Pretty New Senior (7 images)

AprilRamone · Sep 3, 2007

Really nice girl

1.)

2.) She's a little slouchy in this one, but I still like it

3.) Forgot her pom poms

4.)

5.)

6.)

7.)

DeepSpring · Sep 3, 2007

4 6 and 7 are my favorites. You have really nice lighting and colors. Did you use anything or was it just available light?

AprilRamone · Sep 3, 2007

Thank you for the comments

It was all available light. I've been trying hard to get my clients to meet me late in the afternoon/early evening so we can get the really good light

So far, I haven't even been using a reflector since I can't afford an assistant to hold it up, but I'm planning to raise prices soon so that I can...

S2K1 · Sep 4, 2007

Those are really nice. I like number 4 and 7 the most. Number 2 could've used a flash or reflector to knock some shadows out on her face, but other than that, I like them.

Anita · Sep 4, 2007

Very nice! It's always easier when you have a gorgeous model like this.

Great Job!

FidelCastrovich · Sep 4, 2007

Great photos, nice composition and light, natural looking posing!

My only comment is on her smile. It strikes me as a "say cheese" kind of smile.
It also looks exactly the same every time - somewhat unnatural, fake, and lacking variation - like you told her to smile, without actually trying to make her smile. Copy-paste, kind of.

Other than that - very nice shoot! My favs are #6 and #4. DOF is just right.

wildmaven · Sep 4, 2007

4 and 6 are my favorite, too, though I would get rid of that spider web in the grass in #4.

I agree about the smile. Performers, especially cheerleaders and professional dancers, are so used to keeping a smile on their face that they forget how to make it real. Very difficult to shoot.

AprilRamone · Sep 4, 2007

Yeah, I realized she was doing that with her smile, and we did do some shots where she isn't smiling, but most of those looked worse than the fake smiles. I felt that she was pretty comfortable with me, but I think she is just used to using this smile for pictures. Anyone have tips on how they combat a problem like this? My only tip is to try and convince them that even though it feels weird and dorky that if they fake laugh for a few seconds the smile will actually usually look real even though the laugh is fake. And sometimes they actually do start laughing for real. But, there have been more than a few times when I've suggested this and it wasn't met with much enthusiasm

So any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here's the only serious one I liked...

JimmyJaceyMom · Sep 4, 2007

I didn't actually think her smile was fake at all. I think her eyes look very happy, if you know what I mean. I have no idea how to get a teenager to smile when they don't want to. I don't think you could have paid me to if I didn't feel like it when I was a teenager! LOL
At any rate, these are beautiful and nimber 7 - wow! I love it!

Did you try the color popping thing with the last one you showed there without the smile? I know it's not for everyone but around here the younger crowd I know just think those are the most awesome thing ever!

Naturallyred · Sep 4, 2007

These are wonderful! 4, 6, and 7 are my fav's aswell. The serious one is excellent too.

The Empress · Sep 5, 2007

#6 is my fav...i love the colors and how beautiful it makes her eyes look because of her shirt and the green in the background.

elsaspet · Sep 5, 2007

Those are totally sweet!

AprilRamone · Sep 5, 2007

Thanks everyone

I've been using Cindy's suggestion of making things pop more by playing with the pull down menu in the layers. I've been particularly fond of the "Soft Light" and then just lowering the opacity to anywhere between 15 and 40% on most photos. I think I've been really concerned with making sure the images still looked natural.
But, I went back in and tried to amp up one of the images. I do actually think it looks pretty cool, but I wonder how the client will feel.
Do you guys normally show both versions?
With this one, I just upped the color saturation, and then did a "Vivid Light" layer and lowered the opacity some.

JIP · Sep 5, 2007

FidelCastrovich said:
Great photos, nice composition and light, natural looking posing!

My only comment is on her smile. It strikes me as a "say cheese" kind of smile.
It also looks exactly the same every time - somewhat unnatural, fake, and lacking variation - like you told her to smile, without actually trying to make her smile. Copy-paste, kind of.

Other than that - very nice shoot! My favs are #6 and #4. DOF is just right.

This was my first reaction to this set that is why I did not post until today I figured I would let someone else open this topic. I think technically the images are superb and she is very pretty but that smile looks soooo rehearsed like she has been practicing since 9th grade how she was going to smile in her senior pics. To me it looks like it was either that or she was not having alot of fun.