Self portrait critiques

[rokkstar]

I hope you all have strong stomachs for this!!

Ok, due to a lack of willing models I have taken to experimenting on myself. I would like your opinion on composition and lighting (not the subject - I know that needs work). I have purposely desaturated each image. All taken with the 50mm 1.4.





Many thanks

[Alpha_7]

I like these Matt, but I was just praying and hoping to see a potplant for a head... I was disappointed, but these self portraits are far from disappointing.
(I can relate to a lack of models, if I take one more shot of my wife, my d70 could be flushed down the toilet).

[wendellt]

very GQ
The lighting is good, maybe an idea use a strongewr light source so it only iluminates the right side of yur face leaving the other side dark.

i like the first shot but i think you should straighten your head

I sugest you send these out for your Next Cream submission

Great work

[Alpha_7]

That reminds me Wendell, where can I actually buy cream magazine ? I looked for it to see your work in print but couldn't find a copy.

[big pix]

Where is the leather outfit........

[Jonesy]

Great stuff... I like these.
A room full of smoke and a JD on the rocks could also work with that suit and look

But hey if you ever get stuck and have to do self portraits again, just ask your self...
What would the Hoff do?

[huynhie]

Matt,

you are a brave man.

I like the images.

[Geoff]

Matt - these are striking images! Not a bad subject either, did he do as you told him?

What lighting system did you have working for this?

I have found (just recently) that using the SB800 in remote mode and with the help of the LSPJ you can create some pretty good results.

What F were u using with these? Also what ISO and Shutterspeed? I ask this because the 2nd image you nose just under the rim of the glasses (bridge of nose) is a tad TOO oof for my liking.

You're certainly a master and good at so much when it comes to photography! Would love to have a portrait shoot with you some time.

As Craig said - one more time I point the D70 towards Bel, I think there's a strong possibility it'll get flushed here too!

[stubbsy]

Matt

I've never seen you look so serious.

#1, looks a bit contrived with the hand somehow. It just doesn't look like it's somewhere it would be placed naturally. The crop is a little odd too since it makes your right hand disembodied as if it's someone elses hand touching your face. Lighting is good, especially given your hand is casting a shadow.

#2 - much better. Good attention to detail with the tie loosened which works well with the more jaunty nature of this image. The lighting here is nicely balanced too.

#3 - same odd crop as #1 - is your hand firing the remote? Otherwise this one works too.

In order of best to worst compositionally #2, #3, #1.

[Matt. K]

Matt
These are very fine images! They are sophisticated in their simplicity, modern, beautifully composed and a pleasure to look at. You are both a fine photographer and a damned good model. Now, how are you going to exploit that and make lots of money? For a start...get 1000 posters made up and stick them on light poles all over the city. Add no information. People will get curious. Shoot different poses and do the same thing again and again again. Eventually something very good should happen. Or nothing at all. Or the magazines will start coming after you and the offers will flow in.

[kipper]

Great shots Matt. I'd maybe reduce exposure by 1/2 a stop or so as the tie and the collar of the shirt have lost a fair bit of detail. Plus your forehead highlights are on the edge.

As somebody else said, harness your smoke techniques and pour yourself a glass of whiskey in a nice tumbler

[Alex]

Great shots, Matt. I think the lighting is excellent.
Alex

[rokkstar]

Many thanks for all the comments on these.

THe light source was window light with a remote flash to the background to seperate me from it. I tried it with a light to the side but results were poor so need to revisit that.

I agree that the second is a little soft Geoff, can't remember what the exif was, but I'll dig it out. THank you for the compliment mate - my portraiture leaves a lot to be desired next to yours. I'd love to get together too and learn some tricks from you.

I actually cropped them like like that purposely, although they were pretty much framed like that. I didn't want them straight in the middle, and also didnt want them too much on the thirds. Thanks for the critique Peter, wouldn't have noticed that they weren't overtly harmonious.

Matt. K, thank you for the compliment as well, but I'm not sure I'm with you on the poster thing. I would feel hyper arrogant and a bit of a jerk putting pics myself up all over the place. Not too sure it would perk up the daily journey into work either for people waiting at traffic lights!

Once again, thank you everyone for commenting. All appreciated.

[stubbsy]

Matt

There's something about these shots that brought me back for a second look. I think the desat works, but what about a monochrome look to push the urban feel:

 BTW if you want me to remove the pic because I've pissed on your art I'm more than happy to do so

[Geoff]

I quite like what Peter has done with these shots Matt. This is stretching your ARTFORM to new limits!

