Family at the barn

[kanuski]

I have not done a lot of photography this summer but I did have a chance to go out with this family a few days ago. It was early evening and all shots were in the shade. The sun was behind the barn. These are my favorites but I am having great difficulty with the white balance (forgot my card, again!). I used a single fill-flash with a small umbrella in all of them. In the first shot the flash is mostly to give some catchlight in their eyes. Should I be using a gel to match the light sources? Feel free to tell me how awesome they are but I am looking for some honest C&C as well. ;-)

 

[MiFleur]

The second and third one are really nice, I love the expression of the boy! the set-up is perfect and it has personality.
The first one is a little too far away, the building does not look straight and the pose looks too static, it is not a bad picture, but it seems flat compared to the 2 other ones.

This family has amazing blue eyes!

 

[thebasedsloth]

The buildings a bit distracting in the first. There's that big dark hole in the upper right of the frame. I'd of pulled them to the camera-left a bit and shot them closer.
Similar distracting background in the second, I'd of panned to the right and gotten more wall, Less barn interior.
The third looks like it was shot on the fly, distracting background and the leaves draw away from him. I'd of maybe gotten a little closer or zoomed in?
I second the blue-eye comment though, At first sight they didn't even look real! Amazing!

 

[AlanKlein]

Cute kids. Wonderful family. What could be wrong? Frame them and put them on your walls

 

[sashbar]

I too was a bit surprised that you have chosen to include that black space in the frame #1, probably to bring more contrast and balance the black shirt, but I do not think the background works here. Frame #2 works much better, as there is a proper good figure-to-ground, as we say in street photography, or a contrasting bkgnd. Here it works much better.