Looking for critique (Maternity) Very new but learning...

[cdub]

Hello all,

I am pretty new to photography (about 6 months in) and I am trying to learn the ropes. I recently took some maternity shots of my wife and myself and I am just looking for feedback, constructive criticism, critiquing, you name it. Anything to help me grow towards becoming a professional is much appreciated. I am currently shooting with a Canon t4i (Tamron AF 17-50 f/2.8, Canon 50mm Prime 1.8, and a Canon IS 55-250 f/4-5.6) which I know is entry level, non-fullframe, less durable and limited in many other areas. As I continue to learn I will continue to reevaluate moving to the next level. I have moved away from using full auto and mainly use Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority and in some cases completely manual depending on the circumstances.While I know editing is sometimes frowned upon depending especially in excessive use, I use adobe photoshop light room to do most of my edits. Thanks in advance!

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13

 

[pixmedic1 1]

#1 looked a tad overexposed. with a LOT of background. #2, the silhouette looks so black its almost unnatural, like you selected her, then "cut".
#3 was nicely posed I think, but flat. needs to be a bit brighter. #4 I really liked the concept of with the DOF and the bridge.
as for the rest, honestly, it was just too many pictures for me to want to go through and look at in one try.
I think maybe 3-4 pics is good. more than that and people get tired trying to go through with any real intention of giving feedback.
I might try again later.

 

[bigtwinky]

1 love this one. I find the background adds an extra element to the image. Processing is nice as well. Like the shadows the couple are forming on the ground, maybe would of like to see more of them


2 not liking much. She is too much in shadow, cant clearly see her. not really a maternity shot per se. Nice attempt at playing with lines and surroundings, but should of moved closer in or maybe tried to get a reflection of her in the water.


3 cute picture. Processing looks a bit dark though, dont like the shadow in the guys face. A bit of fill flash could of helped. Image is a bit too center composed for my tastes, would of framed them a bit higher up and tried to not have the bit of roof in the image.


4 looks a bit dark again. I prefer maternity shots to be a bit more lively with the exposure. Nice idea with the stuffed animal, but I find its a bit too much at the bottom of the frame. Maybe getting lower would help. The current angle has a kind of empty place between the animal and the couple that looks a bit off


9-10 come of as a bit snapshot-ish. The bench might work with a straight on angle, playing with symetrical lines and maybe framing with the tree. But as is, too plain. Same for 10. The angle could work, but its too far out and she is too small in the frame.


Keep on shooting though, practice makes perfect and for someone who is very new, you are off to a good start

 

[bobandcar]

Personally I like the photos!!

Also

You are from northern Delaware! Wilmington area?

 

[cdub]

#1 looked a tad overexposed. with a LOT of background. #2, the silhouette looks so black its almost unnatural, like you selected her, then "cut".
#3 was nicely posed I think, but flat. needs to be a bit brighter. #4 I really liked the concept of with the DOF and the bridge.
as for the rest, honestly, it was just too many pictures for me to want to go through and look at in one try.
I think maybe 3-4 pics is good. more than that and people get tired trying to go through with any real intention of giving feedback.
I might try again later.

Thanks for the response! I agree that there are some lighting issues with some of the images. As for the silhouette photo, it was my first attempt using spot metering to lock in the meter readings and I was going off memory. I agree that it does look a bit flat. Again since I am still learning I am trying to focus on all the rules of composition while maintaining a decent exposure. Thank you for your time! Much appreciated!

 

[cdub]

Personally I like the photos!!

Also

You are from northern Delaware! Wilmington area?

Indeed my friend

 

[cdub]

1 love this one. I find the background adds an extra element to the image. Processing is nice as well. Like the shadows the couple are forming on the ground, maybe would of like to see more of them


2 not liking much. She is too much in shadow, cant clearly see her. not really a maternity shot per se. Nice attempt at playing with lines and surroundings, but should of moved closer in or maybe tried to get a reflection of her in the water.


3 cute picture. Processing looks a bit dark though, dont like the shadow in the guys face. A bit of fill flash could of helped. Image is a bit too center composed for my tastes, would of framed them a bit higher up and tried to not have the bit of roof in the image.


4 looks a bit dark again. I prefer maternity shots to be a bit more lively with the exposure. Nice idea with the stuffed animal, but I find its a bit too much at the bottom of the frame. Maybe getting lower would help. The current angle has a kind of empty place between the animal and the couple that looks a bit off


9-10 come of as a bit snapshot-ish. The bench might work with a straight on angle, playing with symetrical lines and maybe framing with the tree. But as is, too plain. Same for 10. The angle could work, but its too far out and she is too small in the frame.


Keep on shooting though, practice makes perfect and for someone who is very new, you are off to a good start

This is excellent advice. Glad you like #1 it is my favorite as well. Regarding lighting, I had opportunities to use my 580EX off camera but I am still struggling to determine what situations are best. Guess this will come with experience. Interesting feedback on 9-10 I can see where you are going with the "snapshot-ish" remarks. I will consider this during my next shots. Apologies for having so many pictures but your advise is super helpful. Thank you.

 

[Haya.H]

I dont know if you will mind or not, but I edited one of your pictures (my favorite) just because I thought the blue-ish tint was kinda strong. I wanted to see how it looked without it so harshly. And I apologize if you dont like people editing your pictures. (shoulda probably asked, woopsies.)


I think this is an awsome shot by the way! How the shadows form, the background everything is lovely

 

[PinkDoor]

Impressive start. . .. but, oh! 13! Ack. . . you need to develop an eye for quick fixes while shooting. A simple tap on her forehead with a "relax these muscles" would have gotten rid of those awful and unnatural forehead wrinkles.

 

[topazsol]

Beautiful!

 

[joeho636]

I like 1, 3, 4, 5, & 8. I say keep up the good work and don't worry about how many pictures it takes; take more pictures.

 

[Derrel]

Shot #1...WOW!!!!! Good one! I love that! I think you have a pretty good feel for the use of locations.

Get rid of the cheesy effects used first in image 7, and then in 11, and the set would look more polished. Overall, better than many sets of this type that we see here.

 

[cdub]

Haya,

It is absolutely OK to edit them. I really appreciate it and you're right, it looks much more appealing after reducing the blue tone. Thank you so much for your input!

 

[cdub]

Shot #1...WOW!!!!! Good one! I love that! I think you have a pretty good feel for the use of locations.

Get rid of the cheesy effects used first in image 7, and then in 11, and the set would look more polished. Overall, better than many sets of this type that we see here.

Haha Thanks Derrel. I can explain the cheesy effects! My wife was a little self conscious about some bumps on her face and she requested that I reduce the clarity of the image. Looking back, it does appear a bit cheesy. Very happy to hear you like #1. Thanks!