Natural Light Portraits

Sublime. A really wonderful and subtle image. Beautifully exposed and nicely framed. The breeze on the beard and hair transform a good photograph into something very special and I especially like the tilt of the head and the gaze into the distance that make this a powerful and evocative portrait. Congratulations.

This really stood out as an intriguing frame. I love the backlight that seems technically well handled and I also like the incongruity of landscape shape frame against a more obvious portrait one. But for me it's the head tilt that creates an arresting and curious image - one the asks questions. Nicely done.

I like pretty much everything about this frame. A good example of how a natural light portrait doesn't have to have strong lighting or an orthodox framing. I like the exposure and the sensuality of the skin tones. I like the humour and the shape: the little finger of the baby's left hand is a delight. Congratulations - a lovely simple and elegant frame.

I really like this but it feels slightly... unbalanced. There's almost too much window to subject ratio. The first class sign is awkwardly cropped. This is all about how we physically position ourselves in relation to a subject. The exposure's not bad but always tricky with such direct light and an overhanging peak (on the cap). I might have been tempted expose for the mid-face and try and hold the highlights by half a stop. Still, nicely seen.

What a shame - the photographer has seen an image but not done quite enough to capture it successfully. I like what's going on and I like the shape that the woman's hands are making but why are we also looking at the back of a man's head that contributes nothing to the structure of the image? We either need to be tighter on the main subject and her gesture or shoot vertically to crop the extraneous detail. Nicely seen however.

I think this is very strong and gives a good impression of the model with just a hint of a smile flickering on this face. Nicely exposed but when we have this much time we have to make the subject and he background harmonious. It's a small point but the light point to the left of the frame is a little distracting as is the line of brickwork just about the model's head. A small adjustment of an inch would have made something really great - but a good effort.

I really do like this - nicely composed, well exposed and thoughtful. You've captured a lovey moment and the portrait speaks of something timeless - but I do wonder why the post-production is so heavily worked? For me it is a bit distracting. Surely this is a documentary portrait - I think it needs little artifice - in fact that in many ways detracts from its simplicity. But overall, a great effort - well seen.

A really strong image - and one that is made all the better by a little humour. I like that man's big smile and I especially like the squirming baby's movement - but the exposure is loose and some of the highlights have gone. When we have an opportunity like this we have to meter more carefully - it would transform an OK image into a great one. Average camera meetering is not your friend here.

I really like this. It's a very gentle image and I chose it primarily for the framing - I like how you've used the foliage of the tree to frame the subject's face. The fence doesn't bisect his head in a way that is too distracting and his hands complement his stance. Overall, a really nice effort.

I quite like this.This is such a potentially great picture - but sometimes a great picture is the product of an inch this way or half a stop that way. I really like the exposure and it seems spot on over the white of the man's clothes but the detail of the bowl next to him is a distraction and you've cut his toes off. These are little things but to make a harmonious image, everything has to sit well. Good effort though.

This is a really nice and simple image that works pretty well in terms of composition but it falls down a little bit on exposure. The highlights look almost blown and it's such a shame - there's a great image here that with a little more careful exposure would have been a cracker. Good effort though: lovely expression and graphically strong.

A good effort generally but how to improve? The thing that really stands out is the exposure of this image is a little off. A bit more care with highlights on the dress and face would have made all the difference. I suspect overall metering when the light called for spot metering. Also a different framing that didn't make the picture frame impinge on the player so much would have been preferable. I can see by the shape that this is a big crop so curious how the original image was framed. That said, well done for seeing it.

One of the marks of a good photographer is how well they handle light. In opposition to most of the entries here that are characterised by strong side light, this lovely image handles soft dappled light very well. It has a languid feel to it that adds to the composition and the emotion that goes with it. Its strength is is simplicity and its natural feeling. Well done.

I like this a good deal and I think that you've captured something of this lady's character. I like that the shadows and the highlights are intact and the hat's very nicely framed - but I wonder if it feels just a little bit too flat with processing? When we expose for black and white we expose for shadows and I wonder if this is a 'conversion' from a colour frame flattened in post-processing? It makes the subject look older and dour accentuating her ageing skin texture. Anyway, a really decent frame.

Well, I'd almost there isn't it? It's a nice set up - graphically strong and pretty well in control of the highlights - but it's the little things that make a picture. I like the curtain details but how much better if the groom's head wasn't partially obscuring the painting behind. When we have time to pose like this, either have the subject move - or move around the subject. That said, a solid image.