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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge #7: Portraits In Black and White (or Sepia) >> Critique Gallery > self portait II
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4/2/2002 jezcat

self portait II

I didn't post this one because I wasn't happy with the shadow behind my head. In both shots I used candles for lighting in a dark room. This one was against a white wall, and the self portait that I posted in the elegible gallery was taken against a very dark recliner.

Canon PowerShot G2
Shooting Mode
Manual
Tv( Shutter Speed )
1
Av( Aperture Value )
2.0
Metering Mode
Evaluative
Exposure Compensation
0
ISO Speed
50
Lens
7.0 - 21.0mm
Focal Length
7.0mm
Digital Zoom
None
Image Size
2272x1704
Image Quality
RAW full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Guest 11-Apr-2002 17:46
This one was shot at the 'wide angle' end of the zoom lens and it shows. Your features
end up 'spread out' and distorted. It is maybe a bit subtle to notice but generally
these sorts of shots look better at the other extreme telephoto end of the zoom scale. At least then your features tend to compress to a more natural level.

I like your entry more than this one.
ctfchallenge11-Apr-2002 15:22
You're probably right about the shadow...it's a little emphasized by the way your hair leads the eye, and it's almost the same tone as your skin, so it gives an impression of a really big head :-)

I like the softer shadows caused by the reflected light from the white wall, as opposed to the darker background in the other picture, though. It's a lot less harsh, and I think it's more flattering. You lose the effect of the whites of your eyes really standing out though. Maybe you could move further away from the wall (but keeping the light source the same distance from your face)...I think this would make your shadow larger (?) so maybe it would fill the background, and be sort of a compromise between the darker picture and this one, since you'd end up with less light reflected from the wall.