First Photo Shoot

Cortney · Dec 13, 2010

Hey all, Yesterday I had my first real 'Photo Shoot'

A friend wanted me to take some photos of she and her brother for a Christmas gift for Grandma.

I'm not used to taking pics of Adults (I try to stick to the kids of the family)

C&C is welcome and very appreciated!

Thanks for looking

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

RauschPhotography · Dec 13, 2010

In #2 and #3 the woman's facial expressions look irritated. #5 looks soft.

Geaux · Dec 13, 2010

Remember the GOLDEN HOUR (1 hour before sunset or 1 hour after sunrise). It's the best time to shoot portraits and try to have the sun at their backs (no sun in the eyes look) and use your pop up flash as a filler for the shadows on their faces.

Cortney · Dec 13, 2010

She's not irritated.. thats just her general look.. I tried to work around it as best as I could, but I could only do so much. I think in the whole shoot there were only a couple shots of her actually smiling

I wanted to go out late afternoon, but the brother had to work at 2, so we were somewhat limited.. We were supposed to go out last weekend but it was raining very heavily. Do you have any tips for what to do when the only option is going out in the noon hours, or if a client insists?

Thanks for the feedback!

o hey tyler · Dec 13, 2010

I find the color black to be full of Christmas Cheer.

ayeelkay · Dec 13, 2010

I'd like to see more of the two of them together, both smiling. Her smile is so pretty in the last photo. Her son looks like he is squinting in all of them, and the pose in the first photo is very awkward to me. With that being said, I do like the clarity of the photos.

Cortney · Dec 13, 2010

ayeelkay said:
I'd like to see more of the two of them together, both smiling. Her smile is so pretty in the last photo. Her son looks like he is squinting in all of them, and the pose in the first photo is very awkward to me. With that being said, I do like the clarity of the photos.

Here are a couple more of them together.. I wish she was smiling more too.. Unfortunately the brother has those eyes that squint when he smiles (My husband suffers the same problem!)

6.

7.

And here's another one where she is smiling..
8.

And here is one where the brother's eyes are open.. But I am not happy with the shadow on his face..
9.

AprilEye · Dec 13, 2010

#5 is the best IMO. #1 is a little stiff and #2 and #4 seems to have too much hard shadow from the sun.

Karri · Dec 13, 2010

#1 looks like she's trying to push him away... not quite the family togetherness they were probably going for... LOL I like #5 the best even if it is a little soft.

Patrice · Dec 13, 2010

Cortney said:
Do you have any tips for what to do when the only option is going out in the noon hours, or if a client insists?

Thanks for the feedback!

Get your subjects into some shade - building shade, tree shade, anything. Then use your flash for fill light. The squint from the sun and the harsh shadows do not flatter your models.

KmH · Dec 13, 2010

Cortney said:
Do you have any tips for what to do when the only option is going out in the noon hours, or if a client insists?

Put the subjects in open shade.

Avoid direct sunlight, and dappled sunlight at all costs.

If there is not open shade, you have to use a diffuser to make your own.

Quality outdoor location portrait photography is almost impossible to do without supplimental lighting, both strobed and reflected.

You might study some of the online posing guides.

kundalini · Dec 13, 2010

I completely agree with the advice to put your models in open shade and adding fill flash.

I actually found these examples in the recycle bin for another thread that I couldn't find. :blushing: I (hopefully) demonstrated the suggestions already given.

Full On... All I knew was the I wanted f/4 and (with flash) my shutter speed would max at 1/250s. Full sun, middle of the day.

Added a 1 stop diffuser panel

Added hotshoe mounted fill flash

These were solo performed. Although IMO they were poorly executed, hopefully they will give you some idea of how little things can have a large impact on your shots.

EDIT:
BTW, that's what I get with having the hair half pulled back the previous night and waking up the next day with a massive hangover. :biggrin:

Cortney · Dec 14, 2010

kundalini said:
I completely agree with the advice to put your models in open shade and adding fill flash.

I actually found these examples in the recycle bin for another thread that I couldn't find. :blushing: I (hopefully) demonstrated the suggestions already given.

Full On... All I knew was the I wanted f/4 and (with flash) my shutter speed would max at 1/250s. Full sun, middle of the day.

Added a 1 stop diffuser panel

Added hotshoe mounted fill flash

These were solo performed. Although IMO they were poorly executed, hopefully they will give you some idea of how little things can have a large impact on your shots.

EDIT:
BTW, that's what I get with having the hair half pulled back the previous night and waking up the next day with a massive hangover.