Gabby (a second try at a portrait)

Blue · Gabby (a second try at a portrait)

Do you guys think this one is better? (I cheated a little- today was a brighter day, and obviously she is practically touching the window.) Also I ironed the sheet, LOL (but not very well, I still see wrinkles Mad

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creators

Now, whereas I liked the sheet back ground in the shot of Leif, I don't like it in this one. For me, it drags me away from the focus of the picture which should be Gabby and the window. In Rembrandt style the background could have faded away to darkness.

I hope you'll pardon me for putting this up which uses nothing that isn't already there, just a darkened background.

adam

you have a good eye Keith..i couldn't figure it out!!
your changes make the picture..now i really like it!!

creators

Thanks Adam, It's a great shot, and it took a while to get it. I kind of had to ask, 'what don't I want to see to make this shot happen?'

It reminds me of a little mission I went on the other day with a friend and we were discussing how we look for a shot. We both agreed that just walking around we had to engage our peripheral vision, or look beyond the subject. It, kind of, isn't hard to find a subject, it's often, if not usually, the setting that makes the shot. The same applies here, there's nothing wrong with the shot, it's almost a classic.

Blue

Yes- it's better with the shadowy backround- thank you for seeing that. It was in the back of my mind a little, too... I knew the sheet looked unnatural there, but I wasn't sure what to do about it.
I don't have an editing program (yet), so I'm trying to work out how to make the sheet fade away more. I think maybe putting it back about four feet, and turning off the overhead would help. Just thinking out loud...
As a side note: I really appreciate this group's honesty and critique. I put this photo up on my blog, and all my friends oohed and ahhhed... which is nice for the ego, of course, but doesn't do much to make me a better photographer. Cool

creators

Hi Blue, a couple of suggestions. If you kept the sheet pinned where it is but take it away diagonally, you might keep some of it's texture, which I personally quite like, but lose the rest in darkeness, and, I would try keeping the overhead on as it's a far less powerful light source than the window but does add a little light to the top of Gabby's head, which I think I'd want to keep. Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

I don't know how you are fixed for money but Amazon has Coral Paint Shop Pro x for $26 new and $23 used http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-li...are&qid=1182950674&sr=8-1
which is what I used to do the background.

hil26

Now in this one, I find the sheet not near as distracting as the background in Leifs image,

The darker background has really improved what was already a very good image - lighting is just about perfect (always think there's room for improvement - looking at the left hand of the window ledge, looks a little blown) - the pose is lovely - was she bribed?

Blue

creators

hil26

think last week I took about 75 shots and kept 3, so you are not by yourself.

Sometimes you get it right almost immediately, but when outside and the lighting keeps changing .......blown highlights.... etc

Simonzphotoz

did my sisters wedding shoot, took just over 400 shots, came out with 100 really good ones, and out of those there will be about 25 what I think are amazing shots. What I have found is the more I take the more options I see when taking one shot, so now instead of having just the one image, I now have 5-10 variations of that one image...