I, too, am impressed with the sharpness and clarity. Nice job. The eyes in particular draw me in, in part b/c they look "different". I think you must have been in very bright light and the pupils are so contracted that they are essentially masked by the catchlights (either that or you've got relatively opaque contacts in ).
With The Greatest of Respect: (and don't forget we're all friends here in DGPF-land…)
1. Need to use a longer focus lens… (because er, um, yes well, just because!)
2. Your eyes look like there are no pupils… …sort of cataract-ish
So, where are your pupils?
Many happy returns…
- Wil
"What are birthdays anyway? Here today, gone tomorrow…" Eeyore :cry
Thanks for looking Wil.
What focal length do you use for self portraits. I shot this with an 85mm lens on a full frame camera. As it is, it was tough enough to focus at that focal length. Much longer would have been tougher. What would the longer length added to the shot?
The pupil issue didn't hit me until the comments here. I agree my eyes look a bit odd with the pupils fully constricted. I suspect I was running into the dark garage and then sat down looking out the bright opening of the garage when this shot was taken. The large catchlight just obscures my small pupils. A period of adjustment would have helped.
I've never posted in the people forum before but Happy Birthday Mitch. It's funny that I was just sitting here with some lighting equipment that I just purchased and was trying to take a self portrait when I came across your post.
Hope you had a great day!
Oh, and good job on the SP. It turns out to be a good way to get some exercise. Set up, shoot, chimp, adjust, repeat ... a lot!
What focal length do you use for self portraits. I shot this with an 85mm lens on a full frame camera. As it is, it was tough enough to focus at that focal length. Much longer would have been tougher. What would the longer length added to the shot?
The pupil issue didn't hit me until the comments here. I agree my eyes look a bit odd with the pupils fully constricted. I suspect I was running into the dark garage and then sat down looking out the bright opening of the garage when this shot was taken. The large catchlight just obscures my small pupils. A period of adjustment would have helped.
85 to 100 or so on a full-frame is ideal, but how far away from the camera were you? If you're too close you tend to get a distortion not unlike that when using a wide-angle lens; in other words the relative sizes of objects (noses, ears, chins) are distorted. It's been my experience when taking self portraits, that in order to get the camera far enough away for the perspective to be realistic, you need to put the camera on a tripod or table or something. When you try to hand-hold for self-portraits, if you're using a wide-angle lens there will be distortion (although it will be easy to focus), and if you're using a longer lens, then it will be difficult to focus as you will be holding the lens too close, unless the lens is a macro or micro (in the case of Nikkor).
The first thing which struck me about your picture was the absence of pupils. The relative size/scale thing only occurred to me after I started thinking about how you took the picture.
- Wil
PS: Perhaps I should have said "camera further away from you" rather than "use longer focal-length lens"
85 to 100 or so on a full-frame is ideal, but how far away from the camera were you? If you're too close you tend to get a distortion not unlike that when using a wide-angle lens; in other words the relative sizes of objects (noses, ears, chins) are distorted. It's been my experience when taking self portraits, that in order to get the camera far enough away for the perspective to be realistic, you need to put the camera on a tripod or table or something. When you try to hand-hold for self-portraits, if you're using a wide-angle lens there will be distortion (although it will be easy to focus), and if you're using a longer lens, then it will be difficult to focus as you will be holding the lens too close, unless the lens is a macro or micro (in the case of Nikkor).
The first thing which struck me about your picture was the absence of pupils. The relative size/scale thing only occurred to me after I started thinking about how you took the picture.
- Wil
PS: Perhaps I should have said "camera further away from you" rather than "use longer focal-length lens"
Um, interesting input here, Wil. If I look distorted on this shot, that's just the way I'm built.:D
I can assure you that the camera was on a tripod about 12 ft away from me when this was taken. Perhaps the odd crop is not to your liking?
Um, interesting input here, Wil. If I look distorted on this shot, that's just the way I'm built.:D
I can assure you that the camera was on a tripod about 12 ft away from me when this was taken. Perhaps the odd crop is not to your liking?
Well, it could be a "left-side" "right-side" thing. Your avatar is from the other side, and talking of faces and symmetry, an interesting exercise is to take a full-on head and shoulders picture and divide it vertically, and flip one side at a time, to see just how different each side of a face can be.
BTW passport pictures have to include your right ear (something about being ears being very distinctive, almost like a finger-print, apparently).
I think it looks good! Not crazy about chopping off the top of the head, but I know it's an artistic choice.
Cheers,
-joel
Thanks, Joel.
I'm no artist, but I do know that there's not much to look at when viewing the top of my bald head. That's why I chop it off in an effort to focus on my best feature (my eyes).
Happy birthday, fellow Scorpion (mine was last Monday, the 2nd)!
Agree with much that's been said - you don't know how to take a BAD picture (technically, or in terms of looking great in them). Your eyes are amazing - the complex catchlights bring out the "spoke" pattern and it's really cool! - but I do find the ultra-contracted pupils a little bit disconcerting.... Still, yet another Great Garage Shot
Happy Birthday! Nice job with the pic. I understand that a more expensive lens makes you look younger yet! Buy one for yourself as a birthday gift and let us know if it is true...
