A few portraits from yesterday

[Braineack]

This was my first outing to specifically go take pictures. We had planned to go to one venue earlier this week, but when I arrived the parents decided that they just wanted to go to a local park and walk around and just kinda play it by ear. That messed me up a little bit cause I had no idea what to expect.

It's REALLY tough to photograph kids. Like ridiculously. Had a lot of shots that I thought would have been really good but little Campbell would just not cooperate.

It got to the point where he was exclaim: No Picture. or No Say Cheese. or just NOOOOOoooooooo!

All in all I thought it went pretty well and ended up with a few shots the parents really liked.

1

DSC_7893-2 by The Braineack, on Flickr

2

url=https://flic.kr/p/o6ZBuY]DSC_7920-6[/url] by The Braineack, on Flickr

3

DSC_7972-14 by The Braineack, on Flickr

4

DSC_7989-17 by The Braineack, on Flickr

5

DSC_7998-18 by The Braineack, on Flickr

6

DSC_8025-21 by The Braineack, on Flickr

7

DSC_8027-22 by The Braineack, on Flickr

8

DSC_8045-1 by The Braineack, on Flickr

9

DSC_8051-25 by The Braineack, on Flickr


10

DSC_8137-32 by The Braineack, on Flickr

11

DSC_8173-36 by The Braineack, on Flickr


12

DSC_8192-37 by The Braineack, on Flickr
Pizza time!

 

[acparsons]

Great work!

 

[paigew]

I think you did a great job! Yes kids are so freaking hard. I leave every family/toddler session sweating my butt off. My last resort trick is to run up...tickle, and run back to snap the photo. Do this 3-5 times and your bound to get at least one "smile at the camera" pic LOL. Also get mom and dad involved. When things go to crap I usually just let it go and completely change direction. Does the kid like to be tossed in the air....swung around, hide + seek, shoulder rides. Anything to keep them semi-still and happy. I also always try to get formal photos at the very beginning before they get bored with sitting still. Once the formals are done really interact with the kid. Hey, what is that...a giant bug? Get it! Can you pick up that huge rock? Wow how far can you throw it...How about picking a flower for your mama...I bet she would love that. Are you fast? Show me...run over to dad when I say "on your mark"...you get the idea

My faves:
#2...I love it! I would crop a lot off the bottom though to get rid of moms legs. You are probably going to loose the boy's bottom shoe but seeing the bottom of the legs really draws the eye.
#5&6...adorable! The pose with mom is one of my favorite poses. So flattering for mom as it hides the tummy
#7 I think missed the mark. Boys head is blocking moms. Next time have mom and dad like ridiculously, uncomfortably close. Then they can both help wrangle the boy in the middle. As is, dad looks very distant
#8 Is cute...up the nose, but I'm sure the parents will love this one.
#9 is your money shot Yay!
#11...super cute, but the thing bottom frame...distracting
Love the last one Great light.

Mom and dad will love these! Everyone looks happy and I would have never known it was so difficult.

 

[Braineack]

Thanks for the input/pointers.

#2 I was so incredibly disappointed with this one because I couldn't get Campbell to look at me or smile. I was very happy with the lighting, it was overcast and very flatter on Mom and I liked the colors on the shed in the background, but he just wasn't having it. Actually, there's more than a few pictures I borrowed his face from others in the sets.

#7 was disappointing but the best of that set. Was mainly illustrating the difficulties. All he wanted to do at that point was hang out with me and push buttons.

#9 I have a bunch more of him running towards me, but I liked that one the best. The OOF stuff doesn't bother me.


Everything I planned pretty much went out the window and I just had to work on my toes.


I was able to also give my own pointers:




The full set is here in case you wanted to look through: https://www.flickr.com/gp/80607199@N08/Yn1P67/

 

[LCLimages]

See #2 I wouldn't crop off the bottom honestly I hadn't noticed her legs and I think it would be more distracting to lose part of his shoe than keep her legs. What distracts me is whatever that thing on the white wall in the background. I'd clone that out.

#6 I really want to like but I don't like the B&W conversion. It seems... hazy? Maybe a bit mid-tone heavy. It's a cute shot though.

Watch your cut off hands, feet, etc. #9 is great but you're missing the bottom of Dad's arm/hand and it's cropped weird at mom's elbow. Kind of awkward. Frame it just a bit wider and you've got a winner there.

Overall I'm sure the family will love them

 

[Braineack]

9 is a crop from a full head to toe portrait orentation shot. I gave myself the license to chop appendanges to get the look I wanted.

 

[mmaria]

I don't have time to give you a proper critique, and I haven't seen what others said....

I just wanted to suggest that you edit mom and dad's teeth a bit and make them whiter. It can easily be done and parents will like it more then yellow.

#2 great expression, but unflattering pose for her, all I see is her thigh

and also, why not just retouch a bit her "bags under eyes" (sorry, no proper translation)

 

[Designer]

"bags under eyes" (sorry, no proper translation)

That's what we call them.

 

[Derrel]

Nothing like having to "think on your feet" to make you feel alive. And under pressure! I think overall these turned out okay. I'd really like to see a bit more eye-sparkle though, that would be my main concern about the lighting. Although the boy may have become recalcitrant by the end, at least you got in some good ones before his attitude went south. He's toooooootally "at that age" where that is to be expected.

 

[JustJazzie]

Number 9 is definitely one for over the sofa! Great set!

 

[mmaria]

"bags under eyes" (sorry, no proper translation)

That's what we call them.

oh lol thank you J!

 

[vintagesnaps]

I'd think about the framing so hands/arms or feet aren't cut off yet there's more than enough space at the top. Some seem to have a lot of lines (posts/poles) or maybe in some those could have been included differently in the photos to frame the subjects.
,
This young, kids will most likely only last so long before they're done - it'll probably take learning techniques to use with kids and how to get photos efficiently in a potentially limited amount of time (especially with younger children).

Besides #9 being a nice one that might be better cropped below dad's upper hand to clean up the composition a little, I think #8 is a fun shot even though he's not looking at the camera because they look like they're laughing and having fun together - I just would think about the bottom edge, if since it's already cropped I think it might be better cropped a little more to get rid of the black line across his T shirt and to not have just the start of the curve of his wrist/hand (if that makes sense). I wonder if the exposure was off in #7? maybe some adjustment could correct that because I agree that one's framed well and you got great expressions. The B&W looks light and gray, maybe could be adjusted but mom's cropped off to the right.

Looks like some tend to be framed too high, although it seems to be a natural tendency to look at the face(s). I remember somewhere along the way learning to look at everything in the frame and make sure I have what I want and it's where I want it to be in the frame.

 

[Braineack]

#9 is what it is. I cropped his arm in camera.

Here's a different crop on #8:


DSC_8045-1-2 by The Braineack, on Flickr

My issue with framing is mainly my technique. I don't like to recompose and I'm stuck with a tiny area to focus with. I'm usually on the very far outermost focus points to focus on the face and the framing suffers from it.

 

[paigew]

/\ I like that better

 

[Braineack]

I wonder if the exposure was off in #7? maybe some adjustment could correct that because I agree that one's framed well and you got great expressions.

I can fool with it a bit. I had a reflector setup for them for these shots. I was able to reposition them back in front of it for shot #9 and why their faces look much better for this one; I specifically put the sun behind them.