Experimental Portraits

[tegan]

Considering you were using flash, you did very well with this character study/portrait.

As is often the case, your framing was too tight, cutting off the ear and the edge of the hat. People need room to breath. The eyes would be better looking straight rather than up and the light/flash is distracting and needs to be reduced, particularly in the eye at the right. I would slightly brighten the whole image to bring up separation between the face and the hat, and the hat and the background. I would also bring up some colour in the eye and separation between the iris and the rest of the pupil. The skin of the face is a little reddish which I would try to reduce a little as well as cloning out the reflection of the flash on the end of the nose.

When it comes to portraits, the minutest detail is important to the overall quality and effect.

Tegan

[Marko]

Thanks tegan. I'm OK with the cropping, though I agree it is tight.
Even the lighting was a bit unusual in this shot. It was a halogen light shot in an umbrella. It produced an unusual pattern in the eye but I liked it when I saw it. I wasn't sure if it was distracting to other viewers.
Good comment on the brightening and the separation of the iris and pupil and the cloning on the nose - I agree.

Just curious - What would be your personal technique on the separation of the iris and pupil?

many thanks,

Marko

Considering you were using flash, you did very well with this character study/portrait.

As is often the case, your framing was too tight, cutting off the ear and the edge of the hat. People need room to breath. The eyes would be better looking straight rather than up and the light/flash is distracting and needs to be reduced, particularly in the eye at the right. I would slightly brighten the whole image to bring up separation between the face and the hat, and the hat and the background. I would also bring up some colour in the eye and separation between the iris and the rest of the pupil. The skin of the face is a little reddish which I would try to reduce a little as well as cloning out the reflection of the flash on the end of the nose.

When it comes to portraits, the minutest detail is important to the overall quality and effect.

Tegan

[kiley9806]

hi marko - im curious to know what this guy was wearing, or what he was doing to have his photo taken? the close cropping does maybe take away from it, but it looks as though this guy is wearing a green helmet? like an army helmet?
i like the fact that he's looking upwards - true, it may look better if he were looking forwards, but with the position of his mouth i think it gives a good compliment. like theres more to the story. if he were looking forward, i think it might have made the picture more usual/regular.

[tegan]

Thanks tegan. I'm OK with the cropping, though I agree it is tight.
Even the lighting was a bit unusual in this shot. It was a halogen light shot in an umbrella. It produced an unusual pattern in the eye but I liked it when I saw it. I wasn't sure if it was distracting to other viewers.
Good comment on the brightening and the separation of the iris and pupil and the cloning on the nose - I agree.

Just curious - What would be your personal technique on the separation of the iris and pupil?

many thanks,

Marko

The problem with the light in the eye composition-wise is that it crosses over between the pupil and the rest of the eye and that is the cause of the distraction and why it is a "no,no" in portraits. Cutting off major body parts such as part of an ear is considered a major weakness in both portrait photography and video.

As to technique, I use selection and circle and surround the pupil and iris with a feather of 1 pixel. I then chose brightness and contrast in the menu and adjust to keep the iris black and bring up colour in the outer area.

Tegan

[AcadieLibre]

I like the shot, looks like a helmet I own. Rules are made to be broken in some circumstances. Just curious Tegan if you could post a shot you have taken to show us what you mean with the fix you explain. I think the crop works well in this particular photo. The lighting on the on the eyes adds an interesting look to it. I am just not crazy about the the facial expression of the model. And I would soften the lower left hand corner to take away the textue (or pattern) of the suit jacket.

[Marko]

Thanks for the comments everyone. This really was experimental. Just having fun. The helmet is actually a costume and the model is an actor. I am aware that cutting off body parts is a no no in formal portraiture and if this was a wedding, i wouldn't do it. I would disagree that it is a law though for every portrait. I am very comfortable breaking rules sometimes.

[tegan]

The general approach to rules in the level of the higher photo market of art directors and editors of many of the top quality magazines versus the general public is that rules are NOT made to be broken.

The bottom line is that if breaking the rule does NOT improve the image than it should NOT have been done. I can honestly say that I do NOT remember any image where breaking a rule of composition actually improved the image, therefore the "rules" have an innate logic to them. I also have some art in my background and composition is based on art and design.

I tend to have the advantage over other pros because I can work well with art directors and understand compostion, art, and design and where they are coming from in evaluating photos for acceptance and use.

Tegan

[AcadieLibre]

Just three of the most famous photographers off hand who did not follow the rules of composition. Also I would love to see some of your portrait work Tegan, I hear about it often but not seen any. Could teach the rest of us something.

Henri Cartier Bresson

Burt Glinn

"Following rules of composition can only lead to a tedious repetition of pictorial" - Diane Arbus