I SUCK...

MLeeK · Aug 16, 2012

When it comes to portraits and my own family? Yeah... I screwed this one up. And chances of me getting to do it again in the next year? Slim to none.
So... I am printing this on a 20x60 canvas for my living room.

A little context here:
The littlest girl-total non-cooperative. She thinks she should be behind the camera with Grandma every time I get it out. While I am glad that SOMEONE wants to follow in grandma's shoes, it's really hard to get an image with her in it.
The daughter-in-law to the right is not a natural blonde... That made things a bit... colorful.
Older boy behind her is typical 16 year old boy and is there by force. He was pretty awesome for a 16 year old to be honest. Except he'd forget to watch me and always would have his head turned toward the grand-daughter who is the future photog. The baby... He was probably the easiest part!!
The blonde boy on our left-more attitude problem than the 16 year olds. WOW. The two teens in the middle are mine and they're used to this, BUT... of course my boy kept slouching down every chance he got.
The guy on the left end (my problem son) getting him dressed and not looking like a pot-head degenerate in filthy clothing is not ever going to happen. This is high class for him.

Lighting is 3 lights straight across them to give me the flattest lighting I could get because of the total unpredictability and to keep everyone from being green. We were surrounded by green.

What more could I have done? I know that people will have suggestions I missed-this is my own family. I have all the time and patience in the world with other people's quirks. Just not my own kids!

Heitz · Aug 16, 2012

no chance of bringing up the blacks a tad? Really I don't think its that bad. Its fun. Best part is that its not your cookie-cutter sit-and-smile family portrait. Each person has their own personality and you kind of get that. i.e, the teen in the center is the "bad ass" one. the teen with the white shirt is the joker, and to his left is the reserved adult. Or maybe not...

Majeed Badizadegan · Aug 16, 2012

You don't suck!!

I actually think the image is a really good base. Grop shots are incredibly difficult and this one makes a great pano.

I'd suggest a couple things to improve the image as it stands. Try pulling back the highlights on the skin. The most noticeable highlight problems are the woman's legs in the foreground.

Also, there are a couple trees growing out of heads. With some masking and cloning, should be about a 5-10 minute fix. If you're going to print big and hang on the wall, I'd resolve the basic exposure issues.

Photographiend · Aug 16, 2012

You are too nit-picky. Looks great.

cgipson1 · Aug 16, 2012

Rotanimod said:
You don't suck!!

I actually think the image is a really good base. Grop shots are incredibly difficult and this one makes a great pano.

I'd suggest a couple things to improve the image as it stands. Try pulling back the highlights on the skin. The most noticeable highlight problems are the woman's legs in the foreground.

Also, there are a couple trees growing out of heads. With some masking and cloning, should be about a 5-10 minute fix. If you're going to print big and hang on the wall, I'd resolve the basic exposure issues.

^^this! Very difficult to get a shot like that, especially with children involved. You got them all participating, they are all looking at the camera, no one is making a face! I'd say you did damn good!

manaheim · Aug 16, 2012

Ummm yer crazy. I like this shot a lot.

Majeed Badizadegan · Aug 16, 2012

Photographiend said:
You are too nit-picky. Looks great.

Hey, if you're printing anything out at 20X60, you reserve the right to be as nit-picky as you want.

. Picking nits is actually a great trait in photography/processing. It makes your resulting photographs better.

amolitor · Aug 16, 2012

It looks pretty good. They seem to be looking at something bright, are they facing into the sun here? That's the only thing I see that's not pretty much fully decent, and maybe you just come from naturally squinty-eyed stock, what do I know?

Tuffythepug · Aug 16, 2012

Well I think "suck" is too strong a term. I do sense your frustration and I'm sure you wish it had turned out a little better. But, really, it ain't bad at all. Getting my family together for a group shot is almost too traumatic for me to do any more. My wife and my daughter are great for the closed eyes at the critical moment. Usually when one's eyes are beginning to close the other one's eyes are beginning to open so that in virtually every picture one of them is caught in mid blink. Even if I tell them to close their eyes and wait for me to tell them when to open. At least in your picture they all have their eyes open !

MLeeK · Aug 16, 2012

amolitor said:
It looks pretty good. They seem to be looking at something bright, are they facing into the sun here? That's the only thing I see that's not pretty much fully decent, and maybe you just come from naturally squinty-eyed stock, what do I know?

Yes/and no. They are facing toward the light, but not directly at the sun. The main light is actually 3 flashes in front of them.
My oldest son (on our right) always squints. The teen boy in the white always looks like he is squinting because of his baby fat cheeks. The little girl in pigtails-if she smiles her eyes disappear and she gets these funky little bag/wrinkles under them. Like her eyelid is upside down or something. So, some of it is probably the subjects, some of it is the flash.

Stradawhovious · Aug 16, 2012

If you suck, I'm the worst pile of **** that has ever owned a camera.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Sounds like a lot of the issues you have are with your family member's traits, rather than the photograph itself. Would it really be a family photo if those didn't show through?

Robin Usagani · Aug 16, 2012

well.. should have hired someone or get someone to operate the camera. I would personally snap photos from one location and start making loud noise, funny faces, and jump around. That would get the kids interested. Then out of 10-20 frames, I should be able to get one good one. If not, you can always clone from one to another frame.

MLeeK · Aug 16, 2012

Schwetty, that kind of doesn't make sense. As a photographer I should hire someone to be the photographer. I am not photographing myself. I am not in there. Only my kids and their kids/brother/step kids. If I wanted one with us in it? There's no way in HELL I'd try to do it myself. That would be a MISERABLE FAILURE.
Believe me I pulled out all of the antics. I have a remote and I don't keep my eye to the eye piece. This was on a tripod. While I was behind the camera, I was looking at them, acting a fool as I would with any other family portrait. I even pulled out the air horn to get them all to look at me... which Genna then took and had a blast killing everyone's ear drums.

If I should hire a photographer then I probably should hire one for every gig I pull.

Robin Usagani · Aug 16, 2012

MLeeK said:
Schwetty, that kind of doesn't make sense. As a photographer I should hire someone to be the photographer. I am not photographing myself. I am not in there. Only my kids and their kids/brother/step kids. If I wanted one with us in it? There's no way in HELL I'd try to do it myself. That would be a MISERABLE FAILURE.
Believe me I pulled out all of the antics. I have a remote and I don't keep my eye to the eye piece. This was on a tripod. While I was behind the camera, I was looking at them, acting a fool as I would with any other family portrait. I even pulled out the air horn to get them all to look at me... which Genna then took and had a blast killing everyone's ear drums.

If I should hire a photographer then I probably should hire one for every gig I pull.

Oh.. i thought you were in it LOL.

You should be in it!

MLeeK · Aug 16, 2012

Schwettylens said:
MLeeK said:

Schwetty, that kind of doesn't make sense. As a photographer I should hire someone to be the photographer. I am not photographing myself. I am not in there. Only my kids and their kids/brother/step kids. If I wanted one with us in it? There's no way in HELL I'd try to do it myself. That would be a MISERABLE FAILURE.
Believe me I pulled out all of the antics. I have a remote and I don't keep my eye to the eye piece. This was on a tripod. While I was behind the camera, I was looking at them, acting a fool as I would with any other family portrait. I even pulled out the air horn to get them all to look at me... which Genna then took and had a blast killing everyone's ear drums.

If I should hire a photographer then I probably should hire one for every gig I pull.

Click to expand...

Oh.. i thought you were in it LOL.

You should be in it!

OH HELL NO! LOL!