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Seriously Six
Seriously Six
levyj413


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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Color Portrait II (Advanced Editing V)
Collection: People
Camera: Canon PowerShot A620
Location: Den
Date: Mar 17, 2007
Aperture: 4.1
ISO: 50
Shutter: 1/20s
Galleries: Family, Portraiture
Date Uploaded: Mar 17, 2007

I've really been trying to learn how to take portraits, but without much success so far.

This is lit with a window over to the right of the image on a cloudy day. The background is a piece of posterboard. I forgot to add a reflector on the left side of the image until later shots, but I liked this pose the best, so I lightened the left side in processing. Soft light layers to the rescue!

I'm THRILLED with the score and placement. At last, I have one of my daughters on my row of top scores. Now to work on the other one ...

Here's my "studio" for this shot:


And here's the original:


Here are some outtakes. :)


Update: July 2011. My stepmom asked for a vertical 8x10 of each girl, and I decided to use this one. Interestingly, when I cropped it, it looked better flipped horizontally. That puts the bright side on the left and her eyes to the right:

Statistics
Place: 20 out of 268
Avg (all users): 6.5025
Avg (commenters): 7.9412
Avg (participants): 6.3548
Avg (non-participants): 6.6273
Views since voting: 3456
Views during voting: 366
Votes: 203
Comments: 53
Favorites: 13 (view)


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AuthorThread
11/10/2008 11:49:23 AM
I just love the out takes.... they made me smile =)

Ben
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2008 01:11:36 PM
Such a beautiful portrait!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/23/2007 02:37:46 PM
I've always been a huge fan of this photo! I love the coloring, I love her eyes and I love the oh, so serious look on her face! This is actually the photo I studied the most when I was getting ready to do the portrait of my son for the natural light portrait challenge. I think the portrait I ended up entering for that challege is the exact opposite of this one in terms of expression, but I definitely got some of my inspiration from you!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/22/2007 01:05:11 PM
lovely capture Jeffrey & excellent finish!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/22/2007 12:54:20 PM
What a delightful girl with an honest expression. This one is great!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/16/2007 11:27:33 AM
Probably one of the best portraits on the site. I thought I'd commented on it before...hmmm? Beautiful work.

Edited to add that I just viewed the Top 20 in the Challenge and I'm stunned that this didn't ribbon. By comparison it blew the shizzle out of every image before it except maybe the Blue.

Cheers!

Message edited by author 2007-12-16 16:31:36.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/05/2007 11:52:43 AM
I added this to my favourites some time ago, but was so pleased to see it in a thread again. It really is incredible - beautiful, intense, technically excellent.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/23/2007 02:33:36 PM
Wow! Boy, do I feel sorry for you when she's 16...I hope you have a BIG RIFLE to ward off all those boyfriends. An absolutely stunning portrait...!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/14/2007 10:36:15 PM
Absolutely gorgeous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
06/15/2007 07:32:24 PM
Still a fabulous photo; great pleasure to view again.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
06/15/2007 06:58:17 PM
Great shot!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
06/08/2007 12:26:16 PM
I love her frizzy flyaways they just make this look so natural, great job on your makeshift studio
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/29/2007 09:08:45 AM
One closer to 100 favorites. I think this is the strongest entry you've had. She is gorgeous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/24/2007 08:20:23 PM
those eyes just hold your attention! super job. but, i like the originals lips better. not as "cracked" looking. smooth em out on the shot and 10+
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/11/2007 05:12:24 AM
Beautiful. Very compelling portrait. Great light.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2007 10:14:58 PM
Awesome portrait. Great work (the processing shows a bit to the left of her head, in the form of reduced contrast, but it's not distracting). Beautiful results too with an inexpensive P&S. I mention that particularly, because I'm not surprised. I was eyeing the A620 over at DPReview--I was AMAZED at the quality of the samples. I am still considering one, though I'd love to find one just like it that had a wider short end.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/18/2007 09:50:52 PM
Originally posted by SandyP:

Woo hoo, Jeff! Glad you are going to be looking at this beautiful little girl every time you go to your profile for a while :) Congratulations on an awesome portrait and an awesome finish! You know you will enjoy this one forever -- long after the challenge is forgotten :)


