Yorkshire Day on Alphin Moor

[NorthStone]

This is another picture taken with my Sony Cybershot
Original Dimensions: 2816 x 2112, JPEG 2.49MB
Reduced Dimensions: 977 x 651 (aspect ratio 4x6), JPEG 208KB

[Marko]

Hi Northstone,

This is a decent casual portrait in a lovely background. Good size and sharpness for this forum. I see no compression issues.
If it were mine I'd pay attention to the following:
- the horizon line cuts through the model's head. This is best avoided if possible.
- The background sky is overexposed. This is beaten in various ways including underexposing the sky while adding some fill flash to the model. Or use a graduated neutral density filter.
- The interaction with the model could be a bit better, maybe she should be looking at us.
- The way the stick is posed looks awkward to my eye, I likely would have eliminated it.

Hope that helps - Marko

[NorthStone]

Hi Marko,

Thanks for your comments. They're really useful.

- Horizon lines: I'm guessing due to interference. Is this because they're trying to take the eye's focus away from the subject? Looking at the picture this seems to be what happens.
- Background: I'm guessing too much white in the clouds has overexposed the sky. Thanks for the flash tip. It's not something I'd considered during an outdoor day shot. Is this because it will accentuate skin tones? Are these filters expensive?
- I think the model (my girlfriend that is) enjoyed that particular pose.
- I take your point about the stick. It is a bit distracting.

I'll keep all these thoughts in mind when I'm next out on a landscape shoot.

BW,
NorthStone

[Marko]

It's a pleasure NorthStone, i love critiquing.

- Horizon lines: I'm guessing due to interference. Is this because they're trying to take the eye's focus away from the subject? Looking at the picture this seems to be what happens.

It just looks cleaner and is less of a distraction. The same goes with trees and branches that look like they are coming out of a model's head when posed in front of a tree. Try to avoid it if possible. In this case raising or lowering your camera position would have solved this.

- Background: I'm guessing too much white in the clouds has overexposed the sky. Thanks for the flash tip. It's not something I'd considered during an outdoor day shot. Is this because it will accentuate skin tones? Are these filters expensive?

No, it's because the camera cannot capture all of those tones in one exposure. The exposure range is too great. Therefore we underexpose the background a bit so that the sky is not blown. Then we add fill flash because if we did not the model's face would be too dark. IN GENERAL, flash will only light the foreground. Doing this helps balance an unmanageable 1 frame exposure. In terms of the filters...not that expensive, depends on brand. (35.- 200.) I'd leave the filters for now though (except a polarizing filter) and concentrate on getting familiar with flash and ambient exposures.

I think the model (my girlfriend that is) enjoyed that particular pose.

She does look relaxed and if she's happy then you're probably happy
But as a viewer with no stake in the shot, she's not giving the viewer much interaction.

best!
Marko