Hi Art, This is the best portrait album I've seen. You did a great job. I really was beginning to think you were a professional photographer. I love doing kids too. You have some wonderful kid shots. Donna

said debkd 2007.04.06 at 08:50:00 PDT

Hi Art. Thanks for your kind comments in my albums today. I really enjoy my visit in this album, all of your portraits are very good, interesting lighting in most of them. Thanks for sharing. I wish you a Wonderful New Year 2007. Best wishes from Norway. EVA

said evaaase 2006.12.26 at 11:55:52 PST

Hi Art! What great portraits! Fantastic job! Your lighting is so pleasing to the eye! Thanks for inviting me to be your friend! And, yes, we can always use more friends! Will be back soon to view more of your work! Take care, Darlene

said briansbabe2 2006.10.20 at 18:21:24 PDT

Hi, I really enjoyed your album a lot. Greetings Tim GREENLAND : -)

said inuit1963 2006.07.31 at 05:52:27 PDT

VERY NICE,YOU KNOW SOME ADORABLE CHILDREN.I HAVE NO IDEAS TO IMPROVE.THEY ARE PRETTY DANG GOOD BLESSINGS KAT

said KATFISH69 2006.07.28 at 07:08:51 PDT

Hello Art,Thanks for visiting my new album of Torgny.Your portretwork is well done.Different people feeling them home before your camera.It was a joy for me visiting this album.Greetings Marylou

said louke105 2006.06.29 at 11:03:48 PDT

Hi Art! Me again, I wanted to thank you for your message to me of being a featured member and your visit to one of my albums. Hope you're doing o.k. and we will see mre of your work!!! Trudy

said hamiltrudy1 2006.05.31 at 13:49:31 PDT

Hi Art, you keep posting more and more beautiful shots. It's a great album!!! Trudy-Newport

said hamiltrudy1 2006.05.06 at 08:04:43 PDT

Hi Art,I was a joy for me to revisit this wonderful portret album.Very nice new additions.Thanks for your kind words into the guestbook of my new album.Take care.Belgium greetings Marylou

said louke105 2006.04.22 at 12:29:56 PDT

Hi Art...Well from the "looks" of things you are getting the Portraits down pat so to speak..One thing about your image captures that's very unique is your ability to get the "non" posed capture..like with your brother & his gal..simply awesome..Know that at times its hard to do but they make the best shots..Thanks for the "tour" through this album my friend...God's Blessings from Texas...Ken

said bigdaddy8x14 2006.04.06 at 17:55:16 PDT

Hi Mugs, I love your Shirley portrait. I hope to learn portaiture one day. I can do it so-so, but I'd like to sell (laughing up my sleeve) some photos in order to get lighting accessories one day, but I can use flash fill in open shade now if only I would! I still have to learn how my Oly C5060 truly works. Auto is not exactly the choice I want all the time. LOL. I am getting a grip on the Stylus 500, and it's a wonderful pocket camera taking fantastic (very large or small) photos plus the telephoto on this tiny midget is really fairly long! Come visit my albums any time. I am weeding now and again and need to put up new shots taken over the past two years here and there. Been slow since mid-2002 due to some nasty surgeries followed by a rotten accident. I'm back, sorta. Now I'm working on a friend's dissertation having to do with "seniors" over 70 who have personal losses and turn to some creative outlet that just whips them out of their problem. My photography qualifies for some of that in me, but I'm not a subject (however, I teach him more as I work in my "elder years" how at least I tick! He is an RN, NP and almost a Ph.D. in gerontology. He loves that I work with photography. I also want to go to PCC and get art and/or digital classes perhaps this coming summer or at least fall. Have to get back into the classroom because that's where I come really alive! I have a long road back to being strong again. Wish me luck. See ya. Keep up your great work!!! Love the invites. Donna

said lindsay9 2006.04.06 at 10:55:58 PDT

Hi Art, great to visit this album again. Think I found one of the additions, the portrait at the auto show. But still like all the rest as you do so well with this kind of photography. Still haven't tried it, afraid of it. Greetings from Newport - Trudy

said hamiltrudy 2006.02.21 at 06:07:59 PST

Hi again Art! Just to let you know that I stopped by your page again, and again, loved it. Well, this time I visited “Favorites from all my albums”, from where I downloaded Mount St. Helen and three more, and this “Portraits” album. Good portraits and wonderful family. God bless you all. Thanks again for sharing. Domingos, from New Jersey.

