Impromptu Portrait mini session

Bo4key · Oct 22, 2012

We were in Victoria, B.C. over the weekend visiting my brother in law and visited Beacon Hill Park which is beautiful this time of year. The sky was overcast and the light was perfectly soft and even. I couldn't resist setting them up and getting a few portraits.

Now, I usually don't do any formal posing or anything and actually portraiture is not something I do a lot of so I just let them do their own thing. This was actually my first time making my girls sit down and take some planned shots.

I used one on camera flash for some fill light.

C&C welcomed.

1)

Reese & Uncle Rob by Boaketography, on Flickr

2)

Girls with their Uncle by Boaketography, on Flickr

3)

Wife Portrait by Boaketography, on Flickr

Bo4key · Oct 23, 2012

Hmmm, I know they aren't that bad, or good. But no comments?

DiskoJoe · Oct 23, 2012

You should have got dad to take the hood off and they would have been better, wall worthy even.

Bo4key · Oct 23, 2012

That's my brother in law, and the girls favorite uncle. Sadly, Dad is always the one behind the camera

But, I see what you mean with the hood. Thanks.

Bo4key · Oct 28, 2012

gnorknik · Oct 29, 2012

The color seems a little off on all of them, but I've been questioning my screen's calibration lately, so that could just be me.

All of these photos would have been better, in my opinion, with a larger aperture. 2.8, perhaps? The entire background does not need to be in focus for these shots. Shallow depth of field helps the viewer focus on the subjects.

Also (with the possible exception of the first), you seem to be shooting up towards the subjects. Bring a stepladder or even a milk crate, and shoot from their eye level or above.

I can't tell if they are over-exposed, or if you just lightened them too much while editing. Either way, they seem a tiny bit flat. Not horribly so, but they could use a little bit more contrast (unless that's just my monitor, again).

dorian7 · Oct 29, 2012

I would agree that you could have used a larger aperture. Having the background in focus doesn't really add anything to the picture but it can be distracting. I like the first one with the perspective of being "in" the tree with the branch blurred in the foreground.

Bo4key · Oct 30, 2012

Thanks for the comments. I was worried about having too wide an aperture and leaving some of the subjects OOF. I guess I just need more practice finding the middle ground. .

I've looked at them on two different monitors and they don't seem overexposed to me. And the monitor on my editing station is calibrated. Maybe it's my eyes.

You mention the color seems off, could you elaborate? The white balance may be a bit warm but that was intentional.

Bo4key · Nov 4, 2012

Can anyone else comment on the color perhaps?

PrestonS · Nov 5, 2012

They all seem a tad cool on the color side. First one seems a touch overexposed. I'd also try to bring the highlights down on the tree they are on. The tree is kind of shiny and distracting.

Bo4key · Nov 5, 2012

I'll try to bring the shininess down on the tree. These trees, if you see them in person, actually look like they are made from plastic. The bark is really smooth and shiny. I thought they were very interesting but I see how they distract from the photo.

Bo4key · Nov 5, 2012

Here's a red-edit. I reduced the exposure and warmed it up a bit.

Re-edit by Boaketography, on Flickr

The trees are still shiny, but they were highly reflective. I didn't want to reduce the exposure any less because his face is already starting to get too dark and I didn't want to adjust the fill light any further and make her face too bright.