Army dad and daughter

[PrincessB]

This is actually a very old friend of mine and his daughter. They wanted more affordable family pictures for Christmas. I did a black and white focus on the emblem on his hat to accentuate him being an army man.
So what do you think?

 

[Jmad]

Neither of them seem to be looking at the camera, that kind of bothers me. To much grey area for my taste so I would mess around with it some more in ps and it might be a decent shot.

 

[Mathias13]

Don't really need to highlight the emblem being that he already has his combat suit on...too tacky

 

[nossie]

not great since you ask. He's not concentrating on you but seems to be looking at the piece of cake on the table behind the camera and the baby just wants to play with the lights. I understand that you might not have wanted him looking at the camera but it's still not right.
I think you'll/they'll have to work harder for the shot

 

[wildmaven]

What's that weirdness above his hat?

I don't like how the words on his chest read out "Grave Army", eek!

I think this would be okay if there was a wider range of darks and lights.

 

[bellavita64]

A couple of things I notice. First, there is a shadow outline of your subject on the backdrop. He should be seated 4-6 feet away from the backdrop. This will create separation and eliminate the shadows. Also the extra space will help to blur the background if your working aperture is wide enough. This picture is also overexposed. (Exposure is the biggest issue I am struggling with too, at this point in my photography development.) There are some major hotspots on the baby's face and forearm and the dad's hand, where the highlights have completely blown out. Is this why you converted to B&W? I am learning to trust in the histogram. Finally, the composition needs some work. Their heads are lined up in a straight row right down the middle of the picture. Symmetry is good, but not in photography. Work on the rule of thirds to create some visual tension. Tension IS good in photography: it is what draws the viewer in for a closer look. Don't be discouraged and just keep trying. I am finding that the more I learn, the more I need to learn. It is a lifelong process I think, but as long as you keep improving it is worth the effort!

 

[PrincessB]

Actually the family and their friends love this shot, it's one of their favorites, color or b&w. And the fact that the father is not looking directly at the camera works because it gives him a thoughful expression. Bout the only think they would want different would be to have the daughter look at the camera but since she is high energy thats hard.

 

[Bobby Ironsights]

Actually the family and their friends love this shot, it's one of their favorites, color or b&w. And the fact that the father is not looking directly at the camera works because it gives him a thoughful expression.

Dude! It's ok to ask for opinions, but if you only want NICE opinions, you should specify, with a simple phrase like....Flattery only please!

I'm sure they are thrilled, everyone likes free photography, and you caught the squirmy kid at a real good time, but there was one serious rookie mistake.

They are WAY too close to the background, and you can actually SEE the hard shadow of his body behind him.

Also, I understand Wildmaven's comment, but the fact is, digital black and white looks muddy, and lacks contrast. It's just a limitation of the system.

I don't have any idea why.

 

[JaimeGibb]

I think the overall idea is fantastic. And of course, if the family loves it, that's all that matters!! But we are all here to lend our opinions and to get honest feedback on our photos, right? Even the "best" shots in the world have things that could be adjusted. In this case, I agree with the bit of overexposure. It's very bright. And yes, maybe next time move them further from the background. As far as the not looking at the camera thing, meh, no biggy. I feel that photography is 50% capturing the natural energy of your subject and 50% posing and junk. It's not all about making every single, tiny thing exactly how you pictured it. Part of it is just capturing a moment, and that you did. Great job!

 

[wildmaven]

Also, I understand Wildmaven's comment, but the fact is, digital black and white looks muddy, and lacks contrast. It's just a limitation of the system. I don't have any idea why.

Granted, but there are hardly ANY shadows on their skin or in the folds of their clothes, making them look so very flat.

I'm thrilled that the family loved the shot.

 

[RKW3]

Overall it's a pretty good shot, could be improved if this was retaken, but I can see why the family likes this photo.

 

[Skelly]

I just don't understand why soldiers want to be photographed in this uniform. If they don't have a weapon in their hand or face paint on then they don't look like warriors to me. I'm in the Navy and part of my job is to make fun of the grunts but seriously, we have dress uniforms for this sort of thing.

 

[Mrsforeman1]

Agreed..looks kind of flat and not too interesting.
Also, it's okay that "everyone" doesn't like this picture. I'm sure that you take some photos that most will like. Even then, when you ask (and sometimes if you don't) you will get a mixture of critisism and flattery. But, be sure to take it with a grain of salt. Try not to get too defensive...learn from it. I know that I will.