First self portrait...

Talk about a weird gig, shooting yourself...and posting here seems odd too, but why not...any critique/comments?

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Shane, for sure you are heroic making yourself the model! At least you don't have to face a mad at you family member to get then to pose once more!

Have you done any retouch to the picture?

I'd like more space around you. I don't, as yet, get confort from the cut through your forehead. In some other composition perhaps, but this is just one opinion and there are many more people to comment. I looked at this in B&W and I feel that's another place to examine your photograph for possiblities. I'd then then close the aperture to get increased DOF so that arm hair, moustache and head hair are drawn well. Since this is an exploration and not for a partucular client or editorial layout, I'd shoot wider so as to be able to work on composition.

Otherwise, for this in rich color, more of you and a generous black b.g. might do very well.

Now if we are going to be framing the subject tight, then make the final crop assymetric if possible and unique. Image # 3 cropping off the right side after the junction of the shoulder with the sleeve, stengthens the picture. Although I may shoot wider, if it's going to be tight, then get rid of what's not needed. So that's 1/8" frpm the left side and 1/2" from the right side.

Either way, cropped close or the subject with a generous background, you are on a good track. You can ignore the complaints of your model!

Asher

Thanks Asher! Boy I sure played with this a lot. In the end, turned off the fill light to create some deep shadows. Started with tradional Rembrant lighting, but that was boring...looked like someone else was shooting it. So just have hair light and main, no reflector or fill to leave the shadows in place. Just playing around...next time will try some other stuff including that which you suggest.

On the DOF, that is an interesting thought...will try that next time. As for the framing, I actually did this slightly off-center on purpose to give it interest...maybe just a failed experiment. These are full frame and I could see what the lens was going to do...one benefit of being right in front of it.

Cutting off the forehead, well had to cut down on the specular highlights somehow. But you know I read somewhere that cutting off the top of a head/hair lends focus on the subject as you can drill in closer but not lose context because the viewer knows there is a head there...who knows.

No post work at all on these other than USM. I wanted to show my unblemished old face, 'warts and all' as my mom might say.

Thanks as always for all the thoughts...you have a great eye and I appreciate and value your critiques!

Shane Canfield said:

Talk about a weird gig, shooting yourself...and posting here seems odd too, but why not...

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Why not indeed..... it's a great way to learn about lighting, when I was at college, part of the portraiture module was to produce a "Self Portrait" it's very revealing in all sorts of ways, I was uncomfortable with it and my embarrassment at shooting myself (don't know why) showed in the resulting images, but I got there in the end.

I'm not sure about the hand concealing your mouth on the 2nd and 3rd, my preference is the last one, as we can see all your face your expression carries more intensity, I'm not quite sure how to interpret your expression, but I like it......

janet Smith said:

Why not indeed..... it's a great way to learn about lighting, when I was at college, part of the portraiture module was to produce a "Self Portrait" it's very revealing in all sorts of ways, I was uncomfortable with it and my embarrassment at shooting myself (don't know why) showed in the resulting images, but I got there in the end.

I'm not sure about the hand concealing your mouth on the 2nd and 3rd, my preference is the last one, as we can see all your face your expression carries more intensity, I'm not quite sure how to interpret your expression, but I like it......

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Thanks Janet for the comments. Self-portrait is interesting and will do again. All people have different sides to them and shooting more than one time would be good. Not being a model or actor, it is very hard to manufacture emotions...here any way.

Mood was 'interested' perhaps, ' mostly neutral.'

I like photos #1 and #4 the best because they look the most natural. Especially #4. I think I would prefer a bit of fill light but that's personal taste.
Great work! I've tried self portraits and they usually end up looking terrible. Maybe I need a better model.

Hello Shane,
What many people -- including most photographers -- may not realize is that portraits have little relationship to documenting likeness or technical attributes of lighting, etc.. Rather, an effective portrait is one that suggests a person's persona. That's why self-portraiture is so often uncomfortable and frustrating. It's also why a self-portrait that we might like is so often politely ignored by our closest relations. In self-portraiture we try to capture what WE think we are. But even if we think we're successful the results rarely, if ever, reflect others' image of us.

So my point is that, contrary to common "wisdom", using oneself to study and experiment with portraiture lighting and poses is generally not at all productive. You quickly descend into an introspective exercise. Get a model, perhaps a young person who needs theatrical headshots. Take some time to get familiar with their personality, chat during the session.
You'll learn much more about portraiture.

Marcus Peddle said:

I like photos #1 and #4 the best because they look the most natural. Especially #4. I think I would prefer a bit of fill light but that's personal taste.
Great work! I've tried self portraits and they usually end up looking terrible. Maybe I need a better model.

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Thanks Marcus! The general feeling is as you say, more fill light and add a smidge more next time.

And no more delay, post your self-portrait soon!

Ken Tanaka said:

Hello Shane,
What many people -- including most photographers -- may not realize is that portraits have little relationship to documenting likeness or technical attributes of lighting, etc.. Rather, an effective portrait is one that suggests a person's persona. That's why self-portraiture is so often uncomfortable and frustrating. It's also why a self-portrait that we might like is so often politely ignored by our closest relations. In self-portraiture we try to capture what WE think we are. But even if we think we're successful the results rarely, if ever, reflect others' image of us.

So my point is that, contrary to common "wisdom", using oneself to study and experiment with portraiture lighting and poses is generally not at all productive. You quickly descend into an introspective exercise. Get a model, perhaps a young person who needs theatrical headshots. Take some time to get familiar with their personality, chat during the session.
You'll learn much more about portraiture.

Click to expand...

Well said Ken! Agree totally...played with many kinds of lighting set ups that are more trational and they just were too "stock" looking. Also interesting to see how mood affects a shot, and to light to reflect a particular mood. Great observations you make and thanks!