Sophia - please comment (PLEASE!)

[Paul Jones]

OK, Danny and others would like to see what kind of photos we're all busy taking and he would like more image appraisals. So let's get the ball rolling and hopefully others will follow ...

And PLEASE COMMENT! Don't be shy. You don't have to be an 'expert' to have an opinion. You WILL NOT hurt anyone's feelings. Just say what you see (as the great Roy Walker used to say on 'Catchphrase'...).

Firstly, to answer Danny's question. No, I don't go out taking photographs for competitions. Quite the opposite - many of my photographs wouldn't go down well with most judges. Instead, I take photographs that I want to take and that people ask me to take.

Here is Sophia, photographed at ADAPS several months ago. Sophia is a professional model and just wanted a few new shots to add to her portfolio.

The lighting is really simple. Basic clamshell lighting - one main light up high and a reflector near her lap to fill some shadows under her chin. It's the type of lighting that is used a lot and anyone can do. Ask me for a demonstration next time you see me if you want more info.

The one thing I wish I'd done differently if I was doing it again would be to have a bit more light seperating her hair from the background. Her hair didn't look so dark in person.




Listening to the last few L&CPU competition judges we've had at ADAPS, I'm sure they would say:

- Her eyes are too straight. In a portrait, eyes MUST ALWAYS be tilted at an angle.
- There are two catchlights in each eye. Portraits MUST ALWAYS only have one catchlight (there's only one sun, you know...)


Well... Put on your judging caps (or image appraisal hats) and PLEASE let me know what you think...

And when you've all finished appraising my images you can post some of your own...



Bon Natali e filici annu novu

[John]

The skin tones are excellent, and I agree that she is only just separated from the background so maybe just a tad more would have been good. The black and white photo could perhaps do with the neckline being completed rather than cut off.

Otherwise, I like the direct approach of the shot and don't really mind the eyes being level at all.

[Paul Jones]

Thanks John. And, yes, I agree with you about the neckline too.


Maogmang Pasko

[Tracey McGovern]

Hi Paul

A beautiful model with lovely skin, you must have built up a good rapport with her as you have managed to get good eye contact, she looks nice and relaxed, which is half the battle of getting a good portrait. Yes, some lighting on or behind her head would probably enhance these otherwise good portraits. I can't see why these wouldn't do very well if you decided to put them into competition.

Tracey

[mike-e]

Hi Paul
2 lovely portraits.
Yes this type of lighting generally works really well, for me though the balance is a little too top heavy, as it makes her forhead a little prominent.
Great skin tones, an S5 user I believe, and lovely skin texture.
For me I would have rim lit the hair, just to bring some more texture back to the hair, particularly if I had evened out the balance within the lighting .
Johns point with the neckline in the b/w is a small but important detail. You mentioned having the 1 catchlight in the eyes, I don't mind , although your reasons are very good ones. Also I think that since the hair shapes teh face so well that it doesn't detract from the lack of head tilt, the direct look strengthens the shots.
Finally in the b/w shot may you consider two alternate crops
1 to be a little wider to make it more of a traditional feel, and
2 a much tighter crop, almost into the hairline for a magazine cover type crop.Although I may think her forhead may be a little too prominent for it- it may be worth a look.
As usual I have gone on far too long
No harm in trying them in any competition though methinks

[Paul Jones]

These are all great comments and exactly what I hoped for when starting the thread.

You've all given me lots of useful advice.

Thanks.


Gozhqq Keshmish

[PhilipHowe]

Paul, they are both very 'actors headshot' type of poses and I do like them both.

I prefer the colour one on the left. I take the point about highlights for her hair, however, I feel a slightly lighter shade of grey for the backdrop may have helped to seprate her. Still a dark grey though.

She has big white eyes and I'm glad to see you haven't over whitened them and her teeth (something I'm prone to falling for, so have stopped lightening them all together).

I'd like to see the colour one cropped a little higher as her cleavage looks slightly distorted to me, so I think that may help.

I'm less inclined towards the black and white, but I think that's because I've seen what lovely skin tone she has in the colour one. MAybe if I hadn't, I'd like the black and white one more.

Good share, it's good to see a variety of portraits.

[Paul Jones]

Paul, they are both very 'actors headshot' type of poses and I do like them both.

Thanks Philip. I appreciate you commenting.

Interesting that you mention 'headshots'. As you appreciate, headshots are very different to 'portraits'. I've studied quite a few different headshot photographers and would love to be able to take more of this type of image. I think my current favourite headshot photographer would be Peter Hurley - http://peterhurley.com

That's a good point about the background. There are also various things I could do in post-processing to lighten the background or bring her hair out more.

She has big white eyes and I'm glad to see you haven't over whitened them and her teeth (something I'm prone to falling for, so have stopped lightening them all together).

I will lighten eyes and teeth if I feel they need it, but, like you, don't like to make it so obvious that anyone notices it.

Thanks

Souksan van Christmas

[PhilipHowe]

Paul,

I did a couple of actor headshots for profiles on Casting Call Pro and the rules are quite strict. Basically, no touch ups, if they have a crooked nose, it stays. You can lighten the photo or darken it, but it has to be a very flat looking photo.

I posted about it here: http://philiphowephotography.wordpress.com/

I also had two people contact me, who both paid 50% deposits, then didn't contact me again...
I'd like to do more to be honest, they are not as simple as they look. It's all about lighting, but not creativity.

[Paul Jones]

I totally agree, Philip.
If you watch the trailer for Peter Hurley's new headshots DVD he makes it look so easy...

Link - http://fstoppers.com/peter-hurley-the-a ... e-headshot


Malipayon nga Paskwa

[Paul Jones]

I know it's six months since I started this thread. I'm just coming back to it as I've been re-working some of my RAW files and am liking the new results more.

I took all your comments on board with regard to the Sophia photos, in particular:

- try to get more separation between Sophia's dark hair and the dark background
- include a neckline in the second photo

I also played around with different crops, but decided more or less to go with the original crops.

How do you think these new versions compare with the originals posted above?




Thanks
Paul