Jim and our girl, Cocoa

[Melody Travnick]

[Shadowman]

Nice effort.

[William W]

Hi,

There are many ingredients which make a good portrait. In this Image you have captured two: Rapport and Emotion.

Discussing Rapport: you have captured Rapport between you (i.e,. The Camera) the Subject (Jim) and the Subject Animal (Cocoa); additionally you have captured Rapport between Jim and Cocoa (that's "The Moment")

Many might expect, because you travel the roads with these two members of your Family, you'd instantly 'have rapport' but in my experience members of one's family often freeze up or avoid the camera: so I think you have done a good job with this one, in this regard. (The Portrait that you posted in the mini competition also shows Rapport, that's a by the way comment, I certainly am not critiquing that image.)

***

You wrote:

. . .This last Christmas [my husband] bought me a Canon Rebel T6, I think, still completely new to all of this. I've always dabbled in photography an would love to know more, I see things differently, I think of angles and lighting, how could I capture what I see to show others, though at times is doesn't always or even really come across the way I would like it to. So, I'm always open to suggestions

The part I underlined is very important. There is a conversation here at CiC about "The Artist's Statement". That phrase is the essence of your Artist's Statement. Brava.

***

I extrapolate that you have an 18 to 55 F/3.5 to 5.6 zoom lens.

A few detailed comments regarding this Portrait are:

> be careful using the wide angle end of the zoom for Portraiture AT THE SAME TIME you have a short Subject Distance (another way - be careful using the wide angle when you are close to the Subject). Doing so will (usually) create an exaggerated/abnormal view of the bodyshape. You can FRAME the Portrait exactly the same and step back and use a longer Focal Length, which will lessen the exaggerated bodyshapes. FRAMING is what you see in the viewfinder. Sometimes you might want an exaggerated view, that's fine if that's what you want. In relation to this Portrait, the Dog's head appears too large.

> learn to be aware of what is in the background and how the background appears - it will give you a guide to many technical elements of your image: you were framing the camera skewed (on an angle downwards) the tower camera right and the trees are sloping outwards. This is termed "Keystone Distortion" created by using a 28mm lens (slightly wide angle) and standing higher than the Subjects and pointing the camera downward. Additionally using an High Camera Viewpoint may place the Viewer in a position of superiority, which is not necessarily a good element for most Portraiture.

> additionally, beware of intrusive background elements, the pole growing out of Jim's hat is not good.

***

Maybe you used the Camera on Auto to make this Porytrait. That's good. I have reserved critique to elements devoid of those technical aspects - however as additional advice: endeavour to appreciate that taking control of the Camera is a good thing. For example if you had chosen to use a faster ISO (not ISO 100, let's say ISO400) then you could have used a shutter speed of 1/400s and not 1/100s: that increase in speed of the Shutter Speed is an important and significant difference, as a general rule for Available Light Portraiture - the thing is that living Subjects move - 1/400s is generally quite safe - 1/100s is very unsafe apropos Subject Motion Blur.

***

I think you have talent. I hope that you exploit it. I hope Photography brings you great joy.

Brava.

WW