Brand New and looking for some CC!!

[Tracybug]

Hi Everyone!

I'm Tracy and I am brand new here and to photography as well!!! I have always loved taking photos but until a few weeks ago it was always with a point & shoot camera. So I was very excited to get my first "Real" Camera!
I have been practicing on my daughter! Would love any advice you can offer!


LIKE2 copy (2) by joecrisjon, on Flickr



CHRISSYLOVE by joecrisjon, on Flickr

 

[WesternGuy]

First impressions:

Generally, outdor portraits are a bit more difficult in some ways than indoors - you don't have as much control over the light as you do in a studio. Your lighting here is not bad at all

#1. The background on the left is very distracting, even the tree trunk is not exactly neutral.

#2. Not bad, but the head tilt just doesn't do it for me.

In general, if you are doing portraiture, nothing in the image should detract from the individual's face and the eyes should be the focus (you have done that here very well). The t-shirt lettering is distracting and the blue draws the viewer's eye away from the face - in any image, a viewer's eye tends to be drawn to the most dominant aspect, either light or dark, in the image - in this case it is the blue t-shirt and the lettering on it. This is one reason that you will often see portraits done with the individual wearing a white shirt or sweater, not always, but often. I would also try and find a neutral background that covers the entire background, e.g. a brick wall or a large expanse of soft vegetation that can be thrown out of focus - this is why studio backgrounds are always a similar colour and they use "backdrops". If you haven't seen it, you may want to look at this site: 10. The Rules Of Good Portraiture.

The other thing that I noticed right away was the braces - yes I know they are necessary - my kids had them too - but they are not flattering at all - maybe a simple smile that doesn't show them would be better. I would definitely try experimenting with this aspect of your images. Also, tell your daughter not to "overdo" the smile - that is why people say "cheese" - yes really - at least that is what a portrait photog told me once...:mrgreen:

So a Point and Shoot isn't a real camera - kidding a bit, but just so you know, Henri Cartier-Bresson, a french photographer, who was an early pioneer in the use of the 35 mm format and is considered to be the father of modern day photojournalism did all of his photography with a point and shoot Leica camera - look him up on the web. I also know a local photographer who travels everywhere he goes with a P&S, granted he uses his big rigs on assignment, but you should see the images he produces from his P&S. You unknowingly hit one of my hot buttons when people tell me "you have a nice camera, you must get great pictures with that" - the camera only gives you technology, what you do with it is behind your eye!:thumbup:

Keep on truckin' as they say - you are off to a decent start and going in the right direction - do some reading and research in the area of photography you wish to pursue and come back here and ask questions...:thumbup:

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[KmH]

Poses that have the shoulders parallel to, and perpendicular to the camera don't work very well.

The tree's texture and vertical lines steal attention from the model. Try and keep your subject well away from any background elements.

 

[photo guy]

Not bad in 2 but I don't like the background in 1 as the walking path is clearly visible. Had that not been shown, it would have been nice.

 

[Tracybug]

Thank you so much for the tips everyone!!!

 

[DiskoJoe]

These are pretty good. The focus is sharp. The colors could use some tweeking. Looks like a bit cool and a little too much red tint, part of that is her blushing. You can fix this easily in post processing. Try a black and white conversion too and see what you think. Have fun!

 

[DiskoJoe]

Also what camera and lens are you using? and did you crop these photos you show here?

 

[GreatPhotoRace]

The images seem flat to me and cold to me. The DOF is something that would instantly make these images better. It draws more attention to the girl. As for the braces, I say show 'em off. It's a part of almost every young person's life. When you try to hide them with a sheepish smile, you can tell...and it rarely looks better. If she's confident showing off her braces, she'll look more confident in the picture. If she's not, that's when you should work around them. IMO.