C & C Please?

[JessicaBlair]

Here are just a few photos that I would like some C & C on....Thanks!!!

One

Two

Three

Four

 

[bigtwinky]

The only one that strikes me as an actual photograph is the first.

1- I like the composition and I love the choice of BW. The pose is great, and if its a candid, great moment. Need a bit more sharpness in the eyes though, they seem somewhat soft.

2- The hair in the face really isn't flattering. While you did somewhat blur the background, the white fence railings are distracting. You have them in the first image as well, but the girls head fills the frame more in the first image than in this one so its less apparent.

I'm not liking cutting her arms where you did.
3- Did you use the popup flash here? Or a mounted flash but straight on? The light is not flattering and I find that the chair dominates more of the image than the girl. I don't like how the chair is turn backwards either, which is what probably accentuates it over the subject

The composition is drab, straight on like this, specially at a distance, is usually not flattering. It doesn't add any dimension to the image, makes the subject look flat. Have the subject turn somewhat from the camera, turn the chair around, and move in closer to fill the frame more with the child

4- Same as #3, but you shot a little bit higher angle, which eliminates some of the importance that the chair had in the first (a good thing). I'm really not liking her looking straight off to the side.

google up some classic portraitures rules and try applying those as is. Once you get a handle on the basics and how they work, start experimenting with new things to develop your own style. But you need a solid foundation before breaking the rules.

I would suggest against using a popup flash. Use natural light. If you dont have any, move to a window or bring in some more house lights. If its a hotshoe flash, looking into bouncing it and using reflectors.

 

[Derrel]

On the third and fourth shots with the muslin background, I can see attached shadows, meaning she is too close to the background. In future shoots, it would be betetr to move the subject farther away from the muslin background, which will throw it more out of focus, and will prevent the subject's shadow from falling onto the background. Also on 3 and 4, a vertical composition would make more sense.

On your mini-studio shots, the lighting is rather even and "flat", with no shadows, which give modeling of the face,and which show shape. It might be better to position the main source of light more off to one side, which will cause a shadow to form on the other side of the nose and face, and which will make the girl appear more three-dimensional. Keep at it! The pictures you take will become precious memories in the future.

 

[bhphotography]

I find that #3 and #4 do seem a little flat and the chair seems to overpower the child.

Try starting by putting one strobe to the left of the camera and one to the right. Turn one to roughly 1/2 the power of the other. Move your lights around and play with the distances to get good definition in your subjects.

I like the first one as it seems more candid.