0
Danny BatesRegistered UsersPosts: 7Beginner grinner
edited November 13, 2009
Excellent color and detail, though I kind of second Will's comment about the eyes. I would respect this photo so much more if the eye detail was closer to reality.
Excellent color and detail, though I kind of second Will's comment about the eyes. I would respect this photo so much more if the eye detail was closer to reality.
I can assure you that my eyes are real as captured by this photo. No added colors or details. The pupils are just constricted due to my looking out at the bright light in the door of the garage.
Happy Birthday! Nice job with the pic. I understand that a more expensive lens makes you look younger yet! Buy one for yourself as a birthday gift and let us know if it is true...
I knew I should have taken this photo with my 300mm, f2.8 lens!
Comments
...and the SP is well done. Those in the know understand that it can be challenging to pull off a nice....sharp....SP.
Jeff
-Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
-My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
Caroline
Happy b-day,
C.
***********************************
check out my (sports) pics: ColleenBonney.smugmug.com
*Thanks to Boolsacho for the avatar photo (from the dgrin portrait project)
With The Greatest of Respect: (and don't forget we're all friends here in DGPF-land…)
1. Need to use a longer focus lens… (because er, um, yes well, just because!)
2. Your eyes look like there are no pupils… …sort of cataract-ish
So, where are your pupils?
Many happy returns…
- Wil
"What are birthdays anyway? Here today, gone tomorrow…" Eeyore :cry
PS - Are you wearing scrubs?
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
Scrubs are my usual attire on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, my OR days.
Thanks for the kind words. I thought the blue scrubs would look good with my eyes.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Thanks for looking Wil.
What focal length do you use for self portraits. I shot this with an 85mm lens on a full frame camera. As it is, it was tough enough to focus at that focal length. Much longer would have been tougher. What would the longer length added to the shot?
The pupil issue didn't hit me until the comments here. I agree my eyes look a bit odd with the pupils fully constricted. I suspect I was running into the dark garage and then sat down looking out the bright opening of the garage when this shot was taken. The large catchlight just obscures my small pupils. A period of adjustment would have helped.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Thanks, Jeff. Send my regards to your wife. Any photos of the birthday girl today?:D
Self portraits are fun. Loads of blurry shots with lousy composition all tossed with the hope of finding one decent photo.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Hope you had a great day!
Oh, and good job on the SP. It turns out to be a good way to get some exercise. Set up, shoot, chimp, adjust, repeat ... a lot!
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85 to 100 or so on a full-frame is ideal, but how far away from the camera were you? If you're too close you tend to get a distortion not unlike that when using a wide-angle lens; in other words the relative sizes of objects (noses, ears, chins) are distorted. It's been my experience when taking self portraits, that in order to get the camera far enough away for the perspective to be realistic, you need to put the camera on a tripod or table or something. When you try to hand-hold for self-portraits, if you're using a wide-angle lens there will be distortion (although it will be easy to focus), and if you're using a longer lens, then it will be difficult to focus as you will be holding the lens too close, unless the lens is a macro or micro (in the case of Nikkor).
The first thing which struck me about your picture was the absence of pupils. The relative size/scale thing only occurred to me after I started thinking about how you took the picture.
- Wil
PS: Perhaps I should have said "camera further away from you" rather than "use longer focal-length lens"
Um, interesting input here, Wil. If I look distorted on this shot, that's just the way I'm built.:D
I can assure you that the camera was on a tripod about 12 ft away from me when this was taken. Perhaps the odd crop is not to your liking?
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Well, it could be a "left-side" "right-side" thing. Your avatar is from the other side, and talking of faces and symmetry, an interesting exercise is to take a full-on head and shoulders picture and divide it vertically, and flip one side at a time, to see just how different each side of a face can be.
BTW passport pictures have to include your right ear (something about being ears being very distinctive, almost like a finger-print, apparently).
Anyway, I hope you had a great birthday!
- Wil
I think it looks good! Not crazy about chopping off the top of the head, but I know it's an artistic choice.
Cheers,
-joel
Link to my Smugmug site
Thanks, Joel.
I'm no artist, but I do know that there's not much to look at when viewing the top of my bald head.
The psychology of the self portrait!
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Kelly
My Photostream
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Agree with much that's been said - you don't know how to take a BAD picture (technically, or in terms of looking great in them). Your eyes are amazing - the complex catchlights bring out the "spoke" pattern and it's really cool! - but I do find the ultra-contracted pupils a little bit disconcerting.... Still, yet another Great Garage Shot
www.brogen.com
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Did you use any fill light?
Take Care,
Charles
Aperture Focus Photography
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Was this in your magic garage?? LOve the eyes !!!
www.CottageInk.smugmug.com
NIKON D700
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Belated Happy Birthday, Mitchell.
Wonderful sp and so appropriate that you did it in your garage and you were in your scrubs. Little details that help make you you!
Virginia
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus
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I can assure you that my eyes are real as captured by this photo. No added colors or details. The pupils are just constricted due to my looking out at the bright light in the door of the garage.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
I knew I should have taken this photo with my 300mm, f2.8 lens!
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Great SP, you have compelling eyes!
Who is wise? He who learns from everyone.
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