# Looking For C&C My Portraiture



## Fifthphotography (Aug 25, 2010)

So as of right now I'm just starting my business and my primary focus (for now) is Portraiture. So these are some of my favorites from the sessions Ive had. id much appreciate any comments or critiques you can offer on my work.

1



Old Town

2



Old Town

3



Dominic 
4



Dominic

5



Jaqueline

6



Jaqueline

7



Luke-25

8



Luke-13

Thanks!


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## tirediron (Aug 26, 2010)

Very nice; hard to really provide critique on these because they're so different from what I would do.  I like the poses and ideas in them.  A couple of small niggles:

2.  You've cropped off a little bit of the last finger of her left hand.  Not really fussed about the background here; great portrait (assuming the expression was deliberate), just a bit of a 'messy' background.

3.  I think a reflector or kicker was needed here to reduce the shadow on the right side of his face just a tad.

6.  I really wish I could see her eyes.

7.  Slight blown area, right shoulder of his shirt.

8.  As per 7, and slightly hot on the face.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.  I think these are some really nice shots.  Well done!

~John


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## DanFinePhotography (Aug 26, 2010)

#6 and 2 are nice have to agree with chopping off the fingertips a bit. maybe a tad overexposed but overall a nice set :thumbup:


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 26, 2010)

I actually was using a reflector for 3&4 but my human reflector stand was running from the tide. So it may not have been as effect as it should have been. I guess need to work on my attention to detail the fingertips, the hidden eyes and such. Thanks for the C&C.


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## Derrel (Aug 26, 2010)

"As hard as it may be to except, skill is far more important than gear."

You might wish to spell "accept" correctly, since the use of the word except makes your statement seem somewhat at odds with the message you were trying to convey.

Frames 1,5,6--why horizontals?


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 27, 2010)

Derrel said:


> "As hard as it may be to except, skill is far more important than gear."
> 
> You might wish to spell "accept" correctly, since the use of the word except makes your statement seem somewhat at odds with the message you were trying to convey.
> 
> Frames 1,5,6--why horizontals?



lol I said nothing of spelling or grammar. Honestly I don't know. Looking at it now I see what you mean or at least what I think you mean. A vertical composition would of drawn the attention more to the subjects and less to the background which is nothing special. Ill keep that in mind next time I shoot. Thanks!


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## Breaux (Aug 27, 2010)

Some excellent shots - and unusual poses!

When I was doing portraits, I found only a few factors that were critical for happy clients, assuming it's exposed and focussed reasonably well: crop close, focus on eyes, catch a charcteristic expression.  You can use a wider crop if there's something good going on in the rest of the frame. (#1, #3 and #4 are OK wide, #5 - not)

Also, you'll do yourself a favor by not having white or black clothing, or worst of all, both.  It can certainly work, but exposure is simpler without that.  (As in #8, the dark guitar looks good, the dark hair looks good, the white shirt is burning my retinas!)

#2 is a good location and good pose, but has a bad background.  Fix it with a larger aperture, or wait til it's darker out, then light only your subject with diffused  or bounced flash.

#5 the expression you captured is priceless!  I would crop in closer.  Everything you want in a portrait right there in her face.

#8 now that's how a background should look!


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## Breaux (Aug 27, 2010)

Also I just noticed the nose shadow in #8.  Always watch for undesireable shadows on the face, which usually means eye-sockets and noses!


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## njw1224 (Aug 28, 2010)

1. Darn nice. I could see a H.S. senior lovin this. I'd like to see a bit more of the exposed eye. 
2. Don't like it. I don't like the house gutter in the background, and I don't like the expression. It's kind of a fun concept - peeking over a fence - so I think I'd like it more if she had an ornery grin or something. 
3. & 4. I'm not really diggin' these, sorry. I like the overall concept of a person in the surf, but here the plastic chair has no character and looks cheap (and weak). He looks to be too big for the chair, at least in the pose he's in. It makes the whole thing really top-heavy. 
5. Pretty nice. The expression carries the shot. 
6. The red hat and bracelet draw my attention far more than the face. So as a portrait, I think it is a bit weak. A dark hat wouldn't have drawn as much attention. Then lose the bracelet, and we can concentrate on the face more. 
7. & 8. Fairly nice shots. I think the composition & posing is well done. 8 is too bright - highlights are blown out a bit. Needs to be a good bit darker. Probably fixable in post.


