So, Fstoppers is very harsh on rating pictures, I know. But I keep having ratings of two stars on my portraits and nobody tells me where should I improve. Overall, I just want to became better at portrait photography. These picture were here in my portfolio and every single one of them had just two stars (that means I should work more on them right?).
Can you please help me and make a critique on my pictures? A constructive one.
Ok. I’ll give you my two cents. I like the bottom one best. His facial expression seems to fit the lighting mood. Seems you lost detail on the right side of the jacket. But with the mood that may be ok.
My overall impression is that you are looking for moody images. I think that you should work on your control of basic lighting skills and patterns. I’d like to see how you handle well lit images. Do you understand lighting patterns? Moody images are much harder to achieve if you don’t have a handle on these things first.
Also, you could work on ways to achieve better expressions. Most of them appear bored. Try to learn how to elicit a variety of expressions from happy to moody.
Also, pay attention to the little things. For example I think you are shooting the first guy too low. And his chin is too high.
The second guy is slumping. That’s easy to do if they are sitting. Better to have then stand if you can. Light seems like it’s too high.
I like the body pose in the third one. But she needs a sexy expression to go with that outfit and pose.
The bubble gum one is fun. The light is a little too hot on a couple places on her face. Seems too high. I like the strands on her face but the back of her hair is a bit too messy for my liking.
The lighting on the last girl is strange. I have a hard time imaging where that light is coming from. And she seems a little too normal to have exoctic lighting. Then again I don’t really do that kind of lighting so I’d be interested in what others say.
I hope that this was helpful.
Pamela