This is my first entry. I am 15 years old and I am a sophomore in high school. I am inspired by this site and I wanted to try it out. I hope to get better as I keep trying.
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What a coincidence...this is my first comment at this site.
Where to start? First your composition is what drew my eye to this image. That's good.
But,(there's always a but) there are few suggestions that may make this image even better IMHO. It appears to me that you took this shot with your left hand and with flash on camera. So, try using a tripod, move back just a bit, and crop to compose. Second, move the flash off the camera or try using a window on the right side (no flash) instead to soften the light (chrome and skin are tough to do with direct light). Next try manual exposure with small f stop to increase the DoF to bring out the detail of the lipstick and hand yet keep the background details. Keep up the good work.
Fisrt of all I liked your shot. I saw where you were going with it. It has a nice composition and the colors all mesh well. So no, I would not have liked it better in black and white. I kinda liked the glare on the silver lipstick tube. Technically speaking though you should try to stay away from the flash if at all possible. Especially during challenge shots. The people here will trash your shot good or bad just for using the flash. I rarely touch my camera at night because I almost always use natural light for my shtos, since I lack a studio with professional lighintg. :(
Now if you are forced to use the flash because of the lighting situation stand back from your subject and use the zoom so you dont get that glare like you got on the hand. See how her neck is darker than her hand. It makes it look funny. If this is your fisrt shot though I am a little scared of the competition Ive got comeing. I'm not sure if I can help you or not but if you ever got any questions feel free to ask. If I cant answer it I can always point you in the right direction.
That was a great attempt! I believe you should have placed higher.
Originally posted by leanne:
Would this have been better in black and white??
I think the color is a great aspect of the shot. All it would need is a little lighting adjustment. If I were you, I'd try this shot again under different lighting where a flash wouldn't be needed. Good job and good luck in the next challenge!
Train of thought: Picture works well with the title, but lighting is harsh and flat. Cropping and composition are a little off as well - if I apply the rule of thirds, I see that the hand appears to be your main subject. But the hand is out of focus, which leaves me searching for the focal point (the lips?) by following the line of the hand and lipstick tube. However, the lips are nearly out of the picture and have a funny little gap. Hope this helps :)
This girl even seems to have a Ringwald-esque face and lips. I think you should have stepped back a bit as that flash is a little harsh, and the submission size is pretty small. Try to use those 640 pixels you are allowed.
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