kcmike
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 p.1 #9 · Little Joe - Available Light B+W | |
cgardner wrote:
The things which attract a viewer in a photo with a face in it are: the eyes, the mouth, what contrasts most with the background. In your photo the eyes are barely visible and the while the head is contrasting somewhat with the background the light on the front of the face is too flat and dark to compel much attention.
The difference perceptually between you looking at the face and I is that you have a stored 3D memory of the face in your brain from seeing it in person, I don't and must rely on the clues provided by tonal variation to discern shape.
Superb comments! Thank you very much. I'm very much still in the learning phase, so comments like these and everyone else's have been very helpful.
cgardner wrote:
The edit below shows about how it would have looked if taken with fill flash over the lens on a bracket with a downward direction and modeling with highlights on the raised parts and shadows on the lower ones. I also darkened the background a bit for better contrast with the lightened face (done in shooting by increased shutter speed), and lightened the sweater as it would be with more flash. The zipper was sharper than the eyes, indicating back focus, which I compensated for by selectively sharpening the eyes and blurring the sweater a bit. I added catchlights to the eyes to make them more noticeable, about what you'd get with the diffusers I use.
I really like how you have adjusted the pic. I never noticed the back focus, but then again, I did sharpen the image in post, so perhaps that's where the perceived focus issue came from. I actually have a LumiQuest 80-20 bouncer plus their Promax system. I just assumed it was best suited for use indoors and never gave it any thought about using the bouncer outdoors. I'll use it for sure next time. I don't have a bracket, but even without one, I think the results would have been much better.
cgardner wrote:
There's really nothing important beyond the width of his shoulders so that's where I cropped it so the curves lead up the face and then nothing distracts from it.
Good points about the background. For family and friends, they would recgonize the background and probably be less distracted by it. But for the unfamiliar viewer, I can see how that could be distracting. I'll keep that in mind from now on.
cgardner wrote:
Also realize that a white border surrounded by the dark page of the forum overpowers the content of the photo skewing perception.
Never considered this either. But, I'm not sure tht I totally understand the issue. Not that I dismiss it at all, I just don't get the "perception skewing" thing.
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