First EVER photo shoot

nfaye · Nov 15, 2010

Hey Everyone!
So i did my first ever photo shoot!! i really need some advice on these pictures!! i was really nrevous so i think that made them very nervous as well! but please tell me what i can do to improve mostly the way that i hold the camera and well just everything! Please!!! i need major help!!! haha

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4.

5.

Thanks so much for all your help!!! please if you can help me on all of them!! if you have time!!! and again thank you!! i could use all the help i can get!!!

phiya · Nov 15, 2010

1 needs fill light, and a lot of it! An off camera flash to the left would have done the trick, methinks. Also it appears your DOF is too shallow as it seems like the parents are in focus, but the girl up top is out of focus. Increase your aperture value (F/11 maybe?) and decrease your shutter speed (Or increase your ISO as a last resort)

2. Is a pretty good shot, still very harsh shadows under their chins though. I'm also confused because it appears as if the light is coming from both sides. The girl on the left the shadow is clearly going down and to the right, where it is the opposite on the other side of the photo. Am I crazy? Also, because they were laying on the hay there wasn't a lot of room for an off camera fill flash to decrease the drastic shadows under their chins, just something to think about.

3. You miss focused, this shot is too soft to be usable IMO.

4. I like this shot, but I think I would have liked it more with the horses head visible. You can always crop down a bit, it's best to include too much in the shot than to cut stuff off that might be vital.

5. I don't care for the sepia, and I think it also needs some fill flash.

IgsEMT · Nov 16, 2010

1 needs fill light, and a lot of it

AMEN!!!
Use the force (light).

Blake.Oney · Nov 16, 2010

2 is the best shot. It is a pose, but it also looks natural, like they're having a good time.

nfaye · Nov 16, 2010

I agree with the lighting...needs to be more, but i think that i did these at the wrong time of day! I did them in the morning, and i definately should have waiting until the afternoon when the sun was higher up in the sky! But i learned from it!! and even if i didn't get good pictures, at least i learned something!!! right!

robb01 · Nov 16, 2010

Focus seems a bit off on 1 and 3. 2 is my favorite shot of the bunch

kric2schaam626 · Nov 16, 2010

nfaye said:
I agree with the lighting...needs to be more, but i think that i did these at the wrong time of day! I did them in the morning, and i definately should have waiting until the afternoon when the sun was higher up in the sky! But i learned from it!! and even if i didn't get good pictures, at least i learned something!!! right!

You do not want to do a shoot in the middle of the day, it's harsh lighting. You just need to learn how to use THIS lighting to your advantage. Evening is also good for shoots too.

misstwinklytoes · Nov 16, 2010

Actually you want your sun really low. Usually just after sunrise (the first hour or so) or the last hour or so before the sun sets. It gives great soft light for your photographs. When the sun is high in the sky you want to try to find some nice shade that doesn't have spotty lighting.

Number five has a lot of potential. The posing looks good and you have almost everyone smiling, everyone is looking at the camera, etc. I agree that the sepia isn't really working. Was there something wrong with the color version or were you just trying something out?

2 looks a little soft in spots, but it's by far my fav.

4 would be really lovely if it weren't for the limb chops and horse chop.

Good work for the first shoot. Keep shooting.

nfaye · Nov 16, 2010

Thanks everyone! As far as the Sepia goes, there was nothing wrong with the color version, i was just trying something different out to see what it would look like! Thanks so much for everyone's positive criticism!! it makes me feel like the more that i do the better i will get and im not a complete failure!!! thanks!!!

RauschPhotography · Nov 16, 2010

1-Very soft, especially on the daughter in the upper left hand corner/mom.
2-By far the best. Relaxed, happy poses. Doesn't look staged and nice warm color.
3-IMO, too soft and too much blur around the edges. Could be what you were going for, but I feel like it distracts rather than draws attention to the subject.
4-Very awkward.
5-Looks too stiff.. Half of the family has very awkward facial expressions. I wouldn't use it.