Not sure if I love the shadow on her nose but I tried to tell a story with the photo so let me know what you guys think! :)
Not sure if I love the shadow on her nose but I tried to tell a story with the photo so let me know what you guys think! :)
Hi Rebecca,
what is the story you are trying to tell here? Maybe some background could help to give you better advices. I will give some general advices which might or might not apply to what you were trying to achieve.
While I do like shadows and hard light for artistic purposes I am not sure it is working here. The shadow from the nose is long but not long enough to create the classic Rembrandt triangle of light, the catchlight is totally missing in her eyes which makes her look less alive. Also the shadow side has lost all details, which you could recover by using some fill light.
Again, I do not know what your artistic goals were here so take this with a grain of salt.
Best regards,
Michele
Evening Rebecca.
Firstly, nice attempt at a moody image.
I do however find myself searching for a dominant theme here. Your chosen composition shows half an ear and half a necklace pendant, which for me give no closure to the parallel diagonal curves appearing in her jawline, necklace and minorly in the garment on her shoulder.
The nose shadow then creates a similar parallel pattern but to the other side, kind of in competition to the others. Being so close to her eyes, which are central to the image's focus, they seem to create an unconscious standoff for your attention.
I can't help wondering if a more inclusive crop, some carefull fill, more light in her eyes and maybe and a bit more depth of field (say a stop) to help bring the jewellery into the game might be helpful.
Thankyou for putting this image up.
Regards
Greg Fulton