Showing Off the 'Stache

coldclimb

So during my travels over the summer I grew myself a mustache, and now that it's satisfactory, I'm looking to take a decent self portrait emphasizing it. I played around a little tonight and came up with this shot, but what I'm hoping I may be able to get from you all is interesting ideas or poses for portraits that will emphasize a mustache. I've gotta say, I don't dabble in portraiture very much, primarily because I never have enough original ideas to satisfy myself, so I don't have a whole lot of experience with it yet.

I kinda like the result here. Something is bothering me about it, I think perhaps the brightness of the skin, but overall it's kinda cool. I colorized a greyscale version to customize my colors a little, and I'm thinking this works for what I was shooting for here, but more ideas are always better! This is kind of a standard portrait for me, since I don't have much for lighting options, so I generally just try to play with shadows and darkness.

Anyway, tell me what you think, and I appreciate any ideas anyone might be able to throw out there. :thumb

pathfinder

CC,

The doutone is really cool. I love the tan-sepia and desaturated blue.

I wish I could see more of your right eye - I cannot see any of the iris in this image here on my monitor at work. Maybe I can see more on a better, calibrated monitor at home.

If not, I might have lowered the direction of the light, just slightly, to cast a little more light up around your right eye. Maybe some folks will prefer the mysterious quality to this image, but I like to see at least one eye in a portraitdunno

Niced 'stache thing going there too.

I looked again at home on my calibrated Cinema Display, and I still like the shot, but still find the right eye too dark. I might crop about 10-20% off across the top as well - lots of unused black up there. I really like the shot; I would just think it was great if I could see the eye a little more clearly.

gubbs

I agree about the eye, makes you look a little shifty

Other than that I like it

saurora

I sure like the tones you came up with and the over-all set-up....love the hat and the textures it presents. I always prefer dramatic, single-source lighting. I agree with Pathfinder that you need to get at least one eye visible in the shot. Maybe tilt the hat to one side more to help the light reach the eye. Try some shots with a little eye "contact" with your camera. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. :saurora

binghott

gubbs wrote:

I agree about the eye, makes you look a little shifty

i was thinking the eyes make you look like a zombie.

btw, i just started growing my mustache, but it's really ugly. i would only hope to one day aspire your masterful mustachedness.

coldclimb

binghott wrote:

i was thinking the eyes make you look like a zombie.

btw, i just started growing my mustache, but it's really ugly. i would only hope to one day aspire your masterful mustachedness.

Haha, I must confess the lighting and shadow play a major role in its coolness in this picture, it's not all that thick in the daylight, but it is fun.

Thanks for the comments all, I may retry this one soon.

ian408

It's an OK shot. I do think it would be better if you moved the light forward
to cast just a bit on the camera right side. Doesn't have to be a lot, just
enough to take it out of dark shadow and create a bit of depth.

Frog Lady

binghott wrote:

i was thinking the eyes make you look like a zombie.

- that's it! Bing put his finger on my thoughts about the eye. Otherwise, I really like the picture (and the 'stache )

C.