impromptu model

[jetrim]

While out picnicing at our favorite local park this past weekend, my wife finally let her hair down a bit and let me take some shots of her that deviated from her standard "passport style" pose that she usually goes into as soon as the camera comes out

Not having much experience in this type of photography I wanted to get some unbiased feedback on these:

[Skyman]

I really like the second one! The first one looks like you lost too much detail with the bright spot on her face and that is really distracting. I am not entirely sure why but the composition doesn't quite work for me. Perhaps it is a little too tight, especially on the right side.

[GB1]

I agree that the second one is the most creative and interesting. The reflection, pose, and context is fun. The only part that I think doesn't work is the excess stuff happening around here.. a few objects here and there can add interest but there is just too much here, it's over the top imo. Perhaps a shallower DOF would have helped. The first suffers from harsh lighting on her face - shoot for soft, even lighting. Her shoulder being cut out of the scene isn't good either, imo.

GB

[jetrim]

Thanks for your input.
Skyman, I do have the first one with the head centered and showing shoulder to shoulder. The background above that right shoulder is a bit distracting though, also the loss of detail is more from shrinking the photo, than the light - it looks crisp and detailed full size.

GB I'll probably scout another location (maybe shooting in here but in the reverse direction) With the legs up on the rail it'd be tough to crop much out of the back. F-stop was already maxed out for the focal length, so the only cure for that is buying a faster lens

[Skyman]

I have to say on my mac at home that hot spot isn't nearly as bad and i thought my monitor was calibrated. oh well I will have to wait till my new computer arrives on monday to callibrate the new one!

[Frog]

I rather like the business of the surroundings in the second. Makes it look less posed and is rather interesting once I get my eyes off you wife.
I'm fascinated with her reflection as I cannot figure out how it got there.
She appears to be too far back on the platform for it to be reflecting there except for her hand.
Its not that its bad its just that my feeble mind can't figure it out.

[jetrim]

I didn't do it in PP frog It was really there, and the camera height was almost parallel to the top of her head and maybe 20 ft away on the other half of that broken dock.

I have another shot where she splashes the water with her fingertips, but she burst out laughing so her face is blurred in that one - it froze the water droplets but not her

[natgaines]

Jetrim, I think (coming from the perspective of someone who has been photographed) I see your wife feels more confidant in the second shot. Very much my favorite of the two. It's a fun and creative pose and she's "working it" so to speak! She seems sort of unsure I think in the first one? The clarity of her eyes and hair is BEAUTIFUL in the first shot. The two colors really add to the picture, but I think it was already mentioned about the brightness on her cheek. Great model! ;)

[zen]

I like both.On the first one you might try doing some selective color, leaving just her hair and eyes in color. In the second one it might need just a few hairs cropped off the top and a few more off the right,...I really like the way that her legs are echoing the shape of the bit of deadwood in the background. Nice repetition of angles.

[jetrim]

Ok I did some work on the splash shot last night and merged the face from the original shot posted into it (to get rid of the blur from the original) I've also cropped it just a smidgen and gausion blurred the background a touch.


Zen, I woll give selective desaturation a try on the other photo and if it's not horrible, post the result.