Your Thoughts

[jhousman6]

This is one of the picture I have taken over time. Let me know what you think. I am trying to work my way up to pro photographer and I have a long way to go, but I have found critiquing helps me learn alot.

[Tyson L. Sparks]

There is something about it I don't like but I can't put my finger on it............................

[Alison]

Could it be...blown out highlights caused by the flash on her face, the flash shadow to her right (our left) or her cut off hand?

Sorry if I sound harsh, it's just what I see.
I even get angry with myself for cutting off hands.

Other than that, gorgeous model! And if she's happy with it then who cares what I think lol.

[poker]

This is one of the picture I have taken over time. Let me know what you think. I am trying to work my way up to pro photographer and I have a long way to go, but I have found critiquing helps me learn alot.

First of all, WELCOME TO THE FORUM!! I am like yourself, working my way up to become a good photographer....I'm not sure about being a pro yet. I just want to be really good.

The critiques here do help alot so I hope my contribution will help a little.

One of the things I've learned around here if to pay attention to the edges of your shot. In this case you have her right hand partially in the frame. Maybe you can crop it out but it might change your shot entirely. Just keep it in mind next time.

The main lighting (or flash) is strong but you may have wanted that effect. As a result of the strong lighting, the white shirt is washed out and you can't tell she is wearing a white beaded necklase.

Her pose is kinda ackward as I am referring to her right arm.

I hope the more experienced here will give their opinion.

I think you have a great start and a pretty model to work with. I hope you will share your progess here on PR.

[Alison]

Funnily enough I never even noticed her blown out T-shirt and beads lol

Don't worry, on my first portraits of my hubby he had blown out trainers and trousers.

If you know how to meter then it would be a good idea to meter on something grey or white. In this case metering on her T-shirt may have been a good idea.

[Jaedon]

I really like this shot. Her expression and her eyes really bring it all together. However as mentioned by the posters before me there are some obvious blown out area's. Metering off her shirt would definitely have helped prevent that. Shooting a stop down would also have given you a lot more detail in the blown out areas. As for the hand being cut of that doesn't bother me to much. Pick up any copy of a european fashion magazine and you'll see body parts lopped off all over the palce and they make tons of money on those shots.

You could tdo a litttle PS work on her eyes to really make them pop and then crop in tight on her face to remove the blown out shirt and such.

I too am still an amateur but I am finding that the more I look at other people's images and see and say what it is I do and do not like that my images are improving because of it.

Welcome to the forum and keep posting. I was looking at the stuff I posted a year ago and comparing it to my more recent postings today and I have definitely improved.....still not as good as I want to be but my shooting percentage is a lot better than it wasand I have a lot less PS work to do after the fact to get what I wanted in teh first place.

[trog100]

there seems to be something odd about the face.. too well defined around the chin.. to processed looking somehow..

trog

[jhousman6]

Thank you all so much for your time and suggestions. I did some ps work on this picture but none on her chin.. she does have a round chin you can see it in her other photos in my gallery. I guess I got a little carried away in ps. I am posting the original now, tell me if you like it better or what I could have done different to just the original photo and once again. Thanks so much to all of you.

[MarcusK]

Welcome aboard,

first off, to become a pro, you need to throw yourself out there.....that's what i believe anyway....go at it....and keep going....treat yourself as a pro now....don't postpone...(am i being clear?)

As for the shot, the blown out bits are bit too much yes....as for the cropping, i would suggest either get in closer or farther...

There is something awkward about her right hand, it does seem uncomfortable, which is not obvious in her expression.... I would say you are pretty good with directing your model, but there are a couple of issue you need to take care of in lighting as well!

Trog, here's one you would love if you haven't seen it already...i am posting it here..because of its relevance to Trog's comment, and the fact that this feels close to a fashion shoot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3YvvFbsj94

Marc

EDIT: If this is the original version i am wondering why you got so carried away in post?? ....Although you could do some post on it....it is not much necessary!

[yogestee]

Welcome to the cauldron jhousman6,,,although your subject is easy on the eye your lighting let you down a tad...IMHO the lighting is too flat and the flash has blown out her skin tones..It appears to me you used on camera flash (bash flash) which at the best of times isn't too flattering...I checked out your exif which told me you had enough available light to go without flash,,or maybe just a hint of fill in flash..I find when shooting people in daylight one of the best tools you can use is a reflector,,,cheap and easy to control..

As Eric mentioned,before you trip the shutter button scan the edges of the frame..Have a look if all elements you want in the image are there and nothing is chopped off...Also check for things you don't want in the frame aren't there,,,Nothing worse than taking a great portrait only to find you have a tree branch growing out of your subject's head...

In regards to your subject's hand It would have been best to get the entire hand in the shot or no hand at all..Also the structure thingy behind your subject worries me a bit..

I hope I'm not too harse with you here..

Jurgen
Australia

[lalotafoya]

Hello Jhousman6, First of all let me start by saying welcome to PR, you have a verry pretty model, with great potentioal, but i agree with everyone she is not framed right and posed right, and the exposure on her skin and hair is right on but everything that
is white is over exposed and you choped part of her head and the lines next to her head are distracting. Hope i was some help, I'm here just like you to learn, every one here has helped me alot just by sharing their pictures, hope to see more of your work soon..