Recent child portrait session

[KAikens318]

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[tirediron]

Nice.

 

[DennyCrane]

The best ones are where you're at or below the child's eye level. When you're towering over the kid, the shots suffer... at least in my opinion. But the rest are pretty good!

 

[KAikens318]

The best ones are where you're at or below the child's eye level. When you're towering over the kid, the shots suffer... at least in my opinion. But the rest are pretty good!

So you like all but 2? Lol.

With the rock climbing one I tried to get her at eye level but there was a line of hideous cars and houses on the hill above that turned the composition into crap.

Thanks though, I appreciate it!

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

Cute kiddos

 

[SrBiscuit]

could use some fill light in most.
cute shots though.

 

[Naphtali14]

Yeah you definitely could have used some fill light.

1. I like the shot. The fence is nice however the white ledge or whatever it is in the top left corner is very distracting in my opinion.

2. Good contemplative pose. However her face is very dark.

3. Nice shot. I kinda wish the sun spots weren't there.

4-5. In these two shots the child's left eye is much too dark. This ruins the pictures for me.

6. I like.

7. Meh.. The backdrop around his/her head is distracting.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not saying it to be mean. I can tell that you have a real passion for photography and I know the best way that i learned was through true critique. These seem a bit like snapshots to me. There are no catchlights in any of the eyes, with exception of the last one where the eyes are nice and bright. Look to shoot in areas with even light like that one was done in. I assume the others were taken in full sun. To start out, look for shaded areas where there are less distracting elements like in the plain grass so you can take a look at the eyes of the children and see if the light is hitting them. Keep shooting!

 

[KAikens318]

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not saying it to be mean. I can tell that you have a real passion for photography and I know the best way that i learned was through true critique. These seem a bit like snapshots to me. There are no catchlights in any of the eyes, with exception of the last one where the eyes are nice and bright. Look to shoot in areas with even light like that one was done in. I assume the others were taken in full sun. To start out, look for shaded areas where there are less distracting elements like in the plain grass so you can take a look at the eyes of the children and see if the light is hitting them. Keep shooting!

Critique is always welcome, I don't take offense. How do you get catchlights when you are not using a flash? The ones that were under the trees were taken in the shade, the ones on the playground itself were in the direct sunlight. I would have loved to do it around sundown for better lighting but last time we tried that none of the kids were having it with all the bugs! Would you recommend a reflector or white circle of paper above the camera to add a little light to the eyes? Thanks!

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

Almost all of the pictures I take are with natural light, no flash and I hardly ever have enough time to stick a reflector in front of them - they're too fast! lol. Do you have an older child that will sit still that you can use for some practice? If so. Once the sun has gone down some, put them in the grass in nice even shade. Move them around in a circle (slowly ) and look at the way the light changes as you turn them. You'll see light in there as long as the sun is still out.

Here is an example photo - the light in his eyes is just from the sun.

Untitled | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[KAikens318]

Almost all of the pictures I take are with natural light, no flash and I hardly ever have enough time to stick a reflector in front of them - they're too fast! lol. Do you have an older child that will sit still that you can use for some practice? If so. Once the sun has gone down some, put them in the grass in nice even shade. Move them around in a circle (slowly ) and look at the way the light changes as you turn them. You'll see light in there as long as the sun is still out.

Here is an example photo - the light in his eyes is just from the sun.

Untitled | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Thanks! Most of the kids I shoot don't sit still for a moment but I have some adult friends who will help. Lol. I hate shooting with flash because it just makes it look...snapshot. I am shooting an indoor wedding in a month or so and I am worried about that but I have a great diffuser for my SB-600

 

[ericonoahu]

For a few dollars at the office supply place you can buy - can't think of the name, its like poster board but much thicker and sturdy. Leave one side white, glue some foil to the other side.

Stand your subject in the shade and have someone direct either the foil reflected sun or the white side reflected sun. Play around with it.

Alternatively, use the whole thing to just block the direct sunlight from their face.

I do this to avoid harsh shadows on my subject's faces. You can also buy 40" round reflector/diffusors on Amazon for around $35. Those come with gold, white, silver, and also a diffuser and they fold up for easy carrying around.

The following is taken with nothing other than natural light and one reflector and very little PP. She is standing in the shade of a gazebo from which I am shooting - most of her from head on down is in the shade. The reflector is not.

 

[Flash Harry]

And ^^^^^^^^^^ thats how its done if you dont use flash

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

That is a beautiful girl and a nice pose but the background looks a bit blown to me. I would think that to start with learning about the light she might have an easier time in open shade with an evenly lit background to start. It's a lot to take in to understand that if you meter on your subject properly and your background is brighter than your subject it will blow the background. If she starts simple maybe it will be an easier concept to grasp.

 

[KAikens318]

I think a trip to the dollar store for some foamcore and tinfoil in in the works.