TimNY Loc: Queensbury, NY

Took this for our Niece during her Senior Portrait Session.

drbarrymary Loc: No. Carolina, Florida

I like it. Black and white shows well! Would have cloned the shadow in her glasses out.

TimNY Loc: Queensbury, NY

Thanks! I will get rid of the shadow should she choose this photo as one of her keepers.

DennisK Loc: Pickle City,Illinois

I just can't understand the fascination with B&W photos of beautiful women! I guess each to his/her own,but to me color just presents their beauty a hundred fold.

TimNY Loc: Queensbury, NY

Yep, I guess that's why everyone likes something different. In most cases I agree with color, but there are some that B&W works and for my taste this one works for me. Thanks.

DennisK Loc: Pickle City,Illinois

Don't get me wrong....I like the shot.I guess this whole color vs B&W is just one of my many hang-ups.

TimNY Loc: Queensbury, NY

No worries at all and thanks.

CanonFire Loc: Phoenixville, PA

Great photo! I personally like b&w. It's lack of color reduces distractions, it's more dramatic, and draws you to her expression. One thing I would suggest when doing a b&w shot like this is to have her tilt her head up a bit and a bit to the side for better better definition between her chin and neck. With a head on shot like this it looks a bit like her head was photoshopped onto her body.

TimNY Loc: Queensbury, NY

Great feedback. I will try this the next time. Thanks much!

Coolcameragirl Loc: Bradenton, FL

Beautiful is right! I like this photo and your B&W choice.

TimNY Loc: Queensbury, NY

Thank you! She is beautiful inside and out.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I sure hope that you do not take this as an insult. I will get to that in a minute. First I would like to say that she is a very beautiful woman. I was immediately drawn to her eyes and her smile. Very pretty.

But why are people saying it is a good photo when it is not? The B&W is not an issue with me. I am not a fan of B&W but I have seen your other work and I love it!

But here is the problem, The shadows are all wrong. On my end it looks like she has hairy forearms. I know this is the shadows. She needs a reflector or something from her left side to eliminate the shadow on her leg.

She is facing dead on and this makes her shoulders look like that of a football player. A 20 degree tilt would help here.

You are so close on the DOF but it looks like her right calf is just a tad out of focus. I do not know if anything can be done about this or that anything needs to be done. Her right thigh is also too dark.

I don't know if the left side is cropped too tight but since she is facing dead on like I said, her left arm looks kind of fat. And I bet she is not fat at all.

Could I have done better? No. I am still working on this one. So please just consider the source.

I bet though if you have just tilted her shoulder a little, and did nothing else, this photo would be dynamite!

But you know what? Did she like it? That is all that counts.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Yes- tainkc got to it before I did. It is OK, but has lots of problems.

Please take this as what I hope is constructive

First is the pose - females square to the camera is almost never a good idea - she does look broad. She is slouching and the arms resting on the armrests push her shoulders up. Of course there can be exceptions, but most females look best when shot on a bit of an angle.

And tainkc is also correct that her left arm pressed up against her side makes the arm fat. Again, as a general rule we always want some space between the arms and the body.


The leg is closer to the camera than the face and looks proportionately larger - that leg has as much area as her face.

Lighting is not flattering as it is very flat. Looks like - from the catchlights in her eyes - that it is an on-camera flash. Consequently there is no facial sculpting at all - and that is one beautiful face, BTW.

A smaller point - getting her hair over that one ear would help - not a big deal, but ears are best hidden if the girls have long hair.

Your use of DOF is perfect. I might close out the armrests or whatever it is that is growing out of the left side of her head, however.

The eyes are also perfect - great portraits need sharp eyes and you got it.

I am not surprised she liked it and regardless of what I pointed out - if she likes it, you are a winner!

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I learned all of this from you by the way. And-I have been trying to apply it.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Wow - I am flattered an humbled. I didn't think anyone would actually pay attention! It's tough isn't it? All the stuff we see AFTER we see the images.

Keep at it, I still get light that is too flat, bodies not turned enough, focus that JUST misses, a necklace that is not straight, etc.

Oh - I forgot to mention - your B&W conversion is fine and I think B&W can make for wonderful images of beautiful women - Look at the hollywood stuff from the '30s and '40s - gorgeous.

Look at this and tell me we cannot make women look fantastic in B&W:

http://fadedandblurred.com/spotlight/george-hurrell/


http://www.google.com/search?q=george+hurrell+lighting+setup&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DbtHUKetAtPyqAG-g4GgDg&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1698&bih=1042