First attempt at outdoor portraits with my girls. C&C please

[myko5]

All pictures were taken with my Sigma 70-200 2.8. It was hard to get them where I wanted as they just wanted to play. I had my assistant (their cousin) hold a bare SB-600 off camera. I really liked how they came out and feel like they are my best work yet. I also edited them with CS6 and Topaz adjust 5. Please let me know where I can improve. I have my daddy goggles on so hit me upside the head with some reality please. And if you have seen some of my previous work, feel free to inform me if I have made any improvements with my photography.

Thanks,



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[paigew]

I have not seen your previous work (that I remember). But I think the flash is way too bright on these. She almost looks cut/pasted into the background. I do think #4 came out nice though, it has some depth to it.

 

[The_Traveler]

She isn't comfortable and every picture where the face shows has a forced expression.
Dump them and take more until she relaxes.
Often a quick funny expression will make a tensed up person laugh and that's the picture you want to capture.

 

[myko5]

Thanks. She tends to make plenty of forced expressions. I still think they are great, but not like the ones I have caught of her that are her true expressions of the moment.

 

[The_Traveler]

After the first 2000 exposures, they'll stop posing and smirking.

 

[paigew]

After the first 2000 exposures, they'll stop posing and smirking.

yeah then they will just close their eyes and hide their faces .

Honestly though, I don't even try for smiles anymore.... I just talk to my kids and shoot for eye contact and genuine expressions. If they are feeling silly and you can make them laugh awesome! But serious looks top fake smiles any day in my book

 

[myko5]

I dont even ask them to do anything other then look at me anymore. They know I want to take their picture and those are the expressions that I get from them.

Is it possible that I just edited the raw files and tweaked things wrong in post to make the flash appear to bright? I know I only had it set to like 1/16 power. Possibly change values in camera to make the flash seem not so harsh?

 

[myko5]

One from earlier in the day. I didn't use a flash on this one, so hopefully the lighting isn't as harsh.

 

[Stradawhovious]

Possibly change values in camera to make the flash seem not so harsh?

Get a modifier. Get the flash off the camera, and somewhere more useful. A bare flash on top of the camera, pointed directly at the subject won't often (if ever) give you good results.

If I'm doing an outdoor shoot I usually have a monopod with a speedlight on it, and a modifier or two to boot. It can be tethered to any number of things with a bungee cord, or held by one of my kids. If I can't get what I want with natural light, I will make what I want with the help of OCF.

 

[MTVision]

One from earlier in the day. I didn't use a flash on this one, so hopefully the lighting isn't as harsh.

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17795"/>

The eyes are a little over processed. The whites are too white and you can see noise where you whitened them. Plus if you look closely you can actually see where you "painted" on the eyes - or at least the whites...

 

[myko5]

Possibly change values in camera to make the flash seem not so harsh?

Get a modifier. Get the flash off the camera, and somewhere more useful. A bare flash on top of the camera, pointed directly at the subject won't often (if ever) give you good results.

If I'm doing an outdoor shoot I usually have a monopod with a speedlight on it, and a modifier or two to boot. It can be tethered to any number of things with a bungee cord, or held by one of my kids. If I can't get what I want with natural light, I will make what I want with the help of OCF.

I was trying to just get a little fill light with the flash, not trying to actually make it my main light. It was also off camera held by another kid. I have a couple umbrellas I could have used, but I was just rushing them out the door before it was too dark. So I didn't think to grab a stand and umbrella.

 

[myko5]

One from earlier in the day. I didn't use a flash on this one, so hopefully the lighting isn't as harsh.

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachments/people-photography/17795-first-attempt-outdoor-portraits-my-girls-c-c-please-dsc_8378web.jpg"/>

The eyes are a little over processed. The whites are too white and you can see noise where you whitened them. Plus if you look closely you can actually see where you "painted" on the eyes - or at least the whites...

I did process them in CS6. I did not "paint" them white (I assume you meant with a brush) or try to whiten them. Not intentionally anyways. I selected both eyes and adjusted the exposure and contrast on them. After looking back on the picture, yes I agree they look over processed. I will have to go back and tone it down a bit. Post work is still a work in progress with me, so I tend to jack things up.

 

[laynea24]

yeah then they will just close their eyes and hide their faces .

Honestly though, I don't even try for smiles anymore.... I just talk to my kids and shoot for eye contact and genuine expressions. If they are feeling silly and you can make them laugh awesome! But serious looks top fake smiles any day in my book

I'm the same way Paige! If I catch my little boy's big blue eyes wide open, I'm happy!

 

[Stradawhovious]

I was trying to just get a little fill light with the flash, not trying to actually make it my main light. It was also off camera held by another kid.

Based on the catchlights and shadows, the light was pretty much dead on the subject, which is why the lighting looks flat. I could be wrong, but that's the way it looks. either way, move it around some!

I have a couple umbrellas I could have used, but I was just rushing them out the door before it was too dark. So I didn't think to grab a stand and umbrella.

There's always next time! Doesn't have to be an umbrella either, since those can be cumbersome. One of those snap on modifier caps you can get from eBay for $3 is surprisingly effective in a lot of scenerios.

 

[laynea24]

I did process them in CS6. I did not "paint" them white (I assume you meant with a brush) or try to whiten them. Not intentionally anyways. I selected both eyes and adjusted the exposure and contrast on them. After looking back on the picture, yes I agree they look over processed. I will have to go back and tone it down a bit. Post work is still a work in progress with me, so I tend to jack things up.

If you do all those changes before cropping, you can use the history brush to clean it up. Just go over where you don't want the changes to be applied. When I edit eyes, my main goal is to make sure no one can tell. I don't edit them very much. Sometimes not at all. Only when I feel it's necessary. Where were you having the other kid stand? It doesn't do any good to get it off camera unless they are off center. The lighting still looks flat if you point it directly at the subject. A reflector would have provided the fill light you were after. You can use flash, but in this case I would crank that baby down even further. If its extremely noticeable, it's too much.