New User - First 5D Mark III Portrait

I am trying to decide on which camera to purchase next - 5D Mark III or the 1D X. Upgrading from a 20D so this is a huge jump for me. I rented the 5D Mark III for a trip to Maui. I'm going to rent a 1D X to shoot my son's ice hockey game in a few weeks.

I've been following the site for a few months now and enjoy reading feedback from the community so I'd like to hear what you have to say about my photo.
 

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Colors are lovely.

Your horizon is tilted.

You cut her hand off. Crop is too wide for an effective portrait. That or you could've shot it a bit wider to show both her hands, or wider for a full body shot.

I'm not sure how you meant to expose it, but it's a bit underexposed for my taste. Or it's overexposed if you meant this to be a golden/blue hour shoot.
 
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helpful

Ecclesiastes 3:11
Mar 6, 2012
247
2
You cut her hand off. First thing I noticed. If you were shooting for a customer (almost anyone, but a bad memory of a ballet photoshoot comes to mind for me) they would ask you why you wanted to portray the woman as an amputee. If you don't want someone to notice this, then you have to crop it much tighter.

Colors are very cold and frigid, which is fine, except it doesn't go with the outfit. Adjust the white balance if you want to change that. You may like it, though. It depends on the customer again, of course.

The picture is crooked, so it needs to be straightened before doing anything with it. I've seen a few "pro" wedding photographers who thought it was cool to shoot crooked photos. Never heard of anyone else that agreed with them. The subject can be slanted, mountains, trees, whatever, but the photo itself doesn't have that privilege. Of course, there are always things that break the rules. At minimum, the rule applies with the exception of subjects that are so dominant that anything wrong with the rest of the photo actually strengthens the dominance of the subject. Some skateboarding stunts come to mind.

Your photo looks like one that someone took with a fancy new camera, amazing to the person who takes a photo like that and hasn't done it thousands of times before. But when you have equipment that takes you to a new level, your own standards have to be raised as well. Photographers who've been doing it even longer than me tell me that when they see their own photographs, they can only think of criticisms, things that would have made it better. They can't look at a photo and think it's perfect.

That being said, it's a nice, eye-catching shot with a very beautiful setting and subject.
 
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Thanks for the comments. I am working with both a new camera and also the PP software. Most of my experience was back 20 years ago with a Canon A-1 and B&W in my own darkroom. Never really got into the digital revolution with my 20D as I didn't really like working in PS.

That being said - you both pointed out the chopped off hand and the crooked horizon. I had her walking on the beach to get a more natural pose and obviously didn't get the frame right. As for the crooked horizon - is that something I can (should) fix in PP or do I just have to shoot it right to begin with?

I'll have to keep playing with the PP adjustments to see if I can make it better.
 
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fr8oc said:
That being said - you both pointed out the chopped off hand and the crooked horizon. I had her walking on the beach to get a more natural pose and obviously didn't get the frame right. As for the crooked horizon - is that something I can (should) fix in PP or do I just have to shoot it right to begin with?

It would be best to shoot the horizon correctly to begin with, use the grids on your viewfinder! Because there's only so much you can tilt in post before the subject starts tilting as well.
 
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P

philsv77

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philsv77 said:
Good portrait in overall. Avoid over-saturate. Which lens do you shoot?

Regarding your question regarding 1dx or 5d3, honestly, if you can afford, go for 1dX.

Read this review for lengthy review of the 5d3 and the comparison with 1dX.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-DSLR-Camera-Review.aspx

For me, besides $$, weight is my other concern.

Thanks for the feedback and info. I need to work on my PP skills as well as just general shooting. For what it is worth... the subject of the photo is very happy with the shot and she gets compliments about it all the time she says.

I used my 70-200mm IS L for this shot. I also used the 24-105mm L on the rental 5D3. I went ahead and plunked down the money for a 1DX that is scheduled to arrive tomorrow from Crutchfield. I decided that I wanted the FPS to capture my sons last couple years of sports before he is off to college. Next decision is weather to buy the 24-105mm L or wait until I can get the new 24-70MM Mk2 L.
 
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