Critique #22 *Portrait* 5 Participants

RayPA

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Welcome to this critique thread. Please read the purpose statement and the guidelines/ground rules regarding participation.

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The primary purpose of this thread is to provide a forum where photographers can give and receive constructive criticism on one another's photographs. By setting up some basic guidelines we hope that this thread will provide a forum where the give and take of honest constructive criticism can help us become better photographers.

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impromtu at the zoo:

M4-P, 50mm summitar, Acros

Todd
 

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Here is my [new] image. My daughter in her room beside the window.
 

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vrgard said:
Okay, then here's my submission.

There is direct eye contact, which makes this picture what it is. There are two things I would change, though. The lamp in the background is distracting and I would at least crop from the top to minimize the distraction. The second issue cannot be fixed; her hand is chopped off at the wrong place.


Raid
 
Wayne R. Scott said:
Here is a photo of my neighbor just up the road a bit.

Wayne


Wayne: I would have left out the flowers. This girl looks nice and the photo would be stronger then.

Raid
 
Todd.Hanz said:
impromtu at the zoo:

M4-P, 50mm summitar, Acros

Todd

Todd,
Direct eye contact makes this photo a good one. I would however crop out the lady on the left.

Raid
 
nico said:
Here is mine,
"Marco T."


Nico,

This is a nice photo with two distractions; there is a plant "growing out of his head"and the background (kitchen cabinet) should be partially cropped out from the top.

Raid
 
Okay, here's my feedback:

Wayne:
Very nice shot. I really like the vibrancy of the colors and the naturalness of what still appears to be a staged portrait shot. The framing of the girls hair is also nice in that it continues to draw the eye to her face. Also, beautiful soft background. At first I thought it was draped material but upon closer inspection it looks more like out of focus tree limbs. However, I too find the flowers to be a bit too much. Almost distracting rather than adding to the picture.

Todd:
I can't put my finger on it, but there's almost a sense of humor in this shot. I like the boy's expression and his hand position with his index finger raised. The exposure is also good. Unfortunately, I find the bear in the background to be distracting. While perhaps good in explaining why the adult male (father?) is looking away from the camera, the background is still in focus enough to compete with the portrait of the boy so he doesn't quite stand out as much as he could with a smaller depth of field.

Nico:
Good eye contact - feels like I'm sitting right across from this guy. And nice natural pose/position. But I find the background distracting, particularly with some much of the frame open above the subject. And the contrast is just a little too soft for my taste. Lastly, the focus also looks a little soft. Sorry if I sound too negative. Don't mean to as I still do like the picture. Just think that it could be stronger and more focused on the person.

Raid:
First of all, good job swithing images (smile). This is definitely a stronger image than that of the woman. Your daughter is just beautiful here. I love the soft colors and the use of depth of field. And the eye contact with such a close-up shot really holds one's attention. I also like that there's just enough background info to place her in her room without it being so much as to be distracting. Unfortunately, it looks like the focus is just a hair too short in that the hair in front of her eyes is sharper than right at her eyes (compare the focus on her hair versus that on her eyebrows or eyelashes).

Well, them's my non-expert thoughts and opinions. Hope you guys found this useful/helpful/enjoyable!

-Randy
 
vrgard: I like the expression that you have captured in this photo. I am sure that it is one that you have seen before and can easily recognize.

I don't think that this is an attempt at a formal portrait, I would consider it more of an environmental portrait meaning that it show the person in their surroundings.

Todd: I like this as an envirnmental portrait, it shows the family unit on a trip to the zoo. The child in his light colored shirt draws my attention, with the parents in their dark clothing receeding into the background. This makes the child the center of attention in the photo. Nicely done.

nico: I think this is a good capture with the eye contact and relaxed pose of your subject.

raid: Nicely done. I like being able to see the catch light in your daughter's eye. It gives her a sparkle that I am sure she posseses. I really like available window light portraits.

Wayne
 
vrgard:
great eye contact, she is definately connecting with you and the camera, great avail. light portrait. I like the choice of aperture, just enough for me to see what I want sharply focused and the rest fades away. The only thing I might change would be to bump the contrast a little more, but that's a personal thing :)

Wayne:
another great one from you, deep blue eyes complimented by the clothing , backdrop, and flowers. I might have moved the bouquet over a little to allow more of her face to show, as it is she seems to be peering around it, that may have been the effect you were looking for, either way, nice work!

nico:
another great avail. light portrait with good eye contact as has been stated. The guy looks really at ease with the camera/you, very natural looking. The overall softness of the image works ok, but with guys I like at least some focus on the eyes, maybe a tad more detail to bring out the masculinity if you will. well done!

Raid:
beautiful subject, as with all your portraits of your daughters. It must be great to have willing particiapnts that look good too! The colors are soft and pastelish which compliment your daughter well. I would like to see a bit more focus on the face/eyes, not much, but enough to draw me back to her eyes/face, there is also bit of dust and scratches on the negative, great job though!

Thanks for all the comments and participation, I learn something from each one of these critiques, keep it up guys!

Todd
 
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