My First Attempt comment/Pointers welcome

[RickMaHarrey]

Here are a couple Shots from a Mini Shoot I did with my Daughter last Week. I am just beginning to get my feet wet with Photography. I am a Graphic Designer and Want to Branch out and sharpen my Photography Skills. Any Pointers/ Comments are Welcome...

 

[Patrice]

Nice try. Need a bit more practice and experience though.

Image 1. blown sky and underexposed subject. Photographing against a bright background is difficult. Expose for the background and increase the light on the subject to bring it up. Use a flash or reflectors to put more light on the subject. A flash is just as useful outdoors as it is indoors.

Image 2. blown sky but the subject is pretty well lit this time. The issue I have is with the composition. Your subject is smack in the center of the image and is also used as a dividing line between a really bright half and a really dark half. This technique can be pretty dramatic but works better with backgrounds and foregrounds that have subtle or minimal visual elements. A better pose in my opinion would have her leaning back a touch into the fence and placed just to the right of center. The landscape orientation could have worked if the left side elements would have something interesting for her to lead the eye into, otherwise a portrait orientation might be more pleasing.

Image 3. Low point of view wide angle leading to the subject. Again, nice idea but difficult to do. The unfocussed elements at the foreground of the image are a big distraction. This one can be saved with judicious cropping.

 

[tirediron]

In addition to the excellent points above, I'll add: "Watch your backgrounds!" Chain-link fencing and dead leaves doth not an attractive background make!

Railroad tracks... the new selective colouring?

 

[DiskoJoe]

More like #2. Its the only one with a good exposure. Read up on posing.

 

[RickMaHarrey]

Thanks Guys. This is Why i took these Photos to get Tips and Pointers. First Try Ever. This info is Very Helpful...

 

[cannpope]

#2 is the best. Would like it better if you had framed her more to the right and had more of the fence/ train in the frame. The background to her right is very distracting.

 

[ronlane]

I agree with the comments made above. I like #2 best but if you could go back in and crop out the car in the background, I think it would help. You could add some brightness to her face in #1 and 3 by adding a layer in photoshop, if you have it. (I tried to use photoshop online as an example but it didn't come out right.)

 

[Derrel]

I agree with the comments made above. I like #2 best but if you could go back in and crop out the car in the background, I think it would help. You could add some brightness to her face in #1 and 3 by adding a layer in photoshop, if you have it. (I tried to use photoshop online as an example but it didn't come out right.)

Good comment Ron. Yeah, the car in the back is a distraction. I do not mind the dead flowers poking through the chain link fencing...they add an autumn feeling to the shot. #2 would have rocked had it been shot as a half-body, "tall" shot and not a horizontal. Patrice's comment about maybe having her turned around, and leaning into the fence is a good suggestion for an alternative posing idea on that frame. For a very first effort, not too bad. She seems to relate well to the camera, so I'd say keep practicing and getting better!

 

[ronlane]

Good comment Ron.

Derrel, are you feeling a proud moment there? I actually am learning a thing or two. lol

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Nice pics and CC!

 

[NorthbyNorthwest]

Don't worry about people giving you crit about cliche locations (for senior pics especially) like RR tracks and roads. The are usually done because they turn out well with leading lines and implying some journey to be taken, which is kind of the idea of senior pictures. Anyway, you're off to a great start. Agree about the cropping made by patrice. Much more impact without the distractions in the foreground.