Portraits

[Aleks]

So we're doing portraits in my photography class and for my project I used one of my really good friends. I'm pretty happy with the way they came out but I feel like I can still improve. What do you guys think?

Set Up: I used a crappy lighting kit from my school. There were two lights on tripods, one facing away from her with a reflector and another facing her with a diffuser umbrella. The background is an 8 dollar sheet I bought at goodwill and we also bought a white dress. I took all these handheld.

I used lightroom to correct them so none of the current ones are the originals. I'll show some of the originals later on but the edited ones for now. I'll post more later on.





Any tips? Advice? Should I change anything? Should I not? Critics please

[BFHeadstone]

To me there is a little too much empty space in the second photo that draws the eye away.
The first photo you should crop to just the top of the head.

just my opinions.

[Fusey]

^ Agreed with the above statements

Also, your friend is a megababe.

[ue]

You have a photography course? And at your school? Nice...I was considering taking a class at a college or camera store or whatever when I first got a dSLR.

Well, my opinion...

The first:
-I like that it was head on, centered, everything. Usually unartistic, it looks nice in a portait studio format.
-Vibrant colors in the girl's clothing, nice selection! I think the background should have worked off those colors, as the white is doing literally nothing for it when it could really make that headband (?) stand out stylishly.

The second:
-This one I like even more, the black and white really adds I dunno mood? It also helps get rid of the terrible white background problem.
-The pose is very unique and interesting in my opinion, I quite like it.
-The fact that her eyes are looking away is amazing. It's all in the details, baby!
-Nice assortment of fashion, it really does all go together!

hope that helps!

[Aleks]

Yeah, well I'm still in highschool and we have digital photography classes. I took a film class my freshman year and did the whole developing in the darkroom thing. We also made cameras out of cans and tape. Next year I'm gonna have less time with photography. Moving out, getting a job, going to school, studying, ugh... I don't wanna grow up!

Thanks everyone! I didn't have much money and they only had that mint-colored sheet that was big enough to put on the wall/floor. I kinda wanted her hands to show up in the first shot. If I copped the top it would make the image more square than rectangular and for some reason I like rectangles more than squares

Here's two more shots.

I should've removed that stupid tack with photoshop and maybe even cropped it a little more. I'm not sure if it looks better vertical or horizontal.


I don't like that you can tell her eyelashes are fake. If they were real it would be so much better.

[toyota74]

Well alex the first thing I like in the first pic
is her eyes which are amazing but the pokadots
are distracting with the bland background.

The second pic ,Im being hit with black too
much and her skin and the blackground blends
into the one colour.

the 3rd pic I think works as Im drawn straight
into the pic ,first with the shape of her hair
and centre into her eyes.the white top is
better than the black that she had in the previous
pic...

I hope you scored.

the fourth Idont like at all,she dont look too
happy,bad frown for such nice lips.

[Aleks]

One more! I feel like this would make a good business card or something but idk. I like the blank space for some reason. I also had to crop the bottom since it made it look too sexual. very sexual...

[theWatusi]

uncropped version please

Originally Posted by Fusey

Also, your friend is a megababe.

[BFHeadstone]

Can you get a little more contrast from the fan to the background? It can tend to blend in depending on how you look at it.

[Doady]

I like how in the 2, 3, and 5, her skin looks so smooth. Really great pose and composition in 3 and 5 too. 3 is so sexy, and 5 is so cute. Very nice work.