said minhasdores 2006.01.10 at 17:07:31 PST

Hi Art! Thanks for the invite. I have never tried portraits, have always been a little afraid of it, but you seem to be able to handle it. My favorties? # 44 and 45. Keep it up?..Trudy - Newport

said hamiltrudy1 2005.06.11 at 16:57:28 PDT

Hi Art ,thanks for your kind words on my albums.I appreciate it very much.Your portrets are very sharp.You've done a great job.The kid eating a tomato is my favorite.Thanks for sharing.Greetings Mary-lou(Belgium)

said louke105 2005.01.26 at 13:11:45 PST

Art, your portraits just keep improving! I really like this new entry of the couple with the autumn colors in the background. Very nice! Maggie

said skeeeterbug 2004.12.30 at 06:34:01 PST

Nice album, Art. I enjoyed looking at your technique. Good job. Thanks for the comment in my guestbook. Dianna

said diannataylorcrumpl... 2004.12.07 at 14:24:38 PST

Hi Art; you have done a very good job with your portraits, real bice photos. Have a Happy Birthday, from Hans, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.

said haenschenklein101 2004.11.22 at 19:01:12 PST

I like the work you're doing here, Art. I can see the progress in your portrait work (something I can't do well). I still like the composition of your first entry, "Bergans Black Coffee". That's a classic. Your last entry of the couple is excellent. Alan

said alanweb 2004.11.14 at 06:15:57 PST

Art (I have a son named Art), Thanks for the sweet comments in my guestbook on Africa. I love these pictures of your family. The Portraits are very well done. Dianna

said diannataylorcrumpl... 2004.10.20 at 21:24:52 PDT

Hi Art! I love these portraits! My favorites are the black and whites. I don't do "people&quot ; shots very well, and I'm still trying to figure out how to use Photoshop. I can do the very basic things, but the "layers&quot ; really confuse me. Really enjoyed this album!! Keep up the good work! God bless, Shaun

said shaunhouston 2004.09.27 at 02:50:45 PDT

Hello Art, your portraits are looking very good!!! The only advice I can give you is to practise a lot with different lightnings and different poses. Making is portraits is a real challenge. The art is to capture the person just the way he or she is. Go on with your work.... you are doing well! greetings, Diana.

said dianawiersma1 2004.09.23 at 14:53:47 PDT

Hi Art! I do not have any experience with portraiture. The fact that people have to pose makes it hard I think to get relaxt or natural photos. I like the tomato eating kid best! So far my people shots are taken mostly unawares. However I did something which you might call portraiture maybe. Have a look at my alter ego on a kids summercamp: http://community.webshots.com/user/zomerkamp_2004_large. tell me what you think about that... Greetings Anna

said annaoldenhave 2004.09.09 at 04:15:54 PDT

Nicely done Art. I have some work I want to do also, looking for a model. I am also off to Vermont on Oct 9th for the Autumn colors again. Hoping to get some saleable stuff for stock use. Your portraits are very nice I long to be as good as you've done here. Nice work. Randy

said randyincv 2004.09.08 at 07:22:42 PDT

Hi Art - Isn't portraiture fun?! Generally I get the most satisfaction out of producing a good portrait. In my classes with the New York Institute of Photography I have learned that you want to always focus on the eyes. You don't want to have too much background. And, you want to capture as much of the individual's personality as possible. That's not to say you don't want any background. Sometimes it really contributes to the "story" . But, generally you don't want the background to become too distracting. Also, when you focus on the eyes you want to get "catch lights" - the sparkle in the eyes that's a result of studio lights, sunlight, and/or a strobe. So generally you want the subject of your photo to be looking at you. I really like "Fun Angie". You caught her personality, her happiness, and love of life in your photo. NYI teaches that for a success photo you always follow three rules: know your subject, focus on your subject, and simplify. However, photography is also about creativity and personal preference - I have seen award winning photos that seem to break all the rules. But, rules are only guidelines. Mostly I liked your photos. I think your beginning attempts are great. Connie from Ohio.

