Family pics using an external flash

[darioso]

Hi, I'm new here and I'm amazed by the information and pictures on this forum.
I've started using an external flash to take portraits of my friends and families. Since I only have one external flash (Metz 58-1), I find myself using bounce flash off the wall all the time. I'm looking for different ways to use the external flash. These two pics have been shot in that way too and I edited them with Lightroom and photoshop. Sorry about the logo in the picture, especially in the 1st one. There're too many words in the picture. I didn't have time to remove it.
If you guys would C&C, I would appreciate a lot.
Thanks in advance!

 

[The_Traveler]

Love the first one.
Very natural but clearly posed - and the pose looks good.
The guy's face is a bit 'looking into a strong light' but it is sort of an interesting free-wheeling take on 'studio work.'
The second, not so much.
There's no reason for the space behind her and you've clipped the hands, bad, bad, bad.
This would probably look good if you had their entire bodies in the frame, even in one corner. This way it just looks badly framed.

Technical stuff - pretty damn nice.
Major plus is the comfortable, natural way they subjects relate to the camera in the first and to each other in the second.

Nice

 

[darioso]

Thanks a lot for your comments. I now see what I can improve on next time. I should re-crop the picture and bring the hands into the scene.

 

[The_Traveler]

That second one might be just terrific if you had the entire bodies and then placed them at the right. It would give the impression that rather than spread out, they chose to be close.
You clearly have a good rapport with your subjects and that goes a very long way to successful portraits.
You seem to have a good hold on the technical stuff also so........

Lew

 

[Robin Usagani]

Put them farther from the wall. When the flash bounce back down, it will cast shadow to the lower side of the wall or floor instead. That way you want see shadow behind the subject.

 

[darioso]

Thanks for the advice. I will keep them in mind next time!