For this practice we needed to find a simple background with a shallow depth of field to create a standard head shot focusing the eyes.
I have taken and included both a horizontal and vertical frame so as the to compare the two images. For portraits it is common to use vertical framing but there are occasions when a horizontal frame seems to be more effective if we want to see something of the surrounding context and background.
The first set I took are below, they were okay, but I decided to shoot them again with a background that was more highlighted.
85mm f/1.8 1/500
85mm f/1.8 1/640
Second set and chosen image which is the last one here below in the page
Final chosen image for the exercise.
85mm 1/500 f/1.8
Of these images this is the one that I think works best as a portrait for this exercise. Why I think that is because the background enhances the portrait more than the first trial set, producing a more interesting view. However, the fault of this image is that the lighting is a bit one sided. I had taken others using a reflector but this is the image that gave best clarity of the eyes. I did not use a reflector for this shot.
OCA log level 1 Photography 