Testing the Waters

[lalareid2202]

A Self Port...Critique plz!
1st SOOC    
2nd Edit    

[ctconger@gmail.com]

You are a very pretty girl. Try a little less skin smoothing.

[david5512]

(03-06-2012 06:20 PM)lalareid2202 Wrote:  A Self Port...Critique plz!
1st SOOC
2nd Edit

I agree with the other posting. You need very little work. I'd tone it down since just a slight touch up would be stunning. I've been working with one woman whose face needs a great deal of work and in her case, you have to go heavy. Your bone structure and lack of blemishes is outstanding.

[john garrett]

(03-06-2012 06:20 PM)lalareid2202 Wrote:  A Self Port...Critique plz!
1st SOOC
2nd Edit

you appear to have mastered it on this one
john garrett

[gwlaw99]

It looks like you focused a little above her eyes so her eyes are not tack sharp. Her mouth and chin look out of focus.

[PaintedRays]

I agree with all said earlier. A little texture in the skin is necessary.

[randomAccess]

Well, late to the party and the OP is no doubt long gone, but:
- selfies are hard... I ought to know! Especially focus. Choosing about f/4.0 (for a normal distance, say 6' with about an 85mm lens for this shot) and letting the camera face-priority auto-focus in liveview (nikon terms) will give better results. Here, only one eye is in focus - both should be. The rest of the face / image is an artistic choice depending on usage.
- the lighting appears to largely on-camera (notice the centred catchlight in the eyes). Get it off-camera for depth! Which can be done at home without umbrellas by bouncing off the ceiling and using a 4x6 white card on the flash for fill (or ambient for fill, or a large white card propped-up near the subject for fill). Give or take. The subject (the OP) is pretty, one could do butterfly lighting easily, or maybe broad lighting too.
- the image is under-exposed about one stop. The Red channel never gets past about 220, and it should be 236-241 in the highlights (forehead over eye, and right cheek).
- the crop is really, really tight, making the head look quite large. Unless there is some reason to crop this way, I think pulling back and including more hair and neck would help.
- head /eye angle is good for a 2/3 view. Shoulder angle is good - neckline is likely too deep, but with this crop and the light intensity dropoff, no problem. Teeth are good. Expression is pretty good considering it is a self-portrait. I think the background colour works with the subject, but would prefer a more-neutral colour, or an opposing colour (blue / green tone)
- too-heavy retouch. even magazine covers leave more texture... as others have noted. I find the default PP settings too aggressive.