Environmental Business Portrait - Sheryl

Travis

Sheryl is an executive with the local shipyard and needed a few portraits for her Congressional hearing submissions. She advised that everyone used the same blue backdrop and she wanted something different, that spoke to her profession, while still being a somewhat conservative portrait. We opted to do the shoot with the USS Wisconsin as a backdrop, keeping the background simple by not including the whole ship but just the hull. C&C welcomed.

1.


2.


3. More for fun...


Thanks for looking!

mud390

I like #2 the best, with #1 following a close second. My only problem with #1 is the number on the ship's hull. For me, it's distracting. I understand the intent of it being in the frame, but I would have liked to seen the whole number. In #3 the angle of her head seems overly posed, but the her smile seems very sincere. Take these thoughts with a grain of salt as I personally prefer not shooting people.

Kris

Travis

Thank you Kris for the comments. The funny thing about #3 is that it was the most "unposed" of the bunch. I clicked it when she was laughing at a joke she told.

PhotoLasVegas

I'm thinking her face is too straight to the camera in 1 and 2. Makes it look big. I love the smile on 3 but 1 and 2 it looks forced.

3 is nice but IMO not quite professional enough especially given the reason/use of the photo.

notwithstanding the issues above, I like 1 best out of them all, I dont' mind at all that the number isn't completely showing - I think it establishes the shot but doesn't take full attention away. #2 I'd never know it was a ship unless told.

heatherfeather

The lighting is very nice... for me it needs just a bit of postwork on a horizontal shadow that is below the nose and above the lip in 1 & 2... It almost looks like a "stache". I bet she wouldn't like that.

quark

Creative background is cool. I think you need to crop up a bit on 1, her shoulders look odd to me but it would be fine if the crop was just tighter. Nice colors!

adbsgicom

FWIW, I like the first for a couple of reasons. First, as an environmental portrait, the number of the ship lets me know that it is a ship (and not some piece of metal sculpture or building). The reflection on the hull is too bright in the second one for me anyhow. I like her head position in the first best. It feels strongest, which is what I think you'd want for a congressional briefing. The rim light on the first is a little nicer than the second anyhow, IMO.

Travis

Thank you everyone for the excellent feedback! It will help me with the selection and processing of the remaining photos as well as improve for the next shoot. Y'all are the greatest!

mscoelho

I too prefer no. 2 with the shadow across the upper lip lightened up.