First Photoshoot... C&C Please!

[DScience]

Hi all,

So this weekend I did my first photoshoot for my cousin and her fiance. I want to stress this is my first time, so there are probably many issues. Please C&C. I am looking for tips on composition, exposure and anything else you see could use improving.

Thanks a lot!

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[gators12707]

wow if i did that well my first time i'd be a pro by now nice job!

did you experiment with any creative lighting?

 

[DScience]

wow if i did that well my first time i'd be a pro by now nice job!

did you experiment with any creative lighting?

thank you! I did use a sb-600 off camera for many of them. Is that what you mean?

 

[Derrel]

I think you've got an interesting style that's very non-occidental. In most of these shots, you have included a significant amount of background, and on a few, I think you have allowed too much top space an cropped the people off a bit awkwardly. What is very interesting though, is the use of foreground/background elements.

I read a study a few years ago that found that people from cultures of the orient view photographs very differently than people from the wester/European tradition. In the western/European visual tradition, we focus first and foremost on the foreground objects,and we relate the foreground objects as being of primary,utmost interest. In the eastern/Asian visual tradition, the background is virtually as important as the foreground subjects, and the background's impact on the photo is of equal importance,and people of that visual tradition/history/enculturation are MUCH more active,visually,as measured by eye movements to all areas of an image as compared against westerners.

Not surprisingly, I know that you are fascinated by bokeh and background, so your decision to frame horizontally in photos 2 and 6 is not surprising; a horizontal framing made for a slightly awkward crop-off of his arm in 6, but the same horizontal framing also allows the background to become part of the picture, as demonstrated best in Photo 2. I think with a slight bit of refinement and practice in composition, that you will very quickly develop an unmistakable style. For your age, you are miles ahead of other young photographers in a visual and stylistic sense. Miles ahead.

 

[DScience]

I think you've got an interesting style that's very non-occidental. In most of these shots, you have included a significant amount of background, and on a few, I think you have allowed too much top space an cropped the people off a bit awkwardly. What is very interesting though, is the use of foreground/background elements.

I read a study a few years ago that found that people from cultures of the orient view photographs very differently than people from the wester/European tradition. In the western/European visual tradition, we focus first and foremost on the foreground objects,and we relate the foreground objects as being of primary,utmost interest. In the eastern/Asian visual tradition, the background is virtually as important as the foreground subjects, and the background's impact on the photo is of equal importance,and people of that visual tradition/history/enculturation are MUCH more active,visually,as measured by eye movements to all areas of an image as compared against westerners.

Not surprisingly, I know that you are fascinated by bokeh and background, so your decision to frame horizontally in photos 2 and 6 is not surprising; a horizontal framing made for a slightly awkward crop-off of his arm in 6, but the same horizontal framing also allows the background to become part of the picture, as demonstrated best in Photo 2. I think with a slight bit of refinement and practice in composition, that you will very quickly develop an unmistakable style. For your age, you are miles ahead of other young photographers in a visual and stylistic sense. Miles ahead.

Thank you very much Derrel! It really helps me think about the composition, and I agree with what you said.

How is the exposure on them? Any other tips on these in particular? I haven't given them the final results, and can still do some edits/crops. Any suggestions?

 

[camz]

For your age, you are miles ahead of other young photographers in a visual and stylistic sense. Miles ahead.

And I agree. Someone's going to be a pro someday..it's just a matter of choice I think .

My thoughts are that you have a few shots where you are shooting up which causes a slight double chin on your cousin.

Exposure wise I think the ratios in these are very good. On #6 the background is a tad brighter then they are but I think it's still a good shot.

Composition wise I think the hardest to master are whole body shots and combining these with subect's environment. I would love to see this incorportated more in your style.

Very good job on these D!

 

[Derrel]

I think a few of these would benefit from having a slightly looser crop, showing a slight bit more of the subject's bodies, like on the last two shots for example. I notice a remarkably consistent white balance and a late-late afternoon feeling on all the shots. I think they could use a very slight boost in local contrast--just a smidge more contrast for just an ever-so-slightly more crisp lighting effect.

This set shows the subjects placed within a natural background; the repeated use of those two,solid tree trunks across several different photographs is an almost metaphorical use of the trees as "bodies", and of the man and woman each being represented by a tree. Nice.

 

[DScience]

For your age, you are miles ahead of other young photographers in a visual and stylistic sense. Miles ahead.

And I agree. Someone's going to be a pro someday..it's just a matter of choice I think .

My thoughts are that you have a few shots where you are shooting up which causes a slight double chin on your cousin.

Exposure wise I think the ratios in these are very good. On #6 the background is a tad brighter then they are but I think it's still a good shot.

Composition wise I think the hardest to master are whole body shots and combining these with subect's environment. I would love to see this incorportated more in your style.

Very good job on these D!

Thank you very much! I actually have no intentions of doing photography as a profession. I'm currently trying to get into a PhD program in science. I mainly do photography purely as an artistic endeavor. I did this just so they could have some engagement photos better than the P&S they were going to use.

Thank you so much for the advice about 'shooting up'. I now notice that, and I almost don't like the photos now because they are mostly all like that. :meh:

I will remember that from now on most definitely!

I think a few of these would benefit from having a slightly looser crop, showing a slight bit more of the subject's bodies, like on the last two shots for example. I notice a remarkably consistent white balance and a late-late afternoon feeling on all the shots. I think they could use a very slight boost in local contrast--just a smidge more contrast for just an ever-so-slightly more crisp lighting effect.

This set shows the subjects placed within a natural background; the repeated use of those two,solid tree trunks across several different photographs is an almost metaphorical use of the trees as "bodies", and of the man and woman each being represented by a tree. Nice.

Thanks again for all your advice as well. This REALLY helps me. I'm going to mess with the edits and see what I can get. I'll also keep everything you said in mind should something like this come up again sometime.

You know, I didn't even think about the trees like this until you said something. It helps a lot, because it gives me an idea of what to think about next time in terms of location/background. :thumbup:

 

[Canosonic]

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