First dusk shot I've ever taken

[AggieBecky]

Not really a photo shoot.... just an evening walk with the family..... sitting on the seawall looking out at the boats on the water (busy boulevard behind them). I've only gotten into photography in the past year so I'm fairly new to this but I love it and spend all my free time on it now. I would like to become a professional when my girls start school full time. What do you think? C&C welcome. Thanks!

* Hope I post this correct.......

 

[EIngerson]

lol, I love it. Great moment captured.

 

[ruifo]

Congratulations!!

 

[AggieBecky]

It occurred to me in the middle of the night that the sunset pictures I often take might be considered "at dusk" too so I guess this isn't even close to the first dusk shot I've taken, just the first urban dusk shot I've taken. I guess I just think of "at dusk" as being right after the sun has set and sunset pictures are before that.

Thank you for the compliments!

 

[Designer]

The good things:

concept
DOF
expression of girl on left

The not-so-good things:

Not everyone is looking the same direction
man's mouth is open as if talking
needs fill light
frame choice (too much background, not enough legs)

 

[AggieBecky]

Thank you, Designer. Fill light is something I still need to learn. I know nothing about it, to be quite honest. As of right now I just use available light. What would you do, set up a flash to the left of them or behind them? I agree with the framing, I assumed that would get mentioned. My goal was the background so I failed to realize how neat the Seawall itself looks and how I shouldn't have cut off his feet. And yes, the man is talking and my baby wanted me, so she didn't care about looking at the boats. Those type of things are hard to control, IMO.

 

[SweetJem]

Awesome shot! love it! :heart:

 

[Designer]

The issue of fill light is not always going to be agreed on, however it is my personal opinion that this shot would have benefitted from jus ta little more light on the subject's faces.

First; not to the left nor behind, but to the right so as to illuminate their faces. At dusk, there is not going to be enough sky light with which to use a reflector to good advantage, so I probably would try a little flash. This is not easily done in the spur of the moment.

If you have the capability of off-camera flash, set up a flash with modifier on a stand to the right. I'd use a white umbrella and a speedlight with a radio remote. I realize that not everybody has this stuff, but to get really good at portraiture, you need to learn this.

Turn down the power of the speedlight so it isn't one big flash, but more of a "fill" quantity. With your camera on a tripod, frame in portrait mode. Get the models to look either at the camera or all of them looking at the same feature off camera. I suggest something that is just over your shoulder, not so far to the right that you lose their eyes. Or, if you have a remote shutter cable, you can stand just to the right of the camera and grab the shot as they all look at you. Take as many shots as you need to get ONE good one, and call it an evening.

 

[bribrius]

kids are cute. just getting them to sit still at all for a photo is a win. Took me TEN tries just to get my kids in a family photo and get them all looking at the camera at once without jumping around. Nice photo.

 

[Designer]

Hoo-man! I swear it took 45 minutes to get my grandchildren to change into their TKD uniforms for some pics. This was at the behest of their mother, not just my idea. By the time they eventually cooperated, I was plum tuckered. Made a few quick shots and let them go.

 

[tirediron]

Excellent.

 

[AggieBecky]

Thank yall! I think it's usually harder for me to take pictures of my own kids rather than someone else's kids because my kids already know all my tricks and don't necessarily find them funny anymore and they are much more likely to say, "I don't want to!" in response to me trying to take their picture. Either way, little kids (and babies) don't make it easy!

Designer, so by "to the right", you mean the flash should go to the subjects' right? I guess that's what I meant by saying "to the left" because I was thinking my left as the photographer. I do own a speedlight and small umbrella, I've just been scared to use them because the results I tend to get look very harsh (and because I'm scared to use it, I never end up learning how). I'm sure the harshness just means I need to turn it down, I just haven't figured it all out quite yet.

I was standing on some narrow stairs at 200mm focal length distance from them with the sound of crashing waves and traffic and all that so getting their attention wouldn't have been much of an option. But if I reshot sometime I could probably find a friend to jump around on the beach to get their attention if I needed them all to look in one direction.

Thanks so much for taking the time to help!

 

[Designer]

Well, their faces is what we both understand.

Yup, you need to turn down the intensity. Check the manual and do some experimenting BEFORE you try this setup again.

And you can try this in some other venue, such as a quiet city park for instance.