~Portraits~

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

I just wanted to share some portraits I did over the weekend. I felt like it went pretty well. Just trying to get the hang of everything. Kids portraits are my favorite so I have fun doing it. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

 

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

threads merged

 

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

Anyone????

 

[SpeedTrap]

Ok, Please remember this is to help you.

1) This is a good try and I understand what you where after here, but the smile looks too forced and the head is turned a bit too far (Blonde hair and turned that far all I can think of is the exorcist) next time try moving more to the left and try not to have him bring his head past ¼ turn.

2) Good Light, nice and sharp, but there seems to be too much space on this one, try a tighter crop for more impact.

3) I like it, good composition but try to bring the exposure down a half stop, the front foot is a bit hot (Could be this monitor)

4) Again, I get what you were after with this one, but it screams “Look Ma, No Neck”

5) Nice shot, Try to crop with the back of his head at the edge of the frame and more room in front of him, it will lead you across the photo and make you wonder what he is looking at, there is just too much room behind him right now.

6) Once again I know what you were going for, but this is just a snapshot with a poor black and white conversion. You need to get the flash off camera to get this one to look right and it needs more contrast and range in the black and white.

I think you are off to a good start; just keep working at it and you will get it!

 

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

Thanks for your thoughts. I know I need lots more practice!

 

[Amber_Cullen]

I agree with SpeedTrap. You did a good job and you seem to have some great potential, keep working at it! I also love doing children's portraits so make sure you be patient because it can be hard at times, but so worth it

 

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

Thanks Amber. I have been a preschool teacher for 10 years so I fully understand the need for patience! Im hoping that experience will help me work with kids to get better photos. I have lots of tricks up my sleeve!

 

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

Anyone?:er:

 

[Amber_Cullen]

I may have to call on you for advice when it comes to early childhood, I'm in school to be a toddler/preschool teacher

 

[tirediron]

A couple of additional thoughts in addition to Speedtrap's critique:

-Get your camera off of auto! Shoot either in aperture priority or manual in order to maximize creative control, especially with respect to DoF.

-Watch your backgrounds. In image #2, you've chosen a potentially nice background, but the subject is too close, so it's more sharply focused than it should be, and thus distracting.

-Don't forget to level you images in post. In #5, the water looks like it's about to run out of the picture and on to my desk!

Just my $00.02 worth - your milage may vary.

~John

 

[LaFoto]

Some photos here visibly lack in sharpness (focus on the eyes missed in 2, camera shake in 3), but other than that you mostly show children in playful situations, which I appreciate. But then I am no portrait photographer at all, so maybe I am the wrong person to give you a first comment on your photos here... ?!?

In the first I like the fact that you had that boy (?) climb the tree for the photo, but his smile looks kind of forced.

The second, as was mentioned, is not focused well enough. I also deplore the fact that his hands are cut off ... he might be sitting on a seesaw and holding on to it, but we can't see it. On the other hand, there is quite much room above his head, more than is actually needed.

Well, nice idea but camera shake --- Photoshop canNOT really remedy that when it happens.

The fourth is nice, his expression is VERY alert, his eyes become so big and round and dark, lovely, but where are the tips of his ellbows??? I'm not sure (with the size of the picture and the conversion into black and white) whether this one is TACK sharp on his eyes, but what I like, next to him looking so attentively, are the dimples in the corners of his mouth. Nice quarter-smile here .

This one would have been my favourite of the whole bunch (I just love green backgrounds and find they work well with faces! Mostly so when they are as blurred as the background is here), if it weren't for the centred composition. He looks to the right and therefore needs space within the frame to look into (I think), so it'd have been better if his face had been more on the left. All the space behind his face is not really needed here.

Nice idea, even though it has meanwhile been done often, but I am not sure this photo is entirely sharp. I don't think it is. I take it, these two are yours?

 

[LaFoto]

Have I not just commented on these??? :scratch:
This seems to call for some merging here ... our Forum Regulations clearly say this:

* Spamming is not tolerated. Do not cross-post messages in multiple forums in an effort to gain attention. Furthermore, should it be obvious by your signature or posting style that you are here only to promote your business or product, you may receive a warning or possibly be banned. It is permissible for active, involved members to post links to their personal or business web sites.

Tsk! And there I thought no one would give you a reply to your pics ... and here I see you got plenty ... :roll:

 

[LaFoto]

So now your two threads have been merged into one and I edited the post that had appeared in the General Gallery so the photos don't show up in this one-and-only-thread twice now.

 

[photographyaddict]

Yeah it's not bad. I can't pinpoint what's 'wrong' with them per say yet somehow the kids don't seem as 'natural' in their settings. I don't know what it is that is causing that, though.

 

[Shannon Leigh Studios]

Sorry! I wasnt trying to promote my business, just trying to get some C&C. Thanks for all your responses! Im only just starting out & Im starting classes in a couple weeks which Im VERY excited about! Hopefully I will keep improving. Thanks!