Looking for some critique on a photoshoot please.

Seventen

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Hello,

I done a photo shoot for this couple last week. I enjoyed it a lot although it was very hard. They guy really did not like being photographed, to the point I started to feel like a stalker. Even my wife said some of the images looked like I was hiding in a bush.
At the start he only wanted his back facing the camera but after a while I was suggesting some things like there is a children's play area. Maybe play on the swings and have fun together and he started to relax more, but still when people were near he would walk away and act he was not part of the photo shoot. In the end I got some really nice images of him alone and together. I selected a few images that I liked that would like to share to people for advice, but he only gave me permission to use these two images with him in as his face is slightly hidden. The girl on the other hand was very relaxed and easy going. So I asked her in some shots to pose alone then I asked him to do the same thing and told him look at that bird over there or something else and it worked. I planned to spend only 1 hour with them but lasted just over 2 but am glad I put in the extra time to make him relax.

These images was all shot with the Tamron 70-300 VC USD.

I actually quite liked the final images and felt very pleased with myself but it is quite a biased opinion so that is why I am looking for some critique to try to improve next time.

I really like image 1, I do feel maybe it was slightly over edited mainly because I missed the focus on the eyes but also I wanted to give it a brighter look so would feel more cold.

Image 2, I really don't like the cropping of it, but I liked it for having them seeming more like a couple.

Image 3 was a great image for me.

Image 4 I had to take a few steps back as in image 1 I was a little too close and she wanted some full body shots. The tree behind is a little annoying but I had tried a shot where I put her head between the tree and the railing but it felt she was being hidden so I chose this one, in hopes the large tree would not be too distracting.

If anyone wants to alter the images please feel free too, but I do ask that you can tell me what you changed. In the past people have edited them and been like to should aim to edit like this. What is like this. So would be much appreciated if you can go to the time to make a edit please describe what you did.
I don't mean to sound rude here but I am not so great with editing and do just basic things in lightroom.

Thank you for taking a look.
 

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I done a photo shoot for this couple last week. I enjoyed it a lot although it was very hard. They guy really did not like being photographed, to the point I started to feel like a stalker. Even my wife said some of the images looked like I was hiding in a bush.
It would appear that you're not accustomed to this type of activity. The fours shots presented here make it look as if you are merely an observer taking snapshots. Your wife's opinion is exactly correct.

I don't have any suggestions right now on how to deal with a camera shy person.

Did this young couple offer any comments on the photos?
 
Well its only my second time doing such shots. It was very hard to direct them as language issues. At the start of it they told me they would rather if I could walk further away from them to try and get shots as if they are going about there own thing. I did pose them in some places but the guy wanted his back of head to the camera or face covered. So it made it very hard especially that I went there with images to show how I would like them to be but they didn't have much interest in that and when I saw somewhere nice I asked can I get some images of you here.

They didn't have much to say just thank you and kept asking when the images would be ready. I did not charge them as I don't really do people shots and need the practice. I did get some images where they were more looking towards the camera but they refused to let me use them for any other use.
 
These look like candid shots much like designer stated. A big part of being a photographer is learning how to take control of the shoot to get the desired results, even if the subjects are hard to deal with. This is your work you are showcasing, so you need to get in there and get it done.
 
These look like candid shots much like designer stated. A big part of being a photographer is learning how to take control of the shoot to get the desired results, even if the subjects are hard to deal with. This is your work you are showcasing, so you need to get in there and get it done.

What could you suggest on getting close, when I tried to get close he would walk away. Maybe not the ideal people for practice. But I think I did succeed with what they wanted, they wanted me to image them from distance being natural with each other. When I did a image of them actually doing something I asked for they were very stiff and very hard to look normal. Most things I asked for was declined or not understood. They were Russian the guy spoke a Little Finnish I am English she spoke little English and I speak a little Finnish so was trying to communicate in English the girl would then translate to Russian but if not understood so well I would use Finnish then he would translate to Russian. This was quite a big issue as well. But not using it as an excuse. Just trying to explain the situation I had as would love to hear information to get better.
 
