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Study Group 26 Paul Allen |
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| Bob Benson |
I cannot understand why she is smiling and it is 27 F! You still have good separation of the background and the hair, and pose is flattering. The only thing I feel that may have improved this was a chair with a little less color/pattern, and perhaps cropping the hint of leg out of the image (although it might move the placement of the eyes out of thirds position). Good job, especially knowing that this was not a "studio" setup. |
| Paul Allen | |
| Youmans Hsiong | I think is a very successful street portrait shot, It’s like a nice studio shot. The flash adjustment was done very well, So is the fill too. The background layer you did in PS really efficient. The three parts of black (hair, blouse and background) separation adjustment is perfect, same as skin tone too. |
| Brian Duchin | What a great portrait. I would have thought you took this in a studio without your comments on where it was taken. An alley with grafitti, no way. The lighting is flattering to the subject and her pose is very natural. |
| Belinda Keller | Fooled me that it was not done in studio! No one would have guessed it was outdoors in a graffitied alley– with freezing temps. It is eye-catching. She’s very pretty and nicely posed. I find the shot appealing with a casual , yet refined quality about it. I like the camera angle, slight tilt of head, and you caught an interesting facial expression. She appears relaxed in spite of the cold, but maybe the expression comes at the end of a chilly quip...? Secondarily, the chair adds a pop of color and reflects a fun flirtiness. The vignette and soft focus work well for the natural look. Nicely achieved and I’m sure much appreciated by all. |
| Jose Maria Cartas | It looks like a studio photo, rather than one shot outside, perhaps due to your extensive post processing. I like her posture and the way you captured her eyes and smile. I also found very interesting the way she is sitting, which makes a prop out of the chair. Skin color and smoothness are pleasing, and you managed to get separation between her dark hair and the background. The only comment I have is that the background looks a little fuzzy, especially the one close to her left shoulder. It shouldn't be difficult to clean it up, if you wanted. |
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Ed Gulesserian |
This image is a tutorial on good portraiture. I’m impressed with your lighting setup (simple but effective), your setting (a bit edgy), and the posing of the subject (unconventional pose with a slight torso turn). The separation of the dark background, dark hair and dark blouse is also impressive. (I’m convinced I need to get a Gary Fong Lightsphere.) Processing adjustments are first class. Skin tones are spot on (and can’t see any goose bumps); hair highlights and blouse details appear very well done. The result is an attractive portrait of a lovely lady with a room-filling smile. I might tone down the brightness of the chair just a bit. The pattern would still have the desired effect but be a little more subordinate to the subject. Don’t know the personality of the subject (or the social norms in Idaho Falls) but in addition to nuanced variations of this image, just for fun I’d be inclined to produce an additional image with an even edgier processing style and maybe a different pose (not racy, just edgier – think rock star, sort of). It wouldn’t take too much additional work and I suspect the subject has the personality for it. |
| Member Bio | |
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Paul Allen- Biography
I’m from Idaho Falls, Idaho where I’ve raised four children and a short legged dog with my wife of 28 years. Living in the shadow of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and the son of a nationally renowned watercolorist (my mother) and a PhD chemist (my father), I have been a mixture of art and science wearing hiking boots my entire life. I discovered photography about 10 years ago, and realized it satisfied all three basic aspects of my character: It’s creative, it’s technical, and it is a fabulous excuse to get out in the mountains. I shoot a Nikon D200 (for now) with a suite of lenses, and like everyone else, am generally convinced I need more stuff. I love the creative process behind the camera as well as at the computer, and you’ll see images from me that run the gamut, from traditional to very creative. |
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