People Critique ⇒ Selfie a la Master Ernst

[Duck]

I was bored today but feeling rather ambitious to try something out of my comfort zone. I decided to play around replicating the lighting in the "King Arthur" post Steve made a while back. While at it I rearranged my lights and grabbed a chair for a prop and tried replicating something along the lines of what Ernst would do. Before I go further, I by no means feel I can master his look but his is a style I greatly admire and will use as inspiration. I tried thinking like a portraitist (yeah, I know... a far reach ) by placing myself in a pose that would incorporate my hands. I wanted my hands to be featured but not look huge or extra bright. I am an artist by trade and my hands are my tools. The first few I took were face into the camera but that wasn't working for me. This one is my favorite. Anyway, here is my attempt. Thoughts, comments, suggestions are all welcomed.

[Psjunkie]

A very nice image in my opinion Duck...If I were to suggest anything it might be some angle adjustment so the edge of the glasses are not cutting through your right eye, the left seems okay but borderline....just something to think about, really nothing wrong with the image as is.

[Duck]

A very nice image in my opinion Duck...If I were to suggest anything it might be some angle adjustment so the edge of the glasses are not cutting through your right eye, the left seems okay but borderline....just something to think about, really nothing wrong with the image as is.

I agree. Unfortunately it's one of those things that you can't correct until after the selfie is taken. I wasn't that motivated.
I still have the setup in place. Maybe I should correct that.

Thanks

[PietFrancke]

moody play on light and dark - I like it very much. Resting hands and contemplation work well together.

[Duck]

Thanks for the comment, Piet. I tried to think in terms of photographing a client this time, rather than thinking of this as a selfie. Hence the thought about including the hands and, ultimately, the turn of the head.
New grounds...

[Ernst-Ulrich Schafer]

Really enjoy the portrait Duck. Of course I'm a BW guy. Tone the highlights down below the eye camera right.

[Duck]

For the interest of teaching, sharing and learning, I am posting a BTS shot of this setup AND a contact sheet of all the frames leading up to my final "AHA!" image. Enjoy.

Unitas_Photography-9648_BTS.jpg (175.05 KiB) Viewed 591 times

[Duck]

Really enjoy the portrait Duck. Of course I'm a BW guy. Tone the highlights down below the eye camera right.

Good call on that highlight. I didn't even notice that. Thank you so much for checking out my little attempt. It's greatly appreciated.

[PietFrancke]

thank you for sharing the journey images - it is good to know how an image can be developed a stage at a time.

[Duck]

I even included my studio assistant, Diane II (named after my wife so she wouldn't get jealous).

I really love how that simple light setup can create such dramatic results.