Comment: Hi Marie, you say in your email that you feel something is missing in this image, though you can’t put your finger on it.
Let’s start with what you have done right. You have a great model, a good location, a strong sky and I like the fact that you have used a low vantage point to get the model’s head above the horizon. The strong leading lines of the railings work really well too, drawing our eyes into the picture and highlighting the model.
Things start to unravel when it comes to the model’s pose, which is quite weak. She seems to be leaning back, the look on her face is one of concern, the hand is awkward and the hair is going everywhere. I would have been inclined to have her facing left, into the weather. A defiant look, facing into the storm, combined with a stronger pose, would have presented a more compelling story.
The overall composition is generally good, though there’s probably too much sky. I find myself looking above the models’s head in search of something more. I think you could afford to cut it back by about a third. (Before you crop, go back to the RAW file and darken the sky behind the model. This will help maintain the drama of those clouds while keeping us zoned in on the model.)
Finally, this image could use some more contrast. An easy way to see if your image is too flat is to click Photoshop’s Auto Tone command (Image > Auto Tone). If the contrast suddenly picks up, chances are you need to go back to the original RAW file and start again.
If you can, keep working with this model. Learn to direct her, and you’ll soon be rewarded with some great shots.
Article first published in Digital Photography + Design magazine, October-November 2011.
Image Doctor's edited version
An easy way to see if your image is too flat is to
click Photoshop’s
Auto Tone command (Image >
Auto Tone). If the contrast suddenly picks
up, as
it has here, chances are you need to go back to
the original RAW
file and start again.