One of Fi

NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
edited October 27, 2008 in People
My niece Fiona in Melbourne, Australia. What kind of a job did I do? Please C&C!!



401398632_FybeH-XL.jpg

Canon 40D, 135mm f/2 L USM, 580EX II, Bibble, Photoshop, LightZone


Neil
"Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

http://www.behance.net/brosepix

Comments

  • jeffreaux2jeffreaux2 Registered Users Posts: 4,762 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2008
    Hi Neil,

    As a purely technical look at the portrait I would say that the parts that should be sharp are sharp. The colors also look great. The lighting also looks pretty good, and it has left nice catchlights in her eyes. It does look though as if the source on her left were from a source with a slightly different temperature than the right. I see all golden goodness on her right, but it looks a tad cooler on her left cheek. I like the balance...eeer ratio of it...as it doesn't appear to be the harsh blasted flat lighting we see so much of, but rather has lent itself to the shaping of her face. If she was posing for you, then a suggestion to turn her shoulders at a slight angle to the camera would have been in order as she is very square to the camera....if unposed, then positioning yourself for this effect would have been a good thing to do. Compositionally, see how you like it cropped up a bit from the bottom to eliminate the bits of her arms that are showing...see if you find that to be less distracting.

    Now, that's a hefty paragraph for a photograph that really has very few faults.

    Well done!:D
    Thanks,
    Jeff
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  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2008
    What he said +1

    This is a very good photo - one to be proud of - at least I would be.
    Scott
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    jeffreaux2 wrote:
    Now, that's a hefty paragraph

    And I could have kept reading and reading...!!:D

    Thanks, Jeff, for your very encouraging C&C!

    You have a fine critical eye and high standards, and you bring these, together with all you experience, to your own work which you show here, and which I always try to keep up to date with.

    Yes, the light was a mix of ambient - window, room and desk lights - and bounced flash. I really like working indoors with ambient light, so the f2 is a help. Ambient light can create very pleasing complexity and variety, but of course it is often difficult to control. It caused a couple of problems I had with this photo - getting enough exposure on the off-window side of the face, dealing with a slight yellow cast on the forehead and cheeks, and tints in the whites of the eyes.

    I did not crop at all, and while I take your point about the bits of arms showing, I think they do something positive in relieving the effect of the high black top being too blanketing, and keeping her looking young. I also wouldn't like losing the ends of the hair.

    I notice, as I'm sure you do, a difference in the posing of the face to the frequently seen coquettish expressions on subjects of this age. To the North American eye the expression here is bland, I suspect. Not so to the Australian eye (we don't have Hollywood nor movie stars as leaders). The sex-appeal imperative is not so intense. Australians value frankness, and even ordinariness, over screen test scores.

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    Scott_Quier wrote:
    What he said +1

    This is a very good photo - one to be proud of - at least I would be.

    Thanks, Scott! I feel very flattered getting such a compliment from you!
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • SwartzySwartzy Registered Users Posts: 3,293 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2008
    Nicely lit portrait. Your neice makes a great model too! A rule which may help when shooting is: "if anyone has two of them, they should never be level"...:D. Good overall sharpness and photo.thumb.gif
    Swartzy:
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2008
    Swartzy wrote:
    "if anyone has two of them, they should never be level"...:D.

    Hehe, in most people that comes naturally!! eek7.gifwink:D

    Thanks for your kind comments!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2008
    bluehand wrote:
    great stuff, nice shot

    Appreciate your reply, bluehand!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • zoomerzoomer Registered Users Posts: 3,688 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2008
    I like it.
    Very pretty girl and you showed it in the photo.
    I would clone out the bits of arms in the bottom corners it is distracting.
    Show it proudly!
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  • evorywareevoryware Registered Users Posts: 1,330 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2008
    Agree with others. Nice shot. I think the skin showing at the bottom of the photo isn't necessary and can be cropped. I also see a fairly heavy magenta type color cast throughout.
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited October 27, 2008
    evoryware wrote:
    Agree with others. Nice shot. I think the skin showing at the bottom of the photo isn't necessary and can be cropped. I also see a fairly heavy magenta type color cast throughout.

    Thanks, evoryware.

    Yes, the color profile is not the recommended typical Caucasian one. Magenta has the highest value in most areas of the photo. I think I shot AWB, and I certainly adjusted for white balance in post. Possibly what is happening here is the reflected tint off the mauve walls, and late afternoon sunlight through the window.

    I'll try adjusting the color and temperature to see if it looks better, otherwise I think leaving it as it is is not too hard to live with. The proof of that will be in the print.
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited October 27, 2008
    zoomer wrote:
    I like it.
    Very pretty girl and you showed it in the photo.
    I would clone out the bits of arms in the bottom corners it is distracting.
    Show it proudly!

    Appreciate your comment, zoomer!
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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