Yeah, this comment says it all I think...thats what this is all about for me, a great photo...but also a great memory...way to go!!! great shot!!! challenges come and go...but a emotional shot like this lives forever...great image...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/03/2007 05:39:01 PM
This one really stood out to me during the challenge, and was among my highest votes. Your PP on this enhances the image beautifully, simply highlighting her lovely features without overdoing it. I love the look of vulnerability that you captured. Very nice job, and congratulations on your placement. (I would have had it on the front page, for sure.)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/03/2007 05:25:09 PM
She's a cutie, Jeff. You know that I have a soft feeling for red heads! Thanks again, for all the care in February. I hope to order a laptop in the next week or so and be able to get online more seriously again. The damned outstretched leg can't get me into the office usually.
Seriously, love this shot.
Jeanne
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/27/2007 10:46:24 PM
Congrats on top 20! And excellent makeshift studio :-D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/27/2007 05:06:54 AM
fantastic eyes! have you done anything to them? and the hair, wonderful colors! the lighting is perfect indeed, maybe i would use some contrast color as background, pink as her skin maybe? or dark green as in her eyes? she is very beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 01:32:58 PM
Very good portrait, Jeff. No, wait a minute, that's excellent! It is much of encouragement to myself as I suck big time on portraits - and you did using the same camera as mine! Congratulations (on such a cute model as well)!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 11:06:29 AM
Great shot, great processing, pretty much great all around (and a great score to go with it). And she's darn cute, too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 08:58:17 AM
Great shot Jeffrey. The lighting is perfect. I guess you can do this kind of stuff when you have a huge studio setup.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 06:24:21 AM
Heh Jeff. Nice finish!! She's a jewel.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 06:17:04 AM
Woo hoo, Jeff! Glad you are going to be looking at this beautiful little girl every time you go to your profile for a while :) Congratulations on an awesome portrait and an awesome finish! You know you will enjoy this one forever -- long after the challenge is forgotten :)

  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 04:25:11 AM
Jeffrey,
Congrats on your awesome score, well deserved! I think you did a wonderful job with lighting and not over-processing this image. (I'm not a fan of that slick, waxy, death-by-processing look that some portrait take on.) I didn't vote but would have given you top marks on this. And congrats to the lovely little lady as well :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 02:47:31 AM
jeffery, i thought this was your little one. wonderful shot indeed. and very fancy studio! her eyes are magnificent, as is her hair. composition, exposure, all spot on. woohoo! superb work all round!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/26/2007 02:44:49 AM
I woke up this morning looking for your shot. Home page? No. First page? NO? Second page?? NO!!? Third page???!! Jeepers you were ROBBED!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 10:30:59 PM
Soulful eyes and flaming red hair... a heartbreaking combination every time :) Great job with you set up, may have to try that myself!

Congrats on a deserving score!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 10:03:19 PM
Congrats on a great finish! This was one of my favorites!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 09:51:06 PM
Wow nice! I love when you can take a set up or situation that seems limiting and do wonders with it.

Nice job on the edit too. You really made her eyes pop!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 08:51:03 PM
Very nice, Jeff! Congrats on a terrific entry and a good finish in a really tough field! Be proud, my friend!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 08:32:59 PM
Simple and perfect and classic. (I've only looked at the first 30 rankings, but this is my favourite).
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 08:29:41 PM
She's beautiful, Jeffrey, and you did her justice. It's a lovely portrait. You got an 8 from me too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 08:18:30 PM
Heh, you got an 8 from me too Jeffrey. I love the natural look of this shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
03/25/2007 07:40:04 PM
Fantastic eyes and excellent complement from the eyes, hair and background.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 03:56:55 PM
My favorite of the challenge. I sure hope to see this on ribbon row tomorrow morning. Fantastic colors. Engaging facial expression on a lovely model. Beautifully edited - still feels very natural. Back to bump you up to a rare 10 from me. Adding to favorites. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 09:49:30 AM
A beauty in the making here. Very nice portrait.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/25/2007 02:49:22 AM
Great emotion here which so many are lacking.9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/22/2007 09:29:08 AM
beautiful work with this photo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/21/2007 05:34:07 AM
I don't like the stray hairs, but it does add to the subject(Seriously Six). Great eyes and look. I want the background to be a different color. Maybe green or blue to contrast.

Nice shot! Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/21/2007 02:46:10 AM
stunning...such a wonderful personality captured here...silky smoothe an crisp image...love the composition
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/20/2007 11:40:09 AM
delightful shot. Nice and simple, gentle colours,
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/20/2007 11:19:55 AM
Beautiful eyes.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/19/2007 09:03:51 AM
So cute. Very nice shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/19/2007 08:56:45 AM
this is really well done ... 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/19/2007 08:38:09 AM
Very sweet, beautiful portrait! I love this. The sharpness of her eyes really makes this an awesome shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/19/2007 08:20:16 AM
This is such a cute portrait! She doesn't look too too happy about doing her photo shoot, but that pouty little look adds so much to the mood of the photo. She is adorable!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/19/2007 03:17:30 AM
seriously good.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/18/2007 08:50:17 PM
Beautiful face, love the crop and the serious expression. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/18/2007 08:49:02 PM
I love this. It's plain simple and really good. I like her non-expression. Great freckles.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
03/18/2007 08:36:16 PM
Gorgeous child-nicely done! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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