Excellent sports portrait to add to the previous set. You have certainly found a poised athlete to highlight in this series. I might consider cropping to give your photo a dark bottom edge but the tones overall are terrific.
Brev00 wrote:
Excellent sports portrait to add to the previous set. You have certainly found a poised athlete to highlight in this series. I might consider cropping to give your photo a dark bottom edge but the tones overall are terrific.
Thank you! You know, I tried cropping it but honestly, her legs and the strong stance she has really added punch to the image. When I cropped off her legs, it got much softer, less imposing because you lost that strong grounding of her stance.
Aug 09, 2016 at 04:25 PM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
I like your B&W conversion. This is a nice portrait, but I have a few questions.
Was your choice of broad lighting a deliberate choice? If so, what were your objectives using that lighting pattern?
The lighting direction tends to make her left arm look big. If you are trying to emphasize her tone and muscularity, then it would be the correct choice. However, if this is more of a portrait, I might have considered short lighting her to get the light off her arm.
Also, your key light is so far to the side that it highlights more of the side of her head and ear than her face.
If you used a short lighting pattern, I think you would still see the powder.
If all your choices were thought out and deliberate, it's fine. However, the high lighting ratio and broad light is traditionally considered a masculine approach and I don't know if that was your intent.
Thanks for the input everyone! macmillan, you bring up great points but you are correct when you asked if I had thought it through. I'm linking you to my other thread on her where I short lit her for her traditional portraits. But for my black and whites, I LOVE deep, dark shadows and wanted to obscure most of her face to add to the drama. I wanted that one eye peeping at us as if to say "Yeah, what's it to you?" Lol! So for this shot, yes, I wanted to do a conversion that would make her look tough and dramatic, and it actuallly NOT be a feminine portrait, hence the title "Train like a girl" as a play on traditional sex roles :-) I do agree that I caught too much of her side face and ear as opposed to her cheek, though. That much is unfortunate. See my other thread on her in color and with short lighting. Thanks for the input...all good feedback!
Thanks again and I will take your suggestion of darkening the ear. I had this problem with the photo that I wasn't able to put my finger on but I think you nailed the issue.will redo and post later this evening to show the comparison!
dmacmillan wrote:
Thanks Haley! I'm glad you took my questions and observations in the spirit intended.
With that in mind, I think you did a fine job meeting your goals!
Thanks for the link to the other thread. It demonstrates your choices are thought out and well executed.
The photo is fine like it is, but maybe an ever so subtle darkening of the ear would help. Your lighting ratio is spot on!
dmacmillan wrote:
I like your B&W conversion. This is a nice portrait, but I have a few questions.
Was your choice of broad lighting a deliberate choice? If so, what were your objectives using that lighting pattern?
...The lighting direction tends to make her left arm look big. If you are trying to emphasize her tone and muscularity, then it would be the correct choice. However, if this is more of a portrait, I might have considered short lighting her to get the light off her arm. ...
I think her left arm looks about right to me. She's a gymnast and they typically have strong arms. You should see the guns on the women gymnast competing in the Olympics, and the men gymnast almost have more arm than leg!
To me this photo conveys beauty and strength. If that is what the OP was going for then she nailed it.
haleym77 wrote:
Thanks again and I will take your suggestion of darkening the ear. I had this problem with the photo that I wasn't able to put my finger on but I think you nailed the issue.will redo and post later this evening to show the comparison!
THIS is how it is supposed to work! Great job on offering advice and taking advice!
