue with the window and moreover the 'correction' is not really that simple because a simple Rotation renders him off balance and a simple Plane Correction renders their heads distorted. The bottom line is if you are going to play with Wide Angle Lenses, respect, RESPECT and RESPECT what these lenses actually do - Wide Angle Lenses are the MOST difficult instruments to master, especially for Portraiture and Architecture Photography

> if you're going to convert to B & W then you need to get the gist of the meaning of and the usefulness of “a full range of Grey Tones” – you have a lot of mud and the mud is in all the wrong places

> for any (almost ALL Portraits), the FACE, especially the EYES, are critical if not the MOST important aspect, this is so, whether the Subject(s) is/are juxtaposed to a NEGATIVE SPACE or s/he or they stand solo as the main ELEMENT of the image: (usually) next most important are the HANDS, especially so if it is a Portrait of a COUPLE and there is CONNECTIVITY between the two Subjects – so the hands are good – but his face is lost in the shadow, with no understandable reason

> the Window Light has some effect - my eye sees that as mystical. Perhaps you wanted that element - I have no idea – but let’s suppose that idea is a good idea: an element of “God” if you will – so let’s use the window light and (pretend and manufacture) that light to bounce around and shine on the Couple. Who knows? maybe he just returned from Afghanistan… maybe he is leaving in two hours… whatever… but we need more DRAMA… we need more story… we need to remove the DISTRACTIONS and let the VIEWER’S EYES make up a story that is interesting. The Flash Fill is OK apropos the BALANCE with the window, but it is directed the wrong way – you need to open up his face more

> I cut my teeth working for a drastically mean and totally tough Pommy Portrait Photographer… he’d warn his charges ONLY once about cutting off legs at the knees – “they’re NOT trees growing out of the ground .. they’re PEOPLE” Probably that advice applies here

> be very careful posing a woman full frontal and twisting her head – you’ll get neck lines AND women especially appear awkward and uncomfortable in that pose – if you want to twist the neck then have the torso and shoulders at Half Profile and not at Full Frontal – in any case women “fit” more comfortably into a man standing behind them when they are in an Half Profile pose, there are a few other elements why we are very careful not to pose a woman standing in a Full Frontal pose, study the structure of her R Leg to get one of the reasons why

> never ever, unless it is absolutely impossible to make the shot any other way, make a Portrait Shot up a person’s nose

***

Here is a quick and rough redo – addressing:
. expansion of a full range of GREY TONES;
. correcting the window;
. and one interpretation of how the Window Light appears to be better illuminating the Subjects
(it is not meant as any correction other than those three elements mentioned):



Please see post #8 [this thread] – I think this is CRITICAL in general for you to ACT UPON - and especially regarding the “plastic skin” issues which are contained in Manfred’s (ongoing) comments.

WW

[george013]

Strange look. From what I see the camera is somewhere above or at the same level of the people and on the other side the camera is tilted upwards to keep the window in the frame. If you want that window being part of it you should take care of that vertical lines. Lower yourself and keep the camera horizontal. Force yourself to pay attention to that. Soon it becomes a habit.

George

[rpcrowe]

Within this image, I see a very nice square image, which could be attained by cropping off the top of the vertical to match the horizontal...

Regarding the use of wide angle lenses with people; a 28mm or even a 24mm is fine on a crop format but, is often not appropriate for people shots with full frame camera. I really like 35mm as about my widest angle when shooting people using a full frame camera. UNLESS (and that is a BIG unless) I am trying for a specific look which I can achieve only from up close with a UWA lens...