Self Portrait

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

I'm in between shoots. These are two that I like of myself. Looking for feedback and critique... but fear the whipping post and I don't know anything about photoshop. Here we go! Only one and I'll post a reply with the other.

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

Self Debut
And the other one: I should really add I'm not a model so I'm not great with positioning and hand placement... and such.

The Mack · June 5, 2008

Not bad, I like it.
Maybe a closed hand but that's all I can say

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

The Mack wrote:

Not bad, I like it.
Maybe a closed hand but that's all I can say

Any critiques on the photography??

shatch · June 5, 2008

First photo is very contemplative, but doesn't compare to the strength of your second photo. Number two is great. Like the angle and the composition. The hand could be reposed to be more relaxed. Also, the white foreground leads the eye away from the subject. I would prefer to see that all black...however, you were probably try to repeat the pattern of your dress. Good idea, but I feel it pulls to much away from you. I like the post processing you used as well. Great photo. Congrats.

jasonstone · June 5, 2008

#2 is strong and makes you look more beautiful (if you don't mind me saying that)

I've always been a bit worried about doing self portraits as I wouldn't know where to start - so major kudos for taking the plunge - I reckon it must take a lot of courage as it's not just your photography but you as well ... in a way...

Reckon you could work on some new poses in #2 and one would come out a real treat!

Scott_Quier · June 5, 2008

The light in #1 is quite nice - there's enough there to reveal while not give it all away. The angle of which it comes give a lot of depth without making any huge canyons. Looks like you were either getting ready for bed or hadn't yet really started your day (nightgown?). The blanket(?) is a distractor.

But, nothing wins like window light - like you have on #2. Love the choice of dress and most of the posing. Would close the hand a bit. Not real thrilled about the window. Improve it by hanging sheers, maybe? Foreground kills this photo. Don't know what it is, would like to know - so really distracts from that beautiful woman by the window.

One of the things on my to-do list is a decent self-portrait. When I get time -

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

shatch wrote:

First photo is very contemplative, but doesn't compare to the strength of your second photo. Number two is great. Like the angle and the composition. The hand could be reposed to be more relaxed. Also, the white foreground leads the eye away from the subject. I would prefer to see that all black...however, you were probably try to repeat the pattern of your dress. Good idea, but I feel it pulls to much away from you. I like the post processing you used as well. Great photo. Congrats.

That makes sense, the first is one of the first photos I've ever taken with my D80, that was in Feb and the second is from May. I have no backgrounds and I was operating off the remote, and that dress has the wonderful abilty to choke you with the neckpiece if you move at all. There's a few more pics on my smugmug=cmorganphotography of this dress and the back. It's all attatched. I used iphoto for my post production. AND THANK YOU! This was more or less a light and dress test for my model friend Kari- her shoot if called By the River on my smugmug.
DO you have any suggestions for someone without a background stand to fix the probs with the corner and distractions?

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

jasonstone wrote:

#2 is strong and makes you look more beautiful (if you don't mind me saying that)

I've always been a bit worried about doing self portraits as I wouldn't know where to start - so major kudos for taking the plunge - I reckon it must take a lot of courage as it's not just your photography but you as well ... in a way...

Reckon you could work on some new poses in #2 and one would come out a real treat!

There are more b/w dress pics on Best of shoot on my smug mug, smae nickename= cmorganphotography. It is hard because you do sit ther eand beat yourself up because you can't be in two places at once. WHen I get a better handle on my manual settings I plan on a debut with my D80 [to be named shortly] and myself a la Lithium Picnic with his old roll film camera.

But I digress.I think the whole point to self portraits is to test yourself. If you can't make you look good how the heck are you going to make others? It is a demon unto itself though, you will nitpick your self portraits harder than anything else. I'm rambling... next answer...

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

Scott_Quier wrote:

The light in #1 is quite nice - there's enough there to reveal while not give it all away. The angle of which it comes give a lot of depth without making any huge canyons. Looks like you were either getting ready for bed or hadn't yet really started your day (nightgown?). The blanket(?) is a distractor.

But, nothing wins like window light - like you have on #2. Love the choice of dress and most of the posing. Would close the hand a bit. Not real thrilled about the window. Improve it by hanging sheers, maybe? Foreground kills this photo. Don't know what it is, would like to know - so really distracts from that beautiful woman by the window.

One of the things on my to-do list is a decent self-portrait. When I get time -

No that white shirt is a pregnancy shirt. Not getting ready for bed and that's a pink strip of fleece for one of my quilts-to-be. I just wanted some colour. I'm sitting by a window in that one too. Is it good you mistook it for artificial light... or bad? I think I'm about a foot and half from the wall.
I'm waiting to get some blinds or something up on that window and my studio to be is in the second bedroom. I'm not sure what I'll be putting up on those windows, sheers would be ideal but... the way they were built you either have to have flush fitting rods [impossible] or a set in shade/blind. Pretty windows but frustrating.

The black and white thing in the bottom is a black/white fleece bolt. The camera is sitting on my fabric cart. It was the right height as I have zero equipment besides my camera. It wasn't supposed to be in the picture originally but it fit and I kept it because it mirrors the train on the dress. I was unable to get the train in the shot. Need a tripod. Hopefully soon. Plus, Kari will be in that dress at some point before then and you'll all get to see it in it's glory and on someone who can pose. SHe's a femme fatale and she's great. If you live in the Iowa area I suggest paying her for some shots. Keep the comments coming and critiques too! I'm a newbie with the camera, anyway I can learn or correct myself and iron out the bad habits now is perfectly helpful and will make me better! THANK YOU ALL!

Sam · June 5, 2008

Number two has impact, and presence.

Sam

Seneca · June 5, 2008

If you are going to do a side view...do not show the other eye...in your case eyebrow. Second shot is good...but what is that in front of her? It's a little distracting.

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

Sam wrote:

Number two has impact, and presence.

Sam

Thank you very much! I like that it has impact, is it because it's black and white?

cmorganphotography · June 5, 2008

Seneca wrote:

If you are going to do a side view...do not show the other eye...in your case eyebrow. Second shot is good...but what is that in front of her? It's a little distracting.

I will keep that in mind. I was shooting from arm's length [hence the weird musculature of my neck]
It's a b/w fleece bolt from my fabric cart. I was using it as a tripod because I don't have one. It's me in that picture so I'm operating off my makeshift tripod, my remote, no flash, and iphoto for post prod. I was trying to mimic the train on the dress because you can't see it.
These critiques will all help when I get the dress on Kari and have a go with a ballroom or something.

Self Portrait

Comments