This challenge was to make a visually effective portrait accentuating the most flattering facial angle of my subject. I know lighting is important and seem to have a hard time taking shots inside with artificial light. I tend to dislike the harshness a flash delivers on my subjects too. Therefore it was an easy decision for me to use natural lighting outside. Using the sun as my light source, I positioned myself in front of my subject with the sun behind me. I'm not sure but I think this is short lighting and I'm now very observant of nose shadows!!!! I chose an earthy background, some greenery, some huge rocks, a small patch of blue sky...hoping those colors would blend into the background and make her face stand out. This subjects hair fell down in front of her right eye and at first I thought it would be a distraction but later realized that it works as a frame around her face and pulls all your attention toward her left eye almost like a bullseye on a target. I tried to look away at the background but couldn't find any distractions- I was pulled in like a magnet to the center of her face, her smile , her nose, and finally ended up gazing deeply into her eye! I hadn't even noticed her earrings until I forced myself to look at possible distractions.
This portrait was taken of a young woman nine months pregnant. When she saw this photo, she was thrilled and said,"You really made me look pretty in that shot!" I'm not sure if this portrait is a contest winner but it seems to have a certain quality that I like in it.