Senior Portrait Session, C&C appreciated!

[Petraio Prime]

Look nice except for the one crooked one (sorry, I hate that fad).

the only thing...she seems to have her smile exactly the same in every photo...

how is that possible?

The one in the red chair...the sun on her face is rather too 'hot' and it would have benefitted you to have a scrim or diffuser on that side, to soften the harsh sunlight.

 

[jkleinhe]

Look nice except for the one crooked one (sorry, I hate that fad).

the only thing...she seems to have her smile exactly the same in every photo...

how is that possible?

The one in the red chair...the sun on her face is rather too 'hot' and it would have benefitted you to have a scrim or diffuser on that side, to soften the harsh sunlight.

Thanks for that comment. You're right. I do not like this picture and didn't really know how to fix it but that would really have helped. I tried to reflect light on the other side of her face but instead I should have tried to soften the light on the other side. Good advice...wish I could retake that one.

 

[Laika]

The second picture in the second set you posted is the one that is working best for me. I feel like some of the poses are slightly awkward.

I also like the ones with the red chair pretty well. Though I agree with the poster that said her face is a little too bright in some of the chair shots.

Overall I would say its a pretty good session!

 

[njw1224]

Overall I think you have very good instincts. I do feel you need some refinement in posing. The arms, hands and shoulders look limp and lifeless in most of the shots except the shots where the hands are propped under the chin. Check out some of the posing instruction by the great old masters like Don Blair. These masters took posing to an extreme, but there was sound reasoning behind their techniques that can easily be worked into the looser shooting styles of seniors.

Also, don't forget about varying the expression. This girls face looks almost exactly the same in every shot - same smile and amount of "happiness". That gets old after looking at a number of images. Do some serious, some looking away from the camera, some laughing, etc.

You may also want to look into using some off-camera flash at times. With certain backgrounds, it can really make the subject "pop" and stand out.

Good job though. Keep at it.

 

[jkleinhe]

Overall I think you have very good instincts. I do feel you need some refinement in posing. The arms, hands and shoulders look limp and lifeless in most of the shots except the shots where the hands are propped under the chin. Check out some of the posing instruction by the great old masters like Don Blair. These masters took posing to an extreme, but there was sound reasoning behind their techniques that can easily be worked into the looser shooting styles of seniors.

Also, don't forget about varying the expression. This girls face looks almost exactly the same in every shot - same smile and amount of "happiness". That gets old after looking at a number of images. Do some serious, some looking away from the camera, some laughing, etc.

You may also want to look into using some off-camera flash at times. With certain backgrounds, it can really make the subject "pop" and stand out.

Good job though. Keep at it.

Thank you so much for the excellent feed back. I will look into Don Blair and study up on that. I do have problems with posing, I am still uncomfortable with it. It just doesn't come naturally to me or to many subjects.

Concerning expression, you are right about all the smiling. She is a natural with the smile. I did do some serious posing but I did not post it here, she did well with that. I had her look off into the distance a couple of times but she looked awkward and she didn't really know where to be looking or what type of expression to have. How do you coach someone with this look? Some people I feel have a much easier time with it then others...or perhaps it is just me the photographer?

 

[deannamb]

The railroad pic looks awkward, but I dig the rest.

 

[Alpha]

1) Shooting at odd angles does not help. It looks cheap.
2) Play with your DOF, but control it.
3) Check out some articles/books on posing.

 

[photosbybritni]

You did a very good job, I hope you do really well in this market. I would stay clear of the "head on the tracks" pose though, made me extremely uncomfortable.

I think #3 is your strongest image, definitely a favorite of mine. I'm not to keen on image #4 though, elbows are cut off and she looks to stiff to me.

I love the chair in the field its different and unique. I have seen similar furniture props used as this, however I would not pose my subjects behind it. Just my opinion...

Good luck to you.

 

[njw1224]

I had her look off into the distance a couple of times but she looked awkward and she didn't really know where to be looking or what type of expression to have. How do you coach someone with this look? Some people I feel have a much easier time with it then others...or perhaps it is just me the photographer?

Personally, I wouldn't have her look too far off camera. Perhaps just a slight gaze away or down a bit. Full profile shots can look great, but generally just don't sell well. People like to buy photos when they can see the face. So showing the face in the photo but not having the eyes at the lens is probably better. You more likely to get away with selling a full-profile shot if it's a bit more distant - showing the full body - because then the emphasis isn't on it being a head and shoulder portrait, and clients will be more accepting that the face is sideways.

 

[thestorey]

These are great she is going to love them! But I would have gotten a few "alternates" with her mouth shut with a less toothy smile. maybe a smirky grin.