Shot in the woods with a Profoto B1 Flash with a Profoto Medium Deep Silver umbrella for front light and a B1 in the back for hair light.
Retouched for a dark gloomy look.
Canon 1Ds III+70-200/2.8
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I feel like it's definitely a solid picture. I love the idea. The photo feels just a bit over-cooked though. By that I mean, the light seems a bit harsh, which makes it look like she's on the bright lights of a stage in a theatre, rather than in the woods. The features of her face appear sharp and contrasty.
I suppose I'm looking for a little softer look and feel to the picture.... something where the light could, by one's imagination, be perceived as natural rather than obviously flashed. In other words, something which balances the light on the person with the natural light in the background ever so slightly more than what you made. I really like the pure white of the dress, and anything which underexposes the image from what you've done would change the color of her dress. So I realize there are trade-offs.
The vertical 3:2 aspect ratio on portraits pulls my eye away from the subject. In this case, I feel like a tighter crop (4:5) to the edge of the leaf color and detail at the bottom, and just above the light of the open woods in the back, would tighten and improve the composition.
Obviously it's your style and intent that matters more than my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. Would be interesting to hear other people's thoughts.
Hello Edward
Thank you for taking the time to write a well thought out critique and sharing your thoughts. I had this picture on my pc for 2 years because it was not what I had imagined in my head, only when I completely darkened it I was happy with it. I really like punchy and contrasty pictures and this was the look I was going for, I am aware that many would do it in a dreamy soft look, but that was not what I wanted for this personal project. The thought was: what if the stage was in the woods.
I agree that it could be better with a 4:5 crop, I just always had a personal problem with cropping different than the original ratio. But I looks like it could enhance the picture.
Thank you again =)
My inner Strobist loves pictures like this. Well done! Four stars!
Thank you Robin =)
By the way, I rated your picture a solid "3" even though I think it could be improved. The difference in my mind between that and a "2" rated image is that my suggestions for improvement are just my opinions... which are arguably not something you or anyone else would agree with. I'm not necessarily convinced in my own mind that I'm right or have a better idea. "Needs Work" is a rating that should have well defined issues or problems that most competent photographers would identify and agree upon. I feel like you put a lot of thought and work into the image, and created the look and feel from what you intended. Nice work.
Thank you, that is very kind of you =) Style and personal taste is not always easy.
I feel like our style, especially as it pertains to lighting in photography, is somehow hardwired in our DNA. Easy to define; hard to change. I've tried altering my style of photography many times, only to gravitate back to how I've always liked something before. For example, I've had more than one commercial photo art buyer for health care projects make a point of asking for "light, open and airy minimalist images" and, to date, I think I've come up with one of those. Otherwise I typically make dark, dense, complex and detailed images. It's just the way I see things.
That is very true.
I had a hard time doing corporate portraits because I like punchy contrast so much.
In music and pictures I like a sense of nerve and offbeat feeling. I get bored with music or pictures that I can’t feel.
I would be interested in your honest critique of the image I entered for the contest of my wife at the piano. You'd have to go way back to the beginning of the contest. While I'm in no manner of speaking a portrait photographer, it conveyed emotion to me. Of course I'm biased because for one, it's my wife and, two, I made the picture. But it got low scores and no comments.
https://fstoppers.com/entry/647579