said camerabug1 2004.09.08 at 06:21:22 PDT

Nice portraits Art, IMHO After Glow is the best..I like the hair backlit like that..nice work. Marianne

said bowlingranny2 2004.09.08 at 04:04:33 PDT

Hi Art and Thanks for the invite..I always enjoy looking at your work..Portraiture is something I've just begun to explore myself..and I have to say its one of the harder things to learn and do..but it looks as though you're on the right path and doing nicely so far..wonderful subjects and great backgrounds...Arnie***

said amacko6748_ 2004.09.07 at 17:41:23 PDT

Great portraits although I would go easy on the dark vignettes. Light vignettes might give a more cheery result, or as an alternative, do a selection of the subject and use a gauzean blur on the background and then take down the background brightness, or desaturate the background partially and lessen the opacity. in any case always work on different layers so that you can experiment...Great shots, good luck...Lloyd

said fotoproze 2004.09.07 at 15:25:05 PDT

Hi Art, I must agree with most of the people in this guestbook, Great work. All the best, George in Shetland

said gpleask 2004.09.07 at 15:19:38 PDT

Hi, I loved the pictures. Great photography. Thanks for sharing with me. Dianna from Memphis

said diannataylorcrumpl... 2004.09.07 at 14:07:41 PDT

wonderful portraits, thanks for the invite! my favourites are those with a black bacground :-)) !!! Ciao, Clara

said clarita137 2004.09.07 at 09:03:29 PDT

Oh by the way... have you heard of PhotoSIG? It's a site to upload your pictures for critique. A great place to learn from other amateurs and professionals.

said dbattag 2004.09.07 at 08:25:48 PDT

These comments come from an amateur who also is learning and studying portraiture. As per your request for critique and comments the following are only my personal opinions. Overall... Great works and good use of PhotoShop. Solitude - Nice exposure. In my opinion the subject’s positioning looks awkward. She looks like she is trying not to slide down. I would like to suggest that the hand be placed on her lap, and repositioning of the right leg perhaps cross the left over the right to give a more relaxed position. Little tomato eater - Great exposure, overall great shot. Back to the sea – good exposure Eye to the sky – nice shot, nice highlight on the hair. Lost in the forest – Nice perspective and great composition. Tree hugger – Overall great exposure and use of light. Neck and hand a little rigid. Early teens - Nice exposure and very nice composition. After glow - Good use of available light. Great shot. Teen age boy – A little burned on the neck and perhaps a little more room to the right of the subject. Mizz Kim - Good exposure. Subject looks rigid in my opinion. Bergans black coffee – Great shot, very nice texture on the skin. Fun Angie – Nice shot. Subject looks relaxed. Perhaps shoot a little to the side rather than straight on full face. But, overall… a very nice portrait depicting character and warm mood. Jody – Very nice portrait. Excellent exposure. On the deck – Good exposure, nice contrast against the dramatic sky. Smoken at the club Smoken at the club - Black and white – Compared to the colour … this shot is GREAT in B&W and feels more like a portrait. Lisa – Good angle and exposure. Unknown – very nice perspective. Nice contrast and texture of the sweater but the face looks flat. By the lake – Good light and contrast. But the subject is too close to the edge and does not appear relaxed. Perhaps place her nearer and more to the front of the tree. Contrast in textures – Yes very nice textures and lighting. But I am not sure about the placement of the hand on the tree. Perhaps lowering the hand a little or even just leaning her against the tree with arms folded or hands relaxed at the side, or clasped over lap. Tammy with the angel Hat – Nice perspective and good exposure. Nice expression and show of character. KEEP ON SHOOTIN' CHEERS, Donna (DBattag)

said dbattag 2004.09.07 at 08:21:45 PDT

Awesome album Art!!!!You did a wonderful job on these photos..My favorite is "Little Tomato Eater" she is so cute and you captured her so well..:Lost in the forest,Mizz Kim,and Day Dreaming."I also love these keep up the good work my friend can't wait to see your next set...From Pickens,SC..Syble

said smorgano57 2004.09.07 at 08:20:58 PDT