Recent Family Portrait. Jealous Dad?

[Brinr]

Quick shoot for their X-mas letter and something to hang on the wall. C&C is always appreciated. I'm wondering how everyone feels stacking son above Dad, Dad's shorter anyway but this kind of accentuated that fact. Do you guys think that's a no no? You think dad's goin to get jealous?

1

11_05_11 Ponte Family 007 small by BrinR Photo, on Flickr

2

11_05_11 Ponte Family 002 small by BrinR Photo, on Flickr

3

11_05_11 Ponte Family 001 small by BrinR Photo, on Flickr

4

11_05_11 Ponte Family 011 small by BrinR Photo, on Flickr

 

[sm4him]

Well, my two boys are about 6'6" and 6'8" so photos of them with ANYbody else look awkward, lol...but imo, judging from how steep that slope looks, if you had switched them, they would have been almost the same height and it would have ruined the composition.

 

[HeyMeester]

Thoughts.
#2 You cut off the boys arm. Mom and daughter are in a formal pose, dad and son are in a casual pose. Dad is straight to camera, could have moved him a little and his right hand looks odd.
#4 You cut off half of the dog. Looks really odd. If no dog it would have been a great pic. Otherwise, recompose them to make the dog fit in the image.

 

[DiskoJoe]

He might be short but he's stout and I wouldnt mess with him.

Try a square crop on #3 and i wish you would have not chopped the dog off in #4. nice scenes though. The location is good for a christmas shoot. Its got that winter wonderland feel.

 

[Derrel]

On shots 2 and 3, I think you should have switched places between the son and the father. Good-looking family overall though. Dad looks like he could break a 2x4 bare-handed, and mom could stop traffic in a bathrobe and slippers. Heck, even their dog is good-lookin'! Nice color in the landscape at this time. Exposures look good. Not too much squinting except Dad in that one frame.

 

[PixelDust]

In #2 I think that if son was moved down and slightly behind dad he wouldn't seem so far away from the other 3. I like to see faces a bit closer together in family portraits and the closeness also eliminates the negative space between the subjects which, IMO, makes the subjects fade into the background. I think that in #3 the son and dad should have been switched as well. I do wish we could see more of the dog in #4 too.

That's a tough shot though...tall skinny kids, a very tiny wife and a burly dad.

 

[Mark_McCall]

Two things:
What's jumping out at me is that with a few exceptions, everyone seems intent on keeping their hands to theirselves.
Almost like they are hiding their hands.

I love interaction in portraits. Gives an illusion of caring. I'd use hands to relay that.

Also, I'd use more pyramid posing. (tallest person in the middle).

 

[Brinr]

Hey thanks for all the comments everyone. I totally agree with having son too far away, definitely missed that. I also agree with the dog crop (not to be confused with dog crap). Mark, I agree to an extent. Sometimes I feel people can do the opposite as well and make an uncomfortable, kind of like this one (one of my older portraits). Do you think the hands are a little awkward of mom and dad?


Reynolds_B Devin Shoot June 22 2009 002 by BrinR Photo, on Flickr

 

[kundalini]

Mark, excuse me if I'm wrong, but haven't I seen you on another popular photo forum? If so, thanks for joining us here. Your experience will be well appreciated, at least from me. If not, apologies.

I totally agree with the idea of the pyramid posing.

 

[shootermcgavin]

Wait I'm confused, is that girl his sister or his girlfriend... I figured the jealous thing was cuz dads hands were on his GF. I can't imagine you would put your hands around the waste of your sister. I like the photos, just not sure the brother sister one if that is what it is looks normal...

 

[Mark_McCall]

Mark, excuse me if I'm wrong, but haven't I seen you on another popular photo forum? If so, thanks for joining us here. Your experience will be well appreciated, at least from me. If not, apologies.

I totally agree with the idea of the pyramid posing.

Yes you have. I just stumbled on this site yesterday. Looking forward to meeting everyone.