Portrait of my sister

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codyderek

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I'd like to receive some critique or comments on a portrait I took of my sister. I used a Bessa R3M with a Heliar 50/2 lens. I shot wide open at f/2 I think. Any comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Cody Swanson

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Your sister's really pretty, for one thing. And I think it's quite a good picture. The high contrast works great, the snow stands out beautifully against her hair...she oughta write a novel so that can be the author photo.

I dig the hell out of that Heliar Classic...it has a real feel to it. Nice work!
 
I like it very much for the cold, winter feeling. I think I'd have asked her to look into the lens, but that's just me. Beautiful picture, and a beautiful sister, too.
Vic
 
Very nicely done...you caught the snow just right in terms of lightness and delicacy, and the tones of your sister's face and hair. Can't imagine her not liking this a lot.


- Barrett
 
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I like it. Good for an album cover (if she's a musician!). But very nice -- the blue in her eyes really jumps out. And I like the off-center composition.

Taken recently? 🙂
 
Thanks guys,
I can see what you mean (Vics) by having her look into the camera, but I was kind of wanting her to look contemplative of something.

I took this in April or May. It was a normal spring, and then boom, a crazy snow storm. We are headed towards fall now in Alaska, but no snow until October usually.

Thanks again for your comments.
 
What everyone else said. Besides, that's a great photo for a 50mm lens. Usually one doesn't think of that as a portrait lens. You did well with it.
 
I love the photo of your sister. Her blue eyes and her stare are for me the main factors making this image. The position of her on one end of the frame is something that I have always favored for portraits. Only a Sonnar might have added some additional life and temper the contrast.

This is an excellent image. Congratulations.
 
head is distorted due to using 50mm lens close up. Proportions would be more natural w/ a 75mm or 90mm. Sky and ground on right blown out. Otherwise a moody and compelling portrait as those above have said.
 
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Pablito said:
head is distorted due to using 50mm lens close up. Proportions would be more natural w/ a 75mm or 90mm. Sky and ground on right blown out. Otherwise a moody and compelling portrait as those above have said.
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Per Craig Alesse's classic "Basic 35mm Photo Guide" I thought it was the wide-angle lens' that would distort the subject close up. As a normal lens, a 50mm shouldn't do that, correct? I'm referencing topics 125-127 of Alesse's book. Also what should the OP have metered off to not blow out the ground and sky? Or was that an aperture issue?
 
Hmmm... not knowing the lady personally I would be unable to assess whether the head is distorted or not. It doesn't look it to me. Rather a very nice, artistic portrait. Granted, the highlights are intense, but mostly in the background.

Is she an artist of some kind? A teacher, works with crafts? That photo of yours is quite expressive, so congratulations! 🙂
 
Donovan said:
Per Craig Alesse's classic "Basic 35mm Photo Guide" I thought it was the wide-angle lens' that would distort the subject close up. As a normal lens, a 50mm shouldn't do that, correct? I'm referencing topics 125-127 of Alesse's book. Also what should the OP have metered off to not blow out the ground and sky? Or was that an aperture issue?
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If you stand too close to a person,a 50mm lens can distort the face. Noses become longer,... etc.
 
Great subject. Pretty blue eyes really belong in that place.
Speaking of "place," the snow on her hair and shoulders really makes this work for me. It ties her in beautifuly with her environment.

Nice job.
 
I agree that a. she's pretty and b. it's nicely composed and exposed. I rather like how her skin tone is washing out into the background. It helps draw the viewer's attention toward her eyes.

Her nose and forehead are a little distorted because of the 50mm. Since I've started using longer lenses for portraiture, I've learned to dislike 50s.

Fred Archer calls this pose a "split profile" because the nose is splitting the far line of the face. He says to make sure that the tip of the nose coincides with the edge of the face, which is exactly what you've done. He's not a big fan of this pose because the arrangement of features is "un-natural". I think it works well here because the overall mood of the photo is very strong, so the viewer isn't really looking at individual features.

If this was *my* sister, she would want her skin tone retouched so it was less blotchy. But then my sister wouldn't think of being photographed without makeup.
 
vdonovan said:
If this was *my* sister, she would want her skin tone retouched so it was less blotchy. But then my sister wouldn't think of being photographed without makeup.
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It is a beautiful portrait. This was my only (minor) comment. Things may be better in warmer weather, but suggest you watch for skin tones in the future. all-in-all, though, both of you should be happy with this pic!
 
This is a really excellent shot, as others have said the contrast works realy well. It is really well composed, and the wide aperture pushes the attention to the face.
For me personally, on an aesthetic level, I wish she were looking slightly towards the lens, or had her head turned slightly away. I think that would have given a degree of emotion to this portrait, given it a bit of a story.
 
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