Ok So I wasnt going to post one of these... I was just going take my score and move on... 4.7522
But I had some nice scores ( a lot of 5's 6's a few 7's 8's and even 1 10 ) and some LOW scores a lot of 4's bunch of 3's 2 handfuls of 2's and even a few 1's
So.... Tell me... what did you like? dislike? what could of been better? etc?
I know there is a stray hair on the right eye (curly hair has a mind of its own) and I know that the color is a lil harsh but I was sunburn LOL but what else... please.
So lay it on me.
ETA: I should mention that I was not expecting a super high score... I just dont understand the 4.7522
Well, since "lay it on me" implies it's okay to be frank... Since I'll offer my overall impression, which I hope is not too blunt. I think the lighting is unflattering, and it makes me wonder if you used a built-in flash? However you lit this, I see a lot of glare on your face, basically shiny white spots that appear a bit, well, sweaty. I expect that sharpening has increased that effect. I think a little distance from the camera, a softer (maybe window) light, and some facial powder would have improved this photo.
Well, since "lay it on me" implies it's okay to be frank... Since I'll offer my overall impression, which I hope is not too blunt. I think the lighting is unflattering, and it makes me wonder if you used a built-in flash? However you lit this, I see a lot of glare on your face, basically shiny white spots that appear a bit, well, sweaty. I expect that sharpening has increased that effect. I think a little distance from the camera, a softer (maybe window) light, and some facial powder would have improved this photo.
Thank you for your honesty... and you are correct it was a flash... and it is sweat LOL I kept trying to "powder it down" but it was 98 degrees. So I can see that... Thank you :)
and blunt is fine :) as long as you dont say im to ugly for the camera we are good to go ;)
ETA: do you think this one would of faired better?
This is not a good portrait, neither from a technical nor an aesthetic viewpoint. Flash is harsh, cresting unappealing highlights on the face. It's dead-on, indicated by the centred catchlights in your eyes and the overall lack of interesting contrast. The framing is way too close -- in this image it creates a claustrophobic sense that doesn't work at all for the style of portrait this is supposed to represent. The colour choice isn't harsh so much as incredibly red. Whether or not this was in the scene, colour balancing would have improved this, or, preferably, black and white, duo, or split tone. The thing on the face looks like an anomaly. It doesn't seem to belong there. Most importantly, this portrait says nothing.
It would have been greatly improved by a story of some kind (it's up to you to decide what your photography is trying to say), and by careful attention to detail. Simply check out the top five in this challenge to determine what greets story is, and what careful attention to technicals can mean for an image. But also look deeper in the challenge, the girl with the guitar for example, whose story is superb and whose technicals are perfect for it. I scored yours a 5, but it was early on. Had I hit some of the great ones first in voting, it would have got less from me.
If I had voted in this challenge, I would have maybe given you a 3.
It is too in your face to actually work well. With your shape a face, some more space would have worked better . If you look at this shot, you can see, her face is right in yoru face, but she has space around her, some neck and shoulder. She has a scarf but has it working for her.
In all honesty this looks like you stuck the camera in front of you and took a picture. Which you should do a lot, to work out your best angles, where the shadows will help with cheekbones, make a classic shadow on your face, widen your eyes etc etc.
Thank you both. That is the kind of information I need if I am to improve. :) I appreciate it. So better lighting, more of a story, not so in your face, fix the coloring, (the redness) and it would be been much better.
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
You don't have to go over-the-top with umbrellas and stuff. The main thing is to get the flash off the camera and learn how to diffuse it and bounce it off walls and ceilings. The results can be very impressive. Even with one off-camera flash I've got some pretty nice results.
It's a nice technique for experimenting with macro lighting too.
On-camera flash is bad... bad bad bad... badbadbadbadbadbadbadBAD!!!! ;-)
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
You don't have to go over-the-top with umbrellas and stuff. The main thing is to get the flash off the camera and learn how to diffuse it and bounce it off walls and ceilings. The results can be very impressive. Even with one off-camera flash I've got some pretty nice results.
It's a nice technique for experimenting with macro lighting too.
On-camera flash is bad... bad bad bad... badbadbadbadbadbadbadBAD!!!! ;-)
yeah I know I just cant afford it yet... just tight on money LOL hopefully soon.
it is not about money. you can make your own lights with simple things.
lamps that you can direct or bend the stem. they work well as well. 10 bucks a pop, pick up some, make yoru own reflector from car reflectors that you use on your windscreens, large beam flashlights etc etc
This shot here was lite by a flash light some sliver foil and black cardboard
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
ETA but I did save to my favorites.
I can understand the broke factor... I am broke like a joke :)
Let me suggest surfing ebay when you do get some cash. You would be surprised what you can get an older flash for... I got an Nikon SB-24 for like 60$ about a year ago... With some clever bounce flash techniques, and some natural sunlight through windows, I'm able to get some pretty good lighting... Here are two examples
This shot was done in my (very small) bathroom against the back of a white door, with a window open behind the camera. I bounced the flash off the white ceiling...
This shot was done in the same bathroom, but I had to bounce the flash off the back of the tile in the shower to avoid reflections...
Lastly, this shot was done in the same bathroom with a blanket wedged in the door. I was actually holding the flash off the camera and firing it in my hand... If you look, you can see my left arm goes out of the frame, it was holding the flash and firing it to create the two exposures... I also bounced it off the ceiling...
