Please can you share some CC with me on my most recent image. I have my first portrait shoot coming up (that isn't friends or family)





B&W or Colour?





Please let me know what you think.

Thanks.

The subject has a nice smile, it should be a sellable portrait for most clients. It is adequate but there is much that needs improvement.

The image looks underexposed, the hair could have more detail. Some side lighting and more exposure overall would bring out more detail and put more life into the eyes.

You've chosen a horizontal crop in camera for what would usually be a vertical camera position.
That puts useless white space at the sides and misses the opportunity to pose the subject with a hand or both in the image.
After the eyes, the hands are the most expressive part of the human body.

First of all, ANGLES are your friend.  If you're going to shoot someone straight on and dead center, then their eyes and expression have to give the viewer something to think about or something to admire.  Your photo simply shows a woman standing in front of your camera with an awkward smile, which comes across as she was willing to pose for you but really didn't feel all that comfortable.  Basically, it's a snapshot that billions of people around the world shoot with their cell phones every single day; except you shot it with a slightly better camera.

If your model doesn't have striking features, or can't emote with their eyes, then turn their shoulders away from you but keep their head pointed toward you.  Drop the chin down slightly as well, so their eyes are looking up a bit instead of having the eyelids half closed.  YOU have to see the photo inside the viewfinder BEFORE you snap the photo.  To do that, you have to find the model's best angle.  Some people have very strong jaw lines, so when you shoot them straight on their jaw looks very wide.  By turning their head to one side or another, you can soften that angle.   Just don't turn them too far, to where the iris is pushed all the way into the corners of the eyes; bring the head back toward you if they do that, so you can get a little bit of white on both sides of the iris.  (Having the eyes all the way to one side can work, but it gives more of a seductive look; not what you want in a portrait.)

The second to consider, is the crop.  As the other photographer pointed out, you're shooting horizontally.  That's great if there's something interesting going on in the background, but it's boring as whale shit if it's in front of a plain backdrop; especially when the model is dead center of the frame.  Your crops are way too tight.  If you cropped this to a vertical image, you'd basically just have a floating human head.  Move back a little and include some of the neckline and shoulders.  You can always crop tighter if you need to, but you can't add anything else to what you've shot in this image. 

Your next issue is lighting.  Whatever you're doing their is just dreadful.  My guess is you used some type of cheap lamp with a small softbox around it, and then set it up high and to the left of the model.  It also looks like the light is far away from the model.   If you're going to use a supplemental light source, then bring it in close to the model but not directly facing the model.  You want light to spill off the edge of the softbox or umbrella and fall onto the model's face.  Move the light forward and backward to see where the shadows fall.  If you want more contrast, pull it forward toward you; less contrast, bring it closer to the model.

Better yet, just use natural light and a window or doorway.   Personally, I prefer the way sunlight falls on the face.  Regardless, you have to learn how to see the light and understand how it's going to affect your image.  Sunlight from behind the person will create an outer highlight, but you need to either expose for the shadow or bump some light into the shadow with a reflector. 

Once you find the right angle and the right crop, the last step is to help the model relax and give a more natural expression.  Some models are great at turning on that smile just like a prom queen or a beauty pageant contestant.  Others force their smile and look super tense or fake when they're doing it.  YOU have to set the mood.  If the model is new and uncomfortable, then have them close their eyes and concentrate on relaxing the muscles in their face.  Once you see that tension go away, tell them what you want them to think about.  Also, tell them  you're going to count to three and have them open their eyes on three. 

If it's a CEO who wants to express power, tell him/her to imagine they're a super hero.  If they want to reflect a positive or happy mood, then tell them to think about the funniest thing they've ever seen.  Once they have it in their mind, you'll see the expression naturally come across their face.  At that moment, tell them to keep thinking about that and count to three.  When they open their eyes, you should be able to capture the mood before they get tense again. 

Lastly, don't just read about HOW to take a good portrait.  Make lists either here or on Pinterest of the type of shots you think look good.  Study those images and try to recreate the poses or moods in your shots.  When I first started out, I would tear pages out of magazines and put them in a binder inside clear inserts.  I would bring that binder to a shoot and have the model pose the same way as what I saw in the photo.  I would then adjust the model to get their best angle.  So, I wasn't duplicating the shot, I was using it as a foundation to create my own image. 

If you look at the portraits in my portfolio, you'll see the model's eyes are usually at the top third of the image.  Your model's eyes are literally at the center of the frame.  As far as composition goes, this is the worst spot for the eyes UNLESS you have a very compelling background.  A white, drappy sheet ain't that.