Portrait photo critique
What to judge in a portrait: sharp eyes, living catchlights, light that shapes the face, and a background that stays in its place.
Portrait critique is about presence: does the person feel alive in the frame, and does the craft support that? An AI-written critique from Artluni will not replace a director on set, but it can flag focus, light and crop issues before you deliver files or post.
Eyes, focus and catchlights
In most head-and-shoulders work the nearer eye should be sharp. Soft eyes with a sharp ear or lapel usually read as a miss. Catchlights (small reflections in the eyes) add life; dead, flat eyes under overhead light are a common fix with a reflector or a step toward a window. If both eyes cannot be sharp at a wide aperture, choose the nearer one on purpose and accept the falloff.
Light on the face
Name the key light: window, open shade, strobe, sunset. Short lighting and broad lighting change cheek shape; butterfly and loop patterns change nose shadow. Hard noon sun under the brow makes raccoon eyes; open shade or a diffuser often helps outdoors. Watch for colour cast from green grass or orange streetlight on skin, and for clipped highlights on forehead and nose.
Expression, crop and background
Expression is subjective, but distraction is not. Background branches that grow from ears, bright patches under the armpit, and cluttered kitchens behind an environmental portrait all compete with the face. Crop with care at the joints: cutting at mid-forearm can feel awkward; leaving gaze space in front of the face usually feels calmer. Hands tell stories; clenched fists or amputated fingers at the edge deserve a second look.
Honesty about AI notes
Artluni's critiques are AI-written. Use them to catch craft issues, then trust your relationship with the subject for pose and mood. Pair this page with self-critique habits, a free AI photo critique, or genre neighbours like street when the portrait is environmental. See also how to get feedback when you are ready to show a human.