A portrait from a new member

**shOo** · 4-Nov-2010, 02:47

It's my first picture post here, and I am not sure wether I should put it in "november portraits" thread or not. Since it's november, but the portrait was taken a few months ago.

I don't have proper scanner for 4x5 negatives, so I stitched the picture from two scans, scanned without any holders, so don't mind the quality.

"She must be happy"

Foma 100, Cambo SCII, Fujinon 135mm f5.6

C&C welcome

**cosmicexplosion** · 4-Nov-2010, 02:54

i think to much focus on shoulders not enough on face, if say the lips were in focus, and then from there back out. it would be better balanced, but the contrast seems good, and the concept is worth exploring.

**shOo** · 4-Nov-2010, 03:17

Thanks, I agree with you, but I am not very good with movements, and couldn't achieve that. I shot it wide open, and tried to make only the lips in focus, but couldn't get both shoulders and the face out of focus.

**eddie** · 4-Nov-2010, 03:55

nice shot.

i say just put it in the current running portrait thread.

**Steve M Hostetter** · 4-Nov-2010, 08:07

The shoulders are not the subject ,,, it is the eyes

**cowanw** · 4-Nov-2010, 09:00

Actually, my impression is that the lips are the subject.
If so you might try forward tilt to bring the plane of focus more horizontal and pass the plane through the lips. Then the eyes and the shoulder/chest would be out of focus.
This would, however, put part of the ponytails (at lip level) in focus. Then some swing to the right will put the plane of focus away from the back ponytail.
All said with the assumption that this is not a classical portrait. ( the lips being pasted on)
Regards
Bill

**shOo** · 4-Nov-2010, 09:47

Thank you all for you comments.

cowanw, I'll try to experiment more. I am not sure what does "the lips being pasted on" mean, but it was the main subject, and those lips are nothing but a lip-shaped hairgrip.

**cowanw** · 4-Nov-2010, 09:58

I just meant they were not her natural lips: and so they were probably the point of the photograph. I had thought they might have been superimposed after exposure, maybe a composite, for example. Anyway I presumed the lips not the eyes were the subject of the photo
Regards
Bill

**Steve M Hostetter** · 4-Nov-2010, 11:03

I think that the lips are the better rendered out of focus as to not make their fake appearance obvious...I would like to guess more about the lips

so they can be out of focus and be the subect "for me"