Holiday Photo, first shot at OCF

sactown024 · Nov 19, 2012

Here is one from todays shoot, I tried to use my OCF for the first time cause there was NO sun which i think made it even harder to use the ocf. I only had one light so with no sun and no reflector it was creating harsh shadows, on top of that it was freezing and the 6 month old was cranky the entire time, I stumbled so many times, screwed up my WB etc but oh well, its a learning experience.

PhillipM · Nov 19, 2012

No pain. No gain...

lol

Trever1t · Nov 19, 2012

Not sure what the above coment is about, I see a pretty decent family portrait!

sactown024 · Nov 19, 2012

I think he was implying that if you dont try you wont get better? I think...

thanks Trever!

PhillipM · Nov 19, 2012

sactown024 said:
I think he was implying that if you dont try you wont get better? I think...

exactly

sactown024 · Nov 19, 2012

jfrabat · Nov 19, 2012

I think you got yourself a VERY NICE family portrait. The only critique I could make (and it really is a MINOR one!) is that I would try to clone out the white thing (do not know what it is!) on the background that looks to be coming out of your wife/girlfrieds's back... But, as I said, it really is not such a big deal if you leave it. you did a heck of a job, so I think the cold and time spent was well worth it; you now have captured a moment for the rest of the kid's life!

Derrel · Nov 19, 2012

In the first shot, the dad's eye camera left appears a bit dark...I would carefully clone in a few hot, white pixels as a fake catchlight....zoom WAYYYYYYYY in, to 400% and do that. Clone out that bench coming outta' the mother's back. BOOM! Done. Decent. Not "great", but pretty decent, and with EXCELLENT expression on the toddler. They will like it. The dad looks big and masculine, powerful, dominant, the mother looks pretty alright, and the kid is ADORABLE!!! His clasped hands, the red wagon, his little stocking cap....Grandma and Grandpa are gonna flip when they see that as a holiday card. You got the BABY looking good, which is critical.

sactown024 · Nov 19, 2012

thank you! the thing in the back is a granite bench, good eye!

Tee · Nov 19, 2012

Nice job, Sac! You have three distinct skin tones (challenging) and it looks good overall. Some nit picks - when shooting close-up, take notice of lint and fuzzies on the clothing and zap those out (either on site with a lint roller or in post). Also, I think your output sharpening needs some work. I highly encourage you sharpen not only for the high res but for the web as well (two separate outputs). A little sharpening in the end can really make the image pop.

MLeeK · Nov 19, 2012

You need some kind of separation in the guy's arm and body because as it is he looks like he's about 4 feet wide.
The lighting you did great. Posing you've got some problems. Great idea with the wagon, but mom and dad look like they are after thoughts trying to hunch or lean into the image.
Dad is wide shouldered. He should have been placed at an angle to the camera, with mom slightly in front of him to help keep his shoulders looking proper.
Mom's butt stuck out like that is a HUGE NO NO!!! Mom is very thin, but you gave her "back." BIG Back.

The second one you loaded REALLY makes dad look like he's hunching down to get into the frame. The separation of his arms and body are much better on this one and far more flattering to his shoulders.