Portraiture

[Mike Parr]

I offer these for critique, I have tried to do portraits before..unsuccessfully and i think animals are one of the hardest..............ideas, opinions and all the usual welcome

[Autumn]

Re: Portraiture

I am no expert on portraits Mike, but I think these come over very well.

I once went to a workshop and the tutor told us to place the eyes one third of the way down the picture. You could trying doing this to see what it is like. Also, although I like tight crops, my gut feeling is that it could do with a little more, probably 1/2 an inch to the top on the first photo. If you tried placing the eyes one third down also, this would give you some more at the bottom.

With regard to the second pic a little more space to the top and the left would suit my eye.

[Mike Parr]

Re: Portraiture

Cheers Autumn, but you can't loose those bloody ears can you

[Autumn]

Re: Portraiture

But you don't want to lose the ears. All you have to do is crop lower down the neck and this will throw the eyes higher. I suppose it's one of those rule of thumb quote - perhaps doesn't work on long eared dogs.

Still think a touch more room above and to the left though.

[Caz]

Re: Portraiture

It's all a matter of taste.... (re cropping that is).
I like both these shots - you've captured him/her well full face, got the catchlight in their eyes (and I can't see your reflection, either - something I usually end up doing!) and personally I wouldn't crop this one any more.

The second shot, however, I'd like to see half an inch more on the right, just to the back of the collar.

Like I said, it's all personal preference!

[Martin]

Re: Portraiture

Hi Mike
I like both these shots - I prefer the full face one than the one posted in your other thread. It definately is better with the sky and trees cropped out although a little more above the ears would have been ok with the same background.: (hope my memory is not playing tricks as I can't see that shot anymore either in your gallery or in your Garrrow Tor thread)

Martin

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Portraiture

Autumn, with a dog that big ears like this fellow has, it would be interesting to find out how one can place the eyes a third down the pic without cutting the tops off! What suggestions do people have for this?

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Portraiture

Mike I like these shots but find that the fuzzy grass & bricks, especially to the left of 2nd shot, a bit distracting! A bit more Guassian blur may do the trick imo!

[Autumn]

Re: Portraiture

Autumn, with a dog that big ears like this fellow has, it would be interesting to find out how one can place the eyes a third down the pic without cutting the tops off! What suggestions do people have for this?

You could only do it by extending the picture further down the neck.

I am attaching an example. This is only to show what I meant. I assumed Mike had cropped the picture to the size shown, but perhaps it is as he took it. If it were cropped, this is where I meant the eyes should be (on a human). It's only a rule of thumb and although it can be done for dogs with big ears, I am not sure that it works. It would be different say on a spaniel.

Although the eyes on Mike's pic are not on the thirds, I think it is a superb image and really all I would like to see is a little more room on the bottom and the top on the first photograph and on the top and the left on the second one.

[Mike Parr]

Re: Portraiture

Autumn, heres the orioginal straight out of the camera. full frame I do see your point.............but feel free to have a crack if you like

[Autumn]

Re: Portraiture

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. I'll keep mine shut next time.

My processing is not nearly so good as yours Mike and having seen the original, I understand why the ears were so tight - I would have done the same thing.

Anyway, it is not possible to get the eyes on the thirds (even if it were advisable - which I am not sure in this case), but this is the nearest I could get. It shows more room around the top, but after all is said and done, yours is a much better photograph. Congratulations.

[Pops]

Re: Portraiture

First off Mike that is a beautiful dog you have and his healthy condition is obvious to all.

I don't mind the ears being up close to the top in the 1st shot but I would have liked a bit more of him showing at the bottom. Just enough to show his collar.

The second I feel does need a bit more space on the left giving him a bit of room to look into

[Stephen]

Re: Portraiture

I've stayed out of this discussion till now preferring to leave it for other to comment on, perhaps who are more knowledgeable about dogs and ways to photograph them. I'm surprised Pol not put her two pennorth in but she is probably still having to crack the whip with those builders, or maybe they have put a pick axe through a mains cable, dunno

Generally I'd agree with Audreys take on the position of the eyes, so in that respect the original photo hasn't done the business and we end up trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear so to speak I suppose that really though with an animal with such upright long ears the eye on a third is not so important, because us, as humans, would not necessarily look naturally on the third line for the eyes, as we would with a person, if that makes sense.

Anyway tbh all that business doesn't worry me as much as the general colour caste that I see in the images. For me, both Mikes appear very orange, and a little too contrasty, not to mention a tad oversharpened. Audreys is too bluey, maybe over saturated. Now all this may just be personal preference and how the colours should be. Personally I prefer the colours to be more neutral, and this is how I would normally expect to see such a dog, but then I know nowt about dogs

[Mike Parr]

Re: Portraiture

Hi all,
Thanks for taking the time to comment, I chose the tighter crop hoping for better impact overall, but as its been pointed out it dosent quite work with the second picture. I was blisfully unaware of the rule on the eyes..........something else to worry about now. Stephen, again you are right about the tone.........although to me this appears more golden and i had removed it at one point, but actually prefered it in............again just a matter of taste i guess
Now to the contrast/sharpness.......I appear to still be looking for the happy medium when posting to the site I either over cook them or end up with a flat pictures which has been commented on in previous posts.
Once again the debate has been constructive and the critique informative and I have now decided to work on the 200 other pics of him and weve only had him for 3 weeks
Thanks all

[Pol]

Re: Portraiture

I'm surprised Pol not put her two pennorth in but she is probably still having to crack the whip with those builders, or maybe they have put a pick axe through a mains cable, dunno

Aye sorry, I've been distracted for a while and kinda jaded with all the banging and crashing etc. Yer home isn't yer own when they're trampling all over the place.

I know nowt much about animal portraits, I'm just a mutt-nut who likes waggling their ears being licked to death but here's my two penn'orth anyway.

I agree that the first two images are a tad too orange and oversharpened, also probably slightly too closely cropped. I love the original image though 'cos the dog is posing nicely, all pert and alert with those gorgeous ears, bright eyes and pink tongue.

I'd say Stephen's crop looks about right, good colours too though only Mike would know the exact colour tones of the dog.

The eyes are bright and in focus but the one thing that does bother me slightly is that the nose isn't quite as sharp and detailed - probably cos it a long schnozz having a sniff nearer the front of the lens.

I've never done any formal dog portraits, only ever take shots of dogs out and about as and when the opportunity presents itself so I never have time to get proper poses and shots. I have noted how difficult it can be to get a dog's nose and eyes good and sharp though - especially if it has black fur around its black schnozzle, making it difficult to get well defined skin and nostrils.

I'd definitely be having a print of this one if it were mine though. Splendid animal!

Pol