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## Petraio Prime (Aug 28, 2010)

I don't understand. Staring what 'business'?

If it's professional portraiture, you should already be competent enough that you should not need any critiques here.

If you're a novice photographer, why are you even considering a 'business'?

The horizontal photographs need to be _vertical_. The fact that they are _not_ means that you are not ready to start a 'business'.


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 28, 2010)

Petraio Prime said:


> I don't understand. Staring what 'business'?
> 
> If it's professional portraiture, you should already be competent enough that you should not need any critiques here.
> 
> ...



So you think a professional photographer should be beyond critique? I think thats foolish. I'm confidant that I can professionally do portraits for someone and they will be ecstatic with the results thats why Ive started my business. But I'm not interested in just being good enough I want to continue to improve and grow in my photography. And being critiqued by other photographers is an excellent way to do that. But thanks for the comment.


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 28, 2010)

Breaux said:


> Some excellent shots - and unusual poses!
> 
> When I was doing portraits, I found only a few factors that were critical for happy clients, assuming it's exposed and focussed reasonably well: crop close, focus on eyes, catch a charcteristic expression.  You can use a wider crop if there's something good going on in the rest of the frame. (#1, #3 and #4 are OK wide, #5 - not)
> 
> ...



Thanks for the tips! I'm definitely going to try and stay away from the white and black. 1+2 are from the beginning of this year and God only knows why I was shooting at F/7 with my 50mm f/1.4 (what can I say I was so much younger and naive way back then lol)


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 28, 2010)

njw1224 said:


> 1. Darn nice. I could see a H.S. senior lovin this. I'd like to see a bit more of the exposed eye.
> 2. Don't like it. I don't like the house gutter in the background, and I don't like the expression. It's kind of a fun concept - peeking over a fence - so I think I'd like it more if she had an ornery grin or something.
> 3. & 4. I'm not really diggin' these, sorry. I like the overall concept of a person in the surf, but here the plastic chair has no character and looks cheap (and weak). He looks to be too big for the chair, at least in the pose he's in. It makes the whole thing really top-heavy.
> 5. Pretty nice. The expression carries the shot.
> ...



Thanks for the input. For 3+4 Id like to do these shots again but with a much nicer chair and maybe some different poses. I actually found the chair in the pictures at the beach someone had just left it there. So I decided to throw it in the water and take some shots.


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## Petraio Prime (Aug 28, 2010)

Fifthphotography said:


> Petraio Prime said:
> 
> 
> > I don't understand. Staring what 'business'?
> ...




If you're a true pro, yes. You don't get 'critiques'.

The point I'm making is that you're nowhere near ready to think about doing professional photography. That should be the last thing on your mind. You're just beginning.


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 28, 2010)

Petraio Prime said:


> Fifthphotography said:
> 
> 
> > Petraio Prime said:
> ...



Judging from your work you're nowhere near ready to think about telling others they are or are not at a professional level. So I'm going to keep asking for input and continue to improve myself. I have no desire to be just "competent enough" so please take your stagnation elsewhere.


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## SrBiscuit (Aug 29, 2010)

is this the part where he posts the candid shot of that hippie chick at some festival?:scratch:


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## Petraio Prime (Aug 29, 2010)

Fifthphotography said:


> Petraio Prime said:
> 
> 
> > Fifthphotography said:
> ...



Many people come here talking about doing 'professional' work of weddings and portraiture. There is a difference between "making money with your camera" and being a true professional. The advice I give is based on very stringent criteria. If you want to make money with your camera that's fine, and I'm all for it. If you want to be considered a true 'professional', however, you have to meet a very high standard. It also takes a lot of time to accumulate all that skill and knowledge. You cannot get that through critiques on a web site. It requires guidance and apprenticeship or instruction.

