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

[myko5]

I officially understand why it takes people years to become great at this. Sooo many different things, all of which can be just as important as another.

 

[Derrel]

I officially understand why it takes people years to become great at this. Sooo many different things, all of which can be just as important as another.

LOTS of small things go into making good photographs!!! Even family snaps! I prefer kids with totally natural expressions....I NEVER tell my kid to "smile!", because I don't want him to be one of those grownups who has a "picture-taking face". Back to your shots...the amount of flash looks to me to be just a little bit too much in relation to the background or ambient lighting level...maybe one f/stop too much flash power...otherwise, these look better than the results from no-flash shots would have looked. If this is a first attempt, I have to classify this as a big win. My feeling is that no modifier is needed when flash is being used in this manner, for these types of whole-body scenes, shot in this style. If you want an obviously "fashion-ista" type of look, then yes, a modifier, placed VERY CLOSE to the subject, is a plus.

 

[myko5]

Ok, so all issues with composition and DOF aside, this is a side by side of originally posted photo and one I just tried to edit. In the second, I created a selective fill layer of just my daughter. Then I decreased the exposure roughly half a stop. Is this better? To me the whole photo looks a bit too dark. I'm adding a third picture of which i took the 2nd edit and just up the exposure of the entire photo half a stop.


View attachment 17851

 

[paigew]

She looks underexposed in your edit.

 

[myko5]

So any positives? Think the bases are covered for the things I did wrong.

 

[paigew]

So any positives? Think the bases are covered for the things I did wrong.

Take some new pics so we can c&c those for you

 

[jowensphoto]

So any positives? Think the bases are covered for the things I did wrong.

I remember seeing a poster with a cat doing something naughty a loooong time ago. The caption said, "When I do something good, no one remembers. When I do something bad, no one forgets!"

You're on a photography forum, asking for critique; we are going to see what is wrong with the photo. As you've learned, there are many different elements. When you first start out, expect to have more wrongs than rights.

 

[myko5]

I realize the wrongs are usually the things that are pointed out, as done so in this thread. I don't mind, and I expected it. I am asking if there were any positives that do exist in the photos. By all means, if there are more things wrong, I would like to hear them too. Good or Bad, my feelings won't be hurt. I am just trying to take in as much as possible so I can learn.

 

[paigew]

I think the background you chose works well. It is nice and dark with no light spots shining through which helps the subject to stand out. But honestly the photo needs to be redone. The bad outweighs the good so that the good doesn't really matter (sorry I tried to put that as nice as possible). My favorite of the set is the one you posted later (I liked it). I like the framing of it and the light too (I believe it was lit naturally); her expression though, could use some work. Keep shooting!

 

[myko5]

It is nice and dark with no light spots shining through which helps the subject to stand out.​

I realize the bad outweighs the good after all the feedback. This quote here is exactly why I also enjoy positive feedback. I did not choose the background based on this reason, but its something I can look for in the future.

 

[jaicatalano]

Well congrats on starting somewhere. Sometimes you just have to do it and you did. The toughest part is to make things look natural. I remember doing a play once and a girl said to me she loved the way I walked on stage. Then every night I felt I was trying to walk cool when in fact I probably looked like a big fool. That being said the word smile has the same effect. It makes the mouth muscle up for a desired look. Try other tactics to get responses from her. Also see if you can play with more natural light. If you like flash I would tone it down a bit.