Bottom line, my lighting is far from perfect, but for 60$, time, effort, and some patience, for me, its sufficient... So my advice would be to grab an older flash with a rotating head, that you can bounce off of things. Also, once you have something like that, you can find clever ideas on the strobist too... This will open many doors for you so long as you have the patience to play around... Best of luck :)
Also in the vein of cheap lighting: silver-colored car sun shades ($10 at Wal Mart), white foam core (about $2.50 per 18"x24" piece), and clip-on lights ($5-10 at any department store).
I used just this setup for my self-portrait entry:
Also in the vein of cheap lighting: silver-colored car sun shades ($10 at Wal Mart), white foam core (about $2.50 per 18"x24" piece), and clip-on lights ($5-10 at any department store).
I used just this setup for my self-portrait entry:
I commented on the image itself. Thank you for posting a diagram of what you did. that was very helpful. This is something that I could pull off! (I think) thanks!
Ok So I wasnt going to post one of these... I was just going take my score and move on... 4.7522
But I had some nice scores ( a lot of 5's 6's a few 7's 8's and even 1 10 ) and some LOW scores a lot of 4's bunch of 3's 2 handfuls of 2's and even a few 1's
So.... Tell me... what did you like? dislike? what could of been better? etc?
I know there is a stray hair on the right eye (curly hair has a mind of its own) and I know that the color is a lil harsh but I was sunburn LOL but what else... please.
So lay it on me.
ETA: I should mention that I was not expecting a super high score... I just dont understand the 4.7522
Mostly... See above :)
They've said almost everything..
But, here's my last bit... That ... whatever it is, in front of your face is terrible.. Looks like a dye stained bio lab mask... Nothing flattering about..
You've got spirit bubbling out all the time, this photo failed to capture the enthusiasm we all know you are so much in possession of, try to capture your personality.. I loved it that one person commented on my SP, "A smartass look..".. Well, I'm pretty much a smartass, so that means I fairly well managed to capture who I am in that portrait. *shrug* your mileage may indeed vary.. :)
Yes I agree it's the Lighting-n-Shadows and everything JuiietNN and Louis say.
Recently I've been testing my methodical close up cropping style.
I still emphasis the expression and essence, but with a closup flair.
What do you think?
I hope Escaptooz doesn't mind me borrowing hers for some examples.
1st 2nd 3rd
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
ETA but I did save to my favorites.
In response to this, my lighting setup cost me less than $30 for this shoot..
Although I'm not very good at lighting portraits, I think the limitation is more my technique than my equipment, and the results weren't awful....
I use clip on fixtures (~$9 at walmart), 100watt equivalent CFL bulbs, (~$5 each), and a bit of cloth and a rubber band stretched across the fixture to diffuse the light.. In effect I have two small softboxes for about $30 total..
Try it out, they work fine, and cost almost nothing.. Plus they work great for still life studio work..
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
ETA but I did save to my favorites.
In response to this, my lighting setup cost me less than $30 for this shoot..
Although I'm not very good at lighting portraits, I think the limitation is more my technique than my equipment, and the results weren't awful....
I use clip on fixtures (~$9 at walmart), 100watt equivalent CFL bulbs, (~$5 each), and a bit of cloth and a rubber band stretched across the fixture to diffuse the light.. In effect I have two small softboxes for about $30 total..
Try it out, they work fine, and cost almost nothing.. Plus they work great for still life studio work..
So, some things about this.
1) Don't use a wood blade to cut PVC (at least not slowly, it will explode)
2) This particular lighting is weak, so it will require your subjects to be sitting still.
3) Its a good way to learn
Originally posted by JustCaree:
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
Ok So I wasnt going to post one of these... I was just going take my score and move on... 4.7522
But I had some nice scores ( a lot of 5's 6's a few 7's 8's and even 1 10 ) and some LOW scores a lot of 4's bunch of 3's 2 handfuls of 2's and even a few 1's
So.... Tell me... what did you like? dislike? what could of been better? etc?
I know there is a stray hair on the right eye (curly hair has a mind of its own) and I know that the color is a lil harsh but I was sunburn LOL but what else... please.
So lay it on me.
ETA: I should mention that I was not expecting a super high score... I just dont understand the 4.7522
Mostly... See above :)
They've said almost everything..
But, here's my last bit... That ... whatever it is, in front of your face is terrible.. Looks like a dye stained bio lab mask... Nothing flattering about..
You've got spirit bubbling out all the time, this photo failed to capture the enthusiasm we all know you are so much in possession of, try to capture your personality.. I loved it that one person commented on my SP, "A smartass look..".. Well, I'm pretty much a smartass, so that means I fairly well managed to capture who I am in that portrait. *shrug* your mileage may indeed vary.. :)
So how does one capture... a bubbly quirky goofy chick hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... LOL perhaps I should of done my husbands favorite picture of me LOL
or this one cause its definitely bubblie
Just kidding!!! Thanks for the advice!!! I understand what you are saying! The image needs to tell a story.
So, some things about this.
1) Don't use a wood blade to cut PVC (at least not slowly, it will explode)
2) This particular lighting is weak, so it will require your subjects to be sitting still.
3) Its a good way to learn
Originally posted by JustCaree:
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
So, some things about this.
1) Don't use a wood blade to cut PVC (at least not slowly, it will explode)
2) This particular lighting is weak, so it will require your subjects to be sitting still.
3) Its a good way to learn
Originally posted by JustCaree:
I cant afford lighting... anytime soon :( just gonna have to suck it up and take the lower scores till then LOL
ETA but I did save to my favorites.
tahts pretty cool!
I wish I had room for this, but I live in a studio, and it's my office as well.
