First photo shoot with a child edit suggestions.

[Ashlee_Duh]

Hello to all. Yesterday I had my first photo shoot with a child. It was very fun, but his attention span was not as great as I'd hope.

Anyways, the mother doesn't want photo edits that are colorful or "perfect." She's looking for more rugged effects, grain, and black and white. I tried experimenting with a few shots. She loves them, but I feel like I can do some better techniques. Any suggestions?











Thank you!

 

[wyogirl]

what do you edit in? That will affect my answer.

 

[Ashlee_Duh]

Corel Paintshop Pro x5.

 

[wyogirl]

crap... I don't know that program at all. If it were me, and I had the ability, I would clone out the other people in the background.... especially the one with just legs but also the one with the kids on swings in the background. I had lots of Lightroom edit suggestions, nothing that needs done, just some things to play with, but I just don't know your software. sorry.

 

[Ashlee_Duh]

Damn. It seems like everyone has photoshop! I like Corel, and it has a lot of the same features as photoshop so I have nothing to complain about. Eventually I want to get Lightroom 5. Looks amazing!

Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[jaypix]

Corel is OK ... I'd say only #2 is really worth working on. Do something about smoothing (the skin appears blotchy)and B&W conversion, a bit too grey.

 

[Ashlee_Duh]

Thank you! I have to keep photo #1 because she likes that one a lot.

 

[tirediron]

Back off of the Gaussian blur. Back WAYYYYYYY off. If you're going to be shooting paid commissions, than spend the money on a lens that will produce the needed shallow DoF such as 50mm 1.4 or 85 1.4. I like the processing of the shots, and the overall theme, but the backgrounds are too busy, and IMO, framed too tightly, esp. #2. When there are parents around (I assume the legs in #4 belong to Mom) DON'T let them get in the frame; give them something to do if necessarry; "Could you stand right there and hold this reflector just so?" Not only does it get them out of your way, it gives them a feeling of involvement.

 

[The_Traveler]

Turn the camera for portrait aspect ratio.
How are you doing the BW conversions?

 

[Starskream666]

Man you got paid for these? no offence. But it doesn't look like you spent very long editing, it looks like you pushed the clarity slider too far and added some fake blur for some reason.

 

[cgipson1]

I don't know how you are doing your Black and White conversions, but they all show a color cast (intentional?). Almost like they are just heavily desaturated or something. Example below... (True Greyscale on bottom)



The lighting is very harsh in them... and it does not appear that you used any fill of any type. The fake blur that was added in an attempt to hide the backgrounds looks terrible, and your framing and compositions needs some work. And you ARE allowed to turn the camera on it's side and shoot in portrait orientation, it works very well for some images! That is all I will say....

 

[Ashlee_Duh]

She didn't want conventional shots. She told me the messier of the shot the better. So, I was trying to edit them bad because she wants "unconventional," if that makes sense. And I didn't hand these to her yet. I am here to ask for editing suggestions.

 

[Ashlee_Duh]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Can't learn if I don't make mistakes and I know I've made a ton. Purely came here because of that.

 

[amolitor]

If she wants it gritty and dirty, throw noise on it, paint on it, burn down anything unimportant with great ruthessness, dodge up the stuff that matters.



Hit it with a reverse S curve (or just a violent contrast adjustment) to make it look like a 1960s newpaper photo.

 

[tirediron]

She didn't want conventional shots. She told me the messier of the shot the better. So, I was trying to edit them bad because she wants "unconventional," if that makes sense. And I didn't hand these to her yet. I am here to ask for editing suggestions.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG! Did I mention that's the wrong approach? This sort of work actually takes a great deal of skill (considerably less if you get as much right in-camera as you can). I don't mind the blue-hued monochromes, and I think the harsh lighting is appropriate for what you're doing, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was more s**t-house luck than skill that got you there.

My suggestion would be to bin this session, take a week or so to read up on techniques, watch some YouTube tutorials on posing & lighting and offer her a re-shoot, 'because you weren't completely happy with the way they turned out and you want your customer to have the very best'. Read up on depth of field and learn how to isolate your subject using selective focus and shallow depth of field, read up on basic off-camera lighting and learn how to get fill into the image (especially the eyes!) while still keeping the harsh shadows, and read up on composition so that you frame the images more appropriately.