As both Designer and Kathy have indicated, there's a lack of connection in these images. This is a VERY common scenario; woman wants pictures, man either couldn't care less, or actively dislikes the process. Start by meeting the client(s) well in advance of the shoot and getting to know them. Discuss what they want, the type and style of imagery, etc. This is the preshoot consultation and is every bit as important as the actual shoot.

On the day meet them somewhere like a coffee shop and take a few minutes to help them relax, the more they know you, the more relaxed they're going to be. Find out what makes the shy person laugh/smile etc and use that to advantage. While the technical side of these images is okay, the lack of connection would make me bin them and offer a reshoot.
 
These look like candid shots much like designer stated. A big part of being a photographer is learning how to take control of the shoot to get the desired results, even if the subjects are hard to deal with. This is your work you are showcasing, so you need to get in there and get it done.

What could you suggest on getting close, when I tried to get close he would walk away. Maybe not the ideal people for practice. But I think I did succeed with what they wanted, they wanted me to image them from distance being natural with each other. When I did a image of them actually doing something I asked for they were very stiff and very hard to look normal. Most things I asked for was declined or not understood. They were Russian the guy spoke a Little Finnish I am English she spoke little English and I speak a little Finnish so was trying to communicate in English the girl would then translate to Russian but if not understood so well I would use Finnish then he would translate to Russian. This was quite a big issue as well. But not using it as an excuse. Just trying to explain the situation I had as would love to hear information to get better.
You were not the photographer for them if you couldn't communicate with them. Period. Communication is key for a successful photo shoot.
 
What could you suggest on getting close, when I tried to get close he would walk away.
That is a perfectly natural reaction. I don't like my personal space invaded either.

Get a longer lens. And a tripod. And offer to shoot them again.

A longer lens gets you far enough away from them that they no longer feel threatened.

The tripod will keep your photos sharper by cutting back on any camera shake.

Offering to shoot them again (free?) will give them another chance to get to know you, and trust you better.

Beg, borrow, rent, or steal a longer lens and give it another try.

While you're at it, learn some posing techniques, and if you have to, SHOW them, by striking the pose that you want from them. And open up your frame (get full-body-length shots with some space around them) for cropping later.
 
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What could you suggest on getting close, when I tried to get close he would walk away.
My go to on-location portrait lens was a 200 mm f/2 prime lens.
That would put you 4x further from the subjects than a 50 mm lens would.
Being 4x further away but using a 4x longer focal length subject scale in the image frame would be the same.
If the same lens f-stop is used the DoF will be the same too.

A 50 mm f/1.2, f/1.4, or f/1.8 would need to be stopped down to f/2.8 or an even smaller lens aperture to ensure good sharp focus so a 70-200 mm f/2.8 zoom lens used at f/2.8 and 200 mm would as give the same DoF as a 50 stopped down to f/2.8.
 
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There are ways to handle this type of shoot, for the totally shy or no-confidence type of person. Stand farther away, and set up some simple, two-person interactions and tell them how to interact with one another, and then you move back, OUT of their personal space, and shoot from a distance with a telephoto, or tele-zoom. I actually like to start couples sessions off that way, with them walking toward the camera, slowly, looking at one another, and pausing every five or ten steps. Start with a long zoom at 300mm or 200mm, and as they approach, keep zooming to shorter focal lengths. Once they get to about 20 feet away, tell them to stop coming toward the camera, and then shoot closer-up shots of them as they stand in one place and interact with one another. You can repeat this two or three or even four times. Once you figure out how to do this, you can get pretty good, spontaneous-looking photos of people who are basically interacting with their loved one, and not preoccupied with the camera.

