Voy wrote:
Images are very soft. Maybe you need better gear. White balance is not right. You need to learn more about composition. The backgrounds are off. Don't put the horizon line right across the middle of the frame or across the subjects head. Don't be afraid of getting close to the subject.

These images were taken with a 760D with a Canon 50mm 1.8 or a 15-85mm 3.5 5.6, from my experance, the 50mm is sharp, I might be letting the lens and camera down, the 15-85mm is soft, however might be due to the Camera Body... But most likely, its me.

Orca Bay Images wrote:
The vast majority of your images are Facebook shots, not portraits or portfolio material. But it's part of the learning process.


Not a good idea to leave half the model obscured in total shadow like that, whether for portrait or model's portfolio (especially model portfolio). The viewer will wonder what you're trying to hide. A reflector or flash for fill light is needed here.

Also not a good idea to leave the subject dead-center like that.  And for portraits and portfolio work, use portrait orientaation unles there's a compelling reason not to.

The color temp is REALLY warm, but gauging by the angle of the light I'm guessing that's either s sunset through a window or a simulation of one.


Could be a good use of landscape orientation ifthere was a more compeling background, but it's debatable. Subject again is dead-center.Image is way too soft.  The good thing about this image is you filled the shadow and didn't leave the model a silhouette. Could have been brighter to make the model pop, but it's a start.

An improvement over the landscape shot of her, but she needs to be more prominent in the image. AND don't have the subject square-up to the camera like that in every shot. A pose that is at an angle to the camera, with head turned to the camera, is usually much more flattering.



A much more interesting background and a better reason for landscape orientation, but the model is too small in the image, dead-center again, and not lighted well enough... she's almost an afterthought to that scene.


To take this out of FB snapshot realm, shoot one person and make her much more prominent in the image. Needs more fill to make the model star out, too. It's too soft, too.

Now for the stuff that needs to be killed and swept out now. Don't wait for better stuff with which to replace them


No.

Nope.

No.Nonononono.

No..

All of these points taken onboard, I have removed the images that, Ill be honest, just there to bulk out my profile.

KeithD3 wrote:
I think you need to begin by making sure you understand what a portrait is and what it’s purpose is.   I don’t believe you can consider any of the shots in your portfolio to be true portraits. 
But let’s assume the shots you have are portraits.  Here are my suggestions for improving them.
1.  Get some light into the subject’s face.  Their faces need to be exposed properly.  They cannot be in shadow and be darker than the rest of the photo.
2.  Get close. 
3.  The background is too much a part of your photos thus making them vacation snapshots rather than portraits.
4.  Do a search for “Benji’s Rules of Portraiture”.   Benji is a retired portrait photographer who mentored many photographers over the years.  I was one of those.  His rules may seem somewhat outdated but the basics and foundation that he demonstrates are excellent.

1. The images outside, the time of day was against me, the sun was directly behind the subject, I had to recover the shadows in post, I was thinking too much about the background and not the main focus of the image.
2. I have been doing mostly landscapes in my 2/3 years getting into photography, I still have a lot of learning to-do when it comes to Portraits.
3. I totally understand this point.
4. The images on my profile are the extent of my Portrait photography, 99% of my photography is travel/landscape, portraits is something I am only just getting into.

Thank you for your comments, I appreciate your time and will take your comments onboard going forward.

ColinWiseman wrote:
The images outside, the time of day was against me, the sun was directly behind the subject, I had to recover the shadows in post, I was thinking too much about the background and not the main focus of the image.

The time of day was not against you. You want the sun behind your subject. That gives the subject a nice rim-light. "Getting light on your subject" doesn't mean shooting with the sun so your subject is looking into the sun. You just need fill light (either strobe or reflector) to illuminate the shadowed subject.

In this ancient example, the sun is not directly behind the model's head, but just off the top of the image. I had a heck of a time masking the sun  from the lens and still get the shot. But without fill light, that girl is a featureless silhouette.

ColinWiseman wrote:
4. The images on my profile are the extent of my Portrait photography, 99% of my photography is travel/landscape, portraits is something I am only just getting into.

I'd suggest reading up a ton on portrait photography, THEN tackle one aspect at a time for real. If you try to get it all right from the getgo, it can swamp you. Work on getting composition down first.Then add different aspects of lighting --  one technique at a time.

Orca Bay Images wrote:

The time of day was not against you. You want the sun behind your subject. That gives the subject a nice rim-light. "Getting light on your subject" doesn't mean shooting with the sun so your subject is looking into the sun. You just need fill light (either strobe or reflector) to illuminate the shadowed subject.

In this ancient example, the sun is not directly behind the model's head, but just off the top of the image. I had a heck of a time masking the sun  from the lens and still get the shot. But without fill light, that girl is a featureless silhouette.

Good god, I have some learning todo.

Orca Bay Images wrote:
I'd suggest reading up a ton on portrait photography, THEN tackle one aspect at a time for real. If you try to get it all right from the getgo, it can swamp you. Work on getting composition down first.Then add different aspects of lighting --  one technique at a time.

I Have already started reading and watching, albeit, after the images were taken. Thank you, I appreciate your comments.

ColinWiseman wrote:
I Have already started reading and watching, albeit, after the images were taken. Thank you, I appreciate your comments.

Mistakes can be excellent teachers. At this stage, don't be afraid to make mistakes. In fact, when time ad opportunity allow, TRY to screw up some shots. Bracket, bracket, bracket, and see how your camera settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) affect the image. Play with depth of field. Also use the light in difrferent ways. Shoot with you and the model at different angles to the sun. Shoot at different times of day.

Along the way you will likely find tricks and techniques to put into your personal toolkit and develop your own style.

ColinWiseman wrote:
I have been loving the journey I have been on with Photography so far, and I am always wanting more, I have only just started to do Portraits, I typically do landscapes and more travel like photography, I want to learn as much as I can about portraits.

Please roast the very few images on my profile, but lets keep it constructive

Thanks!

Colin.

Portraits start out with needing a great white balance for accurate tones. I have an octagonal for portraits so you see more circular in the eyes than rectangles. You will want an 85MM. I find it superior for portraits. I shoot by hand and keep a stand hand but having a $2000 tripod will help when i can't. For lots of pro work you will want a means of viewing the images on the computer or use the camera's graphs. I go by the sound of the shutter to graphs more than the image itself. Lots of ways to change the color of the background just from the lighting so study you tube so you know your options. When someone has glasses you need to keep the reflections off the glasses and play the angles. The images need to be crisp and you need to work on that and white balance but all can be learned with practice and the tools if i have my 80-200 I don't like bringing tripod even if light so learn how to keep camera steady from your posing and arm posing and I used trees to lean against when they work with the location. Blurry and too much light to too dark is no good so use the vaule of digital to monitor your results while you are shooting.

You need images cropped tight, no large sky distracting and making the model a small part of the image. Models don't wear bras so you don't want bra marks, wrinkles and creases in the outfit. No harsh shadows around neck, hair needs to be posed and not on face and no harsh shadows on face so I have tons of lighting to keeping an eye on hair shadows to clothing shadows. Keep poles, wires away from body and head of model and watch out for any and all distractions in background or in the image itself from the lighting or in the eyes. eye shadow and full eyebrows make for a much more professional image of females. keep the hands down and out of ALL portraits except holding a jacket collar perhaps.

Have fun!