First Senior Shoot ever C&C please

[TylerF]

Today i had a senior shoot with a friend. due to her availability we had to shoot kind of mid day. that was a challenge. and her smile makes her eyes very heavy. im not sure how to go about combating that. might have a reshoot though if shes not happy. idk if i am or not, im not sure how many final shots im supposed to have lol.

 

[reznap]

Glad you followed up, was looking forward to it. The lighting is great, think you learned from last time (bit harsh in #1 though - but some PP might help). You're right about her smile and how it squints her eyes, also some of the expressions look a little unnatural. TBH, I find the train in #4 distracting.. especially the bright bluish spot just to the left of her hair. Some people like to blend out the stray hairs and split ends in Photoshop, that might be something to consider doing.

I think you did a really good job on these and you show a lot of promise.

 

[Ron Evers]

Senior eh? laf!

They all look over posed to me. I will let others hack at the photos themselves. :>)

 

[TylerF]

i literally never told her how to pose lol. we were just having fun pretty much. do you not think she's a senior? younger or older? lol here's the first one unedited. and a few others we were just goofin off with lol

she saw a bee haha

 

[TylerF]

i might find a few more i like. im still gonna have her and her mom go through them though. i might convince her to do another shoot too. different outfit and stuff. we had like 3hrs today to get to 4 different locations and she lives 35 min away lol. whats a normal end number of shots to have?

 

[c.cloudwalker]

To be honest, she looks quite stoned to me. :lmao:

Her availability is your responsibility. You need to educate your clients. That means you do not schedule outdoors shoots midday. Period.

Next, you need to learn how to make your clients relax. Her smiles don't look very natural.

Of course this is only my opinion and I don't know the girl. Some people look naturally stoned...

Your exposures and locations are fairly nice though.

 

[TylerF]

she wasnt stoned. she has naturally heavy eyelids. the smiles weren't forced, we were laughing all day. and its hard when we both work (at the same place) and she goes to school and an internship. i did not charge her so she's not a client really.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

she wasnt stoned. she has naturally heavy eyelids. the smiles weren't forced

Gotcha. As I said, some people just look that way. So you need to shoot more with them to try and get the most natural looking photo that also looks good. At least, with digital, it doesn't cost anymore. Laughing during a shoot is fine but usually not while you press the shutter for portraits. Laughing doesn't usually results in the best portraits, imho.

Whether you are getting paid or not, always consider the person you are shooting to be a client. It's the best way to stay focused and serious about your shoot.

 

[ababysean]

I think it depends on how her eyes are naturally? Maybe you can get her to look up more, so that her eyes are forced to open? I know some people just look more squinty then others...
I think the colors are great and the poses are good too.
I think she looks very natural and friendly.

 

[TylerF]

yeah, i think that since we got all the spots we wanted to get, i might ask if she wants to get ice cream or something then do a quick, very relaxed shoot. i have some posing ideas i want to try and forgot about haha. i feel awkward telling ppl how to pose. not people i dont know, just the ones i do lol

 

[basso4735]

due to the fact that her eyelids close while smiling, what about a more serious pose? as in her not smiling.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

yeah, i think that since we got all the spots we wanted to get, i might ask if she wants to get ice cream or something then do a quick, very relaxed shoot. i have some posing ideas i want to try and forgot about haha. i feel awkward telling ppl how to pose. not people i dont know, just the ones i do lol

Are you on a date or are you on a shoot? I know you are young and starting but think about this as a "pro." As I said earlier, when you are shooting, you are or should be in charge. Make things happen. Ice cream can work but, tbh, I shoot to make money. Not to spend money.

If you cannot control your subject, you are not ready to shoot for money. And that is fine. We all need to learn somehow. Shoot some more unpaid, until you get it. But you have to be in control of your shoot.

 

[mrpink]

Stick some numbers in front of her and you have yourself a fairly well lit mug shot.

yeah, i think that since we got all the spots we wanted to get, i might ask if she wants to get ice cream or something then do a quick, very relaxed shoot. i have some posing ideas i want to try and forgot about haha. i feel awkward telling ppl how to pose. not people i dont know, just the ones i do lol

Are you on a date or are you on a shoot?

My first thought exactly. Get her senior pictures straight, then start mackin'.





p!nK

 

[TylerF]

lol she was like "mugshot!" before she went serious. to me, i think senior portraits should reflect the personality of the subject. she isnt really that serious of a person.

we arent dating but i remember her saying she hasnt had ice cream in forever and thought we could do that first then get a quick shoot in.

we are co-workers and good friends. not dating though lol.

i don't expect to be a pro after my first shoot lol. my "control" will most likely show when i work with someone i dont know. her parents asked for some of my cards and said they wanted to pay me so idk lol. i think once you charge, you have a standard you HAVE to meet. i don't quite think i am at that level to where i feel comfortable charging. i guess i could just offer a money back thing lol idk

 

[KmH]

The way she does her lip makeup is not flattering. Her eye makeup exagerates the issue with her eyes (deep set).

There are posing guides online.

Flash or reflected light for separation from the background. Particularly for subjects with deep set eyes like hers.

Four Flash Photography Basics we must know

Good portrait photographers are anal about control (posing), but do it in a way that makes it a pleasurable experience for the subject.

Have you studied any online portraiture or facial analysis guides online?

Check these out: S E N I O R S

That is what you're wanting to accomplish, and can if you're willing to do the work to learn how.