first and last kids portrait - C&C please!

[Raincheck]

Hi Guys & Girls,

My first and last kids portrait, I never have done any portraits my photos consists mostly out of none moving objects.
And of course I start with as I believe the most difficult of all “KIDS” they don’t sit still they do not do what you want.
The thing I’ve learned here is that the parents have to take control to manage their youngsters anyway it’s not for me.

Still I want to post a photo for you all to C&C thanx in advance!

 

[creisinger]

Not bad, a bit underexposed. I'd try to brighten up the eyes a bit in post, but very subtle. Overall it looks very, very soft. I'm sure the parents like it though. Nice bokeh.

I don't have the patience with kids either, I hear where you're coming from.

 

[tirediron]

Agree, very soft. As well, the background is very busy and distracting.

 

[Raincheck]

Thanx for the comments,

Will brighten up the eyes just a little. About the background, you can't sit down a child for more than 10 seconds so I ended up just to follow.
So you see a nice shot in a fraction of a second but you are so focused on the child and forget about the background and light.

Grtx Rick ...

 

[Geaux]

Rain, I feel your pain lol. I did my first and last kid's shoot two weeks back and I had the same issues. We went to a park and the parents said, "we don't want posed shots, just follow him around and take pictures of him." He wouldn't look at me for much, had to catch him off guard and tell him "LOOK, a T-REX over here!" lol.

I'll be posting my shots sometime this week also.

 

[Raincheck]

There you go,

If I ever do another "kids" shoot will it be wrong to drug them?
I know especially when you have never met the kids it will be a struggle to get it right but having said that how do they go about that in the studio's.
Is it pure bribing the kids with all kinds of toys/sweets in my case the parents weren’t really helping out...

 

[CCericola]

Way too much skin smoothing. It's a kid not a playboy playmate. Ease up on the airbrushing.

 

[shootermcgavin]

I agree get rid of the skin smoothing, also you did it to the eyes and other features that normally you want to avoid doing it to. There are tricks you can do with kids especially infant-toddlers. Spinning them around and then stopping should get them smiling. Some kids just haven't learned to smile though or they force it, trying to get a kid to laugh and then snap a photo is not the easiest thing. Maybe kid photographers should make a lot more.

 

[biggoron]

focus is on his collar it looks. he is oof imo

 

[gsgary]

Thanx for the comments,

Will brighten up the eyes just a little. About the background, you can't sit down a child for more than 10 seconds so I ended up just to follow.
So you see a nice shot in a fraction of a second but you are so focused on the child and forget about the background and light.

Grtx Rick ...

Why didn't you give him a pint of Guinness ?

 

[Raincheck]

Maybe this one is a bit better.....

 

[gsgary]

Sharper but background kills it

 

[creisinger]

I'd add more out of focus xmas ornaments from other shots into the left half of the shot to make the background more uniform.

Still underexposed IMO. I like bright images though. No need to be scared to lighten up kids' shots as they are something deLIGHTful