Need portrait C&C

[msommers]

I'm pretty new to portrait work, normally I'm doing landscapes and nature of various sorts. However more and more people are asking for portrait stuff and it also pays mores (which helps!). This was for a friend's album art.

Any critiques I'll gladly take as I know I have thing to work on :)

#1
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7489/16002603715_3ef29b21a8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qo6wyB)20141207-DSC_0222 (https://flic.kr/p/qo6wyB) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#2
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7527/15816618209_dde5cf77d4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/q6EixX)20141207-DSC_0199-Edit (https://flic.kr/p/q6EixX) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#3
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8572/15380363364_e2a209c658_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pr7obG)20141207-DSC_0185 (https://flic.kr/p/pr7obG) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#4
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/15816619189_b60e6ce62d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/q6EiQR)20141207-DSC_0175 (https://flic.kr/p/q6EiQR) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#5
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7476/16000707275_9325c9c084_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnVNPn)20141207-DSC_0444 (https://flic.kr/p/qnVNPn) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#6
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8565/16000030922_fa9a527077_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnSkL7)20141207-DSC_0507-Edit (https://flic.kr/p/qnSkL7) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#7
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7568/15380361484_3940e9c540_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pr7nCh)20141207-DSC_0499 (https://flic.kr/p/pr7nCh) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#8
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7565/16002602985_0660175337_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qo6wm2)20141207-DSC_0352-Edit (https://flic.kr/p/qo6wm2) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#9
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7485/16001925732_f4b7be5c72_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qo342f)20141207-DSC_0325 (https://flic.kr/p/qo342f) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

#10
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7544/15383079473_8893facd2a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/prmiAa)20141207-DSC_0266-Edit-2-Edit (https://flic.kr/p/prmiAa) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

[adamc]

A little post work in LR would bring those up nicely.
Eye clarity & tone, bit of spot removal.

#7 is the best of the bunch

He's a good looking kid, but the daytime light is washing out some of his stronger features. I would take him out in less light and use a single light setup and try to capture some more dramatic lines via harsh light.

Locations are a bit boring.

The Stephen Ave. one is good a nice start, with his reflection in the puddle. However his stride looks very stiff/forced and ends up coming off as unnatural.

I might have tried to get a bit lower and closer, the background is drawing my attention away from the subject and perhaps with a 85 1.2 or something of the sort you might be able to achieve some creamier bokeh to pull me back to the center of the frame.

It all really depends what you're after with a shoot like this.. Headshots? Stock Imagery? Editorial?



Personally, I tend to prefer really sensual, over saturated portrait work. Currently Nicholas Maggio is probably my favorite working photographer.

Trying to emulate his style a bit in my own work.

http://www.nicholasmaggio.com/photos/portfolio.html



Just my .02, I'm not an expert, but portrait work is probably what I study and pay attention to the most. And I tend to know what I like.

[adamc]

Anyone else?

Am I out of line? :)

[msommers]

Sorry missed this earlier. Thanks for the comments!

[taemo]

men are harder to shoot than women but I think you got some great shots

but I do have some comments and suggestions

-his skin tone is very similar to the brick wall (1,3,4), to make him stand out more I would burn the wall by half stop in LR
http://s29.postimg.org/ai75xilbr/15380363364_e2a209c658_b.jpg

-I like this shot more than the other 2 Stephen Ave shots because you can see him in the puddle whereas the other 2 you can only see his body but not his head
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8666/15815351020_3ff13facec.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/q6xNRS)20141207-DSC_0435 (https://flic.kr/p/q6xNRS) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr

-I find image #2 odd in square format, I would crop the right side

-use the environment, they can be interesting foregrounds or backgrounds

-take some shots of him sitting

-your buddy is a musician? (pic#10) take some shots of him playing his guitar

[adamc]

fHVUrs8ssLc

[msommers]

Thanks for the suggestions, Earl, that's wonderful. Different poses is what I really need to work on. I got similar feedback on Fred Miranda so that's great.

The Stephen Ave shot I couldn't decide if it was more interesting or distracting to have the face, and also the guy with the buggy on the right, but for symmetry it definitely makes sense. I'll try retouching the brick wall ones and post em up later :)

[JustinMCS]

Originally posted by taemo

-I like this shot more than the other 2 Stephen Ave shots because you can see him in the puddle whereas the other 2 you can only see his body but not his head
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8666/15815351020_3ff13facec.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/q6xNRS)20141207-DSC_0435 (https://flic.kr/p/q6xNRS) by msommers00 (https://www.flickr.com/people/54199117@N03/), on Flickr


Yeah, love this one. Good job!