Self-portrait with family

[OrionsByte]

Hey folks, been a while since I hung around on TPF, mostly for lack of time...

I'd love some feedback on this photo. It was shot with a reflecting umbrella to the camera's right, the camera was on a tripod and I had my mom trying to get the kids' attention and pressing the remote shutter release for me (so maybe "self-portrait" isn't entirely accurate, though all settings were on manual, including focus, and all set by me beforehand).

I'm pretty happy with this photo, but there's always room for improvement, and if there's one thing TPF has taught me over the years, you often (or always) need someone else to show you where that room is.

In addition to any general feedback you might have, I'd love if you could address the following questions for me:

1. How does the focus look? In a previous attempt a week earlier, I had some depth-of-field problems, partially due to leaving the camera on auto-focus instead of fixing the focus beforehand. Those were shot at f8, so I upped it a bit to f11 for these. I still feel that they look a little soft, but that may just be because of the smaller aperture.
2. What's your opinion of the lighting? Again, in the previous attempt, the umbrella was a little closer to the camera, and a little lower. I moved it because I felt the lighting was too flat. The curtains behind us were being lit by an overcast day. I exposed for the Christmas lights and the curtains, then set the flash to balance. I further brightened the curtains in post.
3. What do you think of the pose/arrangement of people? This is an area where I have little to no experience, so any feedback on this would be great. Would you have moved anyone? Gotten rid of the chair?
4. What is your opinion of the white vignette? It's a Christmas photo, so I was going for a slightly dreamy quality, but is the vignette over the top?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

 

[tirediron]

C&C per req (In no particular order). The posing seems fine to me; it's totally appropriate for the setting. The exposure overall is good, but I would have preferred a fill about 70 deg camera right to reduce teh shadows on the chair, and make the eyes pop a little more. The one thing that I'm not ovrely fussed about is the choice of black sweaters; your youngest child appears to be a disembodied head below your chin, and the middle child somewhat similar in relation to your wife. I like the idea of coordinating clothing (something far too often overlooked), but I think had you and your wife chosen to wear red sweaters and the children black, or vice-versa, it might have been even stronger.

Overall however, a nice family photo!

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

 

[OrionsByte]

Thanks TI, I agree with you 100%. I'm still working with a single speedlight, and I was outvoted on the matching outfits, despite heavy protests. So, I did the best with what I had. Your critique is totally valid and much appreciated, thanks!

 

[jaicatalano]

I love family photos. They are the best. I actually love going to Macy's and buying the really expensive one where everyone looks like a deer in headlights and you pay too much money to talk about it. Anyway on to your photo...

Here is what I think...

Pro's
1. Smiles look genuine.
2. You showcase a beautiful family.

Con's
1. There should be contrast between your youngest and you.
2. Lose the chair. Mom looks like a sibling and not your wife.

Merry Christmas.

 

[curtyoungblood]

I think the posing, while not bad, could use a little help. There's an awful lot of vertical space between you and the baby and the rest of the family. It would be nice if that could be pulled together a little bit. There's almost a nice line w/ your two daughter and wife, if your older daughter got a little closer to her mom, and maybe put her hands on her shoulder (she's doing something strange w/ them now, imo), that may also help.

I think a lot of this is a function of the chair everyone is sitting on. I think it is too large and something smaller, like a stool would have helped.

Kind of like this, but w/ the baby's head not hiding. Also, I didn't put a lot of time into the Photoshop, clearly.

 

[OrionsByte]

Excellent suggestions Curt, thank you!

 

[Derrel]

Well, the head spacing is a bit far on "Dad"--buuuut, by the same token, when his head is pulled down to a more-traditional spacing, there's all that white, empty space where the curtains are!!! So...with the chair as a posing device, having Dad standing fills the white space, and he's "tall", a veritable "pillar" of the family, and it allows the infant son to be shown more or less full-body, being held in Dad's arms...the girls are of course, seated. Baby SIster's expression is priceless!!! And Big Sister's laughter is almost contagious. Mom does *not* look like a sibling....no...she does not. I think the original composition is better than the quick re-edit, just given the way it shows off Dad & Son and the Christmas tree in the upper area, and "the Girls" down in the lower half. The black is slimming, and "formal".

The one thing that would help? Burning down the lower right corner....that glare is spoiling the shot. And, lessen the density of the head shadow by mom and baby sister.

I say burn it, tweak it, print it, and send it out tonight!

 

[frommrstomommy]

Makes me wonder how much difference it would have made had you been sitting, and the wife standing with the baby.. you two swap roles. I feel like you'd fill the space in better, and are likely taller so you won't see that top of the chair and such maybe?

 

[OrionsByte]

The one thing that would help? Burning down the lower right corner....that glare is spoiling the shot.

Ah, see that would be that reverse vignette I mentioned. Here's a shot without it. I'll have to decide which I like better, or maybe pick something halfway. I'll need the wife's approval as well.

I also dodged the shadow of my wife's head a bit.

 

[OrionsByte]

Good thoughts frommrstomommy, and I think I would have preferred to be in the chair as well. That's one disadvantage to being the photographer and the subject though - I needed to be able to get in and out of the picture easily! Thank you for your feedback!