Hello from B-ham, WA

[Haylee Nighbert]

Hey everyone,
I live in Bellingham, Washington, proudly known as the city with the least sunlight in the country (whoo!). Along with my consistent consumption of Vitamin D gummies, I take a lot of pictures...something I'm sure we all have in common! When the sun comes out, you bet I'm out there taking photos.

I'm new to the forum and hope to grow as a photographer and continue to improve. Here are a few images I've taken in 2012.














-Haylee

 

[Asher Kelman]

Haylee,

So good to start is way, introduction and some downpayment in pictures!

Hey everyone,
I live in Bellingham, Washington, proudly known as the city with the least sunlight in the country (whoo!). Along with my consistent consumption of Vitamin D gummies, I take a lot of pictures...something I'm sure we all have in common! When the sun comes out, you bet I'm out there taking photos.

Here's my favorite: crispness and intimacy to it that's appealing. She engages us!

Haylee Nighbert: Liz​

Somehow, we have to have to get this set of ingredients into portraits, so that they have uniqueness special to the subject and to the photographer's style. So I'd love to see more like is. Compare to the others you have shared. How is it different? Ask if its focussed on the nature of the person and if it's bland or not. This picture would, IMHO come out far above the others, here.

Keep shooting and try to select your best 12 related images in the same syle, strung together by some common feeling or theme. As you get another you like, drop out one of your 12 best and then this will evolve to define your best work on one theme!

Asher

 

[Haylee Nighbert]

Haylee,

So good to start is way, introduction and some downpayment in pictures!





Here's my favorite: crispness and intimacy to it that's appealing. She engages us!

Haylee Nighbert: Liz​

Somehow, we have to have to get this set of ingredients into portraits, so that they have uniqueness special to the subject and to the photographer's style. So I'd love to see more like is. Compare to the others you have shared. How is it different? Ask if its focussed on the nature of the person and if it's bland or not. This picture would, IMHO come out far above the others, here.

Keep shooting and try to select your best 12 related images in the same syle, strung together by some common feeling or theme. As you get another you like, drop out one of your 12 best and then this will evolve to define your best work on one theme!

Asher

I really appreciate the feedback! Thank you. I have a lot of outdoor portraits that play into the same theme, So I will post them. I'll post them in a bit.

Thanks again!

 

[Haylee Nighbert]

A few more.

Here are a few more photos that play into the outdoor portrait theme. As you can see, I enjoy taking photos among branches and foliage because I love the green lush of my hometown.

I tried to exemplify the subject's personality. These are all friends of mine, so I tried to compose them in a way that made more of a statement about who they are as people and the beauty that I see in them. These are older, but some of my favorites. I did very minimal editing.

Bailey M. - near Samish Lake, Washington​

Megan C. - 35mm/self-processed - Bow Edison, Washington​

AJ R. - In the woods, Bellingham WA​

Katy V. - Hovander Park, Ferndale WA​

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Katy V. - Hovander Park, Ferndale WA​

Well, here's a happy lady! One thing that bothers me here is the fidelity of presentation of the branches at the periphery. To my mind, one allocates attention only to important matters by making them sharper, better illuminated and having greater contrast then lesser items.

Here, one might explore wider apertures or a longer lens to limit the DOF and soften the unimportant features a tad. Of course, that's just an idea to ponder. You may choose to have an alternative esthetic and it would be fine but we'd just have to get used to your rules.

Asher​

 

[Haylee Nighbert]

I appreciate the feedback! Thanks!

I was hoping for a few positives, but that's okay, I really appreciate the feedback and I will take it into consideration.

I suppose it could be personal preference, but here is my train of thought: As far as the DOF and the branches sharpening/drifting out of focus from foreground to background, it was on purpose. The thing I try and do with my photos is to position natural elements around the subject in order to frame the person, not distract. I can see that it is different from a standard portrait where the person is sharp in the foreground with a soft bokeh in the background. I'm experimenting with "bokeh painting" with the Katy shot, just doing it in my own way.

"but we'd just have to get used to your rules."

I'm wondering if this is the forum for me and if I will fit in here, it's possible that my style is a bit different than others.

 

[Haylee Nighbert]

Also, forgot to mention - The aperture is almost as wide as it can go, f/2 and the lens is 85mm.

 

[Valentin Arfire]

hi Haylee,
nice to meet you

as you said in the people in nice portraits there are friends, they know you trust is bond between the subject and photographer.

you also said there is less sun - but as photographer you know this means the colors are more vibrant and anyway... you have to live with it

high key and low key is also interesting used with reason

I wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year