Photo Assignment 2 (part III)

This is an excellent expression you captured! Yes you are correct, this is front lighting. Typically, this type of lighting washes out details, like you can see here in her face. You are also correct when with the shadows in the face not being flattering. I would have her turn to one side or the other for more of a 45 degree angle to show a little more detail in her face. don't forget to shift with her. For the shadows, see part I of this assignment for use of a reflector. I like how she appears to be interacting with the viewer. Strive to have perfect focus with every picture you take. When shooting portraits, the number one thing you want to be in focus is the eyes. The first thing in a person's face your sight is drawn to is to their eyes, and crisp focus is key.

Photographer's Comment: "The only challenge I had was trying to capture the true spirit of this kid. He is from New Orleans and his family lost everything, yet he still smiles and enjoys life."

The lighting here is good. His expression is great. In his eyes you can see reflections of light, these are great! They are called catchlights. Catchlights give a portrait "life". Have you ever noticed that animated characters have these? I see you used the rule of thirds, but my recommendation is that you put more space in front of the subject rather behind him. Doing so will also remove a bit of the post behind him, which is also a distraction. If you could get an angle without the post, that would be even better. The background is great though. Keep it up!

Photographer's Comment: "I like that I captured her as she put that hat on and the way it made her feel."

You captured a great shot. I like this cute little girl's face with the hat. She is looking right at the camera and the catchlights show up. The sepia tone adds some flavor as well. The thing I can suggest fo this is to reduce the exposure a little so her cheek and hair is not washed out in the highlights. If you are using an on-camera flash, try taping a piece of white copy paper over the flash to diffuse it some.

You were able to capture a lot of great techniques in your pictures, my guess is without even realizing it. Great job!