Here's a shot from a two-minute walk-up I shot at the beach a few years ago...not a session, but just two people I saw. I asked if I could shoot some photos of them, they said yes, and so I told them to walk down the beach, then come toward me me while walking through the surf...I think it's a cute picture, based on this way of using a zoom lens. I used an 80-400 VR Nikkor. I read about this 25 years ago in a John Hedgecoe book. The key I think is that you are not in their personal space with the camera, which greatly lessens the subject anxiety level.
 
Some great advice there thank you.

I offered it for free and she also asked me when she returns back in the Summer she wants me to photograph them again so the reshoot will be then. They knew I didnt have much experience and had told them this when I chatted with her a month before. Her boyfriend I met last year when I was studying Finnish but I was only there for a month so didnt really know him well. But he remembered I was using a camera so he found me on facebook and she asked me would I do some pictures for them.
But it was made clear I am new at people photography and she also said he wont have photos taken from someone he dont know and as we was in class for a month together I was fine for it.
When I suggested going on the swings there was much laughter and they seemed really happy and them images from around that area were great, but because his face was on show too much in them I am not allowed to share them images.

I bought along some poses i wanted them too do and I did act them out for them but he was too paranoid someone was watching him so did not want to do them. The girlfriend also wanted images of them kissing but there so no chance for that but I did manage some where the angle looked like they could be kissing and she was very pleased with these ones.

I tried using the 70 - 300mm at 200mm range but had issues of the trees and bushes and them images looked even more perverted like as was clear I was shooting through bushes.

I am hoping they will be more familiar with me next time, and will maybe go for a coffee before the shoot to try and explain what we will do. We actually started of in a coffee shop before the shoot and that was nice, I suggested taking some pictures while at the table could have got some nice images there but it was a no from the guy as was very busy place.

All the images were mainly taking with a 70-300 and a 90mm so in my opinion this was not close to invade personal space, but I think it was more he wanted to be hidden within the background. I had to use a 10 - 24mm lens when on top of the tower as there is hardly any room up there and they wanted images with a view. So I was showing him in live view that the lens is so wide though very close to the subject your hardly noticed in the image and he liked this.

I think if I was to spend another couple of hours he could have relaxed more. But I am happy I had the chance to practice and get out there and do something. Rather than keep reading book and practicing on the wife.

Just hoping the images were not so bad quality for them.
 
View attachment 96018 There are ways to handle this type of shoot, for the totally shy or no-confidence type of person. Stand farther away, and set up some simple, two-person interactions and tell them how to interact with one another, and then you move back, OUT of their personal space, and shoot from a distance with a telephoto, or tele-zoom. I actually like to start couples sessions off that way, with them walking toward the camera, slowly, looking at one another, and pausing every five or ten steps. Start with a long zoom at 300mm or 200mm, and as they approach, keep zooming to shorter focal lengths. Once they get to about 20 feet away, tell them to stop coming toward the camera, and then shoot closer-up shots of them as they stand in one place and interact with one another. You can repeat this two or three or even four times. Once you figure out how to do this, you can get pretty good, spontaneous-looking photos of people who are basically interacting with their loved one, and not preoccupied with the camera.

Here's a shot from a two-minute walk-up I shot at the beach a few years ago...not a session, but just two people I saw. I asked if I could shoot some photos of them, they said yes, and so I told them to walk down the beach, then come toward me me while walking through the surf...I think it's a cute picture, based on this way of using a zoom lens. I used an 80-400 VR Nikkor. I read about this 25 years ago in a John Hedgecoe book. The key I think is that you are not in their personal space with the camera, which greatly lessens the subject anxiety level.


Once we had left the forest and got to some open area we actually did this slow walking to the camera and it was very successful I cant remeber where I read this but I do have a couple of John Hedgecoes books, I used many tips from his complete guide to photography and enjoy reading that book a lot. I started out with a 90mm as the low light abilities in the forest helped and also couldnt use much more than that.
 

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