Photo Critique Forum

Please post no more than five images a day and respond to as many images as you post. Critics, please be constructive, specific, and nice! Moderated by gahspidy and mtbbrian.
Featured Photo
Photo by hminx

Photo by hminx
Featured Photo Archive >>
By posting on the Photo Critique forum you agree to post only your own photos, be respectful, and give back as much as you receive. This is a moderated forum and anything abusive or off-topic will be removed.
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Norge
    Posts
    29

    Tilt-Shift portrait

    made myself a simple tilt-shift lens. it looks butt ugly, but it can produce some very nice effects. heres a portrait i took with it.


  2. #2
    Senior Member Charles Hess's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    785

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    I think you had success with your creation and will have some fun with it. Here, though, the location and amount of blur seriously takes away from the impact of the razor-sharp, clear eyes. Nice portrait straight, just OK as presented, IMO.

  3. #3
    GB1
    GB1 is offline
    Moderator GB1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    San Diego CA
    Posts
    9,960

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    Hi Galningen

    Blurring the background of a portrait is normally a good thing, but you have set the depth of field so shallow.. I think pretty much the whole face needs to be in focus to make an effective portrait. What you could do here is crop and only show the eyes - that would work with the existing photo.

    GB
    Photography Software and Post Processing Forum Moderator. Visit here!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Feel free to edit and repost my photos as part of your critique.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    My Site

  4. #4
    MB1
    MB1 is offline
    The Skeptical Photographer MB1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Washington, DC and Clermont, FL
    Posts
    3,144

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    You can get the same effect with a little Vasoline on a filter and save yourself a lot of trouble.

  5. #5
    light wait photophorous's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Austin, Texas
    Posts
    1,910

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    It looks like your tilt shift lens is working well, but I agree with others about this particular application. It's just a little strange to have half of the face out of focus, but I can see how you might be able to get some interesting effects with different applications. Do you mind telling us how you made it?

    Thanks
    Paul

  6. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Norge
    Posts
    29

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by MB1
    You can get the same effect with a little Vasoline on a filter and save yourself a lot of trouble.
    you have no idea what a tilt shift lens can do, do you?

    thanks for the critique, though i do not agree with it. i think the sharp eyes drag the veiwers eyes toward the eyes, and the blurred face help this.

    if i cropped out the eyes, then the tilt shift wouldnt be neccecary, so why would i do that?

    i made it out of an old 50mm (used the "mount" from it so i could attatch the lens to the camera) a bicycle tube and a 75mm schneider enlarger-lens.

  7. #7
    GB1
    GB1 is offline
    Moderator GB1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    San Diego CA
    Posts
    9,960

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by Galningen
    you have no idea what a tilt shift lens can do, do you?

    thanks for the critique, though i do not agree with it. i think the sharp eyes drag the veiwers eyes toward the eyes, and the blurred face help this.

    if i cropped out the eyes, then the tilt shift wouldnt be neccecary, so why would i do that?
    It depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Special effects are fine, but not at the expense of the rest of the photo. Your effect does force the viewer's attention to the eyes but the out-of-focus nose and mouth simply don't look very good (in my opinion).

    Btw, I was suggesting that you crop IN the eyes.

    This particular effect might be better if you shot from above, about 45 degrees down at him with him looking up. Shoot at wide-open aperature. You might be able to blur everything except his eyes, depending on the max aperature of your lens and the focal length ..
    Photography Software and Post Processing Forum Moderator. Visit here!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Feel free to edit and repost my photos as part of your critique.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    My Site

  8. #8
    Not-so-recent Nikon Convert livin4lax09's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    NH
    Posts
    2,776

    Re: Tilt-Shift portrait

    I like this. A lot. I would just clean up the eyes though. How did you make this lens? I have almost always loved the lensbaby look.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •