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Archive 2016 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

pixlepeeper
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

Is this critique forum for individual photos or can it be for several?
Here are 4 pics from my little portrait portfolio.


	http://s13.postimg.org/xkpnzljl3/image.png


	http://s13.postimg.org/3u2jdtylj/image.png


	http://s13.postimg.org/8ow8c3wx3/image.png


	http://s13.postimg.org/h8fm9v59j/image.png

Edited on Mar 10, 2016 at 07:51 AM · View previous versions

Mar 09, 2016 at 08:19 PM

Camperjim
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

I suggest you pick out 1-3 that you think are your best and post them here. It is pretty difficult to discuss images that are posted elsewhere.

Mar 10, 2016 at 12:03 AM

pixlepeeper
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

I added 4!

Mar 10, 2016 at 07:48 AM

beavens

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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

Welcome to FM and PC!

Like Jim said, you'll get the best results from posting a handful of shots vs an entire album.

Portraiture is something I'm interested in pursuing, so take the C&C with grains of salt!

1 - I can't put my finger on exactly why, but it feels unnatural/forced. It could be the expression or pose/crop. The chest/neck/shoulders are fighting for my attention and the hairlight looks to be a little hot. The model could probably use some retouching on the forehead, around the mouth and the long cheek. Capture and sharpness look good otherwise.

2 - First thing that jumps out are the distracting flares - I'd clone those out right off the bat. Very pretty girl, but I don't feel that pose is very flattering for her. With a backlit shot you're probably going to need to employ the use of a fill flash or reflector to get the pop that you want.

3 - I can dig it! Definitely clone out the straw in the lower right and I'd consider making the road in the background disappear.

4 - IMO the best of the bunch - beautiful subject, great capture, eyes are tack sharp and very engaging. Have you got any more room up top? Her hairline could add some nice framing if you included it IMO. Nits coule be retouching the corners of the mouth and top of forehead.

Cheers and welcome again!

Mar 10, 2016 at 08:35 AM

Camperjim
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

It is clear you are just getting started with portraiture so the things that do not work greatly out number those that do. I do like the blurred background in #1. Overall your focus and exposures are good. #3 shows an attempt at gesture and finding something of interest.

The big issues that do not work are lighting and posing. You really need to start with lighting. #1 is the worst example by a small margin. It looks like you had harsh ambient lighting on the model's right side and then hit her with a flash from her left side. You ended up with shadows going in both directions, a blown out area above on her right eye and something weird happening just above her left eye. For #2 you got backlit hair which greatly helps but her face is flatly lit. #4 is really flat lighting.

With the exception of the gesture attempt in #3, the poses do not work at all. The models are centered, bolt upright, stiff with dull, deer-in-the-headlights expressions. Again, #3 is an exception but even it does not seem much beyond a cellphone snapshot.

You also need to consider the backgrounds. #2 has some nasty and large lens flare blobs which do not help. The bright grass and bright water add nothing but detract from the model. Nor do I understand why you chose a large background in relation to the model. #3 suffers from similar issues. The bright snow deflects attention from the model. #4 is the opposite, no background and so close that we see every facial flaw and skin pore.

I am not sure where you started but at this point it seems you need some basic knowledge of portraiture including lighting and posing. There are a lot of good books. Plenty of training videos even You Tube videos available from B&H. At my local camera club, there was a lecture on portraiture and the next meeting included hands on instruction with a make shift studio. You might also spend some time looking at the 500px website where your work is posted. You will find many, many excellent portraits on that site. You should be able to quickly see directions you can take to improve your images.

Mar 10, 2016 at 08:57 AM

eeneryma

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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

You've posted 4 very diverse portraits so I'm just going to choose one to comment on, the last one which is my favorite. In the future, it would be helpful to post the Exif data for each photo.

Your subject is a very pretty lady sporting interesting jewelry. I have some minor nits.

The pose seems slightly askew, as if you didn't perfectly allign the shot straight on. You see the beginning of the slope of her left shoulder, but not so on the right. The left side of her face seems fuller than the right. The more symetrical the face, the better.

Next, your aspect ratio is non traditional. It's not square, nor is it portrait, obviously cropped. I'd suggest making it a square crop, taking some off of the the bottom.

With a portrait this close, I'd use "photoshop" tools to get rid of blemishes (top of forehead) and any stray hairs.

Nice use of natural light. You might brighten the left eye which is slightly darker than the right one.

Steve

Mar 10, 2016 at 09:18 AM

ben egbert
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

Welcome to PC. Not a portrait guy so I bow to the others here.

Mar 10, 2016 at 11:31 AM

AuntiPode

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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

The third portrait is the most interesting because it's more dynamic, if a bit corny, but also a bit cute.

The others would benefit greatly from better posing and attention to how the lighting sculpts the face and features. The shape of the subject's face and upper body should be prime considerations when posing, as should spirit and intent of the portrait.

I'd suggest reviewing my recent comments on another thread in case you haven't read them:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1417106/0#13448652

Using the last posted from your critique set, consider the shape of the subject's face. Notice how the eyebrow slant, nostril height and size, jaw line angle and curve, and mouth angle and corner height differences between the face halves mean her left side (right side of the image) is more feminine and flattering than the right side of her face (left side of the image). Experience suggests a woman's left side of her face quite often is her most flattering side, at least for right-handed subjects. (This may or may not be reversed for lefties). With men, it depends more upon whether you are going for a rugged look rather than a kind look. If you're shooting for rugged, the right side may be better. Of course it all depends upon the individual and the more flattering side can be the reverse.

(I'd suggest using Photoshop or other tool for building and right face only version to compare to the following example.)

Once you've analyzed the subject's face, consider how to turn, tip and otherwise pose the subject for a suitable pose and light to compliment the pose.

Notice the difference in feature shape between the sides.

Here's a face built from two left sides (her left).

Mar 10, 2016 at 06:12 PM

Camperjim
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

Karen (Anti..), I continue to be amazed at your technique. What appears to be very subtle differences obviously has a major impact.

Mar 10, 2016 at 06:28 PM

AuntiPode

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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

It was many years ago, but I was a portrait photographer.

Mar 10, 2016 at 06:36 PM

pixlepeeper
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

Thanks a lot folks. People usually say I have good eyes but I often don't notice some details in photos. For example in #1 I knew something was off but didn't notice it was (mainly) "shadows in both directions". (I had an umbrella on top left of the model and another bouncing from the wall behind me.)
In #2 also it seemed there was something with model's face but didn't know it was the "flat lighting".

About the background and distractions, does the background have to be some vague and abstract pattern or can the portrait be kind of "situational" with the environment playing a role? Said another way, if the background shouldn't distract at all then why not use seemless paper all the time? For example in number two I thought the shadows gave a kind of dramatic feel to the photo.
In particular about bokeh/flare, here is an article by Neil van Niekerk: http://neilvn.com/tangents/photography-using-lens-bokeh-design-element/
What do you say about the background in the photos in that article?

"With a backlit shot you're probably going to need to employ the use of a fill flash or reflector to get the pop that you want."
"Experience suggests a woman's left side of her face quite often is her most flattering side, at least for right-handed subjects."
Good to know these.

I know there are a lot of books and tutorials but the fact that there are so many, makes it difficult to choose. Is there any one (or a few) that you'd suggest to me?

Mar 10, 2016 at 10:06 PM

eeneryma

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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Small portrait portfolio critique?

"About the background and distractions, does the background have to be some vague and abstract pattern or can the portrait be kind of "situational" with the environment playing a role? Said another way, if the background shouldn't distract at all then why not use seemless paper all the time? For example in number two I thought the shadows gave a kind of dramatic feel to the photo. "
Pixlpeeper

Usually the background plays a subsidiary role in a portrait shoot. Why take the attention away from the subject of the portrait unless there is an important reason. What can the background add to your portrayal of the subject you are shooting and add to our understanding of her character and essence.

In your second portrait, there are significant flaws. The young lady looks like she has a tree growing out of her back. You've centered her in the frame, which makes for a static composition. The lighting is problematic as instead of your eye going to the lady's face, it's going to the brightest part of the composition which is the green grass and the blue sky. You'll notice in most well done portraits that the subject's face is often the brightest part of the photo. The lighting on the lady is flat and does not sculpt her at all.

You mentioned that you were trying to emphasize the shadows in the background to create a dramatic effect. For what reason? Does it tell us something about the young lady in the photo? As you've posed the lady and composed the photo, I see no connection to her and "drama".

Steve

Mar 10, 2016 at 11:27 PM


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