_For the record,_ I have 46 years of experience in the photographic field. _None_ of my professional work is stored on this site. (Do you _really_ want to see my photographs of White-Westinghouse appliances? Didn't think so. LOL) You therefore have no idea what "my work" looks like or of the knowledge I have of studio lighting, etc. I have not worked as a portrait photographer, but I do know what is involved. I have worked with several professional commercial photographers as an assistant photographer (in the 1980s) and learned a lot in the process. I worked in studios using 4x5 view cameras and large lighting systems. The photos I have on _here_ are simply candids of people I have take this summer, and are stored here simply for internet access.


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## tirediron (Aug 29, 2010)

Petraio Prime said:


> Many people come here talking about doing 'professional' work of weddings and portraiture. There is a difference between "making money with your camera" and being a true professional.


No, actually there isn't. Professionalism is NOT a measure of skill, but a measure of financial remuneration. I suspect that there are many so-called amateurs who would put many "professionals" to shame with their skills.



Petraio Prime said:


> The advice I give is based on very stringent criteria.


And the name of this photographic body who has set these critieria? If it's your critieria, I believe the word you are actually searching for is "opinion".



Petraio Prime said:


> (Do you _really_ want to see my photographs of White-Westinghouse appliances? Didn't think so. LOL)


Actually, yes I would. Where can I see some of your work?

and in closing... Lighten up Francis!


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 29, 2010)

Well this has gone on for way to long. So ill just go on being not a professional but just making money from my photography to earn a living. And you can just go on being your self.


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## kkamin (Aug 29, 2010)

I really like #1. The tonal range and relationships are beautiful. The white specs on the wall almost simulate some type of particle effect and almost add a sense of motion to the image. Really nice shot.

Obviously P-Prime has been banned. He is full of nonsense and probably full of frustration with where photography has gone and where he was left behind. These forums are full of all types, with all different types of motivations for contributing.

Imo crits are for everyone at every level. Does he seriously think when Christopher Nolan finished the first cut of "Inception", nobody critiqued it? When Anne Lebowitz shoots a $200,000 Vogue shoot, she doesn't ask anyone she trusts for their opinion?

OP, I love your signature tag line. Imo photography is 95% vision, 5% gear. Of course if you don't have the gear, you can't shoot or do post, but once you do, the rest of your image is mainly determined by the creative process.

Good luck!


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks! It drives me crazy when someone just attributes everything to equipment. "If I just had that camera I could take good pictures tooo" I have hands and feet but that doesn't make me an expert in karate (though admittedly it would help).


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## mmartin (Aug 30, 2010)

I like 1


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## Fifthphotography (Aug 31, 2010)

mmartin said:


> I like 1


That was informative. lol thanks.


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## kkamin (Sep 1, 2010)

OP, I understand that Mmartin didn't offer a critique, but I think the problem is that many people don't know how to do that, or how to articulate what they see.

I didn't look very long online, but this seems like a good start:

News: Photographer's Toolbox | How to Critique a Photo

The article above addresses the technical aspects of a photograph a great deal but I wish it spent more time than it does on the artist intention side of the image. The conceptual side of photography isn't as hard to discuss as many think. It basically centers around what the photograph represents and is trying to say--AND whether it is working to not. It can be emotions and ideas. When you can give this kind of feedback, it really hits deep, and the artist will really have something to contemplate.


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## Peanuts (Sep 1, 2010)

Love your BW conversion. Usually they are very very flat and just plain nasty but you have done it very well. My only critique with the first one is to watch her skin tone and what the conversion does to it - it looks a bit 'gritty' on the shadowed part of her cheek, but otherwise very nice.

Second one I like the lighting on her face, not a fan of the background and the pose is kind of "I am peaking over your fence and yet I am surprised to see you!". She is a gorgeous model and can pull of that look but not sure about the posing if that makes sense ??

Three, the colours look stellar, really, I think you have your processing down as a whole. Once again, not sure about the chair, or the posing, but that can be personal preference.

The rest look quite good. I am a bit of a skin tone nut so I am not 100% fund of the partially desaturated look but that is once again preference. Second last one watch those blown highlights (but true white shirts are an absolute PAIN for that so.. no judging there heh). Adore the last one.

Also. A 'professional' who no longer thinks s/he needs critiques is hardly a professional Petraio.


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