modelling at the beach

rabika

New member
just a shot from a while back using my d5000..

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tell me what you think and give some CC please
 

PavementPilot

New member
I can tell by the shadows that you didnt shoot at high noon, but there still seems to be to to much harsh light. Could you have shot closer to the golden hour?
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
Shot 1:
Not sure what I'm supposed to be looking at here. The girl? If she is the subject, then make her the subject. The pose is somewhat provocative w/ undone jeans, so I would much rather look at her than be distracted by some dude out of focus in the background. Is he a stalker?

Shot 2:
Striped shirts are generally bad news for portraiture. As with the first photo, I'm not really sure what the subject is here. The guy? The beach? Did he lose his Wham album and he's looking in the sand for it?

Aside from the striped shirt (which is a big no-no) these are technically sound photos. You have good focus and exposure, though I think the lighting is a bit harsh, especially in the second image. What you need to work on is your composition:

  • Ask yourself what message you are trying to convey. Is it clear?
  • Watch for poles sticking out of people's heads.
  • Consider time of day and lighting when shooting outdoors.
 

rabika

New member
thanks for that guys it helps alot :) i am not very confident with shooting outdoors so i will be trying more. with regards to the story i was conveying it was suppose to be a guy longing for a girl, knowing she is out of reach.

i didnt actually notice the pole till u mentioned it :p and i will also keep the stripe shirt thing in mind

also the month i did this shoot it was summer so i couldnt actually go outside during the golden hour as it was 40 degrees celsius living in australia :p
 

ohkphoto

Snow White
Anthony's critique and points are excellent. I would also add that if you're going to be shooting portraits in the sun, you might want to get one of those foldable/portable diffusers (like a lastolite trigrip) Using that to "shade" your subjects will soften the harsh sunlight. And definitely try to use fill flash.
 

PavementPilot

New member
Sunlight, when passing through the atmosphere at a low angle, is filtered, and reduces the harsh light. You get warmer colors and less glare. Golden hour is just the name, but it is usually the first 2 and last 2 hours of light in the day. It is very photo friendly.
 
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