Sophia Schade  

Look at the Eyes by Sophia Schade

April 2026 - Look at the Eyes

April 2026 - Sophia Schade

Original

About the Image(s)

This image was taken in Sri Lanka last February during the 4th PSA Worldwide Gathering. As many of you know, I’m usually behind the lens photographing birds and behavior??”but this time, something stopped me. It was her eyes. There was a quiet strength and calm curiosity in the way she looked at me. In that moment, everything else faded, and I wanted to create an image that would draw the viewer directly into that connection. I stepped in close with my 70??“200mm lens, shooting wide open at f/2.8 to soften the background and keep the focus entirely on her expression. This is not my usual style, so I would truly appreciate your thoughts and suggestions on how I can improve and grow in portrait photography.

Z9 | 190mm | f/2.8 | 1/2500 | ISO 1250

9 comments posted

Richard Siersma   Richard Siersma
Sophia, this is a wonderful subject for a low?key study. I'd suggest reducing the amount of darkening applied to the hair along the side of her face, and at the same time revealing a bit more of her neck so the head doesn't appear visually disconnected from the body. Maintaining subtle separation in those areas will help preserve a natural contour while still keeping the overall low?key aesthetic.   Posted: 04/02/2026 16:49:42
Sophia Schade   Sophia Schade
Thank you for your feedback. Look at my reply to Pete   Posted: 04/11/2026 02:51:48
Oliver Morton   Oliver Morton
Sophia, your model has wonderful, engaging eyes! I can see why she captivated you. You did well bringing the eyes out as the primary focus of the image. Like Richard, I thought the darkening was a bit intense, so I played with the photograph a bit in Camera Raw. Your thoughts?


  Posted: 04/02/2026 17:13:52
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Sophia Schade   Sophia Schade
Thank you, Pete. I read everyone's comments and incorporated everyonce suggestions as well. Here is my final photo.   Posted: 04/11/2026 02:50:14
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Suzanne Wacker   Suzanne Wacker
Hi Sophia. The eye contact is very strong and engaging. One rule of thumb that I try to use is to have the eyes on the top third. Sometimes you might have to crop through the top of the head which I do in my portraits. It's not everyone's cup of tea but I think it's a good way to help bring the focus to the eyes without having to darken down the background as much. The background is lovely and soft as it is. You have a good eye for seeing what will make an engaging portrait!   Posted: 04/03/2026 02:37:50
Sophia Schade   Sophia Schade
Thank you for your feedback and helping me make this a better Portrait. Look at my reply to Pete..   Posted: 04/11/2026 02:53:37
Mark Burgess   Mark Burgess
Love this Sophia and it took me a while to accept that this came from the original image. Especially her age: I think she looks very adult in the processed image and obviously child like in the original.

Have you tried to add blue into her eyes? I am not sure that works and her pupils are obscured.   Posted: 04/09/2026 04:30:47
Sophia Schade   Sophia Schade
Thank you for your feedback and helping me make this a better Portrait. Look at my reply to Pete   Posted: 04/11/2026 02:54:05
Natalia Mamaeva   Natalia Mamaeva
A magnificent portrait! The post-processing has made it look perfect!   Posted: 04/17/2026 07:40:39

 

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