Portrait Shot

Bloodrush · 5th September 2008

Hey guys~
Took this portrait shot of a friend using st. james building as the backdrop.

Exposure: 1/3200 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm

She's got this look on her face that really never says much when she's thinking and i think i managed to capture it this time... it's like a mona lisa smile... Smile but not one at all.
Her facial expression is almost nothing. Can't really seem to put your finger on any words to describe.
Is this only coming across for me?

This is also one of my first few attempts at taking portrait shots and i wonder if this kinda plan works - expressionless face. Do it work aesthetically?
The shot was taken at 12p.m... which i believe isn't such a great timing for portrait shooting?

Please advice and comment =)

And... Have another great week~

sircheezeball · 5th September 2008

Fill Flash!

m3lv1nh0 · 5th September 2008

Use reflector to lighten up her face and remove the raccoon eyes. Or you can position her near to a white wall so that the wall acts as a giant reflector. Anyways. I would prefer to see her eyes as I could imagine her eyes to be beautiful. You got nice friends!

Bloodrush · 6th September 2008

i see.... thanks alot for the pointers. will try them out the next time... haven't really taken the initiative to work with reflectors and things like that.... will try to work on that.

jtsky · 8th September 2008

She is pretty. This is something I learned from calebk. I would like to share with you. Notice she is looking towards the left of frame, your composition leave almost no "noseroom" in front of her. Leave the proper amount of noseroom and headroom in front of and above the person you're shooting. And if the person is looking to the side, add space in the direction in which the person is looking, in front of their nose. This way will gives a 'breathing' space to the composition.

HTCahHTC · 8th September 2008

Originally Posted by jtsky

She is pretty. This is something I learned from calebk. I would like to share with you. Notice she is looking towards the left of frame, your composition leave almost no "noseroom" in front of her. Leave the proper amount of noseroom and headroom in front of and above the person you're shooting. And if the person is looking to the side, add space in the direction in which the person is looking, in front of their nose. This way will gives a 'breathing' space to the composition.

this is very true.
but i've seen many photographs taken otherwise mentioned. no 'noseroom' was allowed but there were many blank spaces at the back, assuming it's taken in landscape format and 45 degrees from the face. it surprisingly works!

for this pictures here. IMHO, i feel that the model was awkwardly 'cut off'.

jtsky · 9th September 2008

Originally Posted by HTCahHTC

this is very true.
but i've seen many photographs taken otherwise mentioned. no 'noseroom' was allowed but there were many blank spaces at the back, assuming it's taken in landscape format and 45 degrees from the face. it surprisingly works!

for this pictures here. IMHO, i feel that the model was awkwardly 'cut off'.

Thanks, I agree with you. Think everything works both ways. That is how art works.

Bloodrush · 9th September 2008

thank you jtsky, HTCahHTC for the time and comment...

i realised that is very true. Another point taken =)

cheguthamrin · 9th September 2008

Something to consider also, perhaps you could have waited for just a second or two later, or snapped more shots after this, the moment she saw you and her [almond / blue] eyes are focused to the camera - how different could it have been, how maybe more beautiful it may have been too? With that, the lips may have turned into a smile, brightens up the picture, and everything would have been different. Mona Lisa was looking directly at us when she smiled.

Perhaps you could have used the soften mode too.

Just my opinion la.

Bloodrush · 10th September 2008

oh actually i did that, had a shot with eyes open, same expression, and another with eyes closed but a smile... choose this one eventually don't know why...

but you have a point there cheguthamrin i get what you mean... it's about capturing that "perfect" moment... whenever it comes.

5th September 2008	#1
Bloodrush New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Singapore Posts: 26	Portrait Shot Hey guys~ Took this portrait shot of a friend using st. james building as the backdrop. Exposure: 1/3200 sec Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 55 mm She's got this look on her face that really never says much when she's thinking and i think i managed to capture it this time... it's like a mona lisa smile... Smile but not one at all. Her facial expression is almost nothing. Can't really seem to put your finger on any words to describe. Is this only coming across for me? This is also one of my first few attempts at taking portrait shots and i wonder if this kinda plan works - expressionless face. Do it work aesthetically? The shot was taken at 12p.m... which i believe isn't such a great timing for portrait shooting? Please advice and comment =) And... Have another great week~

5th September 2008	#2
sircheezeball New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Singapore Posts: 47	Re: Portrait Shot Fill Flash!

5th September 2008	#3
m3lv1nh0 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Serangoon North Posts: 2,040	Re: Portrait Shot Use reflector to lighten up her face and remove the raccoon eyes. Or you can position her near to a white wall so that the wall acts as a giant reflector. Anyways. I would prefer to see her eyes as I could imagine her eyes to be beautiful. You got nice friends! __________________ Weddings . Blog . Facebook

6th September 2008	#4
Bloodrush New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Singapore Posts: 26	Re: Portrait Shot i see.... thanks alot for the pointers. will try them out the next time... haven't really taken the initiative to work with reflectors and things like that.... will try to work on that.

8th September 2008	#5
jtsky Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Yishun Posts: 869	Re: Portrait Shot She is pretty. This is something I learned from calebk. I would like to share with you. Notice she is looking towards the left of frame, your composition leave almost no "noseroom" in front of her. Leave the proper amount of noseroom and headroom in front of and above the person you're shooting. And if the person is looking to the side, add space in the direction in which the person is looking, in front of their nose. This way will gives a 'breathing' space to the composition.

9th September 2008	#8
Bloodrush New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Singapore Posts: 26	Re: Portrait Shot thank you jtsky, HTCahHTC for the time and comment... i realised that is very true. Another point taken =)

9th September 2008	#9
cheguthamrin Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: 600060 Posts: 1,267	Re: Portrait Shot Something to consider also, perhaps you could have waited for just a second or two later, or snapped more shots after this, the moment she saw you and her [almond / blue] eyes are focused to the camera - how different could it have been, how maybe more beautiful it may have been too? With that, the lips may have turned into a smile, brightens up the picture, and everything would have been different. Mona Lisa was looking directly at us when she smiled. Perhaps you could have used the soften mode too. Just my opinion la. __________________ Already abused my D40 and D80 for my flickr

10th September 2008	#10
Bloodrush New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Singapore Posts: 26	Re: Portrait Shot oh actually i did that, had a shot with eyes open, same expression, and another with eyes closed but a smile... choose this one eventually don't know why... but you have a point there cheguthamrin i get what you mean... it's about capturing that "perfect" moment... whenever it comes.