| Author | Thread |
|
|
03/24/2008 07:04:44 PM |
| Very effective lighting and composition. The color temp is a wonderful warm tone that really emphasizes your face and texture of the hat. |
|
|
|
06/03/2006 04:41:07 AM |
| Thanks for all the critiques...I learned quite a lot this time. |
|
|
|
06/01/2006 10:25:52 PM |
--Trading Post Comment--
Camera Work/Technical: I agree with Artyste. This one is lacking a little focus. Focus is the most difficult part to master when putting together a self-portrait, especially with a background that is empty. I do like the warmth from the white balance that you chose, and I think that the depth of field would be nice if the main subject was in focus.
Lighting: I like it! I would like to see you catchlights dodged a little to really bring them out, but I like the effect you created with your light source. You achieved a very nice balance between highlights and shadows.
Composition/Content: Very nice composition here. I like the position that you were captured in, and even the cropping of the hat works very well.
My Opinion: I recognized you right away, so you met the challenge perfectly. With a bit more attention on the focus, I think that this one would have been close to a 6. Nice work with the lighting, just get that focus worked out.
Eric
|
|
 Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
06/01/2006 03:33:49 PM |
Looks like you got an awesome CC club comment, so I can't add much, but I'll add my $0.02 anyways
The lighting is very atmospheric, which works well with the posture, which I like, but does look a little awkward. The main thing that brings it down is the softness due to the long exposure. I don't personally mind the composition, because you're not looking out of the frame as such, you're just looking into the camera at an angle. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/31/2006 01:48:35 AM |
Greetings from the Critique Club. My critiques are generally geared towards trying to help you improve your score within DPC, and not on any true "artistic" merit of the photograph itself, unless it relates to DPC voters and scoring. Please keep that in mind as you read this.
Initial Thoughts
This isn't bad. Lighting is a little too hard, and you seem to be on the wrong side of the frame.
Composition/Content
In classic portraiture composition, it's best if you leave negative space to the side of where the subject is a)looking, or b)leaning. This gives the viewer an impression of flow, and it's difficult to pull it off if you decide to break from this. In this photo, you just seem to be going against the flow for no real reason, and as such leave the viewer (me, in this case), feeling crowded out. I end up looking more at the space than at you.
Background
Backround is good, and I like the soft gradiating from dark to not so dark.
Camera Work/Technical
You lack a touch of focus in the key area, which is just around the eyes. Also, your choice of a longer exposure (1.6 seconds) has resulted in a bit of motion blur in the eyes (and other areas) as well, contributing to the focal problem. In portraiture, it is very important that the eyes (if you are using them), are sharp and appealing to the viewer. If they lack focus or sharpness (unless for some express desired intent, which I don't feel here), you tend to lose the viewer. What I would suggest, if you wished your portrait to retain the ambient lighting, is to bump up to ISO 800 (which the 20D can handle very well), and drop the aperature to 3.5 or 4, thus giving you more shutter speed to work with, and probably sharpening your eyes much better. Now granted, the usual voter won't notice something like this *conciously*, but I can guarantee that it'll be a factor to many, even if they can't quite say why.
Digital Processing
Well, I don't know if you wanted the tungsten/ambient lighting this way purposely or not. It does add a little bit of a warmer, saddish aspect, but voters generally don't do well with it, and less yellow and more natural skin tones might have helped your voting. Your contrast is nice though, but it could still use another couple of low-pass USM for sharpening.
Fits the Challenge
Unless this isn't you, it fits the challenge.. obviously.
My Opinion of the Photo
While I liked it on first glance ok, I do think it would have been a stronger photo had you been on the right side of the frame. It would have given the impression of having more space and feeling less cramped. As DanSig pointed out, there are reasons why most portraiture "rules" are in place, and choosing to go outside those rules should have a strong and intensive purpose. I don't feel that your photo really had these, so it showed in the voting.
Good luck in future challenges. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/29/2006 01:45:10 PM |
[[trading post]]
this is a good portrait, but would have been better if you were on thr right side of the picture, to break the fundamentals of portraiture is very hard and the picture must have a big WOW factor to get away with breaking the rules, your image does unfortunately not have that WOW factor needed for this image to be great.
image with WOW
here is a sample of a portrait where the subject looks outside the frame, and it works.
|
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/28/2006 09:34:39 PM |
Trading post...
Very nice shot. This has great lighting. The hat adds interest. I can't actually tell you any way to improve this unless you turned into Brad Pitt and shot yourself nude, LOL (just kidding ya know!). Maybe a little sharper around the eyes. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/28/2006 11:00:51 AM |
Trading Post comment
I liked this when I came upon it in your portfolio, but I think that one was in B&W? I think I do prefer it in B&W. I like the us of the negative space - that plus the expression adds a touch of mystery. The softness in focus may have been what you were going for, but a bit more crispness on the face and especially the eyes would really add to this picture. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/26/2006 11:31:28 PM |
| A nice portrait, well framed. Perhaps a little tight. For example, more of your shoulders may have filled the frame out a bit, and keeping the hat entirely in the shot may have added to it. The catchlight in your eyes is excellent. I feel the image may have benefitted from more lighting, perhaps reflected onto the right side of the image (left side of your face). As well, the image is slightly soft - would have benefitted from some more aggressive USM. I think the choice of negative space as background is an excellent one. The expression on your face is unaffected, giving it an overall genuine, yet still somehow guarded (mysterious?) feeling. Well done. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
Comments Made During the Challenge  |
|
|
05/23/2006 11:39:17 AM |
| lIKE THE ANGLE OF THIS BUT PERHAP A SPOT LIGHT ON HIS FACE WOULD HELP IT A LITTLE MORE |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/21/2006 11:43:32 PM |
| Good warm lighting. Good work. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/21/2006 06:22:41 PM |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/21/2006 08:14:03 AM |
| It feels like youa re falling out of the frame. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/21/2006 03:03:06 AM |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/20/2006 06:06:55 AM |
| White balance seems a bit off, and eyes could be sharper. Your expression gives the photo a great mood with your hat. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/19/2006 04:05:33 PM |
| seems a little unfocused. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/19/2006 12:10:25 PM |
| IMO shame you cut off the side of the hat |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/19/2006 09:19:01 AM |
| I'm not a psychologist but I'm interested in how people have chosen to appear in this challenge ; some like you , like me have preferred to be quite natural even if your lighting adds a touch of mystery. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/19/2006 08:03:40 AM |
| Love the use of selective lighting here. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/19/2006 03:21:21 AM |
| I've seen that guy somewhere... :) |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
|
|
05/19/2006 01:49:40 AM |
| This has character stamped all over it. Great shot. Like the hat, colors and pose. |
|
| Photographer found comment helpful. |
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/03/2025 06:15:40 AM EDT.
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
