I’ve been needing a new portrait photo/head shot for a while now. My hair is more salt-and-pepper than black these days, and I wear glasses (graduated lenses) all the time now. And of course there are a lot more wrinkles. But let’s not dwell on that. Today I asked my daughter Julia, who got a new camera for Christmas, to shoot me. I have to say that I love what she took! She has also taken some lovely and artistic shots of her friends. We may have another photographer in the family!
For the one below, I cropped it to a square, and Photoshopped in the blue background. One friend commented that the mark on the background looked like I had one of those chains on my glasses. Nope, it was just a crack. I Photoshopped it out. I also adjusted the skin tones a bit to warm them up. This square one will work great for my Facebook profile photo. (What? You aren’t my Facebook friend yet? Please come find me here: https://www.facebook.com/SusanBrubakerKnapp)
Here’s another shot, more predictable, that I also liked a lot:
This is my old portrait (below), which was taken in December 2006 – seven years ago! Egads! – by my friend Patrick Schneider, who is a professional photographer:
I’d love to know what you think; leave a comment and tell me!
Posts
Wonderful shot and a nice natural look.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had time to explore the features in the new photoshop, but I want to try the erase features to get rid of background objects.
Debbie
It's pretty easy to use, and fun... like everything else, just practice, practice, practice!
DeleteI think you are beautiful in both pictures.
ReplyDeleteaaaaaw.... thanks, Frog Quilter! You are sweet.
DeleteI like the tilted head shot the best. You look playful--as if you're saying, hum...let's come and quilt and see what we can come up with!
ReplyDeleteI like the new shot a lot, and now it looks like the pictures of you when you're teaching or traveling. Kudos to Julia!
ReplyDeleteI like the smile one the best. Who doesn't like a smile. It puts you in a good mood every time you see it.
ReplyDeleteBoth pictures are very nice, but the head-tilted one makes you look more creative. The second one could work just as well if you were an expert in something else, less quirky, but maybe about teaching something. I tried to envision it as a sort of brochure in my mind, with the tilted one on the front to get people's attention, and then they open the inside with the smiling second picture and it says "Susan can teach these workshops, etc etc etc."
ReplyDeleteI like the head tilt on the first one... it's playful and relaxed. But I like the open smile on the second one...it's more friendly. Can you take the second one and use the crop and straighten tools in photoshop to get the same pose as the first?
ReplyDeleteI probably COULD do it, Regina, but I don't think it would ever look natural. The neck would be tricky, and the lighting is different. I think I'll use both, for different things.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI thinkilike you with the smile one best. But it your choice which one will represent you.
I like the new shot, you look like the fun person you are.
ReplyDeleteI like the one that you labeled predictable....although they are both very nice.
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful smile, but I love the first shot - it really is more creative and less predictable (like the older one - also less predictable).
ReplyDeleteWhat a difficult decision to choose between two excellent photos!
ReplyDeleteMartha Ginn
I like the change in photos...even though we are all getting older.. sometimes we used to look at our kids as they were growing up saying "his face is changing again" and it would be true. Now I look in the mirror and think " I'm looking older again"...ahhhh!
ReplyDeleteI like all of them. There are different aspects that come forth in each picture but you sense of adventure is evident in each picture.
ReplyDelete