My daughter and I went for a walk in nearby woods. She sat on the steps that go into them, and I thought the sun, slightly behind her gave a nice glow.
John, I just saw your comment. Thanks for your kind words. I agree about the pole, it bothered me also. Your cropped copy works well, I should have done that in the first place.
Hi Sarah. Just took a quick look at your portfolio and this picture of your daughter stood out for me as exceptional.
As much as I like the photo, I am bothered by the pole growing out of her head. It is the one element in the photo that doesn't contribute to the portrait. Keep in mind that photography is a reductive process. We must get rid of the elements which do not contribute to the succesful portrayal of our vision. In our minds eye, we likely will ignore the pole sticking out from behind your dauther's head, but the camera does not ignore it and the film records it. I have attached another version of your photo to show you what a simple crop would do. What do you think?
Thanks Koen, On the print you can see the small amount of light in her eyes a bit clearer. I only have a flatbet scanner, so my scans are not the best. Your comments are always appreciated.
I think this is a nice portrait - take it from somebody with no portrait experience :) Some would probably ask for those catchlights in the eyes, but I do not mind they are not here. Maybe the light is a tad contrasty, since the top of the head is a bit washed out. You managed to get a good exposure, nice !