[rokkstar]

Peter,

I don't mind at all. I tried a monochrome version and also tried it as a triptych. I think I prefer the desat still but also like the monochrome. I think what I was trying to get with the desaturated look was a kind of "almost there" feel. Can't really descirbe it. I like the hint of colour.

[Maximus]

I'm being really picky here but does anyone else see a slight blur - especially to the first and third color shots? To me they seem to almost (but not quite) be heading towards an oil paint filter...

That aside I think they're great.

[d70_n00b]

Well some people might not have the same taste, but for the second image I thought this looked decent... to me, it makes it look more "dreamy" (is that the word i'm looking for?) and it accentuates the lighting a bit more (gives it more impact?):

Edited:


A simple edit: in Photoshop just duplicate layer, desaturate top layer and set to "Overlay", then add gaussian blur to top layer (you can mess with the radius and opacity of the layer). An old trick, but still looks good sometimes (to me, at least).

If you don't like it, sorry. Sometimes I have goofy taste (plus it IS 1:30am!)

[gstark]

Matt,

I particularly like the feel of the second shot, but as a portait, which you've labelled these as, I'd like to have seen a bit more of the face.

So, in PS, just adjust the tilt of the head a littlel, and make sure that the eyes are looking straight down the lens barrel.

And grab a piece of cardboard, say, the back support from a writing pad. Grab some alfoil, crinkle it up well, and then attach it to the cardboard.

Presto! You have a small reflector, that you can place down to the camera left, and use it to illuminate the PH side of your face just a little, thus improving your contrast ratio.

[rokkstar]

Matt,

I particularly like the feel of the second shot, but as a portait, which you've labelled these as, I'd like to have seen a bit more of the face.

So, in PS, just adjust the tilt of the head a littlel, and make sure that the eyes are looking straight down the lens barrel.

And grab a piece of cardboard, say, the back support from a writing pad. Grab some alfoil, crinkle it up well, and then attach it to the cardboard.

Presto! You have a small reflector, that you can place down to the camera left, and use it to illuminate the PH side of your face just a little, thus improving your contrast ratio.

Crickey, that would be pushing my PS skills a bit. I might reshoot that one, with your reflector suggestion Gary. Or perhaps even take the flash off the background and use it to illuminate my face.

D70_noob, I tried that technique as well but decided that it wasn't "urban" enough. I know they aren't exactly urban but with the blur it tends to make it a bit dreamy like you say.

[Escapism]

Very....REM

[cameraguy21773]

Matt -
Though the style of lighting is not to my taste the execution is quite good. I would bring up the brightness just ever so slightly or try a white (lighter?) background. Nicely done from non-portrait shooter.

[gstark]

Matt,

Crickey, that would be pushing my PS skills a bit. I might reshoot that one, with your reflector suggestion Gary. Or perhaps even take the flash off the background and use it to illuminate my face.

Even some white cardboard would serve quite well as a reflector for you.

If you're going to use the flash, pull it back by around 1 - 1.5 stops from standard.

[Glen]

Matt, I must say up front I am very, very dissapointed that it was you in a suit, not your Hof gear. That said, I think they came out well, especially the range of expresions in just three photos. You may have the start of a series there, maybe "man with shaved head in suit", I could easily imagine twenty or thirty images. Cant wait to see more.

ps don't rule out submitting these as stock shots, that third shot represents something, just not sure what.

[rokkstar]

You may have the start of a series there, maybe "man with shaved head in suit", I could easily imagine twenty or thirty images. Cant wait to see more.

I subscribe to the Roger Moore school of acting Glen and therefore only have 3 expressions. As Roger said:
1. Left Eyebrow up
2. Left Eyebrow Down
3. Both Eyebrows up

I don't think I have 20 in me

Also it seems that there is a bit of interest in seeing me in leather Hoff gear. Never dissapoint your public is the saying, so watch this space

[Glen]

[ozimax]

Matt, that's definitely a head made for radio!

Seriously, you have done very well here. I just can't seem to get the hang of portraiture and generally stick to landscapes and surf photography. Self portraiture I believe is exceedingly difficult to excel at, and you are well on the way to excellence.

I really think I need to spend some time with an expert to polish up my portraiture skills, not sure when I can do that, but portraits seem to give great satisfaction when they turn out well.

Max

[rokkstar]

Matt, that's definitely a head made for radio!

A compliment by any other name would smell as sweet. I get that a lot .

Many thanks for the positive comments Max.