Inside, the monster

schmoo · August 21, 2008

I haven't posted anything in this forum in forever as much as I enjoy looking at portraiture! So I am hesitant but was prodded into putting this up:

The phrase that comes to mind from Othello:

"As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not."

I'm stuck in a rut (processing-wise) and I'm really looking to deviate from my usual patterns in the workflow. Hence, I am open to any comments, criticism or anything you guys may have to say about how this image turned out. Let me have it, please.

jeffreaux2 · August 21, 2008

A title came to mind upon my viewing...borrowed from a terrific shot by photogmomma in the LPS rounds.

"Enough"

Is this a self portrait?

For critique...
There are folks here who are much more experienced with studio type lighting set ups than me....I do not do studio work at all.....and so I almost hesitate to comment on the lighting, but I will anyway. I like the lighting here! Some would coach you to add more light at camera right, but I like the shadows. They add shaping, and mood to the shot....both important elements of this portrait. I would like to see just a bit more light on her left eye....but just a bit, and that may be accomplished in processing as much as by adding a reflector to that side of the set-up.

The one thing that bothers me most is the hair over her right eye. I wouldn't suggest brushing it completely out of the way and disrupting the frazzledness, but I would like to see the pupil.

Looking at the crop, the eyes are centered... from top and sides. It appears that a square crop would improve the image. Cropping from the top so that the eyes fall at the top and middle third line (rule of thirds) and then maybe take a bit off the right side to open up the left side a bit. Keep as much as possible at the bottom.

I like the shot schmoo. My suggestions are being picky, but I definately think you will like the square crop better. I cannot comment on color....I am on an uncalibrated monitor at the moment.

gluwater · August 21, 2008

I really like the color scheme and symmetry of the shot Steph. But you're no green eyed monster. That's the first thing I noticed. Your brown eyes were missing.

Tango · August 21, 2008

Im hypnotized.....

thats a crazy shot, and since i know zero about portriature i will only bs my way around this forum for but a moment....but i had to comment!

now change your eyes to match your hair color and you can become a Sith Lord much like Nikolai....

you will henceforth be known as Darth Steph

schmoo · August 22, 2008

AaronNelson wrote:

you will henceforth be known as Darth Steph

Thanks but I'll pass this time since I've been too busy to try to take over the world.

Thanks for the comments, guys! And Jeff I know you know much much more about shooting people than I do. I never thought about the eyes being in the center as I cropped it, as I was paying a lot more attention to trimming off stuff in the BG first. I appreciate your advice a LOT.

jayegirl · August 22, 2008

Love the eyes!

Moogle Pepper · August 22, 2008

Are you turning into the hulk??

Yah the hair above the right eye is distracting! Hulk Schmoo!

jeffreaux2 · August 22, 2008

schmoo wrote:

Thanks for the comments, guys! And Jeff I know you know much much more about shooting people than I do. I never thought about the eyes being in the center as I cropped it, as I was paying a lot more attention to trimming off stuff in the BG first. I appreciate your advice a LOT.

Hey if it helps....I feel "lost" if shooting anything other than people!

On my monitor this morning. The image appears blocky as though the resize wasn't very kind to it. Looks a tad cool(wb) but I think that fits the mood.

NeilL · August 22, 2008

Hi schmoo,

you usually don't respond to comments I make to you

, but I must tell you how much I like this photo!

It is totally quirky, and totally perfect in its quirkiness. I love everything about it!

Doing it by the book in any part of it would detract from it writing something new in the book!

The perfection in the technique of the shot and the "imperfection" in you that the shot shows, and which your quote emphasises, creates an experience of yin-yang, which I find awesomely subtle!

Neil

photoshow · August 22, 2008

I like the shot, here is what I see.
A strong light source well off to the side on camera left and I suspect that was the only light source used here. Judging by the inconsistent shadows around the fingertips it looks like you might have tried to brighten the left side of the face in post. Also to me the skin tone is a bit cool but I don't know you so for all I know you may have porcelain skin and the tone could be dead on.

Anywise things I would have likely done differently but these are only suggestions of how I would have done it. A photograph only needs to make an emotional impact to be successful and this image already does that so my suggestions are more about fine tuning.

1. I would have added more hair light from high and above to create some rim light in the hair.

2. I would have used a large soft box or diffusion panel and moved the light source up very close to the model. As close as I could get it without it being in the frame. If available I would have added a 40 degree grid to the light as well.

3. I would have added a soft diffused fill light on the other side of the model to open up but not eliminate the shadows.

Also when modeling and placing the face in the hands I would suggest doing so lightly so as not to have the fingertips dig into the skin and squish the cheeks around

Another option for this shot would be to use either a ring light or a large diffused light source such as a 48" octabox directly behind the camera and bring the light straight on to the model. The drawback is that it will flatten features a little but will also provide a raw and gritty feel to the light. This method works best with older subjects who have some lines and the character of time on their faces.

Awais Yaqub · August 22, 2008

i like it a lot

schmoo · August 23, 2008

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Hey if it helps....I feel "lost" if shooting anything other than people!

On my monitor this morning. The image appears blocky as though the resize wasn't very kind to it. Looks a tad cool(wb) but I think that fits the mood.

Thanks for the feedback!I 'm not sure why it's blocky. I had actually replaced the photo within the gallery and I noticed that my watermark is much smaller in proportion than usual so I'm guessing it has something to do with that. Not a feature I use regularly.

Thanks for the great comments, esp photoshow. Funny you suggest so much studio equipment, since I'm a landscape and architecture photographer at heart and I only just got my first piece of lighting last week: a 580EX II

Anyway I am actually really impressed with your points because many of them were running through my head as I was processing them. Especially the face-squishing.

Still I have a lot to learn with shooting people, especially in controlling my own light. Thanks so much, again.

Lastly, thank you Neil! I think I can always count on you to make poetry out of the images you see. I'm glad to hear you use the word "quirky!" Love that word

NeilL · August 24, 2008

schmoo wrote:

especially in controlling my own light.

...

thank you Neil! I think I can always count on you to make poetry out of the images you see. I'm glad to hear you use the word "quirky!" Love that word

Schmoo, what a SURPRISE to get a mention from you!! I am delighted

:D:D

Please, do NOT control "your own light", that would make the darkness a little more dense for all of us

The squishing of the cheeks is part of the quirky charm of this shot, one of the "imperfections" which you make the subject of it. What would the shot be if it technically did all the right things, had perfect lighting, obeyed rules of composition and all the rest? Well, of course it would lose all its associations and depth, which you show you value by the quote you appended, a quote of Shakespeare's no less!

It would lose that awesome subtlety of yin-yang which does it for me, the perfect imperfections. That's so nice, don't you think? Why toss it for conventional niceness??

It's only your own "lighting" that can show you a new path. The experiment of this shot has produced an image which has lasting appeal. Some good things come unasked, unplanned, undeserved, despite our not obeying the rules to the letter. "Goodness" is bigger than us. We should be grateful.

Neil

evoryware · August 24, 2008

Have to agree with NeilL. The frazzled, distraught look, hands clenching the face and the strong lighting lend to the photo.
I wasn't expecting a glamourous studio shot (although it would be interesting to see a non-quirky shot to compare). I wasn't expecting this either, but I like it.

Inside, the monster

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