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I'm not sure how I got this thing so cheaply as it's gone way up in price again, but I'm not complaining. It really is a nice portrait lens, and at $300, was a bargain.

The missus, F3.6, ISO 2000.
Robyn131114a by Ozimax, on Flickr

Available light is always best. It is a vey nice portrait, lovely colours and just the appropriate sharpness to pick up skin textures. I am not sure, if you surprised your subject with your camera or if it is an agreed sitting. I suspect the later, but it looks the former as if you (we) interrupted a moment of quiet contemplation and deserves a reprimanding look for the impertinence. Perhaps, I am reading too much in this portrait and her face is about to smile and tell you to go away and stop playing with your toys. The portrait produces mixed feelings on the viewer.
I like the technical part of this portrait, but somehow I don't think it is flattering for the subject because the vertical line of the door and the half reflection of the subject take away rather than add to the the photo dividing it into two unequal and uncomplimentary parts; I rather the door edges were not there and that we could see at least half of the face reflected in the glass pane, if not the complete face reflection. After all of the above, I quite like the photo and I think your subject has a lot of patience with the photographer.

zafra52 wrote:Available light is always best. It is a vey nice portrait, lovely colours and just the appropriate sharpness to pick up skin textures. I am not sure, if you surprised your subject with your camera or if it is an agreed sitting. I suspect the later, but it looks the former as if you (we) interrupted a moment of quiet contemplation and deserves a reprimanding look for the impertinence. Perhaps, I am reading too much in this portrait and her face is about to smile and tell you to go away and stop playing with your toys. The portrait produces mixed feelings on the viewer.
I like the technical part of this portrait, but somehow I don't think it is flattering for the subject because the vertical line of the door and the half reflection of the subject take away rather than add to the the photo dividing it into two unequal and uncomplimentary parts; I rather the door edges were not there and that we could see at least half of the face reflected in the glass pane, if not the complete face reflection. After all of the above, I quite like the photo and I think your subject has a lot of patience with the photographer.

Indeed your comments are very apt. I asked Robyn to pose so I could test my new 60mm lens. I think after 20+ years of photography she has been very patient as my chief guinea pig/person. This was the only way I could take the shot as I was backed up against the table trying to get her into frame. The 60mm is about 90mm in actual FL so a fair bit of space is needed with portraits. Our unit is a pretty small one, but thankfully the light is excellent most of the time.

Thanks for the comments Zaffs.

Here is a cropped version without the distracting elements you mentioned.

Robyn131114b by Ozimax, on Flickr

Ozi, I didn't think of the space that may be available to you or that you might not be able to take the photo from the outside when I made the comments. However, this crop is a vast improvement on the original photo; natural skin tones, sharp left eye, subtle shallow depth of field and no distractions. In my view, this part is better than the whole.

The skin detail is amazing. Perhaps 1 tip....it's a good idea to try and minimize the amount of 'eye whites' in a portrait. Before you shoot look at the eyes and if you see mostly whites then ask your model to look straight ahead or turn her head towards you.

Matt. K wrote:The skin detail is amazing. Perhaps 1 tip....it's a good idea to try and minimize the amount of 'eye whites' in a portrait. Before you shoot look at the eyes and if you see mostly whites then ask your model to look straight ahead or turn her head towards you.

Excellent tip Matt. Thanks. Mind you, with Robyn I have to be careful what I say.I usually only get about 12 seconds to pose her and take the photograph, then she's had enough...

Some great critique from Zaf and Matt, can't really add to what has already been said and I have to agree that the close crop does work much better. The only let down for me with that 60mm is the 1:2 magnifaction , I want a 1:1 macro from Fuji.

ozimax wrote:
Excellent tip Matt. Thanks. Mind you, with Robyn I have to be careful what I say.I usually only get about 12 seconds to pose her and take the photograph, then she's had enough...

looks like shes just about to belt ya there

sharp lens, maybe too sharp!

biggerry wrote:

ozimax wrote:
Excellent tip Matt. Thanks. Mind you, with Robyn I have to be careful what I say.I usually only get about 12 seconds to pose her and take the photograph, then she's had enough...

looks like shes just about to belt ya there

sharp lens, maybe too sharp!

Yep, she wasn't too happy it seems. Thankfully I had my bicycle helmet on to protect the old bonce from being belted with the old rolling pin...

Yep, the crop works for me. One small point is the fact that most women hate to see their images in, let’s say, to much detail. The halation tends to make this excellent shot appear to be too sharp and I would try to soften the image some what.

sirhc55 wrote:One small point is the fact that most women hate to see their images in, let’s say, to much detail.

I never show the photos to Robyn.