Family Pictures (c&c)

[kayliana]

Here's a few pictrues I took for a friend. C&C Please
1.

2.

3.

 

[mom2eight]

I like the muted colors of no.1 maybe next time it would be neat to have your subject further down the tracks and then your eyes will follow the lines to them. Just a thought.

 

[kayliana]

That's a good idea, thanks!

 

[Natalie]

I would have them walk slowly down the tracks rather than just stand there - these are beautiful shots, but it kind of looks like they are just standing there waiting for a train to come. Walking down the tracks (at least in the first photo where they are facing away from the camera) would make the photo more interesting, like a sense of adventure or journey. With the first photo, I would also adjust the colors so that the sky was still as it appeared in person - it has beautiful, soft colors that would increase the warmth of the photo.

The the lighting and colors in the second photo is great, my only beef with it is that the family posing looks very symmetrical and a bit unnatural. It would create an interesting effect if the subjects were posing differently from one another, maybe one or two of them sitting or crouching, holding hands but without looking "forced". The third photo also displays excellent lighting (I know I wouldn't be able to capture an image like that in the dimming light), the only thing I can think of would be having the boy sitting on the other side of the track and then getting more of the background in the photo (the train tracks going off into the sunset).

Hope this helps, and great photos.

 

[kayliana]

Thank you, those are some very good ideas. I haven't taken very many pictures of people, so I never know how to pose them. Where can I learn? I've seen books, but I never know if they're any good. It's hard to pose them, without it looking forced. Thank you again

 

[FarrahJ]

it kind of looks like they are just standing there waiting for a train to come. Walking down the tracks (at least in the first photo where they are facing away from the camera) would make the photo more interesting, like a sense of adventure or journey

ditto this. Maybe also put some fun into the pose...like having one of the kids walking along on top of the rail. I'm also not a fan of the muted colors..instead of making the image feel vintagy, it feels depressing...almost as if dad's just abandoned us and we can't go on. =( sad.

I'm not diggin' the lighting...you're about an hour too late and the shadows from the flash are distracting. The kids are dressed SUPER cute and totally appropriate for these shots...but mom's top doesn't fit the scene and my eye goes straight to it.

I'd also straighten the horizons.

 

[jubb]

I think they look good except for the flash shadows. I'm not a big flash fan.

 

[Double H]

I feel they look flat and not very full of life. It looks as though you used either the onboard flash, or one on the hotshoe. In number 2 it looks like you had some very nice ambient light available, but didn't really utilize it. You will be amazed at the results if you get your lightsource off the camera and off to either side. In the case of #2, I would have put my flash on a stand with a shoot-through umbrella, or softbox, at camera right, and used a slower shutter speed to capture the ambient light.

 

[Kpablo]

okay, in the first picture I notice the mom's buttons on her bottom - it's very distracting imo I feel two eyes are looking at me. lol.

The second one is alright, but imo it's a little blurry.

The third one would have been perfect if there wasn't